Critical Insights Vol. 1 Issue 5

ECONOMICS & MACRO MARKET

According to the Conference Board, its Employment Trends Index rose in February for the sixth consecutive month and now stands at 93.5. Furthermore, US Net Employment Outlook has turned to positive (8%) for Q2 2010. The rising indicators show that job growth is about to begin.

Dow Jones Industry Average closed at 10,566.02 today. It has gained 4,009 points since its 7,600+ point fall to 6547.06 on March 9, 2009. This recovery is not yet finished; it is likely to approach 12,500 before another major correction.

STRATEGY & MARKETING

Choosing a Marketing Plan: Traditional or Social Media?

Social media has been increasingly considered as a media for marketing promotion. Marketers are eager to learn whether it actually works. EPC Cigar Company decided to promote its brand using social media, which allow the company to communicate directly with cigar buyers, retailers, tobacco growers and others with whom it does business. “To have a lot of people talk about the limited-edition cigar after only a few months, in a market that’s challenged, in an industry that’s not really growing, is very exciting,” The head of the ad agency said…

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Trading Places: A Smart Way to Change Your Mind

Placing ourselves in other’s shoes is an approach which smart professionals often take in their business practice. The common problem, however, is that we often got it wrong when it comes to take others’ perspectives. Maxine Clark, founder and CEO of Build-a-Bear Workshop, switched companies for a day with Kip Tindell, cofounder and CEO of the Container Store. Both outfits are big, fast-growing, passion brands in the ultra-competitive world of retail — although they have little in common in terms of target customers, in-store zeitgeist, or corporate missions. Take a look at what they had gained from the switch…

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The Devil Is in the Detailing

Executives who strive to improve the effectiveness and lower the costs of their businesses are often frustrated by the fact that they have run out of ideas. In fact, opportunities can often be uncovered by diving down to the details. In pharmaceutical industry, for instance, marketing efforts usually focus on physicians who prescribe higher volumes of drugs. However, an analysis of prescription data suggests pharmaceutical companies should focus on a more refined target: heavy prescribers who treat higher percentages of new patients, since patients are seldom switched to a different drug within a specific drug class, even if they switch doctors and the likelihood that a physician will choose the last drug prescribed for a patient is greater than 90%...

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INNOVATION IN BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

‘Natural’ UI Will Be the Wave of the Future

There's a new computing revolution coming and it's not based on a keyboard and a mouse. Instead, it will be based on touch, gestures, spoken language, and even painting -- what is becoming known as "natural user interface" or NUI…

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Nike: Alive and Kicking

Nike has a research & development process that is very well aligned with marketing objectives. It hopes that the two-pronged approach – the detail of product innovation and "premium club" feel of online – will give the global sports company the edge when it comes to its titanic battle with the two other sports behemoths – Adidas and Puma – for supremacy in the sportswear and leisure market…

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New York Isn’t Silicon Valley. That’s Why They Like It.

When it comes to selecting a place for innovation, people usually think of Silicon Valley. However, New York has become a hotbed of innovation, with great infrastructure, tech customers in backyard and sources of financing right in town…

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LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATION

Why We Don’t Always Choose Our Favorite Option

If you are like many people, you enjoy chocolate and eat it frequently. That’s okay, you might think. After all, chocolate has antioxidants and it boosts your mood. Although this may be true, it is not the real reason why you eat chocolate: it is just a line of reasoning you follow to feel less guilty about eating something high in fat and sugar. People often rationalize in this way, telling themselves stories of sometimes dubious merit to justify their behavior. A research at Northwest University shows how rationalization—once studied mainly in psychology—impacts choices and can help economists understand why people make decisions that violate standard economic theories…

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Toyota's culture faulted in recall crisis

Toyota has not been very effective in terms of responding to safety and quality problems. Expert observations show that some of the dysfunction at Toyota that has come to light as part of the company's recall crisis is caused by culture...

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Confronting the Problem Personality

As a manager, you are responsible for your team members’ performance and their job satisfaction and yet you don’t always have the power to choose the ones whom you work with – you may get stuck with someone who has nasty personality. In this article, an expert shows you how to turning a managerial liability into an effective and empathic leader…

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