General Management articles by the best and brightest in the field

• 'White Swan' Marketing, or How to Focus on What Worksby Jonathan Salem Baskin
  When the latest marketing answers fail to produce the results you expect, maybe it's time to start asking different questions. You don't need me to tell you that we're in a crisis of confidence: Consumers don't believe or act on the information we give them in the ways we'd hope, so we're losing faith in the strategies and tools we use to communicate with them. We're asked questions about sales, and we reply with answers about "engagement" and conversational "buzz." Budgets are down, expectations are up, and the proliferation of new solutions for "engaging" with consumers in conversations seems inversely proportional to results that our employers and clients can value. We believe that somehow, sometime, all those efforts will coalesce—the dots will connect—and yield stunning successes, just like those celebrated in case histories and magazine articles. I have news for you: We're chasing black swans. And if we keep doing it, we're doomed. more
• 53 Smartphone Applications for On-the-Go Marketersby Kimberly Smith
  While games remain the most widely downloaded smartphone apps, developers haven't forgotten about those of us who have work to do. In fact, we found quite a few apps that are useful for marketers. Take a gander, and then tell us the applications you've found useful for improving productivity and staying up-to-date on all things marketing. more
• Knowing What Matters—Your Success Criteria—Is a Guiding Light in the Darkby Nilofer Merchant
  Here's a scenario many of us have experienced: The CEO sets the revenue goals in the annual business plan; the plan is handed down; and the business units scramble to make the numbers. Only one thing is wrong: We don't know how the decision was made about what matters. Deciding what matters leads to solid criteria development. Deciding what success looks like will drive what matters. There is a link between what matters in a general sense and what matters to your business unit or organization. Follow these four steps to figure it out. more
• What to Do When Growth Stallsby Steve McKee
  As much as we would all like to believe that we're masters of our own destiny, the unfortunate truth in business is that growth stalls. Over the course of a decade, more than half of companies stall... and that's in normal economic times. Given what we're facing now, how should companies respond? more
• Think Ahead While Cutting Back: Marketing Priorities in a Recessionby Pat LaPointe and Dave Reibstein
  Where do marketers turn once all the fat has long since been trimmed and all that's left is muscle and bone? And how do we break the downward spiral of cut, cut, and cut some more? Here are some ideas on what to cut... and (just as critically) what not to cut. more
• Tips for CMOs: Five Ways to Keep Your Team off the Chopping Blockby Robbie Kellman Baxter
  For most CEOs, good marketing is a bit like pornography—it's hard to define precisely, but they know it when they see it. Still, it's clear that one of the problems is that most CEOs cannot put their finger on what Marketing isn't getting done—but they can envision that nothing much would likely change if the whole marketing team were to disappear. So, what's a CMO to do? more
• Win Through a Social Contract: Use Teamwork to Create Value, Develop New Strategy, Iterate Quickly, and Implementby Nilofer Merchant
  People succeed together because they share a unified sense of purpose and a common vision for what they need to do. This unified sense of purpose comes from core beliefs. Core beliefs help a team to create together because they share a common worldview that helps people filter their observations, establish values, and hold certain things in similar high esteem. Such a worldview also acts as a guiding beacon, orienting people regarding who they are and what they can do together. more
• Talk to Me: 10 Tips for Translating PR Results Into the Language of Businessby Diane Thieke
  As communications experts, we should find it easy to convey the value of our services to the business managers in our organizations. Yet many public relations professionals struggle with expressing results in a way that allows senior executives to easily recognize the impact that PR has on the success of the business. more
• The Parasite Economy: Why Leaders Must Reinvest in Their Brands (Not Just Drain Off Profits)by Eric Garland
  It's time to start investing in the future, for real. Brand equity from the old economy is about dead. The financial collapse is a sign of a larger movement that would have us stop draining off reserves, and get us back to the business of making promises to tomorrow's customers. more
• Marketing in a Recession: What Do the Studies Really Tell Us?by Christian Shea
  Have you heard this one? "All the research shows that companies that spend on marketing during a recession come out ahead of the competition as the economy rebounds." It's a catchy buzz phrase—and if people believe it, even better. But here's the thing: What research, exactly? more
