BrainJuicer - Predictive Markets for new concepts

Predictive Markets- Is the Crowd Consistently Wise?

As posted on the BrainJuicer's website.

The theory behind the analytical BrainJuicers® (Mind Reader and Best/Worst) comes from cognitive psychology and is based on the power of associations.

Modern psychology makes much of insights into the associative structure of human memory and the distributed understanding of meaning, using associative techniques to identify how an idea is positioned in the mind in order to unpack its subjective meaning. How an idea is positioned in the associative networks of memory may be seen as describing the meaning of that idea for its holder. This is why the simple association game that Psychologists play with patients is an incredibly insightful way of revealing what people think and feel about a subject.

The theory behind the creative BrainJuicer® (BrainStormer) is recent work done on 'Electronic Brainstorming'. Rather than a brainstorm taking place aloud with a team in a single location, the BrainStormer asks people to contribute their ideas individually and remotely. Empirical findings reflect the success of this approach, both absolutely and relative to 'regular' brainstorming. The size of the group means you tap a wider pool of conceptual capital and generate more ideas.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

My muse introduced me to a fascinating site and a resource so amazing I had to post it.

Of particular interest to me were their thoughts on Life skills for the 21st Century, As I read I wanted to know more. The area the partnership identified transcend time and geography and straddle across education, corporations and social/cultural boundaries.

Leadership

• Use of interpersonal and problem-solving skills to influence more than one person toward a goal
• Ability to leverage strengths of others to accomplish a common goal
  Ethics
• Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior in personal, workplace and community contexts

Accountability

• Set and meet high standards and goals for one's self and others
• Adaptability
• Adapt to varied roles and responsibilities
• Tolerate ambiguity and changing priorities

Personal Productivity

• Utilize time efficiently and manage workload
• Be punctual and reliable

Personal Responsibility

• Exercise personal responsibility and flexibility in personal, workplace and community contexts

People Skills

• Work appropriately and productively with others

Self Direction

• Monitor one's own understanding and learning needs
• Demonstrate initiative to advance professional skill levels
• Ability to define, prioritize and complete tasks without direct oversight
• Demonstrate commitment to learning as a lifelong process

Social Responsibility

• Act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind

These Life Skills are a copyright of the PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 organization. The Partnership's work is supported by the U.S. Department of Education & a host of member organization & corporations

Advertising: What's Next?

In his introduction Joe Plummer, Chief Research Officer, The Advertising Research Foundation mentioned...

... the dialogue was focused on "the hole, not the doughnut." Asked to explain, I offered the observation that the focus was on the negative ñ a sense that "advertising was dead," "all the marketing models are broken," "market research was at fault," "consumers were tuning out." Conference after conference filled with Chicken Littleís warning that the sky was falling. A mood of doom and gloom, possibly traceable to 9/11, the dotcom bust and the war in Iraq, was pervading the mindset of the advertising industry and the trade press in the US.

"So, what should we at the ARF do about that?"

Joe continues on to share...

... a series of workshops in the fall of 2005 focused on the future of advertising and particularly on positive future we could create together with industry thought leaders. Unlike so many conferences with speaker after speaker and no time for reflection or intelligent dialogue about possibilities, we could construct several workshops with a few stimulating speakers and much time spent between the participants constructing alternative future possibilities.

The results are one of the RICHEST and most amazing scenarios every marketer should consider and leverage! I have personally found this to be an invaluable resource - Advertising: What's Next?

Who cares whether they care?

Insights from InterBrand on Organizations and the effect of Pride in the organization.

What impact does pride have on organisational performance?
To test the impact of pride on organisational performance we used structural equation modelling to measure the relationship between pride and a number of key behaviours for employers. These included:
• Recommending the organisation as a great place to work
• Recommending the organisation’s products and services
• Putting in extra effort
• Actively looking for a job elsewhere

Here is one from a recent post on the ANA Blog- A Customer's Story - What Bad Employees Do To Your Brand

Stories, Conversations & Engagement

A couple days ago I came across a post on The Viral Garden - Problem Avoidance Isn't Problem Management. I guess the following could act as a primer to the Interactive Marketing team for Splenda(© McNeil Nutritionals, LLC).

From this morning's FastCompanyNOW - 5 Steps To The Conversational Economy

1. Make it easy for consumers to talk about you - good and bad.
If you sell products, let users submit reviews and ratings on your site. If you're making good products, you shouldn't have to worry because you'll see glowing reviews. If not, you've most likely found the source of your profitability or marketshare issues.

2. Customers are always right.
Even when they're wrong, in their heads, they're right. You have an opportunity to educate them but at the end of the day, they choose whether to stay with you or leave. You cannot control that. How you handle the education part makes a big difference in their decision.

3. Stop trying to please everyone.
Make an awesome product for one segment. Dominate that group of users. Turn them into your biggest advocates. When you try to make something for everyone, you end up with mush. Think Apple. The only way to survive the conversational web or economy is to have people talking about you. They can either love you or hate you, but if you're stuck in the middle, you're toast.

4. Understand that each customer counts.
Like Chris Anderson said, "the ants have megaphones." You have to recognize vocal supporters and address vocal critics. One bad review by an influential blogger and you've lost untold revenues. People don't trust mass media. They trust people like themselves. And if you feel like addressing individual users is too much hassle, you now see how far you have to come to participate in the new marketplace.

5. Do something worth conversation.
I'm not talking about a press stunt. I'm talking about developing products that people love. I'm talking about delivering service that is delightfully unexpected. Simply meeting expectations doesn't count anymore. There are too many options to pick from. That mentality comes from a scarcity mindset and we live in an abundant world. Create joy. Make a difference. Get people talking.

Be Excellent™: The 12 Elements of Great Managing

Be Excellent™: The 12 Elements of Great Managing

All common sense and very sound.

These 12 statements -- the Gallup Q12 -- emerged from Gallup's pioneering research as those that best predict employee and workgroup performance.

1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

(The Q12 items are protected by copyright of The Gallup Organization, 1992-1999. All rights reserved.)

Laisser-faire

Hail free markets! Hail competition!

The post on FastCompany Now - The World Turned Upside Down, is a robust proof. Challenge current models, please the consumer (hopefully more than the most obvious cheap price) and the market will reward you! Ryanair may be about to transform trans-Atlantic travel.

Laissez-Faire or Laisser-faire, is a French phrase meaning "let do".

Is no news really good news?

