Dive deep into business, brand and strategy.
-
Guinness, Michelin, and Red Bull: When your actions speak louder than ‘marketing.’
We’ve been sold a lie. The lie: marketing is about ads, slogans, and social media campaigns. But what if the best marketing isn’t marketing at all? Guinness, Michelin, and Red Bull figured this out long ago. A beer company cataloging world records?A tire manufacturer rating restaurants?An energy drink brand racing Formula 1 cars? Madness, right?…
-
Ever pitched an idea and felt like you were talking to a brick wall?
Yeah, me too. It sucks. But here’s the thing: We’re doing it all wrong. I used to think selling ideas was about being the smoothest talker in the room. Boy, was I wrong. It’s not about talking. It’s about listening. Remember that client who seemed impossible to please? The one who shot down every suggestion?…
-
We love to talk strategy
Big words. Grand visions. Five-year plans. But what happens when the rubber meets the road? Suddenly, it’s all about this quarter’s numbers. Next month’s targets. Tomorrow’s stock price. We’re strategic thinkers with short-term actions. Visionaries with myopic tendencies. It’s like planting a seed and digging it up every day to check if it’s grown. Why?…
-
Why your ‘customer-first’ BS is fooling nobody
Ever sat in a meeting where “customer-centric” was thrown around more times than a Frisbee at a beach party? Yeah, me too. It’s easy to say you’re all about the customer. But actually doing it? That’s where things get tricky. Let’s cut through the jargon and get real about customer centricity with some practical steps.…
-
We’re obsessed with numbers.
Metrics. KPIs. Growth hacking. But what are we really measuring? Often, it’s just noise. Short-term gains that fade like mist in the morning sun. What if we zoomed out? Saw the forest, not just the trees. Brand isn’t fluffy. It’s not a checkbox on a to-do list. It’s the bedrock of everything. Your business is…
-
We often think brands are built by logos and slogans.
But that’s surface-level thinking. The real brand? It’s built by actions. Coca-Cola knew this when they created Coke Studio. A soft drink company launching a music platform? Fizzy, right? Wrong. It was genius. Because Coca-Cola understood a fundamental truth: Your business is your brand. What does that mean? It means every business decision shapes your…
-
Doom scrolling for hours and still found nothing to watch?
That was the problem Reed Hastings faced in 1997. His solution? Netflix. But Netflix didn’t become the streaming giant we know overnight. It started with a bold business decision that eventually redefined its brand. Remember when Netflix was all about DVD rentals by mail? No late fees, no trips to the video store. Pretty cool…
-
What do reusable rockets have to do with business and brand?
Let’s launch into it. It’s because we’ve been throwing away rockets after every launch. Imagine buying a new car every time you want to drive somewhere. Crazy, right? Enter SpaceX and its reusable rockets. In 2015, SpaceX did something revolutionary. They landed a rocket after launching it into space. Why? So they could use it…
-
Toyota’s ‘Just-In-Time’ Manufacturing
In the 1970s, Toyota fully implemented its Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing system, tailored to eliminate waste by producing only what is needed, when it is needed, and in the exact amounts required. JIT is a ‘pull’ system that delivers components to assembly lines only when needed and in the exact quantities required. This approach simultaneously orchestrates…
-
“We’re not trying to win on price. We’re trying to win on value.” — Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO
This quote encapsulates a core business strategy significantly shaping Nvidia’s brand and market position. Let’s talk about Nvidia’s Value-Driven Strategy Instead of engaging in price wars, Nvidia focuses on delivering superior value through cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions. This wasn’t just a marketing slogan or words on a PowerPoint slide. It has been a guiding…
-
“Patents are for the weak.” — Elon Musk
In 2014, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk made a shocking announcement that sent ripples through the automotive industry: Tesla would open-source its patents, making them freely available for anyone to use “in good faith.” This unconventional move perfectly illustrates how a business decision can profoundly impact a brand. At its core, this decision was rooted in…
-
Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Campaign
In 2011, Patagonia’s CEO, Yvon Chouinard, made a bold business decision that perfectly illustrates how business strategy (inside-out) can profoundly impact a brand (outside-in). On Black Friday, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year, Patagonia ran a full-page ad in The New York Times with a provocative headline: “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” This counterintuitive…
Get Your CEO Clarity Starter Kit