Will Brands Create Your Child’s Value System?
Parents and peers shaped the values of previous generations while the most powerful influence on today's children is most likely to be marketers and the media. The power of the brand and the battle for the individual mindset and values will pre-occupy us for years to...
How’s This for the Latest Craze?
So, what is the latest craze sweeping the UK amongst children at the moment? Is it a Star Wars toy or something from War of the Worlds? Is it the new Monopoly, updated to include new London sites and streets? No, none of that... The latest craze is the Scoubidou...
How's This for the Latest Craze?
So, what is the latest craze sweeping the UK amongst children at the moment? Is it a Star Wars toy or something from War of the Worlds? Is it the new Monopoly, updated to include new London sites and streets? No, none of that... The latest craze is the Scoubidou...
The difference between knowledge and skills workers
It goes without saying that we currently live in an era dominated by the "knowledge worker", as opposed to manual labour or those who use skills as their primary contribution. There is a fundamental difference between these two distinct types of workers. It is not...
Machines take our jobs
In our presentation, Balancing Today and Tomorrow, we argue that white collar/service jobs are rapdily being replaced by machines. We point especially to the professions: starting with accountants, engineers and lawyers, but including architects, pilots and even...
Empty Nest Syndrome or Empty Country Syndrome
I had a conversation last night with my Irish brother in law who lives in the USA. We were chatting about the fact that my daughter will be moving to Thailand after her marriage here in SA next month. My son will be moving to London in January. His question was: Do I...
Resourcefulness: the new intelligence?
Confessions of a Bright Young Thing (BYT) ... 1) "Aiden, please put together a Recruitment & Selection Policy for our Co", Big Boss requests. Aiden replies, "Sure!" So Aiden promptly Googles "Recruitment & Selection Policy", reads a few of the examples that the search...
Flexible Work in the UK
The UK government statistics department lists information on the flexibility of the UK workforce. Here are some interesting highlights: Over 25% of the UK workforce "sometimes" work at home The number of people working in "mainly" at home accounts for 2.5% of the...
A "postmodern business model"
In Inc.com, June 2005, (page 24), the heading "Franchising Franchising" seemed a strange one to me. At first, I thought it was just a cool design heading for the Franchising section. But the sub-title really got my attention. "Introducing the first postmodern business...
My Money is on MySpace.com
I remember the first day I heard a CD. Alan Parsons Project, ‘Eye in the Sky’. Wow! I never believed music could sound that good!! How the music industry has changed over the last 20 years – it is truly incredible. But the ‘new kid on the block’ that, I...
More reasons to blog
BusinessWeek's Blogspotting regularly features stories of how companies are using blogs to their advantage. In our consulting with clients, there is a massive increase in interest in using blogs. At one level, there should be a business case for this, and its great to...
Reverse Mentoring
Every Monday morning, my 92 grandmother sits down at her computer and bangs out an email to all her children (2), grandchildren (7 + 6 in laws) and great-grandchildren (6 at last count), as well as a few nieces and nephews and their kids and grandkids. The whole...
‘Non’: Small Really is Beautiful
So France has voted ‘Non’ to the EU Constitution. There are many reasons for this outcome, of course. Dissatisfaction with the Government, fear of reduced French influence in the growing EU and so on… They are not the first to say ‘No’. Denmark and Ireland...
'Non': Small Really is Beautiful
So France has voted ‘Non’ to the EU Constitution. There are many reasons for this outcome, of course. Dissatisfaction with the Government, fear of reduced French influence in the growing EU and so on… They are not the first to say ‘No’. Denmark and Ireland...
When is a ringtone a milestone?
When it sells more copies in the UK than the biggest selling music single in one week. Last week 'Crazy Frog Axel F', sold more copies than the new single from Cold Play. (click here to see Google Search and then take your pick) These are moments you want to pause,...
What do CHEWING GUM and ENGINE OIL have in common?
I attended a conference this past week. I had time to observe the action around me. The conference was aimed mainly at the male audience as it was a national petroleum conference.Many of the products were being marketed in a similar manner. Given away by girls in...
Do we preach "Virtual Officing" but abstain from the practice?
There has recently been so much blogging about 'virtual officing' and about our connectedness that I just felt compelled to write this. Imagine my surprise. Driving down William Nicol on Sunday on my way back from church, I see these reappearing 'adobt-a-pole-posters'...
The Interactive Workplace
This was sent to me by email. I am trying to track down the URL to reference it properly, but for now, enjoy. EDS' Jeff Wacker: Interactive workplace scary -- in a good way POSTED:03 May 2005, SOURCE: Edmonton Journal Gamers could rule the world when the Next Big...
Ignore blogs at your brand's peril
Since Le Monde (see it here), Fortune and BusinessWeek ran cover stories on Blogs and business (read BusinessWeek's here), it seems that a lot of column inches have been expended on debating whether blogging is just a fad or the "next big thing". I think its the...
Ignore blogs at your brand’s peril
Since Le Monde (see it here), Fortune and BusinessWeek ran cover stories on Blogs and business (read BusinessWeek's here), it seems that a lot of column inches have been expended on debating whether blogging is just a fad or the "next big thing". I think its the...