Whitney Johnson is a self-described “investor of stocks, people, concepts, and dreams.” As a former investment banker and author of Dare, Dream, Do, Whitney inspires me and many others (including over 35,000 Twitter followers) with her perspectives on business, leadership, women’s challenges and opportunities, and innovation. It’s this last topic that I invited Whitney to […]
“An amazing ‘invention’ that didn’t turn out to be an innovation” – that’s how one expert described Tata Motors’s Nano. Indeed, the current predicament of the $2,000 compact car that was introduced in India with great fanfare in 2008 holds some valuable takeaways for aspiring disrupters. […]
In the fast-growing playing field of mobile, the business prospects seem infinite. But developing a viable, scalable business amidst all the possibility isn’t easy. This is something Mitch Thrower knows all too well. As the CEO and founder of BUMP Network, Mitch is facing some serious business challenges. That’s why he opened up his efforts […]
Why do so many tech start-ups fail? What advice do entrepreneurs need to heed? These and other topics are covered in an interview I conducted with Ian Andes, President of 4iiii Innovations. 4iiii is the maker of several digital fitness products including the Sportiiiis, glasses that enable cyclists to keep their eyes on the road […]
Digital health and fitness are going to take center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show this week and in 2013 overall. In my latest article, I spotlight some of the trends fueling the innovations in digital health and fitness. On my list are: remote patient monitoring crowdsourced care self-monitoring multi-sport tracking social influence easy eating smart cars […]
brand-as-business bit: It’s clear the digital health and fitness market holds tremendous opportunity. What’s not so clear is who is best positioned to take advantage of all the growth potential. I meet lots of bullish tech folks, given my involvement with the Sports and Fitness Tech Summit (I’m leading a couple of sessions this year) at […]
brand-as-business bit: With last week’s premier of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, I’m reminded of the brand extension lessons that can be derived from the successful Bond movie franchise. I’ve found couple observations about the evolution and extend-ability of James Bond spot-on: John Strain, Account Executive, Star Group, writes in iMediaConnection: “Truth be told, […]
Whaddya miss this month? Among my pieces that generated the most conversation and shares were: innovation or core? try both — My latest QSR Magazine column about how start-ups and established brands alike must balance their focus on their core brand, while also pushing the innovation envelope. brand romney — A post explaining what Presidential […]
brand-as-business bit: Business is defined by tensions: manage costs vs. maximize sales, acquire new customers vs. serve existing ones, grow organically vs. acquire — and pursue innovation vs. optimize core execution. Of course, none of these are really either/or’s — they are both/and’s. But achieving the right balance between innovation and core execution can be […]
Did ya miss any of these? Design Is Everybody’s Business — a write-up on Herman Miller’s ten principles of design (this post was featured on GigaOM and several other sites). Brand Experience Brief: Gap — a video comparing Gap’s store redesign to an “old” Gap The Over-Promise Problem — a blog post about how companies tend to over-promise […]