From AI to Taylor Swift — case studies drawing lessons from life

Case studies are widely used in teaching at business schools, blending academic research and rigorous insights with practical examples to spark student discussion. But the work of their authors and institutions rarely receives much recognition.

The FT worked with the three largest publishers of cases — Harvard Business Impact, Ivey Publishing and The Case Centre — both to identify individual recent cases (published in or since 2023) that are most widely used around the world, and to credit the business schools that produce the most popular written in recent years. (See list, bottom.)

Overall, business school case study subjects are becoming more diverse but also more digitally focused as institutions adapt to a rapidly changing world, particularly with the advent of artificial intelligence. Some of the most used cases show that AI is no longer a niche subject, with the technology spanning media businesses such as Disney, banks such as DBS, and tech competition — including an “AI wars” paper that focuses on the challenge of making money out of generative AI. 

“The case method teaches students the skills they need to navigate complexity: critical thinking, problem-solving, managing ambiguity . . . communication and risk management,” says Antoinette Mills of The Case Centre, a publisher of teaching cases. “In an age of AI, these higher order skills are more important than ever, helping students make informed decisions under uncertainty — precisely the capabilities employers value most today.”

Sampsa Samila, professor of strategic management at Iese Business School in Barcelona, says academics must exercise their judgment when choosing the right topics for students. “This is partly knowing the general area and understanding what the key issues are that would be great learning opportunities in a class discussion,” says Samila. He adds that finding the right setting for the discussion and good writing skills are essential to produce the best case study.

David Yoffie is a Baker Foundation professor at Harvard Business School. He wrote his first case study in 1992 on Apple, with the help of its then chief executive John Sculley. He sees case studies as “managerial lessons”. 

“To be effective . . . faculty require the capability to do important research, which provides new insights into business problems,” Yoffie says. “The art of writing a case can be a powerful tool to turn those research insights into managerial lessons. In addition, most academic research involves a high number of data points, but cases allow the instructor to dive into managerial problems in a single firm.”

Cases sharpen academic thinking too, says Ayelet Israeli, Marvin Bower associate professor at Harvard Business School. “Writing cases keeps me closely connected to practice,” she says. “They show how managers actually grapple with opportunities and challenges, which sharpens my understanding of the business environment.”

Here we look at some of the most widely used case studies, from artificial intelligence to Taylor Swift (see top 15 below). 

Getting ahead in AI

The launch of ChatGPT in 2022 was a game-changer in Silicon Valley. For incumbents such as Google, seen as a leader in AI development, OpenAI’s chatbot spelled danger. Google suddenly faced the risk that its long-term dominance in search would be undermined by a start-up backed by Microsoft. 

For years, Google’s efforts on AI had been confined to the lab. But OpenAI’s move to release ChatGPT to the public captured the imagination of millions of users. It also raised questions about where the value of AI lay — in closed products, open research or new hybrid models? 

Microsoft moved fast to capitalise and rivals rushed to respond. Meta, for example, doubled down on its open-source strategy. All players faced strategic dilemmas. For Google, the competition illustrated the risks of caution in a space where it pays to move first. For Microsoft, it was a rare opportunity to put Google on the back foot. 

The “AI wars” case study frames core corporate dilemmas clearly. Should companies pursue open or closed models? Should they embrace disruption or protect a dominant position? The case stops around early to mid 2023 and risks becoming rapidly dated, but it remains a powerful example for teaching strategy in the fast-moving technology sector.

Andy Wu is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and a co-author of the case study. He says the intense hype around AI made this a “crucial topic for a strategy course”. Wu adds: “It’s too easy for students — and managers — to get lost in the hype of the technological arms race without a firm grasp of the fundamentals.”

Disney’s streaming battle

Disney stepped into the streaming service market in 2019, aiming to challenge in a sector dominated by Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, soon joined by Apple. Pundits wondered whether Disney+, with its deep content libraries from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, would be able to harness data and machine learning with the same sophistication that had marked Netflix’s dominance.