Ever transitioned from a line management role into a staff management role? The transition is like nothing else one may experience. Over the years I have my own model to evaluate a role based on the Challenge it offers, Recognition potential and Compensation to be drawn. The model is simple and effective and has helped me in identifying the tactical merits when choosing between multiple options.

I am an ardent believer in building the “Brand YOU!” and as a marketer there is nothing greater than “Brand YOU!”; Managing, promoting, positioning and communicating to a larger than life yet smart, humble, connected and personable self.

Recently I sat back to think of all those jobs and brands that present a touch point with the consumer/customer but lack the regular dialog of a consumer brand. I was reminded of all the utilities that service us-Water, Electricity, Oil, Gas, etc. How often do we call any or all to thank them for ensuring continuity of service? I certainly never do, I don’t expect many amongst us either! Yet by the same token we are the first to pick up our phones as soon as we experience an interruption.

So where is the dialog between the brand the consumer? How do I build and make myself “Brand YOU” known?

My colleagues and friends in staff roles the forecasters; the IT staff; the facilities team; etc. often face the same fate. I rarely ever call to thank them for services and yet am often the first to express my dissatisfaction when things are not right. As a marketer I have mined information from consumer affairs on what my strategic target consumers and current base likes, wants, desires and even avoids in my brands to drive my strategies but what do you do when communication is nonexistent? We have clearly raised the bar, continuity is not longer a measure of excellence and it is the datum for survival in commodity markets.

As I thought further an old english word, “EPHEMERAL” popped. Leverage the craze of the day to market yourself – Productivity improvement, Sustainability, Ecological footprint, Organic, etc. Essentially “No news can be good news” but being “NEW” and “IN VOGUE” is the only survival and differentiation for “Brand YOU!”.

10 Ways Marketing Will Be Transformed in 2007

ANA's Bob Liodice published 10 Ways Marketing Will Be Transformed in 2007

• Consumer in Control
• New Agenda for Agencies
• Hail to the Chief
• Unconventional Outreach
• Media Buying Metamorphosis
• Let the Fighting End
• Organizational Overhaul
• Research Renewal
• Blow up the Back Room
• Continuous Marketing Reinvention

Alls not lost on measuring marketing effectiveness

MediaPost Publications - Proof: Looking At the Little Picture

Althought not quitely directly related here is another perspective on measured progress with a Human Touch - Measures Progress

Martha Rules!!

Martha has always impressed me tremendously with her elegance, her creativity and her style. The Alderson Federal Prison experience has only made her stronger and better.

Martha Rules is a MBA in as few as 196 pages. Written in the classic Martha style - Simple(Everyday), Lucid and Original!

The Martha Rules:
1 What's passion got to do with it?
2 Ask yourself, what's the big idea?
3 Get a telescope, a wide-angle lens, and a microscope
4 Teach so you can learn
5 All dressed up and ready to grow
6 Quality is everyday
7 Build an A-team
8 So the pie isn't perfect? : cut it into wedges
9 Take risks, not chances
10 Make it beautiful

The part I find most inspiring is her ability to reinvent herself from a Model to a Wall Street Broker to a Caterer to Entrepreneur and now a phenomenal Coach!

Emotional Intelligence

The article brings to light timeless and transcendent values that extend from the playground to the boardroom.

• Self-awareness
• Empathy and social skills
• Feedback and open communication

From the Playground to the Boardroom: The Importance of Emotional Intelligence

Grace Andrews, the author of the article and an executive coach refers to Daniel Goleman as a valuable resource:

• Self-Awareness: knowing one's internal states, preferences, resources, and intuitions and having the willingness to share them.
• Self-Regulation: managing one's internal states, impulses and resources, and taking responsibility for said.
• Motivation: ability and emotional tendency to inspire, guide or facilitate the reaching of goals.
• Empathy: awareness of others' feelings, needs and concerns.
• Social Skills: adeptness at effecting change through listening and communication; openly communicating and nurturing relationships.

IBM Many Eyes Update

Mind mapping has been a long time fascination for Marketers and Researchers to get into the consumers minds and product/brand associations. To elevate the process of drawing out meaning of what the consumers said and really mean lead me recently to yet another interesting process called, "Meaning based linguistic search".

IBM Many Eyes Project on his blog is a worthy visit - The Eponymous Pickle: IBM Many Eyes Update

[Ad]vantage

This morning's article in MediaPost talks about the challenges and chaos from fragmented (emerging) media and engaging brand stories, without doubt marketers need to manage risk judiciously.

Kirk Drummond presents a framework to balance this risk.

>> Stay within the range and relevance of your brand.
>> Have an organizing idea and a reason.
>> Organize your efforts.
>> Be equally as innovative on how you measure your efforts.

Invaluable consumer research data

Boomers have money, aren't afraid to spend it - ONLY FROM BRANDWEEK
Research lead and conducted by C&R Research

• A significant number with kids said they’re now “Empty Nesters”
• Financial concerns top the list of worries, and the next most worrisome is family and health/diet
• 71% of 50-64 year olds and 84% of 30-49 year olds report high Internet usage; those 65 and over, regular Net usage is reported by 32%
• Boomers who took the online survey say they most often shop online for travel, books, clothesand electronics
• Respondents have adopted healthy eating habits - reading nutrition labels, eating smaller meals, changing their diet to maintain their weight and stay healthy, eating low-fat foods, monitoring their carb intake

Disposable income for the baby boom generation has been pegged at about $2 trillion a year.

Success stories - Tween Traits & Targeting

Interesting article from this morning's USAToday - As kids get savvy, marketers move down the age scale

Some other tween girl traits:
•They're driven by imitation
•They want more of everything
•They are environmentally aware
•They like attention, sort of

The article was a great read into the mind of a tween and strategies to appeal to their psyche as early as 3-4 yr olds.

Integrated: Brand-Bonding Drives Desire

As I read Jean Brandolini Lamb's article in MediaPost, the words drove home!

Lately I been searching for words that are overly repeated in every marketers lingo, I thought before I post a link to Jean's article I would add some of my own value. I thought of a couple words and tried counting the number of instances they appear/repeat in the article.

Emotion - 11 times
Desire - 5 times
Feel... - 4 times
Important - 2 times

The past year has seen a huge push towards marketing accountability. We have read and seen many articles but some how those words/measures are yet to make their way into some of these posts. I do acknowledge, I am guilty as charged!

