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.
Southeast Asia’s exciting maritime past comes alive this 15 October with the opening of Singapore’s first maritime museum. Known as the Maritime Experiential Museum & Acquarium (MEMA), the attraction at Resorts World Sentosa features more than 400 rare objects including the Jewel of Muscat (a life-sized reproduction of a 9th century Arab dhow), and treasures from the Belitung Shipwreck. Designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, an international museum design firm, the museum depicts the romance of a bygone era with tales of seafarers braving the stormy seas along the Maritime Silk Route.
Set in the 15th century, the museum’s centrepiece revolves around the story of legendary Admiral Zheng He who launched many maritime voyages from China to the Western oceans with a fleet of 300 shops. Through highly interactive features and realistic replicas, the stories of exotic lands and seas from the past comes alive.
Creators of the highly popular book Freakonomics, hosts of the Freakonomics radio podcasts, University of Chicago economist Steven D. Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner join forces yet again in Superfreakonomics. Written in the same fast-paced and witty style, the authors combed through prodigious scientific and research data to present findings that astound, amaze and amuse.
Tackling the fields of behavioural economics, criminology, psychology, sociology and other fields, Superfreakonomics examines taboo topics and sheds new light – and answers – while challenging conventional wisdom. Reading through the easily digestible volume, one learns why walking drunk is more dangerous than driving drunk (shorter average number of miles before accidental death), why department store Santas are like prostitutes (seasonal demand), and how capuchin monkeys actually behave like humans when given the right monetary incentives!
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?
Published in 2009, Mitch Joel’s book on business strategy in the age of social media titled Six Pixels of Separation is a laudable effort to tie in the disparate threads of the online world for those keen to experiment in this space.
Covering a broad expanse of concepts and ideas – from crowdsourcing, community building, content creation, to platform specific strategies – the book provided a good introduction to the world of social media and digital engagement.
If only pricing strategies are this simple (courtesy of Zimbio)
In a fascinating podcast with pricing consultant Rafi Mohamed, author of The 1% Windfall: How Successful Companies Use Price to Profit and Grow, Harvard Business Review unveiled some pricing strategies from the grey market resellers of tickets. These ticket scalpers normally sell their wares on eBay, craigslist or other auction platforms, hopefully to generate a profit (or reduce their losses).
The scalping market in the US is huge, generating about US$3 billion of sales a year and resulting in loss of revenue to event organisers. There are four characteristics defining this market:
Trail Kilkenny’s smartphone app is really smart – it doesn’t impose roaming costs to tourists
Recently, I participated in a briefing comprising Singapore’s attractions industry and technology companies. The idea was for these IT and web solution providers to develop industry-wide initiatives that can boost productivity, marketing and visitor experience for museums, zoos, theme parks, aquariums, and other attractions.
As the session went on, I realised that there is a gap between what technology vendors wanted to pitch for and what tourists may be willing to embrace. The differences can be rather shocking at times.
Not everybody can brand it like Bieber (courtesy of Entertainment Earth)
Brand extensions and brand stretching are commonly used by companies wanting to expand into new product categories. According to this source, they are defined as follows:
“Brand extensions refers to the use of a successful brand name to launch new or modified products in a same broad market“ while “brand stretching refers to the use of an established brand name for products in unrelated markets“.
Are you tired of running the rat race? Wonder how you can better fulfill your life dreams and live more abundantly?
Part self help book, part fable, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by leadership guru Robin Sharma is a slim novel that packed powerful life and leadership lessons.