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From Recovery to Recession: A CEO’s Guide to Thriving Through Economic Shifts
When markets shift—and they always do—the winners are those who don’t wait to react. They move first, and fast. No matter which of the four cycles you’re currently experiencing, one constant remains true: waiting for things to be more favorable is a bad strategy. Additionally, doing nothing is not an option. Companies that anticipate, plan, and act in alignment with their current business phase can maintain resilience, capture opportunities, and outperform competitors who simply “wait it out.”
“It worked really well, until it didn’t”
Thu, Mar 9, 2023 — Over dinner with Ted, the retired founder/CEO of a successful company in the electric power sector, I heard an interesting story with a widely applicable lesson.
The Dollars You Could Invite to Stay
Mon, Nov 28, 2022 — We’re hearing concerns from business owners and executives that it’ll be harder to fund their growth initiatives. It’s understandable, with most companies experiencing increases in the cost of their inputs (people, materials, etc.) and some facing softer demand. The good news: There are two major sources of money companies can tap without needing to raise external capital:
Beyond the Elevator Speech: Messaging that Truly Leverages Your Employee Brand Advocates
Wed, Oct 19, 2022 — Who is the most important brand ambassador at your company? Is it you, the CEO, whose job it is to motivate, inspire, and exude confidence in your company, its products, and its services? How about your business development team, whose sole purpose is to funnel new client lifeblood into your veins and arteries? Or is it the marketers, who toil to define and develop your brand and make it ready for prime time?
B2B Brand Positioning: How to Claim Your Company’s Land of Opportunity
Wed, Sep 14, 2022 — For more than 100 years, scientists and philosophers have been asserting that if a tree falls in a forest, and no one is there to hear it, then it does not make a sound. The lesson for marketers is resounding: If your brand is not resonating in its preferred landscape, it is likely that your most desired buyers will never be there to hear what you have to say.
Fresh CMO Insights: Why an Industry Outsider Might Give You the Inside Track
Thu, Sep 8, 2022 — By Paul Sparrow and Atul Minocha If you’re a CEO who paints the world with a well-worn brush and the same old can of flat white, this blog is for you. If you’re bemoaning the headwinds created by your industry and wondering why the same-old marketing plan (or lack thereof) has you stuck on “go,” read on. We would like to open your eyes to a way to improve your marketing effectiveness that only comes if you’re willing to try a fresh roller—and some new shades of opportunity—to color your balance sheets in hues of deep green.
Is There Any Role for Traditional Marketing Today?
Thu, Aug 25, 2022 — By Atul Minocha and Paul Sparrow As we try to determine whether old style, hand-to-hand, touch-it-and-feel-it marketing can compete in today’s switched on, always moving world, is it possible that a bird feather holds the key to the question posed in our headline? The answer requires a bit of insight into how we got to this seminal moment which by the way is a precarious place for the newspapers, billboards, mailers, radio and even TV ads comprising what is predominantly known as “traditional marketing.”
The Innovator’s Dilemma – Fast, Correct, or Both?
Mon, Aug 15, 2022 — Most people would say Tesla is an innovative company. Others would say maybe they push the envelope a bit, for example, with “self-driving” software that is truly amazing but is not yet fully “self-driving.” The other side of the coin is other companies who wait until an idea is thoroughly tested, I’s dotted, and T’s crossed, fully qualified but maybe at the cost of missing the market. Innovation is the lifeblood of growth in any industry or channel. Companies with high levels of innovation do better over time than companies that do not have it. So how to address the Innovator's Dilemma? Is it one or the other? Here are four ways to think about it:
Navigating Growth During the Economic Sugar Crash
Thu, Aug 4, 2022 — Everyone “knows” we’re in a recession except the economists. We feel the pain of collapsed 401k's, higher fuel and food prices, so isn’t that enough to declare a recession? And shouldn’t my business be hunkering down to ride this out? In today’s chaotic economy, we are more likely to react to news headlines and stock market trends than market insight. We might completely abandon a core strategy, or delay critical execution tactics, based on the sick feeling in our guts. One way to solve this is by tapping the reliable data and forecasts published by ITR Economics.
How to Achieve Double-Digit Annual Growth
Tue, May 24, 2022 — For CEOs everywhere, the pressure is on. With an overheated economy creating outsized results – and enhanced expectations, “thrive” has replaced “survive” as the mantra in boardrooms across the country. As a result of the “go-go” market conditions, a new benchmark has been established: If your company can't show a minimum Compound Annual Growth Rate of 10 percent, you are putting yourself and your company at risk. As never before, the key to a business's health, high corporate valuations – and CEO job security -- is revenue growth.