Pop Art Blog

I recently helped put on a talk for the AeA Emerging Business Committee. It was entitled Authentic Leadership and it was presented by the leadership consultant Gordon Whitehead. His practice is Captus5 and he writes extensively on the subject of leadership. Good leadership is what drives organizations. Leadership is first and foremost about people . More specifically, it's about influencing people to do the right things (with heavy doses of motivation and encouragement) and making them better... Read More...

There was a great article called "Innovating Through Design" in the Dec. 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review . The article explored how informal collaboration amongst design professionals in Lombardy, Italy, produces incredible innovation in product design. The Lombardy firms' R&D operation, for the most part, can be found neither inside the companies nor in interactions among them. Rather, it comprises a free-floating community of architects, suppliers, photographers, critics... Read More...

One attribute of the Pop Art culture that I enjoy is the tireless pursuit of making ourselves better. We take time out to enjoy successes, but we are looking for the next way we can improve internally and how we can help clients in new ways. In that spirit, the book Corporate Lifecycles by Ichak Adizes was recommended to me by L.B. Day and Frank Roehr - two advisors that I trust. The book is about how all companies follow a certain cycle from infancy to death and some of the pitfalls along the way... Read More...

Last month, I heard something that made me gasp: “ Scion isn't cool anymore ”. Granted, some of you may wonder whether it was ever cool. If you don't appreciate the design personality and in-your-face attitude of the 2005, boxy xB, you are likely to say that Scion's lack of cool factor is not news. To me, it is. Let me backtrack a bit: for Generation Y, “marketing” is often a word that comes charged with negative connotations. There is a lot of confusion on whether a product really is... Read More...

In the book 1984 , George Orwell illustrates for us the impact of a society that is no longer able to question the world they live in. It is groupthink at its worst. A world that is vacant of critical thinking and learning beyond the basic skills needed for survival. Any individual that attempts to question big brother is quickly corrected or disposed of. Many companies, and the individuals in them, suffer from a self-imposed version of Orwell's world. The person that starts asking the tough... Read More...

The most successful e-business implementations excel, not just by being great in one area, but by being good in all areas and great in some areas . Critical E-Business Success Factors Clear business vision and measurable goals A marketing plan that drives your campaigns and programs Scalable and diversified advertising channels A technology framework that is secure, reliable, extensible and agile Brand growth, management and evolution Customer support Alignment of enterprise activities with vision... Read More...

In yesterday’s New York Times , Target was reported to ignore the feedback of a blogger. A Target PR representative explained, “unfortunately, […] Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets”. The blogosphere soon reacted by showing solidarity to the independent writer and wondered our loud, if Target isn't listening to its consumers, wherever they may be, whose input are they considering? The story quickly received coverage on a huge number of blogs and eventually in the New... Read More...

When I think of Project Management and the people in PM roles, I think of strong, confident people that have great initiative to motivate the people around them. Now, when I think of myself, I think of a hard worker, but someone who’s probably a little too shy for her own good. How in the world do I expect to become a strong manager then? Well, I’d have to say it’s all about perspective. While I may not be the most outgoing person, I do have several things in common with strong Project Managers.... Read More...

One for PR, One for Interactive, One for branding, One for direct mail, One for inside sales, One for…need I go on? If your organization is of a certain size, you have a lot of external agencies and vendors to manage. From sharing knowledge and distributing strategic direction, to ownership and territorial issues, connecting and distributing knowledge and work across your vendors can be daunting. As any agency will tell you, we’re here to help you achieve your business goals. Still, when multiple... Read More...

The term "thought leadership" is de rigeur , so fashionable that one can find it with increasing frequency in mission statements, taglines and core value summaries. Yet, can it be said that this term is being used honestly? The term "thought leader" was first coined in 1994 by Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of the magazine, Strategy & Business . Initially, the term simply meant anyone who had contributed new thoughts to business. Since then, the term has spread from business... Read More...