• Avoid the Five Routes to Strategic Failureby Nilofer Merchant
  Disconnects are a big cause of strategy failure. You think you've communicated well, then find out you have—just not to your target audience. Or maybe at the end of a long research session, you realize that input from colleagues in the company's Ohio office was critical to your strategy, yet was overlooked in favor of input from more-assertive colleagues in the New York office. There are five major disconnects that consistently trip up strategy implementation. more
• Leapfrogging for Success: Change the Game via Innovationby Evan Gerber
  Marketers these days find themselves increasingly squeezed between a big rock and a very hard place: Their mandate is to demonstrably improve ROI, with reduced budgets, while communicating with skittish audiences that are less inclined to make purchases. Not surprisingly, people are looking for ways to change the game altogether. more
• Why All the Talk About Dog Food?by Aaron Strout
  Have you ever heard the expression "eat your own dog food"? It's a concept that essentially means that one is "walking the talk," or leading by example. Many companies have talked about being "customer-focused," but how many really are? Unfortunately, just saying you're committed to doing something is dramatically different from actually doing it. There is no place where this idea is truer than in the world of social media and online communities. more
• The Pursuit of ROI: Will It Lead You to Rags or to Riches?by Sharan Jagpal, PhD
  It's no secret that the business world is slow to change. Sure, it has made the evolution from typewriters to computers for word processing, and from snail mail to email for written communication. But in regard to the core of doing business—from the methods and measurements that are used to the way departments are siloed—many 21st-century companies might as well be stuck in the Stone Age. And now that the recession has set in, this unwillingness to replace old business models, strategies, and metrics with new ones is causing some companies hardship and leading many others to their deaths. Given the gloomy circumstances many businesses find themselves in today, I ask CEOs and marketing executives to reconsider one popular metric: Return on Investment (ROI) as a resource-allocation tool and measure of performance (including marketing productivity). more
• Online Reputation Management: A View From the Topby Leslie Gaines-Ross
  The first few months of 2009 have already been tumultuous for reputations. So what can be done? Below, some of the findings of that online-reputation study as they relate to seven realities of managing online reputation in today's world—and some solutions to strengthen your reputation in the months ahead. more
• Win/Loss Analysis (Part 2)—A Process for Taking Revenue up a Notchby Laura Patterson
  Part 1 of this article series examined the purpose, definition, and metric associated with win/loss analysis. This final part discusses getting started, questions to include in the discussion, when and how to conduct the analysis, and using the findings more
• Maximizing Lead-Generation Marketing ROI, Part 2: Insight, Alignment, and Actionby Jim Lenskold
  The need to better align the sales and marketing organizations is generally well known. They are connected through their shared roles in motivating customer-purchase activities and divided by different cultures that concentrate on distinct portions of the customer-purchase funnel. There's no doubt that alignment is good, but what must you ultimately accomplish to drive performance and profitability? more
• GM's Biggest Strategic Blunderby David A. Aaker
  GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner, has opined that the automaker's biggest blunder was to walk away from the electric car. But GM's biggest strategic blunder might have been its failure to view Saturn strategically—and as a consequence not allowing it to fulfill its destiny as a domestic competitor to Toyota, Nissan, and Honda that could actually win. As the company makes hard decisions in the struggle to survive, the challenge to GM will be its ability to learn from—and not compound—that mistake. more
• 10 High-Impact, Low-Budget Ideas for Marketing in a Down Economy (Part 1)by Jonathan Kranz
  When the going gets tough, the tough get... cheap. Today, a good marketing idea has to be as inexpensive as it is clever. In this first of a two-part series are five inexpensive suggestions that can lead to productive results. more
• 2009: The Year of 'Light Green'by Andrew Winston
  Over the past two years "green" has become part of nearly every serious business discussion. But what will happen now in this damaged economy? Some of the green pressure on companies will lessen, but the underlying forces driving the green wave will continue over the coming years—from volatile commodity prices (which will rise again aggressively after the recession) to a rise in transparency to tougher questions from key stakeholders (such as your business customers, consumers, and employees). Those big picture trends will continue over years, but here now a few specific predictions for 2009. more

