strategic planning

Only Losers Cut Their Prices

Mark Hunter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:07:08 -0500

In today's marketplace, offering discounts seems to be the number one technique people are using to try and get business. Management has bought into the age-old argument that the only reason their salespeople can't sell more is because their price is too high. It's time to put this to rest. This argument of cutting prices actually reveals the lack of selling skills by the salespeople who are using it. It also indicates a management team failing to provide necessary strategic planning and direction for the company.

The Right to Exist

Sharlyn Lauby — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:01:34 -0400

A colleague recently forwarded to me an article written by Dr. Jac Fitz-enz on the rebranding of human resources. I'm a fan of Dr. Jac and recommend his book, "How to Measure Human Resource Management

No, Recruiting Is Not Dead

Sharlyn Lauby — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:52:06 -0500

I'm a little surprised at the lack of convo about recruiting right now.

Truth and Transparency

Sharlyn Lauby — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:48:28 -0500

There's been a lot of talk about corporations and government
being more transparent. As a result, the use of the word transparency
is creeping into our business vocabulary. But before you start tossing
out the word "transparency" it's important to understand what it means.

Hiding Behind the Economy (Part 2)

Sharlyn Lauby — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:47:46 -0500

I want to thank Lance Haun over at Your HR Guy for a terrific post yesterday called "Welcome to the Excuse Economy." Lance addresses head-on a very important point about personal accountability.

Bad Habits of a Gen Y-er: Not Playing the Politics Game

Emily Jasper — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:53:27 -0500

So last fall, the world expected to see Gen-Y change the nation by showing up to vote. I even made sure to have filed for my Minnesota drivers license a couple days beforehand just to be sure. Apparently, Gen-Yers are all about the politics. Trust me, I used to live in DC.

If Your Marketing Director Ran HR . . .

Sharlyn Lauby — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:22:02 -0500

I recently read a post from '8 hours & a lunch' about the best and worst jobs. Philosopher was #12 on the list and Deb asked how many people actually know a philosopher. It was cool to comment because I've met Tom Morris, who is a real-life philosopher and author of books like "

GE's New Ecomagineer Spills It

Anya Kamenetz — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:45:24 -0500

GE mirrors the American economy much better than most companies -- for good and ill. Last year, the credit squeeze assailed GE Capital, its financial-services arm; the company missed an earnings prediction, driving the stock price down by half; it even turned to Uncle Warren for a $3 billion shot of confidence.

Welcome to the Entrepreneur's Secret

Darlene Ziebell — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:27:39 -0500

Will small bank brands on Main Street seize the day?

Dan Gershenson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:00:37 -0500

Obviously these are not the greatest of economic times, but believe
it or not, there is good news to be found in the midst of the financial
crisis — particularly if you are the Chief Marketing Officer of a
smaller community or regional bank.

Take the "Great American Small Business Challenge"

Michael Kramer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:28:02 -0400

How prepared is your company to weather the current economic storm? Does your company have the organizational flexibility and resiliance you need to remain successful? Now is the time to consider ways to make your company more efficient, cost-effective and relavant to your customers, employees and community.

How the Presidential Candidates Spend Your Money

Fast Company staff — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:15:10 -0400

Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, spent $107,904.19 on lodging at the Ritz Carlton. Meanwhile, his opponent, Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama, who also fancies the luxury hotel chain, didn't spend quite as much with receipts totaling only $30,083.63.

Gaining the Freedom to Fuel BT Innovation

David Deans — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:21:02 -0400

Without a doubt, the reason why most business decision makers consider an out-tasked solution -- based upon a managed service offering -- is still primarily the need for cost-reduction.

Clearly, that's a valid motivation for any business leader. But, it's only a part of the inherent benefit that can be attained by choosing to play this particular game with a very different set of rules.

STOCK MARKETING - 1° Will To Act

Hidevaldo Júnior — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:44:37 -0400

STOCK MARKETING is the result of the marketing and advertising that positively influencing the stock market. Because they are interdependent - increased products sales and brand equity to pull prices of the stocks and investors demand - Stock Marketing uniting the strategic insights with creative insights to sales and communications goals, creating positive effects on the market environment scenario, involving the "common" consumer in this scenario,

Inspired By ...

