Source
What is the most important point in conceiving any strategic plan?
Is it being clear on your long-term strategic objectives (ie vision, mission and values)? Well, that’s certainly important as you must know where your destination is.
The First Rule in Strategic Planning
Capitalising on Curiosity
Human beings are naturally curious creatures.
Babies have an insatiable interest in whatever’s happening around them. They will see, hear, feel, smell, taste and even swallow their world.
The Power of Personality
Wish to improve your marketing effectiveness in the social age? Keen to develop a unique and distinct advantage for your business?
The answer to this may very well lie in one of the oldest traits of humanity. Namely, your personality.
Indulging (& Investing) with Intelligence
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How to have your sushi and eat it without guilt.
When it comes to spending and saving, there are two extreme groups of people.
The first, also known as the “miserable misers”, will scrimp and save every single cent. Embracing the mantra of “saving for a rainy day”, they nickel and dime their expenses. Naturally, the few material possessions in their home normally hail from the bargain bin!
Smashing Stereotypes
Courtesy of Psychology Today
One of the greatest sins committed by many marketers like myself is this – we like to pigeonhole people into boxes.
From demographics (age, sex, income, education, residential type), psychographics (alternative lifestylers, tech-savvy, adventurous, metro-sexuals), geographic (American, Middle Easterner) to ethnic (Chinese, Indian, Malay, Others), there are always convenient labels for us to understand our target audiences.
Nothing Beats Sheer Hard Work
Thomas Edison worked endlessly to become the world’s greatest inventor, with a record 1,097 patents to his name (picture source)
There are no secret potion you can quaff for instant riches. Nor will that two day workshop bring you instant fame and glory.
Our world is full of shamans, witch-doctors, snake-oil salesmen and ‘gurus’ encouraging people to take short cuts to success. We are relentlessly bombarded with pitches to instant riches, fame and glory.
Balancing Between Buzz and Believability
Social media and digital marketing can be full of contradictions.
There is an inherent paradox in the digital world right now, especially with the onset of numerous social media and citizen centric channels.
Celebrity Endorsement – To Do or Not To Do?
Zoe Tay and Imedeen – Positive Partnership or Fabulous Failure? (source)
Lights (tweet), Cameras (Facebook update), Action (blog post)!
One of the fastest growing phenomenon on social media channels, celebrities are flocking to these online channels to expand their reach to their increasingly social media savvy fans.
Please Let Me Be Alone!
Albert Einstein was often lonely (image source)
In the increasingly interactive, urbanised and 24-by-7 connected world, there is value in unplugging oneself from the grid to spend time alone. With social technologies and smartphones constantly connecting us to others in our social sphere, such an imposed isolation may bring us much good. Having that “pause which refreshes” is important as it allows one’s mind, body and soul to rejuvenate themselves.
Often, the greatest inspiration comes from instances of isolation, unfettered by the crowding and conforming concerns of the community. Many of the great geniuses created their pièce de résistance alone, in a place where they can focus all their intellectual and emotional energies on the task at hand. Momentarily freed from the mutterings of mundanity, their are able to weave their magic and make that masterpiece of science, art, literature or religion.
Can You Make Money from FREE?
Well, apparently Chris Anderson, author of New York Times bestseller The Long Tail and editor-in-chief of WIRED magazine, seems to think so. Moreover, you can still make a decent living out of it.
In his book, FREE: The Future of a Radical Price (which you download completely for FREE though I have the paid paper version), Anderson shared that charging people $0.00 for goods and services can only be possible primarily through cross-subsidies. These could take the following routes: