Bob Eckert Vs.Isaac Larian - Head to Head Doll War Combat - Watch the video

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A tale of two men who can't solve their differences with business creativity or strategy - so they resort to expensive and time consuming legal pursuits. Bob knows he plaigerized the Bratz - another classic case of one CEO's lack of business creativity; an inability to create his own multi-billion dollar brand from scratch, or identify the trend to take Barbie, the Bratz or the category the next step - oh DRATZ - no just in time licensing opportunity on the horizon! So what's beyond Barbie and Bratz? That's what the right CEO should ask. Like Coca-Cola asking me to identify future consumption drivers in soft drinks. But right now, let's just watch two linear thinking bullies slug it out in court to the delight of lawyers everywhere. So why doesn't Mattel just buy the Bratz? A little public controversy around the holidays is good for both businesses. Media dupped again! Patsies in the doll wars. Thanks for playing our game!

Calle's Carnival of Consumer Marketing - Calle For Submissions - November 20th, 2006 Deadline - "Just who are the marketing experts?"

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Just who are "the marketing experts?" Do marketers at big consumer product companies actually know anything? As Suzanne Lowe writes, "Do marketers have any idea what makes one marketer more expert than another?" Are today's marketing superstars just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time? For example, Starbucks, Nike and Coke were all businesses started by someone else - not Scott Bedbury, Sergio Zyman or Mark Hans-Richter who made the business their own. So what gives them that certain something you and I lack? Is it just that they are there, and you are not?

Cargill - Doing Good. Not So Fast - Calle's Carnival Of Consumer Marketing

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Companies basic to the world's supply chain - such as Cargill and ADM innovate, then get slapped in the face by downstream beneficiaries who otherwise cling to their [old] ideas more tenaciously than their most prized material possessions. Another must read by Vihar Sheth! The nay sayers probably drive SUVs.

Vihar Sheth presents Doing Good? Not So Fast. posted at green|rising.

Who are the marketing experts - Calle's Carnival of Consumer Marketing, November 3, 2006

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What a great question! Today's marketing experts are those lucky enough to ride the crest of the wave (i.e.: Starbucks or Nike) during a company's rapid growth phase - they are deemed "experts" when they are actually just in the right place at the right time and along for the ride. Is this an inflamatory statement? Not if you consider that once the business has become a mature earnings entity, these experts are unable to get the brand past the intersection of target audience and product benefit to resume rapid growth - so they chase consumer ears and eyeballs wherever they can be found.

David, what a great piece! A must read.

David Maister presents Who are the Marketing Experts in Professional Businesses? posted at Passion, People and Principles.

Trackback: http://davidmaister.com/trackback.php?id=250

Out of Office Supplies

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I was called upon by Staples - you know - the office supply people, to train and motivate their outsourced sales force. Of course, I had to set the pace and lead by example - so for every one account their guys would bring in, I'd bring in 26! And I can teach you how!

The first thing we learn is product knowledge. All businesses use toners http://www.tonertopup.co.uk/refill_toner_mary.asp and all businesses use checks. Even though I would encourage business owners to buy cheap checks http://biz.clush.com/cheap_checks_inc they would order designer personal checks instead.

By encouraging business owners to spend less money, they trusted me more - seeing that I was working in their best interest - and spent more! Under the four factors of impulse we call this "Indifference." It is the most powerful and most difficult sales tactic to master because you must be sincere and you must believe in the fact that, "when you help others get what they want, you get what you want."

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