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Monthly Archives: April 2011
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
“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 … Continue reading
Posted in Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
Tagged Branding, communication, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
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Innovation top 50 performers
Fast Company’s innovation list is out again, the top 50 for the year. It includes the usual suspects, Google, Facebook, Linked-in, and so on, but also 2 retailers, Californian Trader Joes at 11, and Britain’s Marks & Spencer at 36. … Continue reading
Social “Apponomics”
Apps are a part of our lives, a very recent innovation, and they are not going away any time soon. The commercial challenge is how to monetarise them, make a return, build a business. We have learnt since the tech … Continue reading
Posted in Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
Tagged communication, customer, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
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Marketing, blogging, and some introspection.
Writing this blog for a couple of years, to a small (but increasing) audience, has made me think about Kevin Costner. Sad. I started to write the blog, and for a long time no-one came, just as KC built the … Continue reading
Posted in Marketing, Social Media
Tagged communication, Marketing, Social Media, web stuff
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Presentations that work.
Marketing is mostly about storytelling, engaging people in the emotion of the value proposition, and every presentation you do is a selling opportunity, for an idea, a vision, and sometimes a product. Presenting to an audience of strangers is for … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Marketing
Tagged communication, Marketing, negotiation, performance assessment, Personal Rant
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Brands work two ways
Most marketers will tell you what their brand stand for, premium quality, reliable performance, consistent taste, great service, and so on. Sounds a bit like a bunch of cliches doesn’t it? However, it is just as valid to define your … Continue reading
Scenario planning deserves a rethink.
Scenario planning was a popular tool 20 years ago, but seems to have been supplanted by other tools, and priorities, or forgotten. In an increasingly unpredictable world, it makes sense to step back, and consider a range of perhaps unlikely … Continue reading
Proximity and personal marketing tools: the coming wave
It seems only a short time ago I stumbled across the reality that mobile devices and their GPS capabilities could be used as tools to entice customers in various ways, almost like spruikers outside “that” sort of establishment . Suddenly … Continue reading
Posted in Customers, Innovation, Marketing, Social Media
Tagged Change, customer, Innovation, Marketing, Social Media
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Risk management feeds innovation
This appears to be a counter intuitive statement, but when you think about it, the outcome, innovation is all about directing resources to where they will deliver the best outcome, seeing the opportunity, managing towards a common goal, enhancing the … Continue reading
The value of forced isolation
This note is being written on a plane, somewhere over Asia in the middle of a long flight to the UK to see a few who can contribute to my store of knowledge, and hopefully I to theirs. It is … Continue reading
Posted in Collaboration, Leadership, Management
Tagged Alliance management, collaboration, Leadership, Management, managing yourself
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Managing virtual teams.
Management structures have flattened and globalised at the same time, radically changing the way collaboration happens. Now virtual teams work across all sorts of boundaries, and have created a new set of challenges. Traditional management simply does not work effectively, … Continue reading
Posted in Collaboration, Leadership, Lean
Tagged Alliance management, collaboration, communication, Leadership, lean, performance assessment
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Management and leadership
Management and leadership are not the same. For years I have advocated this self evident truth, and occasionally something comes along to confirm, again, the essential truth that leaders lead, and managers just take care of the details. Leadership in … Continue reading
Social media ad targeting.
Following on from yesterdays somewhat cynical observations about the supposed ease of using viral marketing as an advertising “strategy”, driven often by cost considerations and dills who do not understand, it seems sensible to take a closer look at e-advertising, … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Customers, Marketing, Social Media
Tagged customer, Marketing, performance assessment, Social Media
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Viral marketing, not so hard?
Bosses, often with no idea of marketing, and the social networks and how to engage them seem to be increasingly thinking forget the TV, (good idea that in most cases) “just make a silly/funny/outrageous video, and it will go viral”. … Continue reading
Value of certainty
I’ve seen lots of customer service initiatives that promise “delivery by ……..” and no matter how quick that may be, there is still uncertainty about when it will be delivered, and customers will be anxious. By contrast, “we will deliver … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Customers, Sales, Small business
Tagged communication, customer, Marketing, negotiation, Sales
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