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)

Connectivity and Coffee
Salem
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 12:34 am
Starbucks is able to maintain its massive global position by investing in digital technologies like free wifi and a customer loyalty app
BlackBerry: Why Even the “CrackBerry” Addicts Quit
guillermop
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 10:54 pm
BlackBerry once dominated the smart phone market, but is now clearly a "digital loser".
FacialNetwork: Why Big Brother will be a Big Winner
Y.S.H.
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 8:12 pm
"FacialNetwork is at the confluence of three pivotal technology trends and is leveraging the latest advancements in mobile, cloud and big data to create practical facial recognition applications."
How Little Roku Dethroned the Big Apple… But Can They Stay On Top?
Austin
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
Roku's open platform, close relationship with Netflix, and seamless user experience catapulted them to King in the U.S. But will they persist?
Airbnb’s digital platform takes control of Paris short-term rental industry, and makes peace with the city administration
europeanfederalist
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 11:45 pm
Read about how Airbnb's online platform has taken over the Paris' short-term real estate business and sealed an agreement with the City of Paris.
The New York Times: Outwitted in the Digital Age?
Merritt
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 7:24 pm
The New York Times struggles to maintain its market leadership position against innovative upstarts in the digital media industry.
Instacart + Whole Foods Market = Digital #Winner
(Wo)Man in the Arena
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 10:19 pm
Instacart paired a digital solution with the existing supermarket model. They rely on speed and accuracy to deliver (no pun intended) on their customer promise. By rethinking the way we shop, Instacart has been able to disrupt the traditional shopping [...]
Walmart: A Surprising Winner in Omnichannel Retail
Sean L
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
As delineations between physical and digital storefronts fade, Walmart has recognized that the future lies in “omnichannel” retail — a world where retailers serve customers seamlessly through online, mobile, and in-store interactions.
AYR: Immersive online experience with a real-world twist
Carina Rutgers
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Bonobos sister company makes shopping for the perfect pair of jeans something to look forward to
Glossier – Disrupting the Old Man’s Beauty Industry
Atima Lui
Last modified on October 19, 2015 at 6:03 pm
How Star Beauty Blogger Emily Weiss Built Glossier into a Digital Marketing Powerhouse
LinkedIn: Changing the Professional Recruitment Landscape
Becky D
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 8:31 pm
LinkedIn goes beyond professional recruiters to make the hiring process smarter and better than it ever was before.
USPS: Nothing more than a stamp designer?
Charles
Posted on September 13, 2015 at 11:21 pm
In the era of the internet, globalization and instant messaging, how will a company used to make deliveries in 5 to 10 days survive? Does it have what it takes to adapt? What are the main forces holding it from [...]
Does Google Monitor Your Carry-On? Digital Innovation in Travel Accessories
Jonathan T
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 5:24 pm
How Can Connected Travel Accessories Can Create Sustainable Advantages In An Established Market?
Not Slacking off in the office
uilc
Posted on September 11, 2015 at 7:23 pm
The communication platform called Slack is winning because it is disrupting how office communication occurs.   Slack addresses a business need Slack addresses the pain of reading and searching through emails for a specific project or topic.  Slack allows teams [...]
Amazon: The One Stop Shop
Alexander Soley
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 9:36 pm
Online shopping changed the face of retail. A world where one would have to go to a physical store such as Walmart to find goods, increasingly online stores are being used more and more to buy everything from cabbage to toilets. Amazon, [...]
Staples – The Fight for Survival
Savage
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 11:36 pm
Can anything save Staples? Paper usage is shrinking, pens, highlighters and note-pads are disappearing. Does putting two dying businesses together create life?
BigML – Early to the Party
brandon
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 9:48 pm
How BigML is democratizing the tools of Big Data, making machine learning 'easy & beautiful.'
TILT: Taking the Hassle out of Group Fund Collection
Grace
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Tilt, a P2P payment platform answers the struggles of group funding by taking the risk off the contributor and the administrative burden off the organizer.
WeWork – Reshaping the office landscape
gscoon
Last modified on September 14, 2015 at 11:43 am
WeWork, now valued at $10 billion, offers coworking spaces for a new type of worker. Will they continue to win? Read this post and you will/might find out.
Zenefits spells bad news for insurance brokers but good news for your startup
SDS
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 8:38 pm
Learn about why Zenefits gets 'winner' status by helping small businesses manage employee benefits for free
Pinterest: Don’t Forget to Pin it on the Winner’s Board
Schwas
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 11:41 pm
Pinterest’s journey in the digital age is just beginning, and by creating significant value for both general users (i.e., consumers) and businesses, it’s certainly positioning itself for long-term success.
Burberry: Using Digital to Revitalize a Brand
PD
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Seeking to revitalize and harmonize its brand, Burberry became a digital leader in the luxury fashion space.
eSalon: Even Hair Has Gone Digital
Marissa Henry
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 10:26 pm
eSalon is well positioned to win big in the new digital world of hair care.
Give Me $3000 to List Your Apartment on Craigslist
Donald Frump
Last modified on September 13, 2015 at 4:46 pm
An unnecessary job is finally going away and saving lots of people money in the meantime.
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