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...
Proof: You must own your digital home base.
If we ever needed more evidence that you need to have a piece of the digital landscape that is yours, where you make the rules, the response of Facebook to the then proposed 'News Media and Digital Platforms mandatory Bargaining Code' is it. This piece of...
The vital secret of a great brand
Building a brand that has longevity, one that engages and serves consumers over time, while delivering returns to the owner of the brand is a really, really difficult exercise, one that very few get right. Sadly, when it is done right, over time, the essential...
2 key lessons from the Facebook embargo
I cannot help but be amazed by (what I regard) to be delusional crap coming out of the mouths of politicians from both sides, after Facebook exercised its power and chopped Australia off the map. Michelle Rowland, the Labor shadow communications minister wondered if...
What does a brand mean to us?
We human beings are hard wired to be social, to belong to a group that reflects in one way or another, the view we have of ourselves. We belong to a family group, for better or worse, then many 'satellite' groups of varying importance to us. A brand is the flag...
The 2 essential elements for a successful strategy implementation
The key difference between a successful strategy, and an unsuccessful one, is that the former is implemented. That simplistic statement does little to acknowledge the challenges in the implementation process. The purpose of this post is to offer a few observations and...
Is now the time to tart it up?
I expect 2021 will be a year where there is a lot of M&A activity as businesses weakened by the impact of the Corona virus are snapped up by rivals with a bit of cash. The simple equation of M&A is that the price to be paid for an acquisition will be...