Playing with Dynamite: Great advertising is risky
A friend of mine told me he was shooting a video for a client in LA. “How’s it going,” I asked. “It’s awful,” he replied. “You know how I can tell it’s awful? Because the client loves it!” The purpose of management is to reduce risk. That’s why managers write plans, prepare budgets, implement procedures and create reporting structures. On the assembly line, anything unexpected that happens is often expensive and probably bad, so companies take great pains to prevent anything...
read moreThe Consumerization of Corporate IT
One of the biggest headaches that corporate IT has to deal with these days is “consumerization.” The consumerization of IT happens in two ways. First of all, consumers are using more and more IT in their personal lives. Consumer user-interfaces and product capabilities are in general more advanced than their enterprise equivalents; they employ better interfaces and more advanced data models. They work on mobile devices and are social media enabled. The technology, capabilities, and ease of use or consumer products are causing...
read moreWhat do Businesses Buy?
They buy everything, don’t they? From office supplies to occupational therapy. Or do they? It’s actually a trick question; one of those questions that make you roll your eyes (and perhaps groan) when you hear the answer. Still, it’s worth considering, so I’ll give you a hint: What do BUSINESSES buy (as opposed to people)? The answer is: NOTHING. Businesses don’t buy anything. People buy things, sometimes for their businesses. Too often, we think “Oh, we’re going to sell this to XYZ Co.” or “I have Dynata as my...
read moreAre you in a bad relationship?
Are you in a bad relationship? You know the warning signs. Poor communication: It seems like they don’t listen to you at all, but they expect you to hang on their every word. Lack of trust: You feel like they are hiding stuff from you. They lie about what they are up to and aren’t honest about their mistakes. Disrespect: They treat you like you’re not important, while flirting with new people. It’s practically impossible to get them to do the littlest thing for you. Controlling: They tell you what to do or how to act, or maybe even...
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