For those of you interested in branding and marketing strategy, check out a new blog called RaspberryFox. It's my other blog focusing on, you guessed it, branding and marketing strategy.
Aug 27, 2008
RaspberryFox
For those of you interested in branding and marketing strategy, check out a new blog called RaspberryFox. It's my other blog focusing on, you guessed it, branding and marketing strategy.
Aug 25, 2008
Canadian athletes clothes were awful
Here's a little detour of the day...
Who designed the closing ceremonies outfits or apparel for the Canadian athletes? The print was awful and was accentuated by the television cameras. Our lean, muscular athletes' bodies were not flattered by the print or cut. The design of the pants looked like pajamas. I'm embarrassed at the lack of style. Canada should have used the Olympics as an opportunity to showcase our excellent designers and style. Now - no one will believe that Canadians have any style. Any thoughts to add? Do you disagree?
Who designed the closing ceremonies outfits or apparel for the Canadian athletes? The print was awful and was accentuated by the television cameras. Our lean, muscular athletes' bodies were not flattered by the print or cut. The design of the pants looked like pajamas. I'm embarrassed at the lack of style. Canada should have used the Olympics as an opportunity to showcase our excellent designers and style. Now - no one will believe that Canadians have any style. Any thoughts to add? Do you disagree?
Aug 7, 2008
The Personal MBA Recommended Reading List: The 77 Best Business Books In Print
Have you ever considered taking your MBA? I have too. What makes me hesitate is the financial cost and trying to evaluate if the value is there for me. I already have a business undergrad degree and, while the experience to meet new people would be cool, I don't think it's worth the investment.
Friends who have business undergrads, a decent amount of work experience and have taken an MBA say the value of an MBA comes mostly from the connections and relationships formed during the program. So, if you already network strategically, can learn from reading books, are attentively learning through experience and have a business undergrad degree - an MBA is not going to bring to much value.
Do you need to take an MBA? Josh Kaufman, The Personal MBA doesn't think so. His philosophy is that you can learn everything you need to know to succeed simply by reading books. They have a list of 77 Best Business Books In Print. (Available for bulk purchase from Amazon - great feature and great business idea, Josh!)
I haven't read most of the books he recommends, so I can't make a personal comment on the chosen book list, but Josh mentions he has pulled in a variety of business experts to help develop the list and he reviews and updates the list to ensure it's still relevant. (Disclaimer: some of the experts' books are on the recommended book list.)
Some of my favourite and most useful business books I have read are (links to amazon.com):
- Good to Great, Jim Collins
- The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
- Managing the Professional Services Firm, David Maister
- Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends, Tim Sanders
- Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands, Kevin Roberts
Which business books are your favorites?
Do you agree that people can do their MBA on their own?
Friends who have business undergrads, a decent amount of work experience and have taken an MBA say the value of an MBA comes mostly from the connections and relationships formed during the program. So, if you already network strategically, can learn from reading books, are attentively learning through experience and have a business undergrad degree - an MBA is not going to bring to much value.
Do you need to take an MBA? Josh Kaufman, The Personal MBA doesn't think so. His philosophy is that you can learn everything you need to know to succeed simply by reading books. They have a list of 77 Best Business Books In Print. (Available for bulk purchase from Amazon - great feature and great business idea, Josh!)
I haven't read most of the books he recommends, so I can't make a personal comment on the chosen book list, but Josh mentions he has pulled in a variety of business experts to help develop the list and he reviews and updates the list to ensure it's still relevant. (Disclaimer: some of the experts' books are on the recommended book list.)
Some of my favourite and most useful business books I have read are (links to amazon.com):
- Good to Great, Jim Collins
- The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
- Managing the Professional Services Firm, David Maister
- Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends, Tim Sanders
- Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands, Kevin Roberts
Which business books are your favorites?
Do you agree that people can do their MBA on their own?
Strategic Planning in Today's Rapidly Changing World
Today I'm thinking about meaningful strategic planning and business planning in a world that is rapidly changing. As a marketing and branding strategist, I've always preached about having:
- goals and measurable objectives;
- clear strategies to achieve those objectives;
- a focused target market that is well understood;
- rational and emotional reasons to believe and engage in your brand;
- a strong understanding of the organization, competitors and environment; and,
- a tactical plan that links back to the objectives.
I think these fundamental still hold true. So, what has changed?
What has changed is the frequency that an organization needs to examine and perhaps tweak its plans. A business plan or marketing plan should be in arms reach, not collecting dust on the shelf. How often do you reference your plans? How often do you ask, is this still relevant and true?
In particular, the SWOT analysis and PEST analysis should be reviewed and updated every 6 months. Don't assume that everything is the same. Our environment changes rapidly and an organization needs to be slightly ahead of the curve. How often do you survey the environmental landscape? How much has changed since you last took a close look?
Plans are not static. They evolve and improve. Yes, the process of planning is still crucial because it makes you stop, listen, evaluate and make strategic decisions with a specific purpose in mind.
Not many people love to plan. Or, they get stuck in the process of planning and never move forward. For the entrepreneur or small organization, my suggestion, is once a quarter dedicate 1 day (8 hours) to reviewing your plans, surveying the broader market and making modifications.
Of course, you should be listening and having an ongoing dialogue with your customers almost daily. (Hopefully you're using social media and web 2.0 tools.) As you encounter interesting ideas and opportunities. Jot them down. If they're mid-to-long term then add them to your plans quarterly. If it's a short term opportunity, pull out your plan briefly, ask yourself if it is inline with the objectives and strategies - if yes. Do it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you think business planning has changed and how your organization has adapted.
- goals and measurable objectives;
- clear strategies to achieve those objectives;
- a focused target market that is well understood;
- rational and emotional reasons to believe and engage in your brand;
- a strong understanding of the organization, competitors and environment; and,
- a tactical plan that links back to the objectives.
I think these fundamental still hold true. So, what has changed?
What has changed is the frequency that an organization needs to examine and perhaps tweak its plans. A business plan or marketing plan should be in arms reach, not collecting dust on the shelf. How often do you reference your plans? How often do you ask, is this still relevant and true?
In particular, the SWOT analysis and PEST analysis should be reviewed and updated every 6 months. Don't assume that everything is the same. Our environment changes rapidly and an organization needs to be slightly ahead of the curve. How often do you survey the environmental landscape? How much has changed since you last took a close look?
Plans are not static. They evolve and improve. Yes, the process of planning is still crucial because it makes you stop, listen, evaluate and make strategic decisions with a specific purpose in mind.
Not many people love to plan. Or, they get stuck in the process of planning and never move forward. For the entrepreneur or small organization, my suggestion, is once a quarter dedicate 1 day (8 hours) to reviewing your plans, surveying the broader market and making modifications.
Of course, you should be listening and having an ongoing dialogue with your customers almost daily. (Hopefully you're using social media and web 2.0 tools.) As you encounter interesting ideas and opportunities. Jot them down. If they're mid-to-long term then add them to your plans quarterly. If it's a short term opportunity, pull out your plan briefly, ask yourself if it is inline with the objectives and strategies - if yes. Do it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you think business planning has changed and how your organization has adapted.
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