A lighter look at the best ideas.... for 2008

In the Heat of the Night ... Plan and Frolic
June 2008

6. Set your goals, pursue them, measure attainment, imagine new      horizons.
5. Some risks are too big and should be avoided, others manageable with      expected results, and then there are those you have no choice but to      take.
4. There is only so far that productivity improvements can go. At some point,      executives have to raise prices to maintain profitability.
3. Target your best prospects, then lavish them with attention.
2. eCommerce and flexible manufacturing may make serving the niches     more profitable, but the big profits still come from the big hits. Seek the     bulk, not the long tail.
1. Frame price increases as a necessary condition for the industry, and     make sure your competitors know that it is time to raise prices too.

Emerging Spring From the Winter of Creative Destruction
May 2008

6. Understand the value customers seek, and excel.
5. Big Progress is rarely received with overwhelming support from those     around you.
4. “Focus on customer needs” may sound worn and tired, but serving     customer needs is the reason of existence for any business.
3. Nurture your customer relationships. They are your lifesource.
2. Commercialization of material and hard sciences appears to favor     intrepreneurship over entrepreneurship.
1. Aggression and arrogance are needed for progress, and can destroy     progress. Exercise with caution.

Thunder and Calamity, Striking Discharges, April Showers
April 2008

6. Manage your Reaction to Brand Infringements. It’s about money not     emotions.
5. Teasers build that Word of Mouth. Who is John Galt?
4. Defend your Points of View in the face of differences in an equally     matched discussion.
3. Are you maximizing your Relationship or your Product? Who is your     balance?
2. Short term win are needed if the company is to last for the Long Term,     but who wants to rush to nowhere to go? Balance your Short and Long     term objectives.
1. “Faced with price pressure from customers, sales may be tempted to    myopic price cuts if marketing did not act as the devil’s advocate.”    Schweiger, Sandberg and Ragan.

Beyond St’ Patty’s Day Luck is A Ram’s Charge
March 2008

6. Before considering penetration pricing, find a compelling downstream     reason. For new-technology launches such as Blu-ray, network     externalities were to deliver disproportionate rewards for early market     share gains.
5. Big wins require risks. Hedging is the safety net for incremental     improvement.
4. Be dutifully optimistic, even in a recessions. Progress takes work.     Downhill slides are easy.
3. Make email and snail mail effective: Who is the audience? How will you     get their attention? What should they learn? What do you expect them to     do with that knowledge?
2. When the playing field looks evenly matched, change the field. Sony     leverage an outside asset (PS3) to reposition the war (Blu-ray wins).
1. Cortes scuttled his ships to close the retreat. A path calculated and     consciously chosen should be pursued without the creeping doubts of     turning back.

A Rose is a Rose by Any Other Name. Embrace Your Inner Thorn.
February 2008

6. Don’t confuse table stakes with key differentiators. While both are      necessary to play, one will help you win
5. Commoditization is a choice. So is differentiation. Choose with which      you wish to compete.
4. Congestion pricing is fair for consumers, but expect the nominally      profitable major airlines to balk at it in the name of consumer fairness.
3. The term may be unpleasant, but the effect of price discrimination is      better than the alternatives.
2. What drives selection within your category? That’s your category driver.
1. The object of your love is likely an irrational choice by outsiders. So is      brand loyalty. Feed the emotional bond.

A Black Eyed Pea for Each Day of the Year ...
January 2008

6. Protect the brand at almost all costs, but preferably not with a bullet in the      head.
5. $27.5 billion is anticipated to be spent on Search Marketing in 2008.      Spend wisely.
4. Don’t fall for the purchasing agent’s ploy, evaluate bundle discounts for     profit improvements before accepting the terms.
3. Use OPM to grow the business by making products relevant to the     market.
2. Offering two or more products to two or more segments with contrasting     willingness-to-pay in a single bundle can improve profits, under certain     conditions.
1. Do the research and the math before you launch a new price bundle.