• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL

en English
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Articles
  • Book Review
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

Harvard Prof Who Brought Kim Kardashian To Campus Explains What MBAs Can Learn From Her

February 3, 2023 by AFRIPOL Leave a Comment

By Anna Watson Poet and Quant

Sometime before or after contributing to a Harvard Business School lecture, Kim Kardashian snaps a photo while on campus. She later posts it on Twitter and other social media channels, captioned with a thank you to the B-school and professor for hosting a class about her shapewear line SKIMS, reportedly valued at over $3.2 billion.

Harvard Professor Leonard Schlesinger: “Two things we were focusing on being hot was, ‘Is TikTok the new Google,’ and moving from influencers to celebrities as a strategy for lowering the cost of customer acquisition”

This year’s DTC program was all about moving away from influencers and toward celebrities to try to acquire a larger customer base at a lower cost, hence appearances from two highly regarded female celebrities.

Johansson’s visit largely went unnoticed by the internet, while Kardashian’s attracted a deluge of media coverage. One Twitter user speculated that HBS was “desperate” for speakers. Another responded to Kardashian’s tweet referencing Legally Blonde character Elle Woods — a reference in which Kim later reposted a meme about.

Schlesinger argues that Kardashian and her ability to reach over 350 million followers represent a channel for marketing that is quite unprecedented. So what can a Harvard cohort learn from an unrelatable 350 million?

“A number of our students are going to want to be investors in this space,” he says. “If (students) meet a celebrity, how do you understand what the two of you need to do to make something happen?”

Schlesinger says both Johansson and Kardashian as celebrities offer different perspectives on product portfolios in that they approach social media and what they do publicly differently.

“It is really important for our students to be able to see the juxtaposition between those two businesses and business strategies as they think about how it actually fits for them,” he says.

Johansson’s company emphasizes a simple skincare regimen offering just a few products while staying conscious about ingredients, vying for someone who aims to have quality products with enough ease but without harmful additives.

Kardashian’s SKIMS collection was described by the Financial Times as “Spanx for Gen Z.” The brand sells shapewear, loungewear and underwear, catering to a diverse range of sizes and shapes and known for collaborating with brands such as Fendi or promoting through other celebrities, such as a nostalgic crew of former Victoria Secret Angels.

Schlesinger says celebrity has very little advantage in the market without a good product. He wants students to understand how difficult the DTC space can be for lowering consumer acquisition costs and for other various emerging barriers. One being that someone like Kardashian does hold an audience of 350 million.

“I mean she’s got 350 million followers, so the issue becomes, that’s a natural asset that every other traditional DTC is chasing,” he says.

Filed Under: Articles, Strategic Research & Analysis

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

Malawi’s President Chakwera calls for debt cancellation, UN reforms with permanent seat for Africa

September 21, 2023 By AFRIPOL

Nigeria’s President Tinubu Addresses United Nations General Debate, 78th Session

September 21, 2023 By AFRIPOL

RSS AllAfrica News: Latest

  • Zimbabwe: For These Zimbabwean Youths, a Good Education Means Living On Their Own
    [Global Press Journal] Rusike, Zimbabwe -- Dearth of schools near redistributed farmland forces families to rent distant accommodations where children live alone and attend classes.
  • Ethiopia: Defying Conflict and Child Marriage to Champion Girls' Education and Rights in Ethiopia
    [UNFPA] "I was very scared when I first entered the safe house. I was lonely and didn't leave my room for a month," said Ms. Alemtsehay*, now 18.
  • Cameroon: Time to Resolve Cameroon's Persistent Yet Forgotten Crisis
    [ISS] The country is no closer to settling the destabilising seven-year Anglophone crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.
  • Liberia: Why Liberia's President Weah Must Go (Democratically)
    [African Arguments] Liberia's disaffected citizens are more than justified in hoping that the 10 October election brings change.
  • Uganda: 'Why Do They Punish Us?' Uganda Charcoal Ban Ignites Transition Debate
    [African Arguments] While welcomed in principle, the abrupt charcoal ban has left both traders and buyers unsure of where to turn.
  • Nigeria: Nigeria's Private Sector Reports Poor Growth Amid Weakening Naira
    [Premium Times] The Stanbic IBTC's Nigeria's Purchasing Manager Index (PMI), which gauges the overall direction the economy is heading and the health of the economy, gives an outlook of Nigeria's economy for the month of September.

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center, AFRIPOL is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

Recent

  • Pythagorean Theorem Found On Clay Tablet 1,000 Years Older Than Pythagoras
  • US Court Orders Chicago University To Release Tinubu’s Academic Records To Atiku
  • Atiku And Tinubu Are Going Down And Dragging The Country With Them – Constance Ikokwu
  • Nigerian President’s CSU Diploma Is A Fake  by J. COYDEN PALMER
  • Listen to what Imo Governor Uzodinma is telling the youths !

Search

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States

Copyright © 2023 · AFRIPOL