Here are some nuggets from the article:

• Shopping and logical thought are often worlds apart
• We buy it because we want it. It's about pure desire, rationalized either before or after purchase
• Neuropsychology theories [connection between physiology and psychological responses] that are replacing the old consumer behavior beliefs [AIDA (awareness, interest, desire, action)]
• We are all driven first by emotion (We all still act based on primitive, emotional instincts)
• Emotional connection leads to brand desire, which ultimately leads to demand
• Convenience factors and rational concerns play a part in the decision-making process, but it is a feeling that acts as the initial spark of interest
• "feel first, think later" advertising model is in line with theories surrounding brands
• Brands are simply the established meaning or reputation of a product or service within the minds -and hearts - of consumers
• Brands have values, ideas, and feelings attached to them that allow consumers to make unique emotional connections with them
• Advertising is moving from "creating brand awareness" to "creating brand demand."
• Not only do consumers need to know about your brand, they need to want your brand
• Marketers need to define value for the target consumer, and deliver a brand that not only is unique but also motivates them on an emotional or instinctive level
• Build brands that are differentiated and connect to the target market emotionally
• "Emotion involves and motivates and can transfer positive perceptions to the brand."
• A brand is built on a "compelling truth." The compelling truth is transformational, ideally creating emotional preference and differentiation
• Compelling truth delivered consistently across the customer experience, drives emotion and breeds motivation

Playing in dangerous territory - Hearts & Minds

This morning's quote from the AMA News letter is a breath of fresh air...

"A brand that captures your mind gains behavior. A brand that captures your heart gains commitment." - Scott Talgo

Scott used to be Chief Strategy Officer at Landor.

Brand equity creep

Ever seen a composite sketch of an alleged criminal on the evening news? I watched one last night and a strange thought popped. The image was the best the police (artist) could develop, after all he/she was drawing out an image from some else’s eyes/mind. The quality of the image was so generic and poor; I can’t imagine anyone being able to identify the alleged criminal even if the person stood next to you.

The business of marketing could be as tricky as that of the artist. A brand’s equity is no longer communicated purely through constructive efforts of a savvy marketer. Every touch point is a communication opportunity, the brand ambassador, the influencers, moms at the PTA, moms at parties, moms at the grocery store, blogs, the list is endless.

Today all marketers need to think of the following questions:
How strong is your brand's equity?
How important is the channel and what does the channel speak about your brand?
Do you have consumers or fans of your brand; how do you manage equity creep?

Writing… - Advertising & Strategy

The last weekend I was engaged in a discussion about writing. For all those who have read Ken Roman’s (ex-CEO of Ogilvy & Mather), ‘How to write better’ will attest to his wisdom:

1. The reader does not have much time
2. Know where you are going
3. Make what you write easy to read
4. Short sentences & short paragraphs
5. Make your writing vigorous and direct
6. Avoid clichés
7. Avoid vague modifiers
8. Use specific concrete language
9. Find the right word
10. Don’t make spelling mistakes
11. Don’t over write or over state
12. Come to the point
13. State things as simply as you can
14. Handle numbers consistently
15. Avoid needless words
16. Be concise, but readable
17. Be brief, simple and natural
18. Don’t write like a bureaucrat or a lawyer
19. Never be content with your first draft
20. Have somebody else look over your draft

… & those of us who have been students of Kaizen understand the value of asking Why 5 times. It is so interesting to see the similarities and differences. Although Kaizen involves asking ‘why’ at the end (counter intuitive to what is expected to be already clear and precise) , better writing starts with asking ‘why’ before one starts.

It is the dichotomy between developing a strategy and analysis.

I might just add a certain amount of indulgence through ambiguity is an essential ingredient in the romance of a good creative.

How to fight your personal brand demons and win

Lyn Chamberlin's Post on Brandchannel.com - Following are some nuggets Lyn presents to the audience (Women).

My non-scientific analysis is that we are caught in a self-perpetuating, interconnected web of myths, myths that have been handed down to us in one form or another ever since Eve took a bite out of the apple. Myths such as:

Myth #1: If I Am Good, They Will Come
This is the biggest hurdle that we, as 51 percent of the population, must overcome—whether we're at home, in the workforce, or in the C-suite.

Myth #2: Marketing Myself Is a Dirty Business
Successful personal branding means continually standing far enough away to see yourself and your work as if it were not you and your work that you were looking at.
Successful personal branding means wearing labels such as "leading" and "expert," "sought-after," "popular," and "well-regarded." It means creating a brand identity that is authentic, consistent, and memorable, one that you own and are proud of.

Myth #3: I Can't Control What Other People Think
Develop a tightly honed messages that are reinforced and repeated over and over again.

Here are several simple steps you can take right now to bottle and market YOU:

1. Figure out who you are, what you stand for, and why you are different than anyone or anything else.
2. Create a story that communicates your value and your market differentiation.
3. Pull the key words that you have used to create that story and weave them into everything that you say, do and publish about yourself and your business.
4. Tell your story relentlessly, passionately, and unapologetically to anyone who will listen. You will refine and improve it as you go along, figuring out which parts work and which don't.

A network is larger than sum of the parts

The big buzz these days is networks, networks and more networks. I am not referring to Information Technology Systems that power these networks I am talking about Social & Professional networks that create and capture value for the participants.

Networking is not new business by any stretch but some creative marketing and advertising has brought it back in vogue. With ever greater need to deliver bottom line savings, shrinking product life cycles and need for more block busters (which translates into 'trying many new ideas' fast and cheap), it is no surprise P&G's Connect & Develop is such a huge hit.

General Mills just threw its hat in the ring...
General Mills Launches Innovation Network To Develop Products

P&G's New Innovation Model

From “No Pain, No Gain” to “Run Easy”

Branding is a funny business, I mean it! It is Negotiation 101 and playing mind games.

It is also the kind of thing that excites me, the idea of reframing and positioning a product with the point of view to engage the consumer, create excitement and leverage from within the portfolio to extend equities.

The title of this essay draw from the recent news on Reebok’s repositioning itself to target Nike. “No Pain, No Gain” is not new news but we how often do we gravitate to the “Easy” and “Convenient” as a trade off, multiplies our available time. Easy sells, convenient works, that’s also why fast food sells, it is also what motivates us to consume the weight loss pills both the ones approved by the FDA and those yet to be approved.

Essentially what smart brand managers try is to reframe a problem to lead the consumer to happy feelings, engage them and overtime translate the brand into a Lovemark.

