BRANDING: HAVE WE ENTERED THE INTEGRATOR ERA?
In Judaism, the word Hakham means a wise person. A hakham might be a Torah scholar. Or he might just be someone who knows a lot about a lot of things . . . not [...]
October 2012
FINDING THE UNFOUND
Over time, I've developed a relationship with the Mensa Organization. What an indescribably intelligent bunch of people! Membership is restricted to the top two percent as measured by performance on standardized intelligence tests. Around since [...]
August 2012
LONGEVITY SPELLS GOLD IN THE BRAND OLYMPICS
A 71 year-old Japanese equestrian is the oldest competitor at this year's Olympics. He first competed in the Olympics 48 years ago. The BBC reports women in Hong Kong (average life expectancy: 86.7 years) now [...]
June 2012
THE BEATLES: THE BRAND BEHIND THE BAND
Could you ever truly re-create the Beatles? How would one be able to rebirth such a unique experience so tied to the times around it? Sure, there are Beatles impersonators, just like the endless string [...]
THE DAY THE COOKIE CUTTER CRUMBLED
Who can resist beaming at the sheer power of today's systems. Marvel at how shipment delivery dates have become more reliable. Swim in a veritable sea of information about your customers and slice every shred [...]
September 2011
LANDSCAPING RISK SCENARIOS
A random event can sometimes make us totally reassess our attitude toward risk. In his masterful study of risk, Against the Gods, the late Peter L. Bernstein – a financial historian and economist – tells [...]
August 2011
BRANDING: THE PERIL OF BIG IDEAS
Ad legend David Ogilvy wrote in Ogilvy on Advertising, "Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night." Big Ideas are essential to success throughout all of marketing [...]
June 2011
TRUE GRIT: THE GUT WARRIOR
There's a lot of noise about "gut instinct" these days – much of it good and stimulating. Why is gut hot? Surely because there are more entrepreneurs around. People are noticing more opportunities – especially [...]
March 2011
CUSTOMIZATION: THE RIGHT END OF THE TELESCOPE
Recently, I commented on the wizardry of new product customization opportunities. When we consider the endless customization on the consumer, it's so easy to succumb to the techno-dazzle that enables these choices to exist. Most [...]
December 2010
EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Designer and retail entrepreneur Vera Wang is energized by her ability and dedication to setting the stage. "I want people to see the dress," she once said, "but focus on the woman." Recently, I stopped [...]