A 6-part frame for manufacturing in Australia
There has been a lot of commentary on what we as a manufacturing cohort, and the government should do to haul Australia out of the steady decline of manufacturing. Most of it is good, thoughtful commentary, but we seem unable to move forward meaningfully on many...
The danger of the ‘Exposure Effect’ in advertising
Several of the advertisers who bought large packages of advertising in association with the recent Australian Open did themselves a massive disservice. The 'Exposure Effect' is a double-edged sword. We are more likely to be positively impacted by things...
Where have all the orators gone?
I have been dismayed by the quality of the language coming from our leaders, deteriorating as it has for the last 45 years I have been watching closely. With several notable exceptions on both sides of the house, the standard, if measured by the insight...
The Covid bonanza
Covid has created an unexpected brand building bonanza for big Pharma. All around us we hear animated conversation about the relative merits of the Astra-Zeneca, J&J, Pfizer, Moderna, and other Covid 'vaccines'. Each has its own proponents who seem to be across...
The one tough nut almost every SME fails to crack that can multiply profits.
Is it wider distribution, provocative headline on a Facebook ad, play with price, or find a celebrity to endorse it for free??? It is not any of these, or many other options that probably sprang to mind. The answer is both simpler, and way harder than any of these,...
What makes the Pareto principal work?
We are all familiar with the Pareto Principal: the 80/20 rule, first articulated by Italian mathematician Vilfredo Pareto in 1906. Pareto saw this unequal distribution in all sorts of unexpected places, after first noticing that 20% of the pea pods in his...
The biology of Strategy
Every successful strategy I have seen, heard of, read about, or imagined, has three common factors. The first is obvious, the second and third less so. The strategy is implemented. The strategy is communicated widely as a story, that draws stakeholders in, giving them...
How to understand the ‘AI machine’ between your ears.
One of the significant problems in making any change is the articulation of the need to change, and the outcomes that are expected as a result. Overcome those two, and change is suddenly easier, albeit still really hard. The first hurdle is the articulation. In order...
The 9 tactics for a successful huddle
Covid has forced remote working, and many have responded by introducing a well-proven strategy to maintain the sense of 'togetherness' as well as delivering accountability. The 'Huddle' It goes by many names, one of my clients calls it the 'daily toolbox'....
How much should we tolerate misconduct?
How is it that some individuals at the top can get away with the claim that they knew nothing about the stench that must have been emanating from below the floorboards? Our chief marketing spruiker, the PM, seems to know nothing of the rotting corpse that is the...