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General Management case studies, deconstructing real life examples and illustrating lessons learned

• How a New-Product Launch via Facebook Resulted in Immediate Sales, Ongoing Consumer Relationships3M Canada Company
  CASE STUDY: At a fraction of the cost of traditional media, 3M Canada not only generated immediate sales and new excitement around its Scotch Tape brand but also gathered invaluable intelligence about its target market and forged long-term relationships with consumers. more
• How a Franchiser Automated Its Marketing Support to Improve Efficiency, ProfitabilityCartridge World
  CASE STUDY: Global ink and toner supplier Cartridge World expanded its US presence to 650 franchisee-owned stores. But its marketing support lagged behind. Here's how the company turned things around: creating a centralized marketing resource center, upping efficiency and increasing profitability. more
• How an Automotive Dealership Used Voice Marketing to Supplement Sales, Boost Customer RetentionMike Miller Hyundai
  CASE STUDY: While automotive dealers struggle to survive, Mike Miller Hyundai has reached out to customers via voice marketing, at a fraction of the cost of direct mail. Now: service bays are filled, and customer retention is significantly higher. more
• How a Medical Imaging Company Helped a New Sales Team Establish Client Relationships and Surpass Sales GoalsToshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.
  CASE STUDY: In tough economic times, one company set out to care for its people in a unique way. Toshiba America Medical Systems efforts to align and nurture its sales team means the team is now on track to exceed sales goals. more
• How Sherwin-Williams Used Digital Collateral for a Newly Launched Product to Engage Retailers and ConsumersSherwin-Williams Company, Krylon division
  You have a snazzy new product and need marketing collateral to show it off. You want to rally your sales force around it, and at the same time excite the retailers who'll carry it. Print won't do. But digital will. more
• How a Video Podcast Series Garnered a Top Industry Award and 68,500 views in 12 MonthsTellabs
  Last spring, telecom player Tellabs launched its "Get Schooled" video-podcast series as both a way to communicate with customers as well as showcase the depth and breadth of its offerings. Get Schooled did that and more... generating tens of thousands of views, landing a coveted interview, and garnering an industry award. more
• How One Whitepaper Generated 500 Leads and Significant PR for a B2B ManufacturerJER Envirotech
  JER Envirotech, a manufacturer of environmentally friendly thermoplastic biocomposite materials, needed to stand out in the green manufacturing industry. Its solution: create a white paper to both explain and build credibility for its offerings. Here's how that led to 500 new leads over 60 days. more
• A Niche E-tailer Sizes Up Glamour... One Customer at a Time, Boosting Sales with a Personalized Web Site ExperienceSydney's Closet
  Five years ago, Sydney's Closet sold only plus-size prom dresses. Since then, however, the company has significantly expanded its lines, and it sought to segment its customers to help deliver content and offers that would be specific to their interests and needs. Here's its approach. more
• How a Bed & Breakfast Inn Boosted Its Bookings with One Video AdMorning Glory Inn
  As a B&B in the highly competitive historic Pittsburgh area, the Morning Glory Inn needed a way to attract more recreational and business travelers. Its Web site, the Yellow Pages, and direct mail initiatives continued to bring in some new customers. But here's how the inn boosted its online visibility through rich media, and learned three valuable lessons on the way. more
• How a Consumer Electronics Company Leveraged the Power of Community to Uncover Market Preferences and Build Excitement for a New Product LineEastman Kodak Company
