Posts Tagged ‘strategy’
HMV ‘may sell’ the part of it’s strategy that is working
20 December 2011 | 
Author In 1921, the Gramophone Company opened the first HMV shop in London, England; the composer Sir Edward Elgar participated in the opening ceremonies.
Today we are on possibly seeing the last Christmas for HMV. I hope not, but things are looking dire for them. HMV has said it may sell its live music division to raise funds, as it battles with another drop in sales.
My view on all this is that it’s too little and too late. Back in the late nineties was the time for HMV to broaden their delivery of entertainment across other formats. The recent successful foray into live music is making money but is one of the few assets they can sell to prop up the business.
When the live music business goes, and the retrenching to a CD/games retailer is complete, why should we shop at HMV? Amazon does pretty well for me, as does iTunes and Spotify thank you.
How about flipping the strategy? Keep the profitable live music business and sell off/close the loss making shops. Just a thought.
Posted in Marketing, Music marketing | 
Tags: Amazon, Edward Elgar, entertainment, Gramophone Company, HMV, iTunes, live music, Spotify, strategy, UK retail | 
No Comments »
Five Foursquare tactics to attract customers
Flash mobs, fun, specials…these are all some of the benefits to be derived from using location based social networking for retail marketing.
I’m often asked how businesses should start turning a rather dull brochureware website into something more dynamic. The truth is it needs more than a Facebook account to make this leap; it needs a strategy, commitment and resources.
Assuming these things are in place Foursquare can play a useful role. This article from the Harvard Business Review suggests some simple and effective ideas.
Foursquare recently passed one billion check-ins. For businesses of any type — but especially for retailers — Foursquare allows brands to attract, reward, and engage customers in ways that were never possible before. Innovative retailers are leveraging the growing popularity of check-ins to create fun, meaningful, interactions that encourage long-term loyalty. Here are five ways to use Foursquare to build loyalty this holiday season and beyond:
via Five Foursquare Tactics to Attract Customers – Carmine Gallo – Harvard Business Review.
Incoming search terms:
- TACTICES TO ATTRACT CUSTOMER
Posted in Marketing, UK retail marketing | Tags: brochureware, Facebook, Flash mobs, Foursquare, Harvard Business Review, location based, retail marketing, social networking, strategy | No Comments »
Ashridge on strategy
Going back to the 1970s, strategic planning was seen as being about linking opportunities to capabilities. Since then great progress has been made in developing strategy tools to examine both opportunities and capabilities. But, not much progress has been made on how to develop winning strategies. Most strategic planning processes are seen as analysis paralysis and lack creativity.
The solution I believe is in the bit of 1970s thinking that has got lost. Kenneth Andrews talked about “matching” opportunities and capabilities. While we have done lots of thinking about both opportunities and capabilities, strategists have done little on “matching”. This is implementation and change management and … the sorts of things that strategists do not get very involved in.
Read the full article at: Ashridge on Strategy.
Posted in Management | Tags: 1970s, analysis paralysis, Ashridge, Kenneth Andrews, opportunities to capabilities, strategic planning, strategy | No Comments »
People that don’t respond to your direct marketing
Mike Welsh, CEO, Publicis Dialog, has written a nice piece about direct marketing and the importance of brand consistancy, tone and all those fine people that don’t respond immediately…have a read.
It made me think again about the importance of connecting strategy with tactical execution. There is no point in positioning a brand as ‘premium’ if the DM delivery is transactional and shallow. So when we are carrying out direct marketing/direct mail activity isn’t it important that we include intelligent KPIs beyond simple response rates?
Posted in Consumer marketing, Marketing | Tags: brand, direct mail, direct marketing, KPI, Mike Welsh, positioning, Publicis Dialog, strategy, tactics, transactional | 1 Comment »
Visual display of strategy
I quite like this video, it is about how BBC Worldwide present their strategy. It is on YouTube to promote the services of Cardiff based visual solutions company See What You Mean.
It is a good reminder that simple visuals, avoiding the PowerPoint template traps, can be really powerful.
Now where are those slides that I’m presenting on Wednesday?
Incoming search terms:
- bbc worldwide powerpoint slides
Posted in Marketing | Tags: BBC Worldwide, PowerPoint, See What You Mean, strategy, visual display, YouTube | No Comments »
Strategy and tactics
Really, it has been a good day. But to help me remember, lest I get led astray:
Strategy
1. Alternative chosen to make happen a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem.
2. Art and science of planning and marshalling resources for their most efficient and effective use. The term is derived from the Greek word for generalship or leading an army.
Tactics
Means by which a strategy is carried out; planned and ad hoc activities meant to deal with the demands of the moment, and to move from one milestone to other in pursuit of the overall goal(s). In an organisation, strategy is decided by the board of directors, and tactics by the department heads for implementation by the junior officers and employees.
Source: www.businessdictionary.com
Thank you.
Scoring a new client before it’s too late
I’ve always found the issue of how to decide to work with a new client very interesting. For most people and businesses this is largely an emotional decision.
I was pleased to trip over a scorecard concept that seems to be very well balanced.
A simple, 5-question Business Development Scorecard will help you grade every new client and opportunity, helping to ensure that you stay on strategy and reinvent your firm one new client at a time.
Have a look at in full at www.winwithoutpitching.com
Simply, for every new client you bring in, large and small, ask yourself these five questions and grade the client/engagement to see if it’s moving you toward or away from your strategy.
Does this concept work for you?