Good Companies, Bad Advertising
Here’s a new investment strategy: sell shares of any company that trots out new advertisements that reek of self-importance. Morgan Stanley and Apple – which both have new campaigns running now – would top the list.
Firing George Zimmer
It’s never easy to fire the CEO, especially if he’s been in the big chair for many years, like George Zimmer of Men’s Wearhouse. But if you’re going to do it, you need sound reasons – and you need to say what they are. The company’s board is learning that lesson the hard way.
Presidential Campaign Tactics Go Mainstream
As the Obama campaign swept up the confetti from its victory party last November, observers cited the campaign’s superior technology as the key difference in the race. It was a highly sophisticated effort that involved identifying new voters and coaxing them to the polls – a relentless, data-driven process that mixed old-fashioned organizing with 21st-century […]
An Echo from Refco
Law firm Mayer Brown LLP has quietly settled claims it aided a $1.5 billion fraud at Refco, the brokerage that collapsed in 2005. Unlike Refco’s spectacular fall, the news brought no front-page headlines, only a modest report in a trade journal based on a routine court filing. But Refco still holds lessons for today.
What the Dog Heard (About PR Measurement)
After the dog woke up last night at 4am for some unknown reason I was unable to fall back to sleep, so naturally I thought about a proposal I’d been working on, particularly the client’s request for a methodology for measuring the impact of their communications program.
Tim Cook Succeeds Where Mitt Romney Failed
Did you notice that Apple CEO Timothy Cook sounded a lot like Mitt Romney when he faced a grilling over Apple’s taxes? Both Cook and Romney faced tough questions about their aggressive tax-minimization strategies. Cook and Apple emerged unscathed from the ordeal, while Romney’s candidacy suffered a blow from which it never recovered. Why?
GE’s Brilliant Road Show
GE is taking its show on the road – literally – with a cross-country bus tour to promote its small business lending program. It’s a brilliant adaptation of old tactics for a new-media age.
The Many Ironies of Bloomberg’s Terminal-Peeping
The Bloomberg terminal-peeping scandal is rich in irony. It has launched a media feeding-frenzy that could run for a while – and prove difficult for the company to manage.
Microsoft’s Coke Moment
For Microsoft, giving the Financial Times an exclusive interview with a senior executive to discuss Windows 8 must have seemed like a good idea at first. Then the story appeared.
Managing the Risks and Benefits of LinkedIn
We are pleased to offer a guest post on how companies can use LinkedIn to advance their business, while controlling the risks associated with a highly visible social-media presence.