  When it chose to enter the saturated inkjet market 20 years late, Eastman Kodak had a few surprises up its sleeve. Still, the company found it also needed a little marketing ingenuity if it was to gain market share. more
• How a Web-based Company Increased Leads 90%—and Sales 23%—via PPC-Visitor Profiling, Landing Page PersonalizationCompany: Continental Warranty
  Continental Warranty used pay-per-click ads to generate leads by providing free quotes for extended-warranty coverage. But lead volume had plateaued. So it began to profile its web visitors, then direct them to microsites matching their profiles—and nearly doubled leads. more
• How MyFax Upped Customer Engagement, Achieved a 79% NetPromoter ScoreMyFax
  Internt fax service provider MyFax wanted to tap into the power of word-of-mouth referrals by improving the customer experience and maintaining highly personalized customer interactions. But as an online company, it faced the issue of how to individually engage customers to ensure long-term relationships. Here's what it did. more
• How a Small-Business Consultant Leveraged a High-Profile TV Commercial to Generate New Traffic and Win New BusinessLocalZing
  As a tiny Florida player in the field of advertising for small businesses, Karl Long knew he should consider unconventional ways to promote his company. Taking a cue from a competitor, Long launched a campaign that upped traffic to his blog 500%, raised his Google profile, and led to new business. more
• How an Online Software Biz Doubled Its Sales Leads, Increased Site Traffic 75%Makana Solutions
  Makana Solutions needed an inexpensive way to reach the elusive small business market. Rather than chase small businesses, it hired an online "inbound marketing system" to help small businesses find Makana. The results: Web site traffic climbed 75%, and sales leads have doubled. more
• How a Marketing Consultant Significantly Increased His Client Base via Social MediaL&G Business Solutions
  Marketing executive and consultant Lewis Green wanted to re-establish his company in January 2004 after moving across the country. With no professional network in place, he figured the best way to promote his business would be a blog. His first attempt failed. But not his second. more
• How a Technology Firm Upped Webinar Attendance, Improved Lead NurturingObjectivity, Inc.
  By hiring an outside expert in lead optimization and leveraging its full range of data, San Francisco-based Objectivity increased turnout for its webinars an average of 10%. The quality of the leads is high as well: More than 30% of the leads typically score high enough to be handed off to sales. more
• How Major League Baseball Doubled Fan Research Without Increasing CostsMajor League Baseball
  Each year, when MLB's postseason culminates with the World Series, all eyes are on baseball—or are they? With most teams out of the running, do those fans continue to watch? Are the resources invested in marketing worthwhile, or in tune with fans' true passions? more
• How the Kimpton Hotel Group's Affinity-Based Email Program Boosted Bookings Revenue FivefoldKimpton Hotels
  Kimpton Hotels had successfully created a loyalty program, but its email program was lagging. By implementing an email strategy that focused on segmentation and targeting individual preferences, and by adding a corporate branding strategy, the company increased email bookings fivefold. more
• How a Web-based B2B Niche Service Increased Revenue per Sales Rep by 9.3%ShareBuilder401k
  Online service ShareBuilder 401(k) provides retirement plans exclusively for small businesses. But retirement plans are usually sold in person, not virtually. Here's how ShareBuilder discovered a way to market to this niche that upped its number of sales made via the Internet. more
• How a Virtual Conference Enabled Software Provider Cognos to Slash Costs and Extend ReachCognos, Inc.
  Cognos held some 10 conferences annually for its customers and prospects. When the software provider tried a single 3-D virtual conference, it reached more active visitors than the 10 conferences combined. more

