Yes, what sells has changed over the years. But sex is undefeated. Here’s an “Exhibit A” example — and what it should mean for your marketing strategy going forward! — Introduction Yes, I am a strategic management professor who is “of a certain age.” So, sometimes my reference points can be a bit dated, no matter how hard I strive to keep up with the times. In conversations with students, colleagues, and clients, I know that I’m going to miss some…

The numbers are out, and the percentage of Americans who own cryptocurrency equals or exceeds that of many traditional financial assets. Will crypto be kryptonite for investors — or is it truly the next big thing? — Introduction Football fans worldwide remember the 2022 Super Bowl as one of the best championship games ever. In the history of the Roman Numeral-enumerated National Football League (NFL) championship games, Super Bowl LVI — that’s number 56 to you and me — stands out for many reasons. The Los Angeles Rams…

The numbers are in and show that “Real American Dollars” are diminishing in importance in how we pay for things. And yes, you guessed it: Plastic is now the king of payments and digital cash is the future! — Introduction I must admit that I am a strategic management consultant and professor “of a certain age.” As such, I have to guard against falling into what might be academically called “old fart stories” and telling students/clients about the way things used to be — which, of course, plays no bearing…

What the Dominance of Pickup Trucks in U.S. Car Sales Means for a Changing Automotive Market…and A Changing America — Introduction Every once and a while, a visual just grabs your attention — and simply won’t let it go! That happened to me when I saw an amazing infographic put together by the data analysts at Visual Capitalist. Now, as a strategic management professor and consultant, the auto industry is one…

The numbers for Halloween 2023 are in, and they show the great market opportunity that this holiday has become. Can you make Halloween work better for you and your business? — Overview Congratulations, America! You did it! They say there’s no “I” in team, but you, yes you, helped make this Halloween of 2023 the biggest, the best, and the baddest ever! You bought the candy. You gave away the candy. And yes, you ate the candy (admit it!). You bought the…

An Object Lesson of How a Major Organization Earned an “F” in Branding — and How You Can Learn from These Ph.D.’s Mistakes — This article examines how the recent rebranding of the University of Wisconsin System into the “Universities of Wisconsin” can be both a lesson and a cautionary tale for any organization looking to solve its problems with a name change. Overview: Rebranding the University of Wisconsin System

How Anguilla is Capitalizing on Its AI Domain as Artificial Intelligence Comes to the Forefront…of Seemingly Everything — and the Lessons This Unique Case Holds for All of Us When Unexpected Good Fortune Lands on Our Doorstep — Introduction As the famous movie villain, Harry Payne (played by Dennis Hopper), frighteningly posed his questions in the movie, Speed, let’s start in the same spirit with this: “Pop quiz, hotshot!” Want to bet that you could find Anguilla on a map? Is it a country or a city? …

How the New Age of Pay Transparency Benefits Both Job Hunters and Management — Introduction: “The Flop” in Poker and in Job Hunting Are you a poker player? If not, are you one of the many, many of us who have wandered into watching one of the thousand channels we now have and watched a poker show at 2 a.m.? Now, there are two, mutually exclusive schools of thought when it comes to…

Sizing Up the Federal Government in Relative Terms — Introduction We hear A LOT these days about the size of government, specifically focusing on Washington, DC. We see politicians debate just how much the federal government costs, how bloated it is, and yes, how perhaps the “deep state” impacts our lives. As of this writing (in late September 2023), Washington…