The devil is in the DETAIL

Media Metrics: Connecting With Hispanics - This morning's MediaPost

It is easy to get caught in the buzzzzzz... of emerging market segments and the top line of the opportunity, the challenge is to see under the carpet. Susan does a great job of laying the ground work for the much needed insight on the "WHO?" and "WHAT?"

• English-speaking Hispanics have more in common with non-Hispanic consumers
• it's critical to look at the specific brand that is being advertised when it comes to deciding how and when to communicate to Hispanic audiences
• English-speaking Hispanics comprise only 45 percent of Hispanics
• English-speaking Hispanics are younger, better educated and earn higher incomes
• English speakers comprise a full 77 percent of Hispanics who have professional/managerial occupations
• They are 74 percent of Hispanics with an individual employment income of $40,000 or more
• English-speaking Hispanics are a ripe market for movies, electronics, CDs/DVDs, fast-food restaurants, candy, and liquor
• Nike is a favorite brand of English-speaking Hispanics, while Spanish-speakers favor Adidas. Coke has a Spanish-speaking skew, while Pepsi skews to English speakers
• Both are interested in personal style and improving their social status, Spanish-speakers have a more traditional outlook for women/gender roles and are slightly more religious. They are also more likely to be sensitive to the environment
• English-speaking Hispanics, collecting sports trading cards, participating in karaoke, and playing chess are some of the leisure activities they participate in well above the general population
• Participation in civic/public activities by Hispanics, is well below that of the non-Hispanic population
• The two language segments overlap somewhat in Texas and California

There is more in the article to help a brand manager develop media spend strategies and targeting plans.

Nuggets from - Rules of Engagement

From this morning's MediaPost - Invitation Marketing: Rules of Engagement

• Always picture the person you're writing the ad for before you write the ad
• People still respond to brands that treat them as people and to ideas that engage them
• Embrace the idea that where, when, why, and how we talk to customers has changed forever
• Be comfortable by now with this fragmented, complex, consumer-controlled, user-generated new media landscape
• Great ideas can be supported by experiences that invite greater exploration
• It's an amazing opportunity for creative and media teams to come together to create the ideas and plans to support the intimate dialogs that make true engagement possible
• Discipline of talking to individuals, instead of marketing to groups. It forces us to avoid the mushy middle of appealing to everyone
• Relevance - finding the intersection between what a brand wants to communicate and what a customer wants to hear

Über-consumers: While account planning and psychographics have already helped us tighten our approach to media and creative, the new landscape demands that we apply even finer filters. GenY isn't a target market, it's a target continuum. Ideas need to reach individuals across that continuum. Consumer involvement also needs to be factored in - ranging from highly engaged "prosumers" to traditional consumers.

Talking vs. marketing: Our audiences are incredibly sophisticated. They understand the marketing context of communications. Not only do they know there's a man behind the curtain, but they know his motivations. Let's be upfront with the people we're talking to and not try to disguise marketing messages. Let's continue to create ads and online experiences that get people involved.

The mushy middle: This is work that plays to the common denominator and, in so doing, diffuses the message. Example: For a technology brand, the mushy middle comes from an idea that straddles the tech needs of a smart IT person (with a finely tuned BS meter) with the broader needs of a manager who is interested in the business benefits, not how the technology works. In the mushy middle, the it person is left seeing "fluff." The business decision-maker is often left confused.

Relevance: It's the antithesis of the mushy middle. Relevant ideas address the individual's needs with detail and language that rings true. You run the risk that many people won't "get it." But the ones who do are the ones you want. (Best example: ESPN's long-running "SportsCenter" TV campaign. The more obscure the reference, the more rewarding the experience for viewers.) Relevance has to be integrated across campaigns. A spot-on ad is missing huge opportunities when the landing pages, Web sites, e-mail and direct campaigns aren't supporting it with the same level of thinking.

The result of this approach? More intricate media plans, more individualized creative executions, more precise message maps, and more enriching rewards for people who choose to take the next step. As campaigns move from macro to micro, the ability to measure their impact also needs to be adjusted. Engagement metrics need to be expanded to reflect the true value of the time spent by users and the content areas that draw their attention. It's the start of a dialogue. Actually, hundreds of them.

Two interesting articles

Simplicity isn't simple - Doug Sundheim

Doug's filter to identify the top 3 focus area.
1. Write down your objectives for the next year.
2. Identify the 3-5 primary buckets in which you spend your day (might be Admin, Development, Production, & Personal for instance).
3. Write down active tasks in each bucket.
4. Prioritize each list.
5. Consult your objectives and pick the top 3 tasks across all buckets.
6. Each day bring yourself back to them when you get off course.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 daily.

There is no alternative to being prepared: Don't Leave Home Without Your Tools - Wendy Marx

The next time you attend a meeting bring your game plan: Here are a few tips to help make you a better player:
• Think ahead. What is your client likely to ask you? What will he or she want to know?
• Bring alternatives. Don’t be a “One Note Charlie.” Instead, think about a number of ways to help your client or prospect and be prepared to present another scenario if one gets shot down…or two…or three gets shot down.
• Be flexible. If your client or prospect isn’t responsive, don’t keep repeating the same failing message. Be bold and try something different.

Shopportunity is not Available, Okay & Cheap

It is Respect, Discovery, Romance, Adventure & Personality.

I didn't agree with everything in the book but the ideas read like a marketing case study and real experiences from my past life and alma maters.



I Just read Kate Newlin's SHOPPORTUNITY. BrandAutopsy has an interesting post on the book from October 2006.

How to be a Retail Revolutionary.

Secrets of an HR Superstar

I just noticed an interesting article in Business Week - Secrets of an HR Superstar

Thought the article is directed towards an HR exec, the tenets are as real as the sun and the moon and re-applicable to every exec in every organization who is interested and willing to see the big picture.

DARE TO DIFFERENTIATE
Relentlessly assessing and grading employees build organizational vitality and foster a true meritocracy

CONSTANTLY RAISE THE BAR
Leaders continually seek to improve performance, both their own and their team members

DON'T BE FRIENDS WITH THE BOSS
HR executives make the mistake of focusing on the priorities and needs of the CEO. That diminishes the powerful role of being an employee advocate

BECOME EASY TO REPLACE
Great leaders develop great succession plans

BE INCLUSIVE
Within every organization, there's a tendency to favor people you know. That can undermine success

FREE UP OTHERS TO DO THEIR JOBS
one of my jobs is to take things off his desk, not put things on his desk; give people the tools and permission to work on their own terms

KEEP IT SIMPLE
Most organizations require simple, focused, and disciplined communications. "You can't move 325,000 people with mixed messaging and thousands of initiatives"

Interactive Marketing & Targetting...

