The Humble Pie – A Lesson in product design and positioning
7-Eleven has been around for eons now and have made a motser from providing life’s essentials at a convenient time, from a convenient location. Some say the ride is coming to an end with the birth of dial-an-everything. You can even get hot coffee delivered to you via drones thanks to our friends at Wing, […]
2018 Vinnies CEO Sleepout
It’s great to see that from one volunteer’s idea in 2006, today, thousands of top business, community and political leaders are coming together on the same night across the entire country to raise money for a neglected part of our community. Vinnies CEO Sleepout raises millions of dollars every year. This money provides accommodation, meals […]
It’s all about the numbers baby.
Let’s face it, as business people who are in the business of selling and marketing we spend most of our time asking ourselves different versions of the same two questions; How can I get more customers/revenue? Why can’t I find enough time to dedicate to selling/marketing/nurturing? Along the same line most of us have heard […]
7 reasons June is a great month for organising your Christmas party
Last minute planning for your Christmas party is miserable – you’ll need to search twice as hard for a half as good venue. Even now, some of the best spots will be pre-booked. But never fear, you’ll still be miles ahead of all those last minuters… So close to the beginning of the financial year, the […]
How often do you review your marketing resourcing strategy?
Let’s assume you spend time on a regular basis reviewing your customers, your brand, your market position, and your message. How often do you think about exactly how you are going to deliver that plan? Do you have the flexibility to allow for increases and decreases in tempo and project requirements? Do you have enough […]
Strategic thinking: How to come up with the “I Wish I Had Thought Of That” idea
How many times have you looked at a brilliant solution and thought, “That’s so simple,” or “Why hasn’t someone thought of that before?” A doughnut and a croissant = the cronut. A simple piece of wire bent to hold up a shirt = the coat hanger. Airbnb. The submarine umbrella. Some are the result of […]
A Risky Business – What you should be asking your agencies and suppliers about the way they manage risk.
Last night at the FFA A-League Grand Final, during the winner’s presentation there was an accident. Frank Lowy, chairman of the FFA and the Westfield Group, literally stepped off the stage and fell heavily. On his head [and shoulder]. Luckily, Frank was not badly hurt and (until now), has been very generous about those that […]
The pressure of good publicity
A tale of woe to be sure… as they would have said in the old days. A while ago my better half read a story in Epicure, in The Age, about “Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice”. It was purportedly served from the fish and chip shop in Flinders. For the uninitiated, Flinders is 96 kms from […]
Playing to your strengths…
It’s something we all should do, right? Especially in business, and even more so in marketing. Negative marketing and off-selling on others’ weaknesses is, in my opinion a poor way to build a brand. The only way it ever works is if you have a large budget and a very strong sense of humour. I […]
An idiots guide to improving search results
Are you sick of the emails promising to get you “onto the front page with Google”? Do you wonder what SEO [Search Engine Optimisation] and SEM [Search Engine Marketing] are? Do you ever wonder about if your website could actually increase your bottom line if you are not selling plastic things from china or some […]