Mentoring is a relationship in which one person (the mentor) – usually someone more experienced and often more senior in an organization – helps another (the learner) discover more about his or her personal qualities, capabilities, and potential. It can be an informal relationship, with the learner leaning on the […]
Marketing
When you have taken the time to create a winning market position, be sure to take the time to develop a clear, memorable identity that explains why you are and why people should buy from you. All your efforts to generate influence and to position yourself in a powerful manner […]
Three trends have changed the face of marketing forever. The first is market overcrowding; the steady stream of new products, new stores, and new services simply overwhelms consumers. Today there are several brands of beer, 500 types of cars, and 70 brands of detergents. There is just no way can […]
Contests, sweepstakes, demonstration models, video promotions, dealer displays, signs, point-of-purchase racks, and small samples are just a few of the types of non-price promotions. You can use non-price promotions in three ways: with your sales force, with your distribution channel, and with your customers. Sales Force Promotions Contests are one […]
The complexity of the business world today is outstanding. Nothing is predictable. The rules of the game are changing. Just when you think you’ve figured out how to have a competitive advantage, a competitor develops a new technology. Just when you think you’ve found the right motivation tool, the values […]
The Awful Law of Unintended ConsequencesThe law of unintended consequences states that any change will be accompanied by a set of consequences that cannot be completely predicted. The reason this law is awful is that the consequences have a strong tendency to destroy all the value of your planned change. […]
We see growing evidence from all quarters that many companies are not loyal to their employees and that employees are less and less likely to express loyalty to their companies. People in leadership positions are challenged to find some basis other than company loyalty to hold an organization together and […]
The incidence of M&A has continued to increase significantly during the last decade, both domestically and internationally. The sectors most affected by M&A activity have been service- and knowledge-based industries such as banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and leisure. Although M&A is a popular means of increasing or protecting market share, the […]
The Building Blocks of Brand Creation The brand proposition is the statement of the functional and emotional benefits that a company believes its products or service offers to the consumer. Coca-Cola’s brand proposition is a mixture of functional benefits (taste, refreshment) and emotional benefits (good wholesome fun). Brand positioning is […]
Who Is Really Best? Who has the best rent-a-car service? The best cola? The best ketchup? If you are thinking of Hertz, Coca-Cola, and Heinz, you agree with most customers who make these three companies the leaders in their fields. In fact, there is a strong axiom, or belief, in […]
