Five months ago I posted some trend predictions for 2012 (OTHER than RIM’s share price plunge!). Here are some quick checkups on Strategy Steve’s list of the Top 17 Trends to Watch in 2012. Ease of use / instant convenience: Still Hot! Instant rentals, instant payment, pre-measured laundry detergent doses (Tide ‘pods’), one step cleaners [...]

Cee Lo Green’s Meow Mix Mashup on ‘The Voice’ has been making Viral waves. Haven’t heard it? Think: Meow Mix TV jingle, meets Get Smart theme, meets Night Club Siren. With so much terrific music now in the archives, there’s a redefining of what a modern ‘musician’ is. Modern deejays are now known as “remix [...]

It’s Sunday evening; millions fervently await another ‘Mad Men’ episode. The last ended in a battle- literally. ‘Breaking Bad’ is arguably a better quality show, and ‘Modern Family’ is more important, but 1966-era Mad Men has style, earning accolades for depicting then-stylish spending. The show’s characters’ choices are scrutinized by viewers, as these choices convey [...]

When we think of exports, we usually start with big, memorable markets-national or regional economies so well known you can rhyme them off the top of your head: European Union, USA, China, Japan, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Canada, Spain, Australia, Netherlands. Then, the much-hyped B.R.I.C. group: Brazil, Russia, India, China. And why not? BRIC accounts [...]

Wisdom, Skill, Virtue: Real or mythical, there’s something compelling about the idea of someone who embodies all 3 traits eg the warrior-monk, noble yet humble, dedicated to a larger cause. A thinker who is rich in spirit, yet willing & able to act decisively. The Shaolin priest-warrior; the taciturn dispossessed Ronin; a self-sacrificing Knight Templar; [...]

I finished my Marketing Channel lectures this week; lots of big changes & challenges in the ‘Place’ part of Marketing’s 5 P’s. A good time to sum up; first -the Classics. I urge clients & students alike to take into account 3 Classic Considerations: Structure! What is the ideal structure of the channel(s) for my [...]

My eldest just turned 22; for birthday gift ideas, she suggested specialty camera gear. A  fine source for such items is Photojojo.com so I had a chance to try their service. The experience was amazing. When I shopped there, I found site graphics that are cute yet informative. When the order shipped, they sent a [...]

On a global basis, Amazon is just a medium-sized retailer. With sales of $48 B, it’s comparable in size to Safeway, but much smaller than Kroger, Target or several European retailers. It’s a minnow compared to Wal-Mart, with barely a tenth of the Bentonville behemoth’s annual revenue. But amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce retailer [...]

I once had a ditzy boss, who had recently been given his first General Manager post & had not bothered to learn much about functions other than Finance or Production. His ignorance of Marketing & New Product Development could fill volumes. He stopped in my office when touring the Marketing floor and began to scold [...]

Optics are getting more important. Optics can be advantageous; Optics can create faux careers – the Karkashians famous for being famous; the cast of an unscripted Reality Show are no-talents, but the Optics benefit of exposure brings fame & opportunity. Optics can also bring down a firm- BP’s fall from respect and grace after the [...]