Archive for 2009
Recession Takes Toll on Brand Values
If you want to see the winners and losers in the current economic downturn, look closely at the 2008 brand valuation numbers produced jointly by Interbrand and Business Week Magazine. Companies suffering on the stock exchange are also taking a beating the calculated value of their brands. Those in distressed industries that are holding their own in sales and profits are likewise holding their own in brand value. New growth companies are picking up the slack and are moving into ever higher positions on the brand valuation scale.
Read MoreOpportunities starting to sprout as entrepreneurs pick up the pieces from shattered economy
The funny thing about recessions is that only after you’ve been in one do you realize that it began nearly a year before. The same thing happens when you come out of it. Usually at the most depressing time, the subtle turnaround begins and six to nine months later the, the economic experts will announce the recovery has been here for nearly a year. Like the cliché – it’s darkest before the dawn.
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MEET WILL BANTER Meet Will Banter: networker extraordinaire, pay-it-forward specialist, Social Media rock star and purveyor of good karma. Will is the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Relationship Architect of Banter Connections. He is also the linchpin of The Handshake Club, a prominent Social Media and networking platform that, according to Will, “fosters network building…
Read MoreMarket Smarter in 2009: Make the Right Choices
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.
Read MoreThe ‘Dark Side’ of Entrepreneurship
With the growing unemployment and the change in the employment dynamics, maybe downsized, right-sized, laid-ff and fired employees now are looking toward starting their own businesses. As one knows, some 90 percent of new venture fail primarily from lack of knowledge, start-up capital, working capital and lack of discipline. There are some other things that entrepreneurs must account for.
Read More Winning in Russian Roulette Type Negotiations
Managing Pricing Opacity in Business Markets
Templeton would go into the customer’s negotiating room with a metaphorical gun on the table. Customers would force him to place the gun against his head and ask him to drop prices or pull the trigger. Templeton didn’t know if the gun was loaded or not. For four years, Templeton managed this challenge, and the bullet never fired. Templeton’s method of managing this struggle over prices reveals a key to pricing in opaque business markets.
(True story account.)
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THE TREND TOWARD SOCIAL MEDIA Over the course of the next several issues, J.D. Gershbein, Graphic Editor, will be writing a series of articles dealing with pertinent issues in Social Media, arguably the hottest topic in online marketing today. For starters, he is providing Wiglaf Journal readers with a glimpse into this realm as seen…
Read MoreTop 6 – March 2009
The Leprechauns are Coming … Spring FORWARD. “Short term gains can destroy long-term goals. Evaluate the risks of price manipulation prior to execution. All is not gold at the end of the rainbow. Watch out for more rain. Salespeople must thrust forward into undefined territory, but make sure you have your boss’s support to see…
Read MorePilgrim’s Pride: Failure to Communicate
Price signaling is always a touchy subject. Managed right, it can improve profits and avoid any negative legal or ethical implications. Managed poorly, it can either be a missed opportunity to correct poor pricing practices or create a legal nightmare. Fortunately, there are both business case studies and legal precedence to guide executives and chairpersons through this challenge. If we read the signals right, Tyson Food is attempting to communicate in a legal and ethical manner, but there appears to be a failure to listen by Pilgrim’s Pride.
Read MoreAre you trustworthy?
Do you act authentically for your brand? Honestly…sincerely? And importantly, does what you do instill consumer confidence?
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