In part one of this series I discussed the art of planning as a life jacket to triumphing in a melt down. As a preface to that I think I need to add that it is very helpful to possess the right attitude when it comes to taking advantage of the challenge. You’ve heard it all before of course, “Think Positive and Win”; “Be a ‘Can do’ Man”; “Believe in yourself etc.”. I’ve been around a while and I’ve learned not to be sceptical about belief systems and looking forward, not back.
Explore our historical blog articles for nuggets of wisdom (and random musings) from our crew.
Let’s not mince words, we’re in the middle of a financial mess and it’s difficult to take in the happenings of recent times. I’m no financial genius but I’m aware of how things so distant from our own shores can impact on the local economy. The frustrating fact is that because it’s so distant, there is little we can do about it in a macro sense. So as a strategist how do I believe companies should consider their futures?
Shakespeare was a ‘rocket’! Who else could ask a crowd to “listen up” by beseeching them to “lend me your ears”? I have to confess that good old William doesn’t do much for me and despite his wonderful composition and traditional phraseology I can’t get my head around most of his communications. But I’m not a complete Philistine and I do try to get ‘savvy’ with ‘Bill’ from time to time.
Imagine, if you will, that historic moment in time. The place is Sweden. The moment is the brand birth of one of the world’s most famous icons. It’s the place I would ‘most like to have been in another time’. It is the creation of IKEA.
As a mere male, I marvel at the patience of a women preparing herself for a night to remember. As a marketer I know exactly what she’s attempting to do – she’s positioning herself and its not just about competing with the rest of the females. I’m sure by now most females will be heading toward my office , while reaching for their 9mm side arms to take me out. So prior to my likely assassination I want to square things up a little – men do it too! There less obvious in their preparation, but they’re engaged in the same process – positioning.
Today, there is a very special breed of what I will loosely call ‘people’ – sadly they are a growing group, who manage to find the manure in even the cleanest stable. I call them ‘The Abominable No-men’ or women if you like. They see doom everywhere and they scare the living daylights out of an optimist such as I.
There is a freshness to a new book like no other. The clean feel of a newly printed page; the graphics on the cover shimmer and its hard smooth texture is pleasing to the touch. That new odour of freshly printed paper that urges you to listen as it speaks with every rustle of it’s pages. I realise that this great pleasantry is reserved for only a few. For those who are in love with books; who enjoy the possession of something delivered by another human’s experience; for people who understand the joy of reading.