In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 7, 2014

To rise from the ashes, our young management team made several tough sacrifices to transform a multi-product, multi-brand operation from generalist to specialist. According to Bob Olodort, the product designer of the recently launched Ditto notification wearable device, Samsung is snagged in the complexity web.

Human Resources 183

Human Resources Restructuring Competitive Advantage Marketing Strategy 183

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

Along the way, the leaders of these organizations turned their backs on the tenets of great branding, defined as carving out unique brand positions and adding to that strategic advantage with innovations that thrill customers. German production is expensive. Should Porsche care? Not at all.

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Fashion Price 100

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 11, 2011

The means to that end is quickly slashing sku’s and product lines to reduce inventories. Familiar examples are spending more on advertising, introducing new products or line extensions, expanding distribution. In the case of struggling Nabob Foods, two significant innovations facilitated the turnaround. And guess what?

CEO 201

CEO Advertising Franchising Brand 201

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 22, 2013

With the exception of tampered product recalls, oil spills, or factory explosions, these types of trials never face the captains of industry. Progress may be represented by top-line sales, market share, productivity, innovation, new product launches, or expanding distribution. Not in the least.

CEO 260

CEO Human Resources Conference Price 260

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Clout companies favor acquiring competitors, entering new product or service categories, and expanding into virgin geographies. In America, several specialist retailers who limit their product scope continue to thrive in an environment dominated by 5,000 Wal-Mart stores. . This is a culture of entrepreneurial and innovative thinking.

Competitive Advantage 100

Competitive Advantage How To Human Resources Strategy 100

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 23, 2012

Your success or failure can be quantified by such measurements as market share, financial ratios, brand awareness, new products and deadlines. Live a culture of innovation. Increase your lead, and while they are catching up, you are embracing the next innovation. Nobody wants to compete in a financial spitting contest.

Power 208

Power Sports Competitive Advantage Advertising 208

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

As long as the “Davids” are able to resist the urge to become generalists by expanding into too many markets with too many products, they can win. You be obsessed with innovation. Clout allows these giants to grow, but there is absolutely no reason why a smaller player cannot become a market leader within their chosen market(s).

Creativity 240

Creativity Brand Management Marketing Resistance 240

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 5, 2016

The outcome is lower stress, lower turnover, and higher productivity – in business, a ‘win-win’ for employees, customers and shareholders. Companies say they want to be customer-centric, to be innovative, to produce outstanding products and services, to be environmentally responsible, to be socially responsible, and so on.

Teamwork 100

Teamwork Real Estate Mission Statement Merchandising 100

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

I’ve never thought of the homeless as innovative or entrepreneurial. His Product is entertainment. Tags: Charitable Giving , Creativity , Entrepreneurship , Homeless , Homelessness , Human Ingenuity , Humanity , In the CEO Afterlife , Ingenuity , Innovation , John Richard Bell , Life , Philanthropy , Promotion. I suspect few do.

Brand 245

Brand Merchandising Entrepreneur Audience 245

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

When I was a young product manager back in the ’70s, the only people I could talk to about brands were my colleagues in the marketing department and the advertising agency. The role has been relegated to middle managers who are brand custodians, not leaders in innovation.

Magazine 100

Magazine Brand Article Marketing 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 1, 2016

This company earned that honor by re-staging a tired coffee brand with innovative packing technology and breakthrough advertising. What I did not share was the corporate strategy that resurrected this near bankrupt multi-product, multi-brand company. five hundred employees became two hundred. Tough Sacrifice is the Secret to Success.

Brand 100

Brand Competitive Advantage Marketing Strategy CEO 100

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

I’ve never thought of the homeless as innovative or entrepreneurial. His Product is entertainment. I suspect few do. Some might say these lost souls don’t have an enterprising bone in their bodies; if they did, they wouldn’t be homeless. You walk away with a smile. Worth 50 cents? Sure it is. As for his Place of business?

Merchandising 162

Merchandising Entrepreneur Audience Creativity 162

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

Somehow he was able to see the unseen, and marshal Apple’s resources to deliver the innovative products that fulfilled his view of what lied ahead. During his era, Steve Jobs was miles ahead of every other forward thinking CEO in that race. In the process, Apple became the most valuable corporation on the face of the earth.

