Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless compelled to change that state by external forces acted upon it.” (Holzner, “Physics for Dummies”) That’s pretty much the long and short of what the science of Physics is all about, I guess. It also helps explain […]
strategy
Why is everything so crazy?
One of the first lessons of leadership is to constantly acknowledge that we operate in a very dynamic environment. While the ongoing nature and rapid pace of the change is often frustrating (if not mind-boggling!), we can also acknowledge that there are specific categories of environmental forces at work that can be studied to help […]
Cause marketing can be a great relationship (just be careful who you marry!)
Here’s a 5 Hour Energy commercial that demonstrates the concept of cause marketing (or cause-related marketing if you prefer that term) at work. As we’ve discussed before, cause marketing is a win-win-win opportunity for marketers (revisit that here if you like). This commercial is almost a walk-through of how cause marketing can affect the consumer’s […]
Would you watch a show called “Six of One?” (Actually, you probably have…)
According to Warren Littlefield, former president of NBC TV and the author of Top of the Rock, the show that followed the antics of six twenty-somethings as they navigated the waters of post-college life was originally called “Six of One” rather than name that is now enshrined in television history and pop culture, which is […]
What does your customer think about all the time?
A very simple answer to the question, “What does your customer think about all the time?” is: THE FUTURE! The customer thinks constantly about the future. In fact, since you’re a customer, too, consider how often “the future” is what you think about. For example, we may be motivated to get an education so we […]
USPS Clothing – Why this is a terrible idea!
The U.S. Postal Service has announced it’s licensing a clothing line in 2014 as a way to boost revenue and to help reposition its ailing brand among consumers. This kind of thing is a common way for companies who have strong brand equity and favorable brand associations to leverage that brand into additional revenue. So […]
Having trouble getting started? Google It!
Google has an interesting guiding principle. They believe that everything – every product, every process – is constantly in beta. This helps them avoid the all-too-common “paralysis by analysis” that often derails businesses of all sizes. It lets them get products into the hands of customers so those customers can begin enjoying the benefits of […]
One reason marketers hate math…
A very popular local restaurant offers over 600 varieties of soda pop. My guess is they probably only sell about 20% of those (A partially scientific guess, based on the time-honored 80/20 rule!). This suggests that the return on investment (ROI) on such a broad inventory might not be that high and that a pruning […]