Interesting post by Marc Pickren is co-founder and managing partner of The Leadstream in the PerformanceInsider from MediaPost

Rule #1: Don't Harm The Brand That Feeds You

Ask any advertiser who lives and breathes by acquiring new customers what they consider to be the biggest threat to their professional standing, and in most cases they'll say the need to control and monitor both where their message is displayed and what it says. Unfortunately, for many businesses, the real-life experience in this space has been fraught with inappropriate and/or non-value based placements by companies both large and small. I've seen publicly traded media companies place offers with second-tier vendors leaving little or no control over where their client's message appeared and worse, the specific contents of the message. If anything should be causing great alarm to advertisers, it is this utter lack of control of their brand's message. So first and foremost, be sure to scrutinize the wording of any insertion before taking the leap of faith into content-land. Ask yourself; is there any potential harm to our brand?

Rule #2: Be Sure Your Media Parts Add Up To A Whole

The primary focus of any lead generation strategy is media mix and distribution. Here are the questions any advertiser should ask their media agency of record and any associated vendors before committing funds to a plan:

• Where does the company get its traffic?
• Where will the offer be displayed?
• Will the offer be re-sold? If so, will I have approval over these networks in advance?
• Does the company receive traffic or benefit from other lead providers?
• How do they get their traffic?
• Do they buy media and deliver leads or do they buy leads from "partners"?
• How do they track "click-throughs" and referring URLs?
• Do they scale delivery slowly or deliver volume from the first minute, hour or day (known as "slamming")?

Rule #3: Don't Let This Happen To You

A large company engaged a publicly traded media concern and entered into an agreement to buy leads. The program's cost was quoted as $15 per lead. The advertiser looked at the network's Web site and determined that it appeared to have a very broad and capable media network. The advertiser did not question whether or not the offer would be re-sold, nor did it request that the offer only be displayed on top-tier properties (most media concerns have several levels of service and most large ad networks engage in the affiliate space). In addition, the advertiser trusted that the media network would never place the offer within sites that are solely based on "freebie" content. Lastly, the advertiser forgot to request that there be a cap on the first two week's lead volume.

Result? Within two hours of going live, the offer was re-sold to a broad array of lower-tier networks at $10 per lead. These networks were not made aware of the display rules and placed the offer in many places that it should not have appeared. The offer was then resold again to an even lower tier network at an even lower rate of $5, and that network was not even verifiable as a legitimate company.

Within a week, the advertiser had 50 percent of the volume and the internal CRM or Sales Response Team struggled to sort through the volume. Then came the truly bad news, what we like to call "lead mutiny." The internal team did not respond or purged the data because it was of little or no worth.

Clearly, this advertiser proceeded wrongly and at the end of the day paid $15 for a $2 to $5 lead. The entire metric being used for that price was based on a flawed model, and therefore, only created a lessening of the price and a lowering of the bar.

Rule #4: Try This Best-Practice Approach

A shared risk model, with a fair price based on "display media buys", would have been the best option. For example, if the latest media buy on Yahoo delivers leads at an average of $78, the lead generation company takes over the risk of buying the media, and only charges the client a cost-per-lead fee of $54.60 per lead or (30 percent off of their self directed media CPL).

Here's one approach to avoiding any kind of brand damage: create a micro-site that is non-branded but exclusive, thus giving the advertiser an opportunity to have arms' lengths distance from the campaign.

And if you're engaging your partner to buy "leads" in the broader market, have them create terms that ensure that no offers will be resold -- nor will they be fooled into running into market segments that are not clearly defined. Click analysis will show the source of the lead "referrer." If it is found that the source is not a verifiable media concern or that the site is not constructed of information that shows relevant value, they need to take strong action against the concern.

Remember: there may be a lot of leads out there... but all leads are certainly not created equal.

Selecting A Leader: Do We Know What We Want?

I subscribe to David's Podcast and have admired him for his philosophies for a long time. This morning I came across a post on FC Now - Questions for the Next Leader by John Baldoni.

Below is John's paraphrasing of David's article from FCNow.

Do we want a decision-maker or a consensus builder? Maister is noted for his consulting in professional service firms. Such firms may value the consensus builder, while a corporation with history of hierarchy may want the decision-maker. The criteria for selection must fit the organization’s mission and culture.

Do we want a people person or results getter? Employees love the people-person leaders. They tend to be accessible and available. At the same time, a company must post results. No results, no company. Ultimately all leaders achieve results through others, but some are more overt in their style. They are hard-chargers versus nurturers.

Do we want a leader who thinks short-term or one who plans for long-term? You may think you want a leader who builds for the future, but sometimes if the organization is in crisis, you need a turn around guy fast. And even if things are going smoothly, you want something to show for it both long and short term.

What ever it may be lets just call it "APPLE PIE"

Each time I sit back and watch presentations on trends I am walk away with a strange feeling. It funny how we live in the moment and often carried away and start believing until reality dawns and then we retreat back to the security of the familiar. Even if the wrapping is the only familiar item with a pleasant surprise waiting inside. This may be the longest beginning to a simple concept of needs and wants.

I was evaluating a brand concept recently when I realized how we crave for surprises, driven by the moments we live but yet like it presented in a form we recognize and relate. We draw on our earliest and often the most soothing memory of our experience in trying the product. It is this experience that provides context and meaning to the brand, the product and even the category at times.

No denying there may be more than a manageable number of segments if memory and meaning drove our target segmentation. I am ready to try as long as we still call it good old segmentation.

I am in Laura's Address Book

The New Rules of Networking - From FCNow

Laura Levitan is a friend who has helped me in the recent past. She is also in my LinkedIN Network. Wendy Marx the author of the essay has bestowed her with the title of "Networker Extraordinare".

New rules from the post:
• Always offer to help someone even it you don’t know how to do it. Levitan never turns someone in need down, and if she can’t help, will find someone who can.
• Give selflessly. “When you help someone,” says Levitan, “don’t expect you’ll get something back. While some people will return the favor and others won’t, the important thing is that you’ll feel good making a difference in someone’s life. And I guarantee over time you will see it returned in spades.”
• Don’t forget people. Levitan is always finding ways to help people in her vast network and finding reasons to stay in touch.
• Be clear when you ask for help. “Don’t be frivolous when you reach out to meet people,” advises Levitan. "Give people a valid reason why you want to connect with them."

