by admin | Mar 27, 2014 | Concept development
After a fatal capsizing and two high-profile fires aboard ships, observers began wondering whether cruise lines were operating with minimal regulatory oversight. An engine-room fire that leaves a 2,750-passenger ship adrift at sea for days? In 2013? That incident aboard the Carnival Triumph—beamed round the world for days courtesy of CNN’s saturation-coverage strategy—followed the 2012 grounding of a European ship in which 32 people died. Three months after the Triumph blaze, meanwhile, a fire damaged Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas. The incidents deeply embarrassed the industry, decimated Carnival’s financial results, and prompted politicians and regulators to make noise about tougher oversight. Late last year the industry’s two largest companies, Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL), hired retired military admirals to oversee their sea operations. Read more about how cruise lines are developing new concepts to operate more like airlines...
by admin | Mar 26, 2014 | Innovation
Tuesday’s announcement that Facebook is buying the virtual-reality start-up Oculus for $2 billion no doubt left many people scratching their heads. It was only a month ago the social network giant shocked everyone by paying as much as $19 billion for WhatsApp, an Internet-based text messaging start-up which had amassed an eye-popping 400 million users in only a few years. Have Silicon Valley companies and investors been transported to some alternate universe in which start-ups become irresistible targets before they’ve made any profits or, in the case of Oculus, before they’ve even made any products? Read more about what we can learn about innovation from this business deal...
by admin | Mar 26, 2014 | Innovation
The word innovation is so popular in fact, if you type “innovation” into the Google search bar, you will see there are 131 million search results. Are you ready for this? If you type “innovation blogs”, 372 million results are available. With all this information readily available, how do marketers figure out where to start? That’s a great question. In my search to help provide answers, I discovered an article called “How to Build a Culture of Innovation by Killing Mediocrity.” Here’s what author Brian Solis had to say: “In a world where the expression of ideas is a commodity but the consideration and implementation of them is a scarce resource, how do we create a more inviting culture that fosters their transformation from concept to manifestation?” Learn more about whether or not pre-innovation exists...
by admin | Mar 25, 2014 | Brand identity
No question about it, brand loyalty is down since the recession. To fight that trend, marketers have been taking the traditional route of using short-term tactics. They’ve lowered prices, instituted or expanded rewards programs, and spent more on advertising. However, those are expensive, and when everyone is using the same tactics, their effectiveness is minimized. Something different is needed: a contextual marketing strategy to build brand loyalty. A contextual marketing strategy harnesses industry and market drivers, as well as external forces of influence (“influencers”). The drivers determine market direction and what it takes to stay competitive; influencers shape the voice of the market. Read more about achieving true brand loyalty and the value of a contextual marketing strategy...
by admin | Mar 25, 2014 | Brand strategy
The US Postal Service is soliciting proposals from firms for brand valuation and strategy after reporting a $5 billion net loss after expenses including its retiree benefits obligations for the 2013 fiscal year. The scope of work may expand to include counsel on protecting and enhancing the Postal Service brand and key sub-brands, such as Priority Mail and First-Class Mail. The purpose of the contract is to determine critical attributes of the USPS brand and sub-brands, and quantitatively derived estimates of their brand value, according to the RFP released by the USPS on March 10. Read more about the requested assistance for their brand strategy here. ...