CEO 213

CEO Human Resources Bureaucracy Maturity 213

In the CEO Afterlife

JULY 24, 2011

ABSOLUT Vodka’s advertising campaign is one of the most successful and longest running consumer products campaigns in the history of advertising. Here’s a clue to the French liquor-maker’s culture, from their annual report: “We will continue to raise our game so that creativity and innovation are the heart of our model.

CEO 100

CEO Advertising Brand Creativity 100

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 1, 2011

After the stint at Bristol-Myers, I moved on to Beecham Products (now GlaxoSmithKline) as Brand Manager of Brylcreem Hairdressing, Macleans Toothpaste and Silvikrin Shampoo. But, sure as God made little green apples, that brand is done, short of a magical and tangible innovation from R&D. How’s that for visionary brilliance?

Brand 170

Brand CEO Stage-Gate Marketing 170

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 1, 2012

Monster entered the market after Red Bull, discounted their product, proliferated the hell out of the brand, and committed a boatload of sins that would give marketing pundits Al Reis and Jack Trout migraine headaches. Two similar products, two strategic paths, two successful energy drink companies.

Trout 249

Trout Reis Sports Brand 249

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 1, 2011

After the stint at Bristol-Myers, I moved on to Beecham Products (now GlaxoSmithKline) as Brand Manager of Brylcreem Hairdressing, Macleans Toothpaste and Silvikrin Shampoo. But, sure as God made little green apples, that brand is done, short of a magical and tangible innovation from R&D. How’s that for visionary brilliance?

Brand 131

Brand CEO Stage-Gate Marketing 131

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2012

39 Tim Schafer – Founder, Double Fine Productions. Everyone knows what it is, and there’s not much product differentiation. Yang connects grads with startups, aiming to foster a generation of value-generating entrepreneurs. The greatest problem in American business goes like this: We have brilliant people doing nonsense.”. #39

Creativity 238

Creativity Advertising Belief Systems Storytelling 238

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 22, 2012

No matter what a company’s product or service, this is not a business anomaly. No matter how often you preach the value of narrowing market scope or reducing the product line or the number of stock-keeping units, they remain unconvinced. Suffice to say, most of the issues were short-term and operational rather than strategic.

Strategy 196

Strategy Short-term Constraint Strategic Planning 196

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 23, 2011

And like Nike’s Just do it, this slogan unites the consumer with the athlete and the product. Jack Welch’s replacement wanted ‘Innovation at Work’ — not bad for culture and corporate morale, but in my view, short on consumer relativity. Breakfast of champions. Created in 1935, this one wins the endurance race, hands down.

Brand 196

Brand CEO Marketing Proposal 196

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 15, 2012

That’s because success for Page and Jobs hinged on the strategic choices they made – primarily which products and applications to bet on. A few nasty years of economic woe in America and Europe could not dampen Apple or Google’s growth.

CEO 242

CEO Chief Executive Officer Critical Success Factor Discount 242

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 5, 2013

To recapture the hearts and minds of current and future customers, her next play will have to be strategic within product and service. Success depends on one or two big (and courageous) plays. Mayer’s first big play is cultural. In 24 to 36 months, Yahoo will be a different demographic and psychographic animal.

Competitive Advantage 241

Competitive Advantage Reputation Strategy CEO 241

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 19, 2012

Businesses that help them achieve a balance through relevant products and services will reap the commercial rewards. Dinosaur companies the likes of Campbell’s Soup who have been plagued by stagnation will have to break their paradigm with daring forward integration initiatives such as retail soup kitchens. People will demand balanced lives.

CEO 204

CEO Competitive Advantage Teamwork Marketing 204

In the CEO Afterlife

AUGUST 6, 2013

The conversation in the world of branding is well beyond product and service brand discussion by marketers and ad agencies. Wouldn’t you expect more innovation? However, he did say that if Sony can’t deliver a great consumer experience on the product front, the brand will take a ding. Some companies brand exceedingly well.

Brand 260

Brand P&L Human Resources Brand Management 260

In the CEO Afterlife

APRIL 22, 2015

I consider Google a tier-one innovator. This company is constantly searching for revolutionary new products and services. You “fix brands before they break” with innovations that add value and fortify the bran d’ s raison d’être. Nestlé turned to product innovation to fulfill the convenience needs of coffee lovers.

