What are senior managers across the globe and across multiple industries concerned about these days? Reputation. So says a recent study conducted by Spencer Stuart and Weber Shandwick. Not surprising given the hit that many companies have taken over recent years in terms of their reputation, credibility and trust among consumers. So what are senior leaders’ expectations of the communications function according to the study? Continue reading “How to Meet Senior Managers’ Expectations for Corporate Communications”
Category: Strategic Planning
Disintermediation – Are StubHub and TicketMaster Paying Attention? Are You?
Louis C.K. recently cut out the middleman in the process of selling tickets to one of his performances. His experiment has been quite interesting. He’s not the first to bypass sites like StubHub and TicketMaster, and I’m sure he won’t be the last. Why? Because his experiment demonstrates an interesting concept–disintermediation–the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain.
Disintermediation represents a benefit to consumers and a significant challenge, even fatal challenge, to those in the middle. The lesson to be learned? Continue reading “Disintermediation – Are StubHub and TicketMaster Paying Attention? Are You?”
How To Be a Strategic Doer
If you’re like many people who have been involved in strategic planning efforts, the thought of becoming involved in another one may leave you less than enthusiastic. Why? Too often, despite the significant time and effort that may have been put into the process, once the plan is complete, not a lot happens. It seems we often feel fairly adept at the planning part of the process, but when it comes to the doing part we falter.
There may be a variety of reasons for this: Continue reading “How To Be a Strategic Doer”
Strategic Doing: Taking a Backwards Approach to Strategic Planning
I have long been interested in strategic planning and have been involved in strategic planning efforts as a participant, leader and facilitator for organizations that I’ve worked for as an employee and, now, as a consultant. I’ve researched and written about strategic planning in articles, blogs and books. I believe in strategic planning and I can honestly say that I enjoy the process (nerdy, I know…).
But there’s something more important than strategic planning–strategic doing. It’s not the plan that’s important; it’s the implementation of the plan that really matters. Continue reading “Strategic Doing: Taking a Backwards Approach to Strategic Planning”
Facebook Ads – Does GM Know Something Others Don’t?
As Facebook prepared to launch a much-anticipated public offering, GM announced that it was discontinuing its use of Facebook ads. If you haven’t heard about this already, you haven’t been paying attention! Now, I’m guessing GM is Continue reading “Facebook Ads – Does GM Know Something Others Don’t?”
Branding From the Inside Out: Two Critical First Steps
Generally I advise clients to view their organizations, products and services from the “outside in.” In other words, they need to put themselves in the position of their desired audience and consider what is important to their audience, rather than what is important to them. Too often I’ll hear organizations talk about how they need to “communicate our Continue reading “Branding From the Inside Out: Two Critical First Steps”
5 Steps for Avoiding the Insanity of Strategic Planning
As I work with organizations on strategic planning I continue to see some common roadblocks that challenge their ability to put their plans into action. There’s nothing entirely shocking about these roadblocks – in fact, when conducting research for my book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning, I talked with numerous people who brought up the same issues. Yet, despite our general awareness of what we need to do, and what we shouldn’t do, when it comes to strategic planning, we seem to often make the same mistakes over and over again.
You’ve probably heard Einstein’s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Following are 5 things you can do to avoid the risk of insanity in your strategic planning efforts. Continue reading “5 Steps for Avoiding the Insanity of Strategic Planning”
Don’t Be the Victim of Disruptive Innovation!
- VHS tapes.
- Landlines.
- Encyclopedias.
- Film (the Kodak kind).
All examples of products that have already, or will probably soon, disappear from use. Why? Because they were made obsolete due to new advancements, replacements or changing consumer demand that led to their demise. That kind of evolution is happening all of the time. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes rapidly. Just as Continue reading “Don’t Be the Victim of Disruptive Innovation!”
New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses
As the New Year approaches it’s time to begin thinking about New Year’s resolutions. I’m pretty goal oriented and actually love this time of year–it’s always fun to look forward to new possibilities and make new plans for growth and achievement. I also believe that thinking about and committing our goals to some formal form (whether hard copy or online) serves to formally mark them in our minds and increases the odds that we will actually move forward to achieve them.
Here are my “top 3 marketing resolution recommendations” for 2012: Continue reading “New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses”
Small Business Predictions for 2012
A new year is right around the corner and I, for one, am looking forward to a great year! Based on feedback from my clients, and my own experience in 2011, it seems that there are some early signs of an uptick in consumer demand for products and services. Here’s hoping that’s true and that it’s something that all of you are benefiting from. I was recently asked by a business reporter and colleague for my small business marketing predictions for 2012 – here they are: Continue reading “Small Business Predictions for 2012”