The new BUZZZzzz... - AlphaMom

From USAToday - How to Tell if you're an 'Alpha Mom'

She's informed, confident modern mom...
...'Alpha' seemed to be very cheeky
You don't have to have a lot of money
...then you're an Alpha Mom

Managing to the 2%

Managing to the 2% - Interesting post on FCNow

It is time for a balance between a good people strategy and strong leadership. One size clearly does not fit all! Feed the talent but manage it aptly. It would be foolish to dry out the well just to draw on a single nugget of gold in there.

This is certainly one of my favorite area, people, talent management and development.

The 15% Rule
Lake Wobegon Strategy
Talent Management

EXECUTION is a bad word?

I read a quote yesterday that sparked my imagination...

Anyone who can handle a needle convincingly can make us see a thread which is
not there. - EH Gombrich

An epitome of a true marketer... End to end from a concept study, to positioning, claims and even repositioning and relaunch. As marketers I believe we really do is handle that needle in stitching the emperor's new clothes. There is substance at the end though not always (remember the days of vaporware in the Dot-coms).

We get into the minds of our consumers, strive to experience and identify the needs even if it is an intangible concept of satisfaction, importance and prestige.

When the rubber meets the road it is the articulation through advertising claims (print, media copies), pleasant surprises "new in the old", the EXECUTION that creates the pull through channels that deliver. There is no denying working in ambiguity can be a lot more challenging, although a a head without a body can not get anywhere.

A good stratey needs an equally effective execution arm to deliver success.

The Sorry CEO

From this morning's MediaPost

A pun from George Simpson - The Sorry CEO

I am guessing the scenario is not much different from what the CEOs of Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and many, many, many, more... may have had to say. I am sure George has written what they meant when they said whatever they said after they landed in hot soup.

Joe Tripodi's pet peeves of advertising

From Allstate's illustrious CMO Joe Tripodi - ANA Blog

• The Class Clown - Thinks everything is a joke with nothing really tying to the brand or product
• The Jock - An advertiser who is lost in strained sports analogies and attaches product or brand where there is no real linkage.
• The Prom Princess - An advertiser who is all about image with no real product or substance -
• The Slacker - No goals or measures.
• The Geek - In love with all the new media and technology (this might hit a sore spot to this audience). He feels these people are trying to be ingredient branders.
• The Drama Queen - All emotion, all the time. These are advertisers who attempt to inject emotion where there is none.
• The Heavyweight - He mentioned that it is good to go on intuition some time, but not all the time. My favorite quote here: "If you go with your guy all the time, you will be out of a job." The overriding concept here is you absolutely need consumer insight and analysis.

The Secret to Reinventing Yourself

If there ever was a book I was planning on writing it was "Reinventing Myself"...

This morning I found an interesting post on FCNow - The Secret to Reinventing Yourself

My favorite segments from the post are...

Michael says his serial career path has added depth, complexity and
creativity to his character, allowing him to approach problem solving with a
multidimensional view.

What have you done in the past that can enhance your personal brand?
Remember, you’re more than the sum of your parts. You’re an evolving
person who in the act of change has an edge over the other guy who doesn’t have
your background. As the adage goes, you’re not getting older, just better.

Consumer Segments

Juicy lifestyle content for people at the leading edge of culture - From today's MediaPost

The Consumer: The Lure of the Extreme - From today's MediaPost

Give them what they desire and they will ask for more, thats what marketers do... ride the wave with our brands, build new ones, get into the lives, minds and souls of our consumers.

Some interesting Blogs/Sites out there...

The Origin of Brands Blog - Laura Ries

David Maister

ExperienceCurve - Karl Long

Leader to Leader Institute

The Branding Blog - Martin Jelsema

Customers Rock!

Trendsight

Stories By REL

The Viral Garden

Mindspace

The Qualitative Research Blog - Reshma Anand

Flooring The Consumer

Interesting posts around in the Blogsphere - LEADERSHIP

Pour the Water - John Baldoni (FC Experts)
Honor work.
Pay attention to the details.
Recognize employees.

Ceiling? What Ceiling? - Donna Karlin (FC Experts)

Organizational leaders look for people who don’t hesitate to jump into the deep end of whatever they’re about to embark on. Innovation comes from people who not only think out of the box, but don’t acknowledge there is a box in the first place. Remove your own self-limitations and you’ll attract all kinds of amazing opportunities. That energy will attract others and the ripple effect will go well beyond anything you imagined.

Innovation is the Mantra

I remember the days when Software products were sold as a monolith, then they were sliced and diced and targetted to be sold individually. The value proposition was differentiated by part of your life, your business and your personality that was being influenced.

Leave it to the smart marketers at PG to do the exact opposite and still present a value proposition! Truely fabulous!!

David Johnson the not to well known (for many reasons) ex CEO of Campbell Soup said it best..

"There are no mature markets, there are only mature marketers."

I have usually just helped myself to a Pepto tablet after my coffee or even added a dose into my coffee creamer... But its only PG that can leverage the creative genius in the obvious! Cheers to them.

Decaf Being Joined by De-Heartburn - From the New York Times.

Think Attitude, Not Age

This morning on MediaPost - from a recent Yankelovich monitor study

First, it is presumed that brand choices are pretty much fixed for the 50-plus group. So, marketing to older consumers is thought to be unproductive, if not pointless, because they are unlikely to switch or try anything new.

Second, it is assumed that older people without children living at home won't spend as much because the needs of their households are not as great. Without kids to buy or save for, older people aren't thought to be shoppers worth the marketing expense.

Finally, it is believed that the shopping interests of older consumers are narrower and focused mostly on products and services to fix the ills and ailments of old age.

Some of us Marketers need to pick up a book by - Ken Dychtwald or Maddy Dychtwald. Age Wave LLC presents a perspective on the deep pockets and spending potential of the Baby Boomer Generation.

It is a GREAT MORNING!

It is one of those days when you wake up and read an absolutely FANTASTIC quote that makes your day!

"The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it."
- Dee Hock

From AMA.

