6 days agoMember-onlyAre You Worth a Walmart Price…or an Airport Price?How a water bottle’s value can teach you a lot about knowing your value — and expecting more — Overview Sometimes, one social media post can teach you an important lesson. Yes, for all the time wasted on Twitter (or X, or whatever it is today), on Instagram, on Snapchat, on TikTok, or for us “of a certain age,” who are on Facebook, every once and a while, you can…Careers9 min readCareers9 min read
Published inModern Business·Nov 19Member-onlyThe Age of “Wood in” AdvertisingYes, 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…Advertising12 min readAdvertising12 min read
Published inThe Dark Side·Nov 14Member-onlyCryptonation: The Rise of Cryptocurrency Investments in Americans’ PortfoliosThe 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…Crypto12 min readCrypto12 min read
Published inModern Business·Nov 9Member-onlyCash is (Almost) DeadThe 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…Money11 min readMoney11 min read
Published inModern Business·Nov 6Member-onlyPickup Truck NationWhat 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…Cars12 min readCars12 min read
Published inModern Business·Nov 6Member-onlyHalloween — America’s “Growth Holiday”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…Marketing10 min readMarketing10 min read
Published inModern Business·Oct 25Member-onlyThe Grammar Trap: Rebranding the University of Wisconsin SystemAn 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 SystemMarketing15 min readMarketing15 min read
Published inModern Business·Oct 8Member-onlyThe AI Digital Land Rush is On!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? …Business14 min readBusiness14 min read
Published inModern Business·Sep 28Member-onlyNo More Salary Guesswork — or Poker Games!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…Work13 min readWork13 min read
Published inModern Business·Sep 27Member-onlyThe Deep State Isn’t Nearly as Big or Powerful as Some May ThinkSizing 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…Economy9 min readEconomy9 min read