Alissa Walker — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:39:10 -0400

Apple: Top-notch design and an emphasis on utility boost appeal to a wide range of consumers.

Hermès: Relentlessly high quality. "We want people to feel that luxury."

In-N-Out Burger: Lee cites its "simplicity"--and a secret menu that "gives the customer power."

Starbucks: "A modern-day Italian piazza," says Lee, where people from diverse backgrounds interact.

Can Russell Simmons Unite the Hip-Hop Community on The Web?

April Joyner — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:51:00 -0400

Recent Web 2.0 technology has enabled surfers to choose from all the news feeds, multimedia, and applications the Internet has to offer to create their own start pages. Web surfers in the urban community, however, might need help finding more specialized content -- at least, that's what Global Grind, the recently launched startpage aggregator, is betting on.

The Best Advertising Slogans of All Time According to Digg Users

Rip Empson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:05:07 -0400

Inc.com named Apple’s “Think Different,” Wheaties’ “Breakfast of Champions,” Maxwell House’s “Good to the Last Drop,” and—who could forget?—Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” among others.

Made to Stick: The Myth of Mutual Funds

Dan & Chip Heath — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:15:07 -0400

Let's pull off the Band-Aid quickly. You've come to believe that mutual funds are a smart place to put your money. They're not.

That's the assessment of the smartest minds in finance, supported by a mountain of historical data. If you own actively managed mutual funds, you will almost certainly retire with less money -- a lot less money -- than if you'd simply dumped your money into boring index funds. So two questions: How can this possibly be true? And why, in gleeful defiance of the data, do more people keep buying mutual funds every year?

GENERIC: How generate image brand distinction in a world where all have the same name?

Hidevaldo Júnior — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:04:33 -0400

Read listening Mozart

When the medicine pills patent go off, in addition loss of the sales hegemony, all building brand investments - made since the product launch´s - go to competitors players.

Steps to realign an organization around key goals and objectives and avoid the deleterious effects of a recession

Dan Feliciano — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:34:05 -0400

I have been preaching since the beginning of the year that you need to have a well documented strategy with well thought-out supporting goals and objectives to ensure your employees are doing the right things to move your organization forward. I even wrote a blog articulating the difference between a goal and an objective. I was surprised by the number of emails I received from readers stating that they never really understood the difference between the two.

Customer Loyalty and Retention

Dan Feliciano — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:32:53 -0400

In the book titled, Double Digit Growth author Michael
Treacy identifies a handful of factors that have been associated with double
digit growth. One of the factors is customer retention. Probably, not a
surprise to most of you. However, the question is how do you retain customers
and which customers do you retain?

I, for example, tend to be brand loyal. For some
unknown reason to me, I believe that if I purchase products of the same brand the
products will be compatible with one another. Moreover, it’s my ridiculous

Talent Wars: Are you locked and loaded?

Nancy Clark — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:58:49 -0400

Despite living in a bi-polar economy--some are having the best of times, others the worst--one thing is clear, we are facing a shortage of new talent that will not be ready and able to replace the "crew change" caused by the retiring baby boomers.

Texas Oil Tycoon Tackles Renewable Energy

David Case — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:10:57 -0400

As you alight from the elevator, you see, at the end of a long, paneled corridor, a huge Wilson Hurley painting of a Mars sunset bleeding from rust to black; in one corner soars NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft "on its way to oblivion," according to the caption.

Dirty Marketing Campaigns

Dan & Chip Heath — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:07:11 -0400

A classic TV commercial for Wisk detergent opens with a housewife closing a suitcase she has packed for her husband. Suddenly, the suitcase springs open, and we hear, seemingly from within the suitcase as if it's possessed, a chorus of devil children shrieking, "Ring around the collar! Ring around the collar!"

The Story of the Incredibly Shrinking Brands And The Role Values Can Play in Making Them Big Again

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:55:56 -0400

How and when did brands get so small? It seems that despite the greater availability of tools and engaging media to connect brands with consumers, the impact of brands on society has greatly diminished. Why are the trillions of dollars currently spent on marketing only getting us “Paris Hilton” brands instead of timeless “Liz Taylors?” It seems that this past decade’s media revolution has empowered consumers while making brands more insecure.