If we want to know what a business is, we have to start with its purpose. And the purpose must lie outside the business itself. In fact, it must lie in society, since a business enterprise is an organ of society. There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. Peter Drucker, The Practice of ManagementAt some point in the past, you developed a marketing strategy to create customers and your marketing tactics worked well and they became a standard practice. The purpose of business hasn't changed since then, but the environment has.
Focusing primarily on short-term goals can hinder long-term motivation because achieving short-term goals without an overarching purpose doesn't result in lasting feelings of fulfillment. When companies focus primarily on short-term goals, itâs usually because they donât have a strong company vision. For them, what has to...
Nobody buys anything for the sake of having it. Purchases always solve problems. And, problems are always driven by deeper needs. In between the problems and the deeper needs are tensions. These tensions are value-driven: in other words, they are driven by wanting the world...
If youâre like most businesspeople, youâve entered problem-solving meetings excited to devise a solution, but then left feeling like you wasted valuable time. Often, the solution is similar to something already in place or it was brought up early in the meeting. It feels like the...
A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than fear. Herb Kelleher The passing this week of Herb Kelleherâthe man who filled the skies with flying heartsâmade me reflect on compassion and the way we treat ourselves and each other. At the beginning of each...
While revolution must be led from the top, it rarely starts at the top. The spirit of revolution already exists in the hearts and minds of motivated employees and loyal customers. It shows up in the individual stories that employees tell about the work they do. And it shows up in the individual stories that customers tell about the products they love. Often a leader need only act as a kind of managing editor, shaping the stories to align with a shared vision.Marty Neumeier[1. Marty Neumeier, The Designful Company: How to Build a Culture of Nonstop Innovation, 2008.]
Despite what many agencies still claim, brands arenât logos or taglines and they canât be made or changed with a single ad campaign.
A brand is a living entity with three elements: vision, culture, and customer. These elements influence each other and collectively create a perception about the company. That perception is the brand.
Thereâs more than one way to create a brand. But, we think thereâs only one way to create a brand that will be relevant now and in the future. And, thatâs creating an Authentic Brand.
Google âHow to Say Thank Youâ and youâll get 2.18 billion results. Most are instructional. Itâs surprising that something we learned to do as children has that many search results. Somewhere in between childhood and adulthood, we forgot how to say thank you and, most importantly,...