Netflix had first-mover advantage when it came to algorithmic-driven personalisation. Its recommendation system grew into a complex engine that exploited user behaviour — what they watched, when and how frequently. Disney executives debated how to mine data streams that could feed algorithms to personalise customer experience and boost revenues. But they faced a dilemma: could a company steeped in creativity embrace data-driven decisionmaking without diluting its magic? Did algorithms risk watering down the artistic individuality of stories?

The decision point in the “Disney+ and machine learning in the streaming age” case study is whether Disney could use machine learning not just as a defensive tool but as a strategic differentiator, personalising viewing and targeting marketing more accurately. The broader lesson is that in the digital era, creativity and algorithms are no longer opposing forces but interdependent drivers of value.

Kevin McTigue, clinical professor of marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois, is a co-author of the case study. He selects cases to write “because there is a lesson I need to teach, and I can’t find existing materials that do it as well as I want”. 

He adds: “In this situation, machine learning and AI materials seemed to be overly complicated and technical when managers need to know the use cases and watchouts, not the code. And technology cases can become outdated in months. So, I tried to write this in a way that it could be used successfully as machine learning evolves.”

‘Taylornomics’ takes off

When Taylor Swift announced her blockbuster 2023 Eras tour, demand for tickets in North America was so high that sales platform Ticketmaster crashed. This cemented the singer’s place as one of the most influential cultural figures on the planet. Eras spanned 149 shows in 51 cities around the world, while the US leg was described as having the economic impact of several NFL Super Bowls.

Swift’s appeal goes beyond music and relies on the ecosystem of influence she has built. Her reach on social media platforms rivals that of large media groups, with more than 280mn followers on Instagram. She famously re-recorded four albums in a dispute over ownership of her songs, then bought back the masters of others. She has built unusual power in negotiating with labels and ticketing platforms. Forbes has estimated her wealth at $1.6bn. 

Eras was more than a series of concerts; it was a global spectacle that reshaped travel patterns, boosted hospitality revenues and generated a new vocabulary of “Taylornomics” to describe her economic footprint. “Swifties” were projected to spend $5bn during the US tour.

“Taylor Swift: a mastermind of influence”, a case study by Anthony Wilson-Prangley and Amy Moore, frames the singer’s rise through the eyes of Willow Novak, a fictional character who admires Swift’s confidence but struggles with her own insecurities. The larger lesson? Swift’s success is not about clever marketing but about building influence that mixes identity, business and art. 

The case study is a timely and culturally relevant read that explores the outsize impact a singer’s personal brand has in the creation of her music empire. The use of a fictional character is a clever device but may risk trivialising the case for MBA students.

Apple’s balancing act

Apple may be one of the most profitable companies in history but it faces challenges as iPhone sales flatline and regulatory scrutiny intensifies. Under Tim Cook, it has built a services and wearables empire around flagship products such as the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple TV.

Exposed to saturation in the smartphone sector, Apple has diversified its bets on AI and augmented reality. Meanwhile, regulators are applying pressure. The EU’s landmark Digital Markets Act is pushing to allow users to access alternative marketplaces to Apple’s App Store, potentially undermining an important revenue stream. Washington is probing whether Google’s payment to remain the default search engine in Apple’s Safari browser undermines competition. China has banned government workers and those at state-backed companies from using iPhones, citing cyber security concerns.

This case study, “Apple Inc in 2023”, offers strategic breadth by tracing Apple’s evolution from the Macintosh and iPod to its current service-heavy model, It also gives readers perspective on regulatory exposure. However, it arguably risks overwhelming students with too much detail about the company’s history and products.

But there is great value in a case focused on one of the most fascinating companies in modern corporate history. “Apple has been an object of fascination for students and executives alike for over 40 years,” says Harvard’s Yoffie, one of the authors of the study.