Technology & Business
When choice cuts into profits and margin
Until recently, most executives operated under the impression that consumers demand choice and lots of it. You could walk into any electronics store and see 5 different versions of the same computer system (each with only minute differences). But is this really what the modern, educated and busy consumer is demanding? Early this year, I read a research paper by Forrester Research (1) that discussed the experiential difference between the typical Personal Computer and the iPad. The author discusses the fact that the iPad has a “curated” experience.
Marketing to the different GENERATIONS
Long term strategic planning is one of the most important tasks a business executive must perform. Properly determining market direction can mean the difference between becoming number 1 or edging on the precipice of bankruptcy. There are 5 distinct generations alive today in the United States. The GI Generation This group of the population was born between 1905 to 1924 and at one time accounted for as much as 57 million live births in the USA. This number has now dwindled to less than 5 million.
Leveraging the paradox
Since 2008, companies have had to face unprecedented economic challenges in one of the worst recessions we've seen since the Great Depression. While some companies are barely surviving, others are experiencing unprecedented growth. There is no magic formula to instantly transform from one to the other but my research has identified a key difference between these two types of companies: the management paradigm held by the company's executives. The companies that are performing best, are those that have accepted that management is a paradox.