Recent data from the Census reveals just how profound the effects of “The Great Resignation” are across the employment landscape in the U.S. — Introduction We hear a great deal today about “ The Great Resignation.” In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the face of “tectonic changes” in the way many businesses operate, and in light of one of the best marketplaces for workers in recent history, more and more Americans are willing…

How This Mostly Forgotten Innovation from Football in the 1960’s Can Teach Us an Important Lesson About How to Become a Better Communicator and Leader Today, Both in Sports and in Business Introduction: The “Choir Huddle” Len Dawson, the P ro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory…

Chipotle created a truly “outside of the box” promotion for National Lemonade Day that should provide inspiration for marketers everywhere on how to take advantage of the ever growing list of food and beverage-related “holidays.” — Introduction When it comes to each and every one of the 365 days in the calendar, we now have a day devoted to literally everything now! Each day, there are now multiple reasons to celebrate! On the family front, there’s not just Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and even Grandparents’ Day…

Advice from a Professor Who Has Seen More Than His Share of “Bad” Presentations on How to Make Yourself a Better Presenter — In a Nutshell As a student, college is a great opportunity to not just learn material, but to build your skills. And certainly, no skill that you can learn in your 3, 4, 5…7 years in school will benefit you more after you graduate than learning how to be an effective presenter and…

Best Buy has recently opened a “digital first” concept store that is just a fraction of the size of its typical location. Here’s why this could well be a precursor of the way much of retailing will be going in the very near future. — Introduction Think about it. What is the singular reason for a “store” to exist? Whatever kind of retailer we might be talking about, from grocery stores to drug stores to department stores to clothing stores to electronics stores and everything in between, the “store” is a place that you go to…

There’s been a rapid increase in the number of jobs with words like “Senior” or “Director” in the job title. Here’s a look at how getting an inflated job title can actually harm you down the road. — Overview As a strategic management professor and consultant, I try not to rely too heavily on my own stories from a 30-plus year career (yes, that does tell you, dear reader, that I am of “a certain age”). …

One thing you don’t want in branding is for your brand to be linked with something infamous. Anthony Richardson, the starting quarterback for the University of Florida, just changed his “AR-15” moniker to avoid any connection with the notorious assault rifle in a branding lesson for the ages. — Introduction There’s one absolute rule in the marketing business: You can’t have your brand connote anything that is bad for society. Sometimes, there are names that circumstances overtake, and there’s nothing that the greatest marketing or crisis managers can do about it.

There has been a marked decline in the number of young people in the United States and in their share of the American population. Here’s why this demographic trend is a strategic threat that all in charge of any educational entity — from daycare to universities — should be aware of and act on today! — Introduction Pop quiz. What is the one thing that every business needs? If you said “customers,” ding, ding, ding, you are right! While we in the education business talk about students, in effect, students are proxies for our customers. And let there be no doubt, every educational entity, from daycare to…

Email marketing is still the reigning, defending, undisputed champion of marketing tools — Recent research has shown that despite all the attention being given to online advertising and social media influencers, online retailers looking to connect with consumers would be well advised to focus more on email advertising for superior results. Introduction: What Does Your Inbox Look Like Today? So, how’s your inbox looking? Every morning when you get up and…