General Management: See all 52 case studies

General Management online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• What to Do When Growth StallsAttendee rating:  - Jun 19, 2009
• Seven Fast-Acting Methods to Drive B2B Revenue NowAttendee rating:  - May 14, 2009
• Creating a Customer-Centric, Measurable Marketing PlanAttendee rating:  - Oct 16, 2008
• Social Media for Marketers: A 15-Step Process to Engage with Your Customers OnlineAttendee rating:  - Mar 13, 2008
• Harnessing a Portfolio of Brands: The Harrah’s StoryAttendee rating:  - Feb 21, 2008
• How to Make Marketing Indispensable to SalesAttendee rating:  - Feb 7, 2008
• Buyer Personas: A Smart Way to Align B2B Sales and MarketingAttendee rating:  - Jan 17, 2008
• Seth Godin: How to Avoid The Meatball SundaeAttendee rating:  - Jan 3, 2008
• How to Develop a B2B Lead Nurturing Program that Really WorksAttendee rating:  - Dec 20, 2007
• Get More Customer Mindshare: Developing a Rock-Solid Value PropositionAttendee rating:  - Nov 29, 2007
• What You Need to Know About Becoming (or Hiring) a Marketing ConsultantAttendee rating:  - Nov 8, 2007
• Small Business Series: Budgeting for the Marketing MixAttendee rating:  - Sep 14, 2007
• Customer Message Management 1: Four Steps to Improving the Sales-to-Customer ConversationAttendee rating:  - Jun 7, 2007
• Customer-Centric Communications: It's All Different NowAttendee rating:  - May 24, 2007
• Small Business Series: Why Most Small Businesses Fail (and How to Avoid Being One of Them)Attendee rating:  - May 18, 2007
• No Cape Required: How to Become a Marketing Champion in Your OrganizationAttendee rating:  - Oct 27, 2006
• Bridging the B2B Sales and Marketing GapAttendee rating:  - Oct 12, 2006
• Evaluating Marketing Mix TradeoffsAttendee rating:  - Oct 5, 2006
• How to Build Your Customer Experience Framework in Five Steps, with Columbia Business School Professor Bernd SchmittAttendee rating:  - May 18, 2006
• Marketing’s Role as Chief Customer OfficerAttendee rating:  - Apr 27, 2006

General Management: See all 26 seminars

General Management mini articles distilling bite-sized advice (from our Get to the Point newsletters)

• Keep Your WOM Roots HealthyCustomer Insight
  The dreaded phrase "word-of-mouth" keeps a lot of company execs awake at night. It's that feeling of helplessness: How can any company apply quality assurance to something that is so ...
• It All Comes Down to ProcessEmail Marketing
  We spend a lot of time discussing topics like deliverability and relevance, but rarely touch on another factor that plays a critical role in successful email marketing campaigns. "Process is ...
• Take a Deep Breath. Do a Brief Test.Search Engine Marketing
  "Do you know what attracts your readers? What headlines they respond to most? Do they respond to pictures? Do they know what your offer is?" asks Peter Da Vanzo in a recent SEObook.com ...
• Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a MatchSmall Business
  Anyone can claim to design websites. So before you hire a designer, it's important to ask a few key questions. Oliver Feakins of WebTalent recommends starting with a request to ...
• When Problems Arise, Go to the SpotMarketing in a Downturn
  In an article at the New York Times website, Michelle Maynard tells the story of Akio Toyoda's secret visit to an Ann Arbor, Michigan, car dealership. The grandson of Toyota's ...
• Serving Up a Perfect SEO SandwichSearch Engine Marketing
  To make an in-house SEO effort successful, you must first gain buy-in from the three main "layers" in most large organizations: executives, management, and everyone else. So says Duane Forrester ...
• Yes You Can: Bridge That Sales & Marketing DivideHigh-Tech Mktg & Sales
  Squabbling or lack of coordination between sales and marketing teams can lead to longer sales cycles and increased costs—or it can scuttle deals. With so much at risk, why can't ...
• Look to Your Own DNAMarketing in a Downturn
  Different people have had different reactions to our hobbled economy. Some are heartsick over tough choices made to keep a company solvent; others might thrill to the thought of newly ...
• Deciphering the Vendor Mating CallSearch Engine Marketing
  "Finding a good search engine marketing vendor is a bit like finding a compatible mate," writes Katie Deatsch in a recent Internet Retailer article. To be successful, marketers "first need ...
• Get Them to Give a HootEmail Marketing
  "Very few executives give a hoot about opens and clicks," says Stephanie Miller in a post at the Daily Fix blog. "In fact, very few marketers even look at their ...
• The Case for Persuading the LawyersMarketing Inspiration
  "Many marketers like to blame their lack of innovation on their lawyers," says Rohit Bhargava in a post at the Influential Marketing Blog. They're an easy target, he notes, because ...
• Summer's Coming: Make LemonadeMarketing in a Downturn
  "The economic downturn spells bad news to most marketers," says Jack Trout in a post at the Branding blog, "but a slump also presents an opportunity to build brands." He ...
• The Foolishness of Fencing in FacebookSmall Business
  In a post at the Acidlabs blog, Stephen Collins points to the results of a recent survey that found a whopping 55 percent of Australian employers blocked workplace access to ...
• Put Sociability in B2B SalesHigh-Tech Mktg & Sales
  If you haven't embraced some form of social networking in your B2B sales organization, chances are you're wondering how to start. Not surprisingly, sales experts have different viewpoints on how ...
• Let the Sun Shine InMarketing in a Downturn
  When hunkering down to face a challenging economic climate, you might become so focused on survival that you don't notice when the storm begins to weaken. In an article at ...
• Attitude Adjustment: Proactive vs. Reactive MarketingHigh-Tech Mktg & Sales
  No doubt about it: marketing and selling even the best of solutions in a bad economy is a hard job. On the sales front, cycles are longer, it's tougher to ...
• Free Resources That Can Pay OffEmail Marketing
  While the blogs we highlight are a great resource for email marketers, you might also benefit from the more in-depth guidance of downloadable whitepapers. Companies have discovered the marketing advantage ...
• Pick a Price, Any PriceMarketing in a Downturn
  When you have customers scrambling to make ends meet, or cutting back on unnecessary expenditures, it might seem foolhardy to let them set prices for your product or service. But ...
• TLC for the CFOB2B Marketing
  As B2B budgets tighten, CFOs are becoming more demanding. Show me the results! Justify the expense! What more can a CMO do? In a recent post at the Marketing Interactions ...
• Tell It Like It IsMarketing in a Downturn
  We can't escape bad news—story after story about layoffs, closures and falling profits. It's only natural that employees are worried about the safety of their jobs. "Am I next?" they undoubtedly ...

