Entries Tagged 'Uncategorized' ↓

For a long time now I’ve been puzzled about why companies will say, in their ads, websites or mission statements that they “Exceed customer expectations.”

Why do they settle for this weak claim that’s impossible to quantify, and is so commonly used by companies in every industry that it’s evolved into a cliche? Continue reading →

While creativity is a powerful advantage in a new world where the lack of it can be punished dreadfully, our business environment is swarming with those who think they have it, when they don’t.

If creativity isn’t there early it very likely won’t be there late. Trying to put it there is much like trying to teach elephants to create paintings. They’re alert enough to learn eventually to pick up a brush, dip it in the bucket and swirl it onto the paper. Continue reading →

I joined a client at one of these brainstorm exercises in a Harvard Square facility run by “Ideation Facilitation Specialists”, and here’s how it worked.

Following the free wheeling brainstorming, everyone swarmed the original sheets, picked the 3 they judged to be the best out of 1100-some, went back to their places and filled out 3 new slips with the ones they selected. They all went up to the front again, and filled up a new paper sheet with well over 100 of the ideas hijacked from the original sheets. Continue reading →

Typical corporate brainstorms usually start off with at least one hand tied behind them. Most of them I’m aware of start with an open forum of free interchange stimulated by a moderator who knows a lot abut stimulating un-rooted ideas, and little or nothing about the client sponsor’s business. Continue reading →

A lot of real smart companies do some very dumb things with a whole lot of money.

Because they’re not making their sports sponsorship dollars deliver the same way they make the dollars they invest in other things deliver. Continue reading →