Courtesy of Five Stars and a Moon
Do you know that banking is now a digital platform business? Or that the CEO of DBS Bank probably knows a lot more about IT than manyย of us?
With the disruptive forces of e-commerce and m-commerce at play, banks need to shift their business model – from bricks and mortar to clicks and mortar.
I love traveling. I love David versus Goliath tales. And I enjoy reading about business strategies.
Put this together and what have we got?ย The Roadside MBAย by economics and business professors Michael Mazzeo, Paul Oyer and Scott Schaefer.
How do we escape the 9-5 shackles of corporate drudgery to build a life of adventure, meaning and purpose? Can we do this with $100 (or less) in our pocket?
The answer to both questions is yes. At least according to Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup.
Have you wondered why topย brands like Coca-Cola, Google, Nike and Apple are so successful?ย How do they leapfrogย their competition despite operating in hyper-competitive markets?
The answer lies in the power of their brand essence.ย Thisย isย defined by Brand Focusย as follows:
“Brand essence is the single most compelling thing we can say about the brand that differentiates it from competitor brands as perceived by the consumer. The most powerful brand essences are rooted in a fundamental consumer need.”
Do you know that in 1795, French despot Napoleon Bonaparte offered 12,000 francs as a reward for a grand challenge to preserve food?
Or that Nike’s gamified platform Nike+ helped it to capture nearly 50% of the running shoe market?
Sales guru Zig Ziglar was a master in persuasion (courtesy of Attitudes 4 Innovation)
Persuasion is a huge part of our every day lives. It is a major aspect of human-to-human interactions at work, play or school.
Without it, we are unable to get what we want in our interactions with people.ย And that certainly sucks.
How can marketers navigate an “always on” digital world? Can we achieve greater balance and control of our work and personal lives?
Yes we can! At least according to Lisa Nirell in her latest book “The Mindful Marketer”.
Not exactly the best illustration of leadership (courtesy of Joe Lafferty)
What is true leadership all about? How should a real leader distinguish herself from the rest?
While there are plenty of leadership models around (including some which I have previously blogged about), it may be useful for us to think of true leadership as a list of vital traits which such a person should exemplify.
Ben Simpfendorfer of Silk Road Associates
Are China and India still the “factory” and “outsourced service provider” of the world? How big is the market for Muslim-friendly products and services? What are the promises and perils of trading in the East?
In a sweeping expose on the dynamic forces shaping the “New East”, Ben Simpfendorfer’s The Rise of the New East provides an in-depth view of how the economic resurgence of Asia and the Middle East are changing global markets. Spanning halfway round the globe – from Turkey to the United Arab Emirates to India, South East Asia and China – the book brings one on a fascinating tour of the complex business characteristics governing our neck of the woods.
Image source: PACEDm
Want to raise over $100,000 in Kickstarter in just nine days?
Well, you can pick up some tips from Mike Del Ponte, founder of SOMA – an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable water filtration system.