What’s your internal organization got to do with marketing and supply chain?

What's your internal organization got to do with marketing and supply chain? Well everything…. but first some nostalgia. This is the 500th post of this blog and happily coincides with the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens who explored perennial and timeless issues of the human condition. So too with organizations whose challenges continue despite technologyContinue reading “What’s your internal organization got to do with marketing and supply chain?”

WEF Davos : Capitalism and Democracy try to find balance through CSR

This year (2012) there seems to be a marked and discernible change in this gathering’s tone and tenor. Leaders of both Governments and Businesses seem to realize that becoming richer and richer is probably not enough. This realization as capitalism,democracy and affluence rises worldwide , 1 billion more global middle class by 2020 according to Muhtar Kent of Coca Cola ( see accompanying video). Here is some interesting stuff to think about from happenings at Davos in 2012:

SOPA : conflict between content providers and distributors in the digital age

Distributor-Manufacturer conflict and struggle for power is not new. Only now we have media content providers and tech distributors like Google and Wikepedia in conflict over SOPA. It's quite amazing that once a manufacturer has a great product the tendency is to believe that you don't need marketing. Notable exceptions include Apple and the retailContinue reading “SOPA : conflict between content providers and distributors in the digital age”

Where did medical transcription, tax preparation, legal documents work get outsourced? To self-service technology

Just a few years ago if you traveled in small town India you would see billboards  offering medical transcription training. Students would be put through rigorous training to learn medical terms and also go through intense training to understand the American physician's accent on each of these highly technical medical terms. For the assurance wasContinue reading “Where did medical transcription, tax preparation, legal documents work get outsourced? To self-service technology”

Integrating web marketing to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

It was in the 1990's that IMC started getting popular in marketing. The Internet was just getting started and social media was in the distant horizon.By the early 2000's  organizations particularly in consumer products started figuring out IMC between their packaging,billboards,TV ads,magazine and newspaper ads and Point of Sale materials. The time has now comeContinue reading “Integrating web marketing to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)”

Search marketing explains the 15% rise in online sales?

In a slow US economy it's refreshing to know that online sales grew by 15% over last year. This huge increase is really because customers searched on line for the best deals and took them! The ability of customers to search and initiate contact is a fundamental shift in marketing that organizations have not fullyContinue reading “Search marketing explains the 15% rise in online sales?”

USPS to slow down first class mail: how the Internet affects your business

First class mail at the USPS is down. In fact down from 104 Billion pieces in 2001 to 73.5 Billion pieces last year and is projected to go down to 39 Billion pieces in 2020. As a result the post office is cutting half its mail processing facilities besides planning huge cuts in deliveries andContinue reading “USPS to slow down first class mail: how the Internet affects your business”

Dow over 12,000: Globalization can work on the governance side as six Central Banks Co-ordinate.

That the Dow closed over 12,000 today is great news.The European debt crisis had cast a pall of gloom across stock markets worldwide  and in the US things looked bleak till the news that six Central Banks of the world had come together to enhance financial liquidity in their respective markets. If  the "Occupy Movement"Continue reading “Dow over 12,000: Globalization can work on the governance side as six Central Banks Co-ordinate.”

Supply Chain CSR: tracing child labor in growing cocoa beans for chocolates

Just as we get into the holiday mood and enjoy chocolates the focus is on where the cocoa beans come from that go into making chocolate that brings so much holiday cheer to the affluent- worldwide. The BBC Story highlights Nestle's efforts in trying to bring traceability to the labor aspects of the cocoa beanContinue reading “Supply Chain CSR: tracing child labor in growing cocoa beans for chocolates”

What an 80 year old workforce means for organizations and innovation opportunities

Working till you are 80 years old is not a happy thought, particularly if you want to retire  at 65 or 67. But 25% Americans think that they might have no other alternative.  From an older worker's point of view not being able to retire is hard as is dealing with the stereotype of beingContinue reading “What an 80 year old workforce means for organizations and innovation opportunities”