Brand 100

Brand Core Competence Retail Advertising 100

In the CEO Afterlife

DECEMBER 29, 2013

There’s more: a marketer’s product or service better deliver on the promise. HR’s product is the corporation’s human resource , the people required to build the product, produce it, sell it, ship it, invoice it and service it. In the high tech world, innovation is critical to survival. What does this have to do with HR?

Marketing 173

Marketing Human Capital Human Resources Brand 173

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 18, 2015

This can mean expanding product lines, entering new markets and geographies, line extending brands, acquiring new businesses, creating projects, and adding layers of management to manage the self-created complexity. With 60% of annual sales coming from innovative new products, it is clear that LEGO has not been idle.

Apparel 100

Apparel Brand Franchising Competitive Advantage 100

In the CEO Afterlife

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Starbucks, like Kellogg’s is committing the branding felony of applying a valuable trade mark to products that fail to measure up to the brand’s core positioning. This felony aside, I remain a big fan of Howard Schultz and this innovative company. Stay true to your trade mark’s values.

Market Segmentation 228

Market Segmentation Brand Marketing Reputation 228

In the CEO Afterlife

OCTOBER 17, 2011

The conversation in the 2011 branding world is well beyond product and service brand discussion by marketers and ad agencies. Wouldn’t you expect more innovation? The CEO as Chief Brand Custodian. by John • October 17, 2011 • Branding , Human Resources , Leadership , Marketing , Strategy • 3 Comments. Some do it well.

Brand 168

Brand CEO Stage-Gate SWOT 168

In the CEO Afterlife

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

CEOs that understand and appreciate the notion are intensely passionate about innovation as the means to this end. They spearhead innovation by ensuring their organization’s cultural norm is continuous change and creativity. Innovation starts with insight and progresses through disruptive hypotheses. The result was far more.

CEO 207

CEO Chief Executive Officer Business Model Competitive Advantage 207

In the CEO Afterlife

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

On a productive day, aside from the mountain of dead trees (recycling hadn’t been invented in 1982), stacked polystyrene coffee cups and an overflowing ash-tray, there would also be a satisfying thick sheaf of “concepts.” But even artists have to eat, and the fuel of commerce and industry is innovation and novelty. Let’s trade.

Advertising 265

Advertising Creativity Industry Bottom-up 265

In the CEO Afterlife

JANUARY 8, 2012

Now that we are in the New Year, you can expect to see 2011 rankings by major periodicals on a variety of measures from most valuable global brands to the most innovative companies. For the most part, the common thread connecting my choices is product association, imagery, character (personality) and differentiation conveyed by the name.

Brand 252

Brand Advertising Constraint Creativity 252

In the CEO Afterlife

MARCH 7, 2015

Innovation is something other companies do. New products are “me-to” brand line extensions. Product discounting is chronic. “Sure, they’ve got better products, a better sales force, and more efficient production. Cliques form and rivalries increase. Too many operational changes.

Absenteeism 100

Absenteeism Short-term Long-term Strategic Planning 100

In the CEO Afterlife

MAY 30, 2012

If you think I’m going to list of a bunch of product bargains or discount sales, think again. Some companies thrive on an innovative culture. This blog is about the side of business that drives superior performance at no extra cost. But once you have it, once you leverage it and see the results, you are on your way.

Bureaucracy 245

Bureaucracy Constraint Creativity Discount 245

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 8, 2016

Nabob survived near-bankruptcy in the ’70s by making the tough decision to streamline its business and become a specialist (versus the generalist it was originally set up to be, once carrying a myriad of product lines from coffee to jams to spices). It actually used to play in 12 different product categories.

Brand 100

Brand Brand Management Advertising Management 100

In the CEO Afterlife

JUNE 10, 2015

Culture, strategy, leadership, branding, innovation, customer orientation and employee centricity must co-exist. The truth is that one success factor needs other success factors to be effective. For example, we know that a great strategy without great execution isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Most leaders and managers know this.

Strategy 100

Strategy Critical Success Factor McKinsey Retail 100