Business and management articles | Cooler Insights

The Dîner en Blanc Debacle

August 25, 2012 • Public Relations • 4 comments

Are these foods not “white” enough? (courtesy of Daniel’s Food Diary)

When the ingredients to a dish are not properly assembled, the outcome could be a recipe for disaster.

It all started rather innocently and positively. Pitched as part of a global initiative, Dîner en Blanc is the world’s first viral event premised on the concept of a “très chic picnic” imported from Paris. According to its website, this mass gastronomic extravanganza have taken place in outdoor public spaces in 20 cities across 5 continents this year, from Barcelona to New York City, from Montreal to Sydney.

Mapping Singapore’s Infocomm Future

August 22, 2012 • Blog • disabled comments

IDA’s CTO Leong Mun Yuen shares Singapore’s IT Roadmap

As one of the world’s most IT savvy and digitally-connected economies, Singapore places a premium on developments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Almost every aspect of our lives – work, education, socialisation, recreation and increasingly even religion – are dependent on ICT. Just look around you, wherever you are, and you’ll see somebody tethered to either a smartphone, tablet, laptop or related device.

To forecast future trends and chart a path for the future, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has shared its Infocomm Technology Roadmap (ITR) 2012. Aiming to be as comprehensive as possible, ITR 2012 proposes nine key themes in which technology will develop over the next 5 to 6 years. A summary of these themes and their components can be seen in the chart below (click for larger version).

Why Customers Really Buy: Book Review

August 20, 2012 • Blog • 1 comment

How do you find out what truly makes your customers tick? Can you understand what your customer REALLY wants through surveys, focus groups, and structured interviews?

The answer, according to Linda Goodman and Michelle Helin, is “No”. Debunking traditional research predicated on the above yardsticks, the authors of “Why Customers Really Buy – Uncovering the Emotional Triggers that Drive Sales” claim that true insight can only be achieved through conducting emotional-trigger research.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Book Review

August 18, 2012 • Book Reviews • disabled comments

To many of us, Timothy Ferriss is living the dream life. Touting himself as a “serial entrepreneur” and “ultra-vagabond”, the author of the uber bestseller “The 4-Hour Workweek” works from anywhere around the world, pursuing activities as varied as skiing in the Andes, tango dancing in Buenos Aires, or racing motorcycles in Europe.

How does he do it?

10 Mega Trends for the Next Decade

August 16, 2012 • Blog • 1 comment

The Internet of Things is a Mega Trend for the next Decade (courtesy of Take Me To Your Leader)

If we can gaze into the crystal ball, what would the future behold? How would the next 10 years be like in terms of business, society and culture?

Thanks to an invitation from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), I discovered these answers in a talk given by Manoj Menon, Managing Director APAC of Frost & Sullivan at the recent PATA Hub City Forum 2012.

Inside-Out Versus Outside-In

August 14, 2012 • Blog • 1 comment

Courtesy of Bright Hub

There are two ways to look at one’s business: “inside-out” or “outside-in”. Let me go through each in turn.

The first approach starts with what one first possesses before looking at anything else. It raises questions such as what one’s organisation has in terms of capital, equipment, core competencies, human resources, customer relationships and distribution networks and how these could be leveraged upon.

Talent is Overrated: Book Review

August 10, 2012 • Book Reviews • 1 comment

Bruce Lee obviously knows the value of deliberate practice.

How does one become a world class performer in any field? Can we improve our chances of success despite being born to adverse conditions?

With an eye-catching title and an alluring subtitle – “What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else” – Fortune editor-at-large Geoff Colvin’s book “Talent is Overrated” provides excellent food for thought in today’s knowledge economy.

Do Your Customers Own Your Brands?

August 5, 2012 • Blog • 1 comment

Let your customers “own” your brand (courtesy of Thaeger)

In a world overflowing with “me-too” goods and services, consumers are seeking ways to assert their individuality. In an overcrowded marketplace teaming with repetition and homogeneity, they crave personalised products and experiences that reflect their individual identities.

This phenomenon of personal expression is catalysed by the rise of social technologies and networks such as blogs, forums, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and other community channels.