Meet Ed - Logic+Emotion

Interesting post from David Armano - Logic+Emotions

Marketing is #2 on Bright New Careers List

There sure is hope for Marketing...
Marketing is #2 on Bright New Careers List

from the ANA Blog

Trade Marks VS. Brands

On a flight last week a thought popped in my mind, what is the difference between a Trade Mark and a Brand? I immediately opened my diary and started to make notes, I usually find it easy to gather my thoughts and more often through figures and diagrams. I am a visual thinker and find it easier to see relationships through geometric figures. Anyway without digressing… so what is the relationship between Trade Marks and Brands?

A Trade Mark and a Brand is essentially the same thing! The Brand is the social interaction of a Trade Mark with the consumers and customers depending on which side of the B2-B/C fence the marketer may be sitting. If you have followed my old essays or picked or for that matter any book on Brand Management there is a strong emphasis on the dialog with the consumer. Brand is a negotiation on values, position, attributes and presentation & communication between the Trade Mark and the consumer. The competitive communication & exchange is the execution through the various channels.
 

Trade Marks by themselves have little value, it is the Brand that drives value far exceeding the investment. Although Trade Mark is certainly the tangible portion of the Brand, the Brand delivers value to the Trade Mark.

Who Knows Media -- Marketers or Agencies?

Now thats a debate...

ANA Marketing Maestros: Who Knows Media -- Marketers or Agencies?

From ANA

The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid

A prop for the "value-conscious consumers" Q&A: C.K. Prahalad - Pyramid Schemer: "Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid "

Marketers Just Don't Get It

Marketers Just Don't Get It

...I guess its a perspective. From FastCompany NOW

Amazing creative

Culturally relevant, fabulous creative and awesome copy!

What's the Big Idea?

What's the Big Idea?: "What’s the value of a good idea?"

Business 3.0

Interesting FastCompany Now article.

The talent squeeze!

Hiring Line: Keep Your People Happy Before Someone Else Does - 03/06/2007

Interesting read... from MediaPost

Sustainability

P&G's CMO Ditches Simple Mantra for Dialogue-Driven Communication

Procter & Gamble's Jim Stengel described a major cultural shift - Brand building using credibility and the sustainability promise.

We Are Smarter Than Me

We Are Smarter Than Me - Always believe in the Wisdom of the Crowds.

I do have my reservations... There will eventually have to be an editor, a proof reader to make the executive decision on what stays and what goes? Guess there is not easy way to ensure quality over clutter. The role of that General Manager to oversee the business ecosystem.

“The Seven Powers” by Alex Rovira

This sure if funny, it was only yesterday I said to an executive I don't read fiction. I draw on my innovation ideas from fairy tails... (follow some of my early blogs) I guess I will have to revise my definitions soon.

“The Seven Powers” by Alex Rovira

"The Seven Powers"
Courage
Responsibility
Purpose
Humility
Confidence
Love
Unity and Cooperation

From today's The Knowledge@Wharton news letter profiling Business Books for this spring.
Another interesting one I would like to dig into would be - What Are Your Customers Really Worth?

Listening-Centered Marketing

Time for a New Model: Listening-Centered Marketing: "Listening-Centered Marketing "

This one is an interesting blog, I have read Pete's posts and have liked them a lot. This one is particularly interesting and relevant today.

Marketing is emotional!

Leveraging Guilt At Dinnertime

From MediaPost

Social Capital - Our Social Professional Networks

What really happens at mixers? - from Columbia ideas@work

Emotional Connections - 02/26/2007

Media Metrics: Emotional Connections

Interesting measures and metrics a good read!

Brand - Stance & Substance

Imagine a young stud enjoying can/bottle of soda. The bubbles dancing on his tongue and as the bubbles burst and create exhilaration and energy. The excitement leads to energy and happy thoughts! One thing leads to another and happy thoughts lead to success and rendezvous with a sexy model types walking down the road. The two share more than just eye contact and there is a desire for more.

Believe it or not this was a dream I had recently… when I woke up the first thought I had was ‘Talk about subliminal advertising!’

I synthesized the creative… and came up with the following... Advertising is only a brand STANCE, a projection of excitement, energy and confidence. A promise that needs to be fulfilled… delivery of SUBSTANCE is an essential element of the brand promise.

The Third Moment of Truth

The Third Moment of Truth - MUST READ, I can't believe I forgot to post it when it was published.

Marketing Champions

Interesting new book out there!

Marketing Blog

How to Interview Marketing Professionals

Was reading something on the MarketingProfs.com when a link lead me to the Marketing Blog. Here is an interesting entry!

Sustaining Corporate Growth Requires 'Big I' and 'small i' Innovation

Sustaining Corporate Growth Requires 'Big I' and 'small i' Innovation

The Risk and Creativity balance in Innovation from Knowledge@Wharton

Other interesting articles from the issue:
Wisdom of the crowds - Wikinomics :
Make Room, Wikipedia: Internet-based Collaboration Could Change the Way We Do Business

Pay For Performance: 'Power by the Hour': Can Paying Only for Performance Redefine How Products Are Sold and Serviced?

Marketing Strategy

What Does It Take to Aim Low

What Does It Take to Aim Low

Now this is a good one from FastCompany

My success model!

Individual Development Planning

Tough choices

The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart

We all have to make choices, not all of those choices are easy! You got to do whats right.

Peter Drucker said "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."

Organizational Structure

It is amazing how many people talk about their organizations being flat and yet they have hundreds of titles and as many of them reporting to the next to the next to the next and on and on. I figured I could do something that would help clear it for myself.

Just because empty boxes does not make it flat?

Vertical Search Marketing from ANA

ANA Marketing Maestros:
Vertical Search Marketing: Fits Juuuust Right

Headlines - A Global Fine Line Challenges Marketing Today - Stanford GSB

A Global Fine Line Challenges Marketing Today - Stanford GSB

Fancy article from Stanford Graduate School of Business

What Does the Consumer Want?

What Does the Consumer Want?

Interesting article on Media Post.

Namesake!

From Forbes.com - What's In a Name Change? Look At Apple.

"Everybody Wants to Work in Marketing"

"Everybody Wants to Work in Marketing"

its all about ads...

Wisdom of the crowds vs. WSJ analytics

It is amazing to read the weekend edition of the Journal laying out the prospects of analytics pointing to a potential Bears victory when the News futures were clearly in favor of the Colts.

Chicago Bears over Indianapolis Colts (02/04, 6:05 pm)

Only at my favorite Candy store

Talk about captive audience!

http://www.dylanscandybar.com/

If a brand is a promise... are these brands?

I think they could be. The only thing missing is the follow through on the promise the conversation.