General Management: See all 89 quick reads

General Management marketing downloads for the busy professional

• Small Biz How-To Guide: Market Research
  Need to learn about your customers without the big price tag of market research firms? This guide on do-it-yourself market research will help you get the information you need to position your business without emptying the corporate coffers.
• Small Biz How-To Guide: Avoiding Key Pitfalls
  Let's face it, more small businesses fail than succeed. Make sure yours is one of the winners with this guide to getting your small business off the ground and solidly on the road to success.
• Marketing Metrics How-To Guide
  Metrics is the guiding light of your marketing efforts. Without measurements, you're operating in the dark. Make sure you are tracking the right metrics, and get tips on interpreting the data with this comprehensive guide.
• SWOT Analysis How-To Guide
  This comprehensive, step-by-step how-to guide will help you assess the position in the market of your product or firm, by identifying the product's Strengths and Weaknesses, by considering the potential Opportunities the product has in the marketingplace, and by assessing the potential Threats posed by either the competition or the marketplace.
• B2B Direct Marketing How-To Guide
  Direct marketing is one of the fastest changing disciplines within marketing today. What worked 10 years ago, isn't working today. Heck, what worked last week sometimes doesn't even work today, so keep your skills sharp with his How-To guide, focusing on the B2B market.
• Paid Search Advertising Template
  If you're a little intimidated by the prospect of Paid Search Advertising, seriously, join the crowd. Here it is though -- a guiding light through the complex waters of Paid Search Advertising. We assembled a 30-page template to make learning and implementing a successful paid search advertising campaign for your firm as easy as possible.
• Competitive Analysis Template
  A thorough competitive analysis is a critical component of a solid marketing plan. It is an exercise that will provide you with valuable insights to guide the development of your business strategy. This 20-page template will make the project quick and easy, and you can end up with a leg up on your compeition.

General Management: See all 7 downloads

General Management Daily Chirp for the busy professional

• Did You Know?
  Did you know that the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004? Did you know that today's learner will have 10 to14 jobs by the age of 38? Did you know that we are now preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist and will use technologies that yet haven't been invented, in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet? Check out this video. more
• How We Got Here
  If our current economic situation can teach us anything, it's that we really can't carry on in personal finance or business (or politics, for that matter) without keeping our wits about us. Check out this great 11-minute video by Jonathan Jarvis that explains leveraging, credit default swaps, and how we got to this point, offering a clear picture of the origins of the mortgage crisis. more