Every change in the marketplace, every upheaval in the economy, every shift in technology, and every change in consumer attitudes and outlook creates opportunities for successful new products. Since these changes are amplified during tough times, new product opportunities are actually more numerous during economic turbulence. The companies that develop and deploy new products during […]
Archives for May 2015
Financial Modelling for strategic planning – Use these proven best practices to improve results and credibility!
For many strategists, self-developed Excel sheets are the tool of choice to support strategic planning. Despite its popularity, Excel and other spreadsheet programs have their downsides. I have discussed the pros and cons as well as some alternatives in an earlier article. However, by following a set of proven best practices, you can minimize these […]
The Eternal Principles for Creating Luxury Brands
Attracting wealthy customers is potentially very profitable. In order to be successful, it requires different approaches than the regular marketing strategy. Dr. Dan Herman, our guest author, states that this … … involves a deep understanding of their psychological need, of their lifestyle, of the role of brands in their world and in their relationships […]
Excel spreadsheets for strategic planning – use with care!
Are you one of those strategic planners who rely on Excel spreadsheets? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Excel is and remains fairly popular in strategic planning. However, there is no denying – Excel is not the perfect solution for this purpose. There are some significant risks and downsides. In this article, I discuss the […]
The Boston Box, also known as Growth-Share-Matrix
The Boston Box is a well-known tool for corporate portfolio management. It is striking for its simplicity. All information needed is easily obtainable and the conclusions are straightforward. However, it is exactly this simplicity that makes the Boston Box – or Growth-Share-Matrix – a false friend. This article explains the theory, discusses strategies to be […]
Management By Simplicity
Sometimes, management and strategy seem to be fairly complicated issues: everything is complex, interdependent, dynamic … Popular writers as well as business schools keep telling us how difficult it is to get all these things right. Everything else will lead to failure. Our guest author Praveen Kumar. S shares some stories about businesses with very […]