Business Week - Leadership Articles

Why Leadership Means Listening
Now Go Out And Lead!

People Who Need People

Interesting article on Talent management... Media Post

Life is indifferent; it's people who make it good or bad. It's time that agencies and sales organizations alike get serious about the people they have and start nurturing the people they want.

So where are the good people going to come from?

It's not going to be from other companies within the online space, though some amount of poaching and cross-cannibalization is inevitable.

a commitment to training and promoting new talent from within can breed a depth of loyalty not easily purchased with a paycheck.

People Who Need People

The Top Ten CMO List

From the ANA...

The Top Ten CMO List

The new frontier in personalization in marketing...

From the New York Times...

Billboards That Know You by Name

Brand re-launch/restage ↔ Image rehab

Heard a piece on NPR this afternoon about celebrities and their verbal/vocal ‘Faux Pas’, and the need for Image Rehab. The segment sparked a thought in my mind about Brand relaunch and Brand restages. Are we talking about anything different?

American Home Products to Wyeth
Consolidated Foods to Sara Lee

I have a number of those and then there is the positioning piece with and without name associations?

Porsche in the Volkswagen family
Hidden Valley Ranch from Clorox

Brands take years to build and endless effort to maintain, yet in today’s day and age the clutter makes it so much easier to rebuild an image. ‘Out of sight is out of mind’, applies to bad news as much as it does to brand perceptions…

Brands have a greater need for makeovers than most teenagers as they find the next opportunity to differentiate themselves.

Loyalty talk

I was reading the FastCompany WeBlog and found an IPSOS article (Global Ideas Vol-12).

Are You Building Brand Loyalty or Customer Loyalty?

Questions every marketer must think of for his/her brands.

Back to Davos... WEF 2007

Interesting perspective on World Business from CNBC Europe -

It is believed the new world economy is about - R3.

RESOURCES
RELATIONSHIPS
RISKS

all with the backdrop of responsibility

Other interesting perspectives and discussions in the blogsphere:
The Davos Conversation
The World Economic Forum Blog

How To Be A Disrupter

Forbes article by Dr. Christensen & Anthony

How To Be A Disrupter

Brands & Love affairs

I have read our brains have almost infinite capacity, over our lifetimes most people use less than a 10^th of it. I wondered if that was true of love as well? I started to think of all those broken promises, disagreements, break-ups, mess-ups, etc. etc. and wondered shouldn't all those bad, evil things clog the feelings for love? Of course there is always draino for the mind, meditation & vacation.

Recently on my day off I was looking at my little pup and had a sudden surge of emotions (I am a metro sexual, what do you expect?). I started thinking of all nasty things my pup did, the carpets she ripped, the furniture she chewed, the shoes she tore and socks she scattered... But nothing could stop me from the rush I was having. I just wanted to do something special for her, take her for a walk, play with her, buy her a new toy, give her a treat, you name it and all this for no obvious reason?

That evening I ruminated on my brands… All those we love so much and sometimes love to hate so much. I wondered what would it take to elevate those brands to where I was with my pup that morning?

Is our mind & heart also infinite? Can we grow our capacity to love without limits?

Whats a brand got to do for that pristine position in our hearts and minds? I guess its back to the drawing board.

StanfordKnowledgebase

Top 10 Most Read Knowledgebase Stories for 2007
1. What Should Leaders Do to Lead? [Details]
2. Startups Need a Special Sales Learning Curve [Details]
3. Calculating the Dollar Value of Brand Equity [Details]
4. Diverse Backgrounds and Personalities Can Strengthen Groups [Details]
5. The High Price of Internet Keyword Auctions [Details]
6. Employee Demographics Shape Successful Mergers [Details]
7. Time IS Money When You're Paid by the Hour [Details]
8. Loyalty Programs Can Be a Waste of Money [Details]
9. In the Battle of the Sexes, Men Play the Game [Details]
10. Researchers Calculate Risks of Terrorists Detonating a Bomb [Details]

Experience & Judgment

The two are often perceived complementary but I am quite confident each of us has run into someone (executive) who has the necessary experience but lacks the judgment and others who have demonstrate the sharp acumen with limited experience. Experience usually delivers judgment although there isn’t a guarantee of one from the other… but together they balance each other.

I have personified judgment as the tangible outcome from experience and a resume the tangible result of experience. A while ago I had referenced PIE (Performance, Image and Exposure) as my success model. It would be to ones better Judgment (performance, image) to identify their own success model and prioritize opportunities and options as they acquire varied Experiences (exposure).

Need a LOT to celebrate and LITTLE to get upset

Another one of my pet peeves… personally I get upset over anything and everything. If I stub my toe I get upset, if I can’t find my sock I get upset, if I wake up late I get upset, can’t find those keys I get upset, in short a lot of stupid reasons! The same is not true of celebration though? Hardly ever do I celebrate the opposites. Had a great day at work… that’s no reason to celebrate? Cooked a great meal, so what? Came up with a creative idea, no biggie? Getting promoted is different or finding something I really want to do does get some attention.

What a shame… I am not suggesting lowering standards or dreaming small by any stretch but the one thing I learnt from my muse was celebrating those small wins. Here is how it all happened… I was training my little pup, who is absolutely a genius but I wasn’t celebrating her wins. I taught her the classics ‘Canine American Companion’ would (I was told it is PC to say that, versus a dog owner), the high five, hand shake, hugs, kisses, etc. Each time we progressed she got a treat, celebrating those wins. But on the same front other acts were ignored… her restraint in dragging my blazer every morning, chewing my shoe, restraining to do her business inside the house. I bet she thinks it was too cliché now. The same is true of organizations in corporate America.

Life is too short; organizations need same food for their souls so CELEBRATE! Once again that’s not to say the fundamentals shouldn’t be solid.

Where The Bucks Are

Nicely done on FastCompany - the ones with a "calcified brand preference "...

Sidebar: A three-point plan for marketing to boomer women

1. Put people first.
Shift the focus in ads from the product to the prospect. Women are biologically programmed to be more interested in people than men are, and boomer women are especially interested in family ties and community involvement.

2. Convey empathy, not rivalry.
Ads that talk about outranking others and defeating opponents are great for guys, rotten for women. Emphasize collegiality, closeness, helpfulness, and consensus--values that resonate particularly well with midlife women.

3. Portray them authentically.
The older woman is more assertive, confident, and global in her outlook than marketers have given her credit for. A bonus: These attributes also work for midlife men.