It is not uncommon in business to hear, “We need a strategy” or “We need to update our strategy.” And by “strategy,” people are usually referring to a clear, over-arching statement of the choices a company is making regarding why, how, and where to use its limited resources. That strategy is what should be guiding […]
Category: Business Fundamentals
The consumerization of healthcare
One hears a lot these days about the trend of “Consumerism” in health care. The term has become so broadly applied, in my mind, that it makes me wonder whether anyone really knows what it means. As a classically trained consumer packaged goods marketer who works in health care, I am particularly sensitive to the […]
Why taxis are losing the battle against Uber
Former Procter & Gamble Chairman, President, and CEO A.G. Lafley is well known for creating the “Consumer is Boss” mantra in the early 2000s, galvanizing the organization behind it, and delivering almost a decade of year on year double digit growth. Not surprisingly, services and products that think of the consumer as their boss, leverage […]
The “Connected Car”: 3 Key Opportunities for Marketers
The “Connected Car” is a widely discussed and buzzworthy topic – however, it also happens to be a widely misunderstood and unclearly defined topic. Ask one person, and his definition of “Connected Car” might reference headline-grabbing stories about Google’s self-driving vehicles. Ask another person, and her definition might reference playing music from Pandora on her […]
What perceptual brand mapping can do for you and your business
There is a power to pictures – and that is the reason that perceptual brand mapping can be such an effective tool for marketers. Perceptual brand mapping is the visual plotting of specific brands against X and Y axes, each representing brand attributes that are known to be drivers of brand selection. Done well, a […]
Claims aren’t all they claim to be!
Maybe it’s all the Black Friday deals, the subsequent retail promotions intended to drive sales through the holidays, or perhaps City Sports’ up to 40% going out of business sale that I see every morning on my way to work that have me thinking about “up to” claims. What are “up to” claims? To me, […]
Sibling Rivalries Healthy for Brands
In my experience, one of the hardest challenges for marketers working within or overseeing a portfolio of brands in the same category is being truly comfortable making choices around differentiation. Typically, the internal team can quickly tell you that brand #1 is for “Healthy Heather,” who knows vitamins are critical, and that brand #2 is […]
3 Principles for Your Most Effective KPIs
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a critically important business tool. Not only are they an integral part of operationalizing a business’ strategy, but they also enable sound decision-making by Senior Leadership. Unfortunately, KPIs are often designed poorly, making them misused and misunderstood. We encourage you to minimize the negative impact of ineffective KPIs, and instead […]
How Marketers Should See Marketing
In many companies today, marketing seems to have two meanings. Marketing means advertising, digital communications, social media, sponsorships – in short, communication to and engagement with the target consumer. This is often how sales sees marketing, as support to generating sales. I get worried, however, when this is how marketing sees marketing. I get especially […]
How Best-in-Class Retail Brands Execute Marketing Programs
As marketers who are passionate about building brands and businesses, we know the critical importance of having a compelling and differentiated offering in the marketplace. (As one example, think of the Starbucks offering that many of us know well and love.) But of equal importance is the ability to effectively develop and execute compelling marketing […]
