Constant Cogitation » Strategy

Nike and the Minimalist Running Movement

Greg — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:17:27 +0000

The running shoe market is undergoing an upheaval in which customer preference and scientific evidence is turning against all existing paradigms regarding the design of shoes. It will be interesting to watch the reactions of the companies in the market, most specifically Nike, the leader, who has taken promising first steps in taking advantage of the "minimalist" movement.

Successfully Selling Through a Price Increase

Greg — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:26:37 +0000

Increasing prices is a necessary but challenging part of successfully managing a product line of business. Once you've made the determination to increase prices, these tips can help you achieve buy-in on new pricing agreements with your customers.

Innovation in Aftermarket Offerings for Industrial Marketers

Greg — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:15:28 +0000

Often the most profitable, yet most neglected, portion of an industrial equipment company’s portfolio is its range of aftermarket solutions, such as replacement parts and repair services. Typically a captive market, aftermarket parts and services offer significant profit margin potential, yet the attitude most often in place at industrial equipment firms is that such sales “just happen” and there is not much that can be done to influence them. This attitude overlooks the great improvement that even a small increase in aftermarket sales can provide to the bottom line.

Spreading More Crumbs of Cogitation

Greg — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:55:04 +0000

In recent guest posts on other blogs, I discuss why Six Sigma is a bad idea for startups, how to extend your brand presence at trade shows, the impact of demographics on business, and leadership tips from Jack Welch.

Mitigating Strategic, Operational, and Organizational Business Risk

Greg — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:55:01 +0000

In a series of three posts, Jeff Davis proposes several processes to use to help you understand and mitigate strategic, operational, and organizational risk in your business.

Building a Better Business Sense

Greg — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:12:26 +0000

Demonstrating good business sense or orientation is a key leadership skill. While it may be a natural talent, there are steps you can take to further develop this capability. Here are four investments you can make in your career to help you build a better business sense.

A Market Segmentation Example

Greg — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:31:32 +0000

After laying out the differences between market segmentation and classification in a previous blog post, this follow-up post provides an example of how segmentation was used to target growth for a new product by selecting customers for whom it had the greatest value proposition, allowing it to be priced at a significant premium to existing offerings.

Market Segmentation for Industrial Marketers – Why You’re Probably Doing it Wrong

Greg — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:48:13 +0000

As a marketer, you are undoubtedly familiar with the concept of market segmentation, where you divide your market into identifiable customer groups to improve your targeting. A key concept for proper market segmentation is that customers should be grouped by values (needs and wants) and the behaviors these values drive. It is important not to confuse segmentation with classification, where customers are grouped by characteristics which are not necessarily predictive of how they will respond to a specific value proposition.

Why the US Chamber of Commerce should Stand Firm on their Cap and Trade Position

Greg — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:12:16 +0000

The US Chamber of Commerce, which has come under pressure and lost some larger business members due to its position on cap and trade, is right to insist that such legislation be created through Congress and not directly by the EPA. Apple, Nike, and GE are acting short-sightedly in their criticism of the Chamber's position.

Are Starbucks’ Big Gambles Paying Off? Too Early to Tell, but Reasons to be Encouraged

Greg — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:45:05 +0000

Starbucks' actions on opening 15th Ave. Coffee and Tea and introducing Via instant coffee may have looked like gambles, but early signs are encouraging, and there is a lot that was done right with the experiments. The threat of cannibalization to their in-store experience is pretty minimal, and the margins on the Via brand are worth the slight risk.