Digital Winners and Losers

September 13, 2015

Read The Full Prompt

The basic thesis of our course is that digital technologies are upending many industries and companies. Think about Uber’s impact on the taxi business or Spotify’s impact on music downloads and the record industry.

For this module, we would like you to identify companies/organizations that you think are winning or losing. Just work on either winners or losers. Please focus on just one organization. Tell us why they are a winner or loser. Discuss elements of how they create and/or capture value that is leading you to call them a winner or loser.

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution. Please create appropriate tags for your post including if it is a “winner” or “loser” Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Selected posts will be discussed in class and also featured on the HBS Digital Initiative website.

Submitted (145)

Google and Its Chromecast
CSS
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 12:58 pm
As the content / television industry rapidly evolves with the emergence of new internet streaming technologies, Google and its Chromecast are here to win our hearts (and help us cut the cord with traditional cable and satellite packages).
Polyvore: Consuming Traditional Fashion Retailers
mtv0302
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 12:28 am
A post analyzing the impact of social commerce site, Polyvore, that has emerged as a digital winner by disrupting traditional e-commerce, the brick-and-mortar department store, and even major fashion publications.
The Dollar Shave Club: Redefining the Razor and Blade Business Model
Dani Johnson
Posted on September 14, 2015 at 3:54 pm
The Dollar Shave Club is disrupting industry giants by leveraging a new approach to providing shaving products
How Betterment Wins by Reducing the Cost Structure of Investment Management
Rob C.
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 4:47 pm
Betterment is disrupting investment management by leveraging software and automation to reduce the costs associated with investing and maintaining a balanced portfolio. It heralds a new world that promises to be more efficient, inclusive, and transparent.
Transforming your behavior into digital information
Angela Zhang
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 2:42 pm
COGITO - transforming behavior into digital information
WeChat: How a Chinese Messaging App is Winning the Internet
hbs2016
Posted on September 14, 2015 at 4:45 pm
WeChat has pioneered the messaging-as-a-platform business model, generating massive revenue from its 600 million active users and capturing value across industries from banking to transportation. Where will it grow next?
Skin Deep Database: The Only Truth Behind Product Safety?
Jess
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 7:46 pm
The @US_FDA does not regulate the ingredients in our #beauty products, so the @EWG #skindeep #database protects us. #digitalhealthrevolution
Slack, a Digital Open Office
David
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 10:54 pm
I was first introduced to Slack during my internship this past summer at a very small startup that used Gmail as their email client of choice; an already significant step-up from my previous Outlook experiences.  A few weeks into the [...]
Blockbuster – From Blockbuster to Bomb: An Industry Leader’s Stunning Failure
HF
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 12:31 am
What led to the downfall of the industry giant Blockbuster ? On its peak in 2002 it was valued $5 billion, 9 years later it was sold for only a little over $300 million and was shut down entirely in [...]
Does Best Buy live up to it’s name?
Mor Sidi
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
Can Best-Buy ever compete with the 5-star rankings and reviews that the online world give us?
Garmin, the definitive winner in the sports & fitness devices industry
Guillermo
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Into sports, into twitter, into facebook and with real time tracking...
LinkedIn: Winning with Professional Data
JG
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 11:03 am
LinkedIn has built up an invaluable user base and professional category of data that unlock a number of different and robust revenue streams.
And the next big thing in retail is… Wal-Mart?
Belowthefold
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 7:57 pm
How Wal-Mart is competing against technology companies like Amazon in the digital retail space.
Waze: Redefining Carpooling
RS
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 10:50 pm
In spite of rising costs of car-ownership (>$8,000/year on average) and parking ($3,000/year on average), 80% of Americans still drive alone when commuting to and from work. This has led to a tremendous increase in road congestion, especially in major [...]
The Waze model – make your users do the work!
FB
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Combining a large community of users with a navigation app makes Waze well positioned for the future
Nordstrom – Innovating to Stay Relevant
HBStudent2016
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
Nordstrom has found a way to seamlessly integrate the shopping experience online and offline to maintain customer loyalty.
Airbnb has truly challenged the status quo of the travel industry
Ximena
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 12:38 am
  With a $25 billion valuation and after only seven years in the market, Airbnb has surpassed the market cap of major hotel companies like Marriott that manages more than 4.000 hotels ($21bn) or Starwood with more than 1.200 properties [...]
The Guardian – how to be a winner in a declining industry
KP
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 12:54 am
The Guardian has survived one of the biggest industry declines, to become a more relevant newspaper in a digital world. They have beaten their traditional newspaper rivals through the adoption of 'Open Journalism' and digital media - putting their readers [...]
Starbucks – Driving Customer Engagement via Digital Innovation
IR
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 11:55 pm
Starbucks is a great example of a company “winning” by leveraging digital technologies to create value. Technology is increasingly disrupting traditional “brick and mortar” retail businesses, and Starbucks has long been recognized as a leader in harnessing digital tools to [...]
Is it too late for Microsoft?
Sabina
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
Microsoft shifted from a company that creates new markets and leads innovation to a company that defends its position in existing markets.
Microsoft is Winning
Esty
Last modified on September 11, 2015 at 9:08 am
Microsoft is winning- taking some bold moves and surprises us with its ability to adjust and react to customer and industry demands
Michael Page Recruiting – Do we still need headhunters?
CY
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 1:05 am
Recruiting companies like Michael Page are losing out in this age of digital innovation. Disintermediation of the middle man is happening in many industries and looks set to disrupt the recruiting industry. The healthy margins that once made this industry [...]
USPS: Innovating at a Snail’s Pace
Elizabeth H
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 10:14 pm
Just about everyone has come in contact with the United States Postal Service in the past year.  And I’d bet that the interaction is largely the exact same as it was 10 years ago.  Eclipsed by the digital revolution, I [...]
Sephora – How to THRIVE as a retailer in the digital age
Bougainvillea
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 8:06 pm
Sephora's big bets on digital innovation are its keys to succeeding in the trouble-ridden brick-and-mortar retail space.
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