Archives posted in: Marketing

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Lessons from a Legend
A Tribute to Ted Levitt

By James T. Berger July 8, 2010

The other day when I was looking trough the archived articles in Harvard Business School’s  Working Knowledge, I happened on a piece published  on December 17, 2008 entitled ‘Ted Levitt Changed My Life.’ The author was Julia Hanna, associate editor (at the time) of the HBS Alumni Bulletin.

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Nurturing Relationships More Important Than Ever

By James T. Berger January 13, 2010

The economic downturn may prove a major opportunity to mid-size companies looking to change advertising agencies.
For those who survived the recession battered and bruised, the new decade figures to be just as challenging as the last one. Those businesses that survive and hopefully thrive will do so based on the ability to provide ever more value to clients and customers and to nurture relationships.

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The New Emerging Media Skill Set of the Generation X Chief Marketing Officer

By David Dalka December 15, 2009

Over the past decade the job description of the Chief Marketing Officer has remained relatively unchanged. Yet the world has changed greatly. Retained executive search firms, other c-level leaders such as the CEO, CFO, COO, the Head of HR, traditional strategy consultants and boards of directors largely have not changed that because they have not had detailed training into the transformational nature of search marketing and web analytics.

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Marketers May Find Gold on the Old Brand Junk Heap

By James T. Berger October 7, 2009

What do International Harvester, Fisher Body, Howard Johnson’s, E.F. Hutton, Mr. Donut, Statler Hotels, McCall’s and Marshall Field’s have in common? They are all magical brands of the past that sit on the junk heap of dead brands. Like products and product categories, brands follow a life cycle and eventually decline into oblivion. However, in some cases death may not be permanent and resurrection may be possible.

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Trying to Put the Toothpaste Back Into the Tube

By James T. Berger August 19, 2009

Now that the recession seems to be ending and the slow recovery process is under way, a new vision of the post-recession economic environments is beginning to take shape. And, the picture is a lot different than it was before the economy’s free fall.

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Profiting with the Post Recession Customer

By Tim J. Smith, PhD August 19, 2009

The current recession has been longer, deeper, and generally more damaging than any other since the great depression. As we move past the recessionary scramble to survive and into some semblance of a recovery, no intelligent executive should expect things to return to the way they were. Research into customer behavior is showing two general trends: (1) Demand is not only generally lower, but also the demand that does exist is at a lower price point. (2) This shift in customer demand and preferences is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
If the world has changed, so must strategy:

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Multicultural Marketing: A Misunderstood Concept and Untapped Business Strategy

By Tim J. Smith, PhD June 13, 2009

Newly released census figures show that the nation’s minority population has reached 102.5 million people, or one in three Americans. This burgeoning population—and the buying power it represents—makes effective multicultural marketing imperative for businesses to succeed. Yet many firms in our businesses community lack both a clear understanding of these diverse consumers and a disciplined approach to investing in and managing multicultural marketing. So, how can companies begin or improve multicultural initiatives?

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Is Starbucks in an Existential Wilderness?

By Tim J. Smith, PhD April 1, 2009

What is Starbucks? Is it a momentary retreat from the stress of work and life? Is it a fast-service coffee chain? Is it a snack shop? Is it a luxury coffee manufacturer? What is Starbucks reason for existence?

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Special Guest Author Angela Hribar, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of GlobalSpec, Inc.

By Tim J. Smith, PhD January 4, 2009

For many companies, 2008 has been a challenging year. The new realities of our current market and economy have impacted many sectors, and even more expect to feel the effects in 2009. This makes it even more important than ever to plan smarter, more effective ways to market to industrial and technical buyers in the year ahead. Based on research into market trends, here are strategic recommendations to achieve marketing success in 2009. All of these recommendations have something in common: better decision making when it comes to marketing choices.

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OPEC Loss is Grocers’ Gain: Precima National Survey Shows Grocery Store Is Most Likely Place for Americans to Spend Savings from the Pump

By Tim J. Smith, PhD January 3, 2009

Groceries are the top item on which U.S. consumers are spending their savings from lower gas prices, ahead of putting the money in savings, holiday gift buying and paying off credit cards, according to the results of nationwide research from retail analytics firm Precima.

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