Fender Guitars: An Iconic Brand

Fender Guitars: An Iconic Brand

by | Jan 28, 2015

Few brands retain their iconic status through takeovers by public companies, buybacks by employees, ownership by investment capitalists, debt, disillusionment, and dilution-unto-absurdity of its product portfolio. But Fender Musical Instruments has survived all that...
No Illusions

No Illusions

by | Jan 27, 2015

When our clients tell us about their products or services, we invariably ask two questions: (1) Is there a market for it? (2) If we hand you a check right now, can we buy it? The latter is to prevent putting carts before horses. The former is to prevent the...
Higher and Hierarchy

Higher and Hierarchy

by | Jan 26, 2015

Here are five perennially perplexing questions, as intriguing as they are troubling and, as yet, unanswered: Why do so many organizations create the position, VP of Sales and Marketing? Why is the VP of Sales and Marketing typically a sales person? Is the chief...
Incognito Cat

Incognito Cat

by | Jan 23, 2015

Sammy’s decided to create an act in which he imitates small power tools. In this photo, he’s doing his best jigsaw imitation. We thought it was pretty good. But the judges said it lacked authenticity. So, he took a nap.
Knowing Write from Wrong: Part 2

Knowing Write from Wrong: Part 2

by | Jan 23, 2015

At a large corporation for which I once worked, my boss’s boss told one of my internal clients (I love that phrase) — a gentleman who disagreed with my counsel on a matter of communication and went over my head to report his pique — to ignore me because,...