The problems with Google
Google is a wonderful tool, ask it any question, and the answer will come back, or at least a million references that may give an answer will come back. That is terrific, except for a few minor, or major flaws, depending on your mindset, such as:...
How SME manufacturers can survive the coming downturn.
In contrast to the rosy picture politicians of both colours are painting about the prospects under their government, and the disaster looming if we elect the other, I think we are in for a rough ride. I am not an economist, so have no numbers apart from...
Believe what they do, not what they say.
Last week I was reminded, again, to take what people told you with a grain of salt, and to watch closely what they did, rather than believing what they said. I watched as the CEO of a significant business took a decision that was in direct conflict with...
Managing the Jenga tower of marketing
Have you ever set up and played with a Jenga tower? As the game progresses, some blocks can be removed easily, with no impact, others are really sensitive to any movement and can bring the tower down with a crash. Problem is, the difference is really hard...
How to build a hierarchy of performance measures.
Corporate KPI’s should be evolved as a hierarchy, that measures the cause and effect relationships through an organisation, and be largely agnostic to the individual. After they are in place, you can develop the KPI's for a role to be filled, for which...
What is the one skill no SME can do without?
Simple answer, rarely given at first: Writing quality copy! Quality copy, in whatever form it is delivered, gets inside someone's head, it joins in and contributes to the conversation already happening, and influences the outcomes that evolve. Everything...
6 components of successful gambling (otherwise known as marketing)
Successful Marketing is like having a great hand of cards. Each card has a value by itself, but in isolation, that is very limited. The value of a hand is in the combination of cards you have, particularly the combination you have compared to the...
Where is the similarity between strategy development and ‘Two-Up’
Strategy is all about making choices, which market, which customer type, which channel, and so on. Many marketers do this sort of analysis almost on autopilot, when it is in fact the core of a robust strategy, and should be the subject of rigorous...
Can ‘Platforms’ replace assets?
The new commercial behemoths of the 21st century, Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al, are all 'Platform' businesses. They leverage technology to create connections up and down value chains, replacing as they have businesses that have hard assets that make...
Why is deep domain experience so valuable?
As an old(ish) former senior exec sort of bloke, watching this crop of younger managers come through, I find myself disturbed. It often seems that while they know the facts, and at an intellectual level, recognise the impact, they do not seem to understand...