Harvard University's Content Marketing Strategy to become a media first brand with Harvard Business Publishing

Case Study-2 for Media First Brand

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Harvard Business School (HBS), under Harvard University in Boston, is among the consistently top-ranked business school in the world. As a part of its legacy, it also owns Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), a well-reputed publication that has elevated HBS into more than just an MBA school - a respected media brand that publishes thought leadership articles, business books, case studies, and houses the respected Harvard Business Review.

But why does a university need a publishing arm?

As per its annual report-2019, HBP alone had a record revenue of $262 million! If it were a for-profit company, it would have been valued at $1.2 Billion.

But apart from being a cash cow with its revenue contribution second to the main business school tuition fees, it also helps them build authority across other universities and reputation among the Business class across the world - using content.

HBR was founded in 1922, while Harvard Business Publishing was founded in 1994 to incorporate HBR and expand by publishing in other formats.

Let’s explore HBP’s content marketing and publishing strategy and understand how it has contributed to building Harvard University’s unparalleled legacy.

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What ideas does HBP sell?

“I think [the magazine’s] most important role, more and more, is to be a kind of a conscience for business.”

- David Ewing, managing editor at HBR

HBP primarily wants to sell the idea of ‘improving the practice of Management and its impact in a changing world’. It aims to do so using smart thinking and courageous leadership to solve the world’s toughest management challenges.

It is committed to:

• excellence in management education

• developing leaders who foster and leverage diversity

• create the best learning experience through various content formats