In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 20, 2016

How often have you heard people say, “Our strategy is to become the biggest and the best?” This is not strategy. Strategy is not the what. Strategy is the how – how will you become the biggest and the best? Of course, within the realm of the definition, there are good strategies and bad ones. Good strategies help to define a company or a brand’s point of difference.

Strategy 165

Strategy Core Competence Constraint Short-term 165

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 21, 2016

Should every company be striving for the form of strategic advantage that has become the hallmarks of Amazon, Google and Facebook? For sure, in the tech world, it’s hard to imagine success without quick and continuous technology improvement. What about your world? Whether you sell information or cremation, the common thread for success is sustaining an advantage.

Company 145

Company Brand Competitive Advantage Retail 145

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 5, 2016

To most of us, the phrase Work that Matters infers job satisfaction. The outcome is lower stress, lower turnover, and higher productivity – in business, a ‘win-win’ for employees, customers and shareholders. The logic is infallible. So, I ask you, why is there such a gap between the theory and the practice? Why are so many organizations and so many workers struggling to find workplace nirvana?

Teamwork 122

Teamwork Real Estate Mission Statement Merchandising 122

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 26, 2016

Think about this. You are engaged in a lively discussion with a group of business colleagues. Maybe there’s a problem that needs immediate attention, or perhaps the group is contemplating the best way to pursue a new opportunity. In your mind, the discussion is invigorating, and far from a standstill or a stalemate. Suddenly, you hear these words of wisdom: “Let’s take a step back for a moment.” .

Brand 100

Brand Learning-by-Doing Brand Management Proposal 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 6, 2016

Leamington, a little town in the province of Ontario is the tomato capital of Canada. The town earned the honor by farming vast acreages of tomatoes in fields and greenhouses. Their tomato expertise caught the attention of the H. J. Heinz Company who erected a factory in Leamington in 1908. And for more than 100 years, the factory pumped out Heinz Ketchup and a variety of baby foods to markets in Canada and the USA.

Retail 100

Retail Restructuring Brand Ethics 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 1, 2016

Times. Places. Some remain etched in our minds no matter how many decades come and go. Thirty-five years ago at a ceremony in Vancouver, BC, I accepted AMA’s Marketer-of-the-Year Award on behalf of Nabob Foods. This company earned that honor by re-staging a tired coffee brand with innovative packing technology and breakthrough advertising. That night, I presented the marketing strategy that catapulted a regional brand to national leadership in Canada.

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Marketing Strategy CEO 100

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

3 WORDS. 1 BIG IDEA. The word “DO” represents resolve and action. It is an expectation placed upon us at a very young age. “LESS” is the noun that contradicts everything we see and hear in this busy world. “BETTER” is the adjective that expresses our desire to do well at whatever we undertake. Do Less Better is the name of my business book. In it I draw on my CMO, CEO and consulting business experience to illustrate why ‘doing less, better’ is the surprising secret to success.

Agility 100

Agility Download Efficiency CEO 100