Filed under: Brands, General Business, Success | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, strategies
In some ways, the book publishing business is like any other industry. There are books that occasionally arrive on the market in a serendipitous junction of the state of the economy and shifting tides in management thought. At other times, the market creates a need and publishers respond as quickly as possible to meet customer demands. We saw this occur over the past 12 to 18 months with an increase in titles relating to surviving an economic downturn and crisis management. (For a great example of one of the strongest of these titles, click here).
This same principle applies to every market. I was clicking through the major business headlines today when I came across an interesting note. I certainly hope your company (or for that matter, your home or school) hasn’t been impacted by the H1N1 flu virus. Between the shortage of vaccine deliveries and the increased media coverage of deaths due to the virus, it seems like everyone is a little more sensitive to the presence of microbial invaders on every square inch of our dwellings and places of employment.
For business leaders, a plan for flu prevention makes good sense. Companies continue to push for an increase in health and wellness among their work forces, but they shouldn’t neglect the need to protect against common illnesses that often keep workers bed-bound for days at a time. This could be as simple as a few extra reminders about the importance of frequent hand washing or as full-scale as setting up a station to administer flu shots on a given day.
While it would be reprehensible to suggest that anyone is actually “happy” about this year’s flu epidemic, one company has benefited to an extent. According to this article from Bloomberg, Clorox’s profits rose 23 percent in the past quarter. Sales of the company’s disinfecting wipes have been on the rise as people everywhere attempt to ward off the flu. As I said … timing is everything. Now if you’ll pardon me, my own desk could use a little cleaning. Can never be too careful!
Filed under: Books in General, Brands, General Business, Marketing | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, consumer goods, Marketing
If you check in with us from time to time, you’ve probably noticed that I have a bit of a fascination with business titles that deal with consumerism. Part of the interest is rooted in the frequent observation that Americans today have more material wealth and technological convenience than any previous generation, yet they continue to be less and less happy. On another level, I always enjoy the consumer titles because I’m fascinated by branding and the unique combination of factors that can propel one product to the top while a similar one collects dust on store shelves.
In that vein, I was delighted to read this review of a new book by Kevin Maney, a writer for USA Today. Maney’s book Trade-Off examines the gap that exists in the modern world of retail. Customers are drawn more and more to two distinct sets of products. They prefer either inexpensive goods that offer convenience but not quality, or they splash their cash on high-end items that carry a certain clout or trendiness. Products that fall in between these two categories, Maney argues, are likely to be ignored by the majority of the buying public.
Maney is not the first author to tackle the widening gap in consumer goods. Michael Silverstein examined this topic in his book Treasure Hunt, a title we summarized. What’s interesting about both books is the notion that consumers of all income levels cherry-pick from both groups of products. Maney’s book seems to suggest that quality suffers in the pursuit of the lowest price. However, he also remarks that most consumers are comfortable with this idea. I suppose that more and more consumers are willing to live with the adage “You get what you pay for.” Something to think about the next time the person in front of you at Wal-Mart pulls an iPhone out of an expensive handbag before paying for discounted household items.
Filed under: Books in General, Brands, Marketing | Tags: books, Brands, Marketing
Sometimes the best way to truly evaluate the way a business looks is to take a gander from the outside. The United States gets tagged with many labels, some of which are not too kind. Accusations arise constantly about everything from the country’s carbon footprint to its often reluctant role as global police officer. Still, after reading an article from the folks at Bloomberg.com, one finds it a little harder to shrug off a famous allegation: American brands dominate the globe.
Click the link above and check it out for yourself. According to the Interbrand study cited by Bloomberg, the U.S. can lay claim to eight of the top 10 brands in the world, as well as 13 of the top 20. Findings like the ones in this list create some interesting debates, both domestically and internationally. Much to my chagrin, I’m old enough to recall a time when foreign brands were unacceptable when it came to certain major purchases (cars, televisions, etc). While there are still those whose purchasing decisions are rooted in patriotism, the decision to drive a car produced by Japan or Germany is no longer looked at with a raised eyebrow. In fact, the opposite is more likely to cause curiosity.
Other areas of the world continue to lament the decline of their own local culture, or so it would appear. You’d probably anticipate the French being among the stalwarts who refuse to let the fast-food of the Stars and Stripes steamroll their cafes and bistros. Take a look at the photo that accompanies this articleand you’ll see that the Arc de Triomphe has competition from another set of arches, ones that are a little more familiar Stateside. Even the most particular of cuisine-lovers has to admit, someone must be buying all those burgers.
While America continues to debate the pros and cons of offshoring and trade deregulation, one export has never failed us: our brands. The value of our most famous companies may trouble some authors, like John Gerzema and Edward Lebar, but others don’t seem to share their concern. Coca-Cola once advertised it’s desire to achieve world harmony through song. We might not be there yet, but they’ve certainly followed through on the other end of their promise. Everyone, practically, has the chance to buy a Coke.
