Everybody talked about the shirtless Abercrombie & Fitch greeters in 2011 (Courtesy of A&F)
Let’s talk about sex in advertising – one of the longest running meme in the history of ads.
Time and time again, the topic has ignited heated discussion amongst marketers, manufacturers and moralists alike.
Does sex sell? Would a sexy ad have a better chance of grabbing the attention of one’s target audience? Or will it just be too “been there, done that” to have any effect?
Should one protect privacy but ban anonymity on the web? Are citizens able to “DIY” to form their own self helping communities? Do we have adequate access to data that can improve our lives?
These are the sort of questions which arose from the recent GovCamp Singapore, organised by Microsoft with the support of various institutions like IDA, NUS and ISS. As I look back at the various sessions I’ve attended, here are some lessons that I’ve learnt.
Are there qualities common to entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs? (Courtesy of Digital Trends)
As the world continues to moan over the demise of Apple head honcho Steve Jobs, numerous articles have been written about his entrepreneurial legacy.
These cover the length and breadth of his astounding career as one of the century’s greatest CEOs.
Steve Jobs (bless him) associated calligraphy with beautiful fonts in the Macintosh (source)
Ever wondered how disruptive innovators like Steve Jobs (Apple), Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com) and A.G. Lafley (P&G) behave? What are the traits of these great entrepreneurs and business leaders?
According to INSEAD Professor Hal Gregersen (who co-authored the book “The Innovator’s DNA” with Jeffrey Dyer and Clayton M. Christensen), they have what are called the five discovery skills as follows:
In an age which some may term as the “experience economy”, companies and businesses can ill afford to focus solely on quality products or low prices. The entire spectrum of engaging and enrapturing a customer through every single touch point – both online and offline – becomes critical.
It isn’t just the transaction itself that matters. Rather the entire customer experience journey becomes important. This includes reading/hearing about your product online or offline, browsing your stores/ websites, speaking to a retail associate, purchasing the product, experiencing the product, and after sales customer service.
What is the most important marketing strategy for FMCG products?
Is it developing a strong brand? Advertising on TV, radio and newspapers? Embracing social media and citizen marketing? Or all of the above?
Considered the world’s largest restaurant chain serving 64 million customers daily, McDonald’s is probably the most pervasive fast food chain on the globe. Founded by Ray Kroc in 1955, McDonald’s worldwide generates some US$24 billion in annual revenue from more than 32,000 outlets (mostly franchisee and affiliate run restaurants).
Famed for its superior supply chain management, ultra-efficient service quality, lightning speed kitchens, and franchise business model, its ubiquitous golden arches is probably the most instantly recognisable brand symbol in the world. Here in Singapore, McDonald’s serves some five million customers a month from over 115 restaurants islandwide.
First established in 1979 with an outlet in Liat Towers (once the world’s best performing McDonald’s restaurant), the hamburger chain is encouraging members of the public to participate in its “Open Doors” global initiative. Since 2009, over 5,000 customers have participated in this programme, inclusive of a guided kitchen tour. I suppose this is a good initiative to combat some of the controversies surrounding the burger behemoth.
Courtesy of Lenovo
Anybody following the global technology market would know how brutal it is. Battles for distribution channels, platform acceptance, supply chain efficiencies, and brand leadership have led to the spilling of blood on both Wall Street and Main Street. This has led to companies merging, being acquired, ousting their CEOs, or stopping their product lines altogether in desperate bids to survive and thrive.
Against such a backdrop, PC companies can ill afford to focus purely on features and benefits when marketing their electronic wares. They need to connect more deeply and resonate emotionally with their target audiences. Cool designs, functional specifications, and state-of-the-art features can be so easily copied that PC makers need to dig deeper.
There is an old management adage which says that “you cannot manage what you cannot measure”.
While this saying may be true in all parts of a company, it is especially critical when it comes to managing how money flows in and out of your firm.
Achieving speed doesn’t just mean being fast (image source)
You’ve heard of the saying “more haste less speed”. Apparently, this is true not just in life but in management.
Ed Boswell, former CEO of the Forum Corporation, shares in this clip from Harvard Business Review (HBR) that the most efficient firms pay attention to speed, pace themselves well, and take care of the people factor. By doing so, they can achieve up to 52% higher profit and 40% higher sales than the rest.