Marketing transparency
Branding and brand marketing has always been about finding customers for a product, a "build it and they will come" approach. But life, and the world has changed from just 20 years ago. I remember the day I saw my first fax, an astonishing tool, but I have not used...
Which is the chicken, and which is the egg?
Does the technology that enables stuff to be done come before the creativity to figure out what to do with it, or does the creativity drive the innovation in technology. Who really knows, and it probably does not really matter, fact is that they feed off each other....
“Wartime/peacetime” leadership skills
Most of us tacitly understand that winning leadership styles differ depending on circumstances, that the bloke who was great at starting a business, and getting it running is not necessarily the one to lead it into maturity. Most commentators on leadership have...
Technology driven or customer driven
The technical solutions emerging are fantastic, but how often do you see the technology get in the way of genuine interaction with a customer?. Like any tool, the tech-tools of the 21st century are only as good as their users, and if their users are technology...
Relationships are the objective.
A friend works for the local council who have banned the use of social media, "Just a time-waster" is the view. Here's the thing, I thought local councils were there to serve the community, to reflect the way they think, work, bring up their families and play in the...
Social media is not free, so chase a return!
There may be no charge to post stuff onto social media platforms, but if you are running a business, and people are using the time and resources you have paid for, by definition, there is a cost, even if it is an opportunity cost. Many businesses I have seen just...
Encouraging evolution
Process improvement is all about slow adoption of the tiny opportunities that arrive, by any number of means, that together enable adaption of the system to the environment around it to improve performance. My favorite metaphors usually come from the natural...
Go to the Gemba
"Gemba" is a Japanese term, literally "the real place" and is a term used extensively in lean management, meaning, in effect, go to where it happens and look to understand. This originally meant the manufacturing floor, but just as easily translates to anywhere real...
Trade-offs required
"We will reduce the carbon going into the atmosphere, but it will not cost anyone (who votes) anything". Sound familiar? How about "The budget calls for increased sales and margins, which means we will have to do more with less people and put prices up ". Never have I...
“Advertainment” and brand building
The line between advertising to build brands and entertainment continues to blurr, and a whole new arena for creativity has emerged in our marketing mix, unheralded amongst many of those who run the corporations that create most of our old fashioned mass marketing....