Tag Archives: business thinking

January 18, 2016 · 11:59 am

Making The Dream A Reality

This was the post I wrote in 2009 on Dr. King’s birthday, which we celebrate today.  It’s interesting how over the last 7 years much of what I was feeling at the time about the possibilities that were presenting themselves have yet to become a reality.  In some ways, we’ve gone backward despite some of the progress.  I’m not sure race relations in this country are at the place I recall back in the 60’s but it’s good to have a day dedicated to the man that moved us all forward so we can reflect on the topic.  The business point in the post hasn’t changed – some things, such as Dr. King’s message – are eternal.

Last week was actually Dr. King‘s birthday but since we’re celebrating it today I thought I’d add my two cents. I’m old enough to remember him and while he didn’t light the fire of the civil rights movement in the US (I’d say Rosa Parks is that hero), he certainly brought the fire to life and tended it well until his assassination (and I remember that as well – how horrible a day it was!).

Martin Luther King leaning on a lectern. Deuts...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What inspired me, a young (then) white kid was his notion of bringing a dream to reality. OK, the words and delivery were pretty inspirational too, even when you read them off a page. Yesterday the Inauguration Committee had a concert on the very place where Dr. King gave his “I Have A Dream” speech to celebrate, nearly 46 years later, a big piece of that speech coming to reality. One can’t help but wonder what Dr.King would have felt and said – he certainly should still be alive – he’d just be turning 80.

Robert Kennedy said “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”  I think that’s great business advice as well, even if George Bernard Shaw had the notion before Bobby.  Mark Twain wrote that “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

So today, I celebrate Dr. King’s dreaming of a better world and making it happen.  Tomorrow, we can watch it become real.  What are you dreaming of?  Can it be real?  Why not?  Or better – why not!!

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January 11, 2016 · 10:40 am

Heroes

I woke up this morning to the news that David Bowie has died. I know we’re about business here and we’ll get to it, but Bowie was an artist I loved and I’d be remiss if I didn’t use his passing as a starting point today.

I first saw him on Valentine’s Day, 1973. From the opening notes of the introduction (Beethoven’s Ode To Joy) until he collapsed on stage after an hour and a half of intense rock, it was unlike any show I had seen to that point. What was striking, besides the music, was Bowie himself: flaming red hair and so androgynous. Spiders From Mars was an apt description, and Ziggy Stardust was mind-altering in terms of how I thought about rock stars. I think I spent a fair portion of my senior year in high school on the lawn outside of the music room listening to “Alladin Sane” with friends.

Over the next few years, I bought every Bowie album, each one different, often with completely different musicians. I first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan on a Bowie album (1983’s Let’s Dance) but Bowie was always a musician with whom other musicians wanted to collaborate – the list is way too long for this space. Let’s just stipulate that anyone who can sing with artists ranging from Bing Crosby to John Lennon to Queen is the personification of versatile.

Another interesting thing about Bowie was how he became different characters over the course of his career. Ziggy Stardust became a soul singer who became the Thin White Duke. Rock became soul which became dance which became electronic which morphed back into rock. He also did many things well – actor, songwriter, performer.

Yes, there is a business point. Bowie’s career was, as Wikipedia says, one of reinvention, musical innovation and visual presentation. Those are three keys that should be a focus for any brand: innovation, reinvention, and presentation. You never quite knew what you’d be getting with the release of a new Bowie record but you always knew it would be good, if not great. We should always be seeking to push ourselves while keeping the core tenets of our brands true.  People need to be able to count on and trust a brand, and Bowie showed us that brands need not stop innovating, growing, and surprising to retain that trust.  That innovation and surprise continued right up until the end with the release of his final album. Universally acclaimed, it is very different musically. Maybe because he knew it was to be “a parting gift” to his fans.

“Heroes” is probably my favorite Bowie song.  It came out my senior year in college (a school that Bowie’s wife Angela got kicked out of, by the way), and I’ve found it to be inspiring ever since. Great products can do that.  Have a listen and take a moment to miss what Bowie, one of my musical heroes, has taught us.

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January 8, 2016 · 12:59 pm

Opaque Oil

It’s Foodie Friday and I’ve got olive oil on my brain. If you cook, you use olive oil at some point. You might even pay the premium for extra virgin, especially if you’re using it in a dressing. That’s where the fun begins today.

Oil tasting, BAIA October 2006 Wine Tasting, C...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I read a book a couple of years ago called Extra Virginity. It’s written by Tom Mueller, who continues to write about the Italian olive oil business, which is rife with fraud. That’s right: you may be paying for a product that is not what you think it is. As reported in the Guardian:

Top Italian olive oil producers are under investigation for allegedly passing off lower-quality products as “extra virgin”, raising fresh concerns about allegations of consumer fraud in the industry. Turin police are examining whether seven companies – Carapelli, Bertolli, Santa Sabina, Coricelli, Sasso, Primadonna, and Antica Badia – have been selling virgin olive oil as 100% extra virgin. According to allegations in Italian press reports, an analysis of samples from all seven brands found that they did not meet EU labelling rules for extra virgin olive oil.

It’s not just the olive oil guys. There is a significant risk of fraud with fish, honey, milk, select spices (saffron, black pepper, chili powder), fruit juices, meat, grains and organic foods. This topic is way too long for a daily screed, but there are two business points which are applicable to any of us in business. The first, and most obvious, is that when consumers can no longer trust your brand, they will move on. Look at what has happened to Volkswagen after they rigged the results of their auto emission tests. You might think that your brand is strong enough to come back after that sort of loss of trust, but you’re delusional. We’ve spent a fair amount of time on honesty and transparency this week, so you know my point of view.

Second, and less obvious.  Chances are that the consumer won’t realize that they’ve been deceived.  They will probably think their dish is just not great or that they did something “wrong” when the fraudulent product doesn’t perform well.  Even if they don’t lose faith in the brand, they might just stop being a consumer of that category altogether.  I am unaware of any industry that wants to shrink its user base, and while people won’t stop cooking, they might switch to another kind of oil that has the same characteristics or to another type of car than a diesel.

I realize that fraud in the food world – or any other business – isn’t new.  There are reports of doctored products going back centuries.  The difference now is that detection and reporting happen more rapidly and that reporting can be widespread instantly.  The damage never goes away because the reports turn up in searches forever.  The solution?  Don’t do it!

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