The data delusion
We’ve now had about a decade of the “big data” craze. Data, we have learned, is the answer. It’s the ultimate competitive advantage. It doesn’t lie. The business of the future will be “data driven”. Businesses are obsessed with collecting our data, believing that if they get enough of it, the solution will surely present […]
The one click rule
A common failing of young brands is trying to be too good. Too healthy, too high performance, too ethical, too whatever. Now this might add up to an objectively splendid product, but splendid products aren’t necessarily what sell. The market doesn’t value “the best”. It values “easy to buy”. It values “familiar”. Push too far […]
The art of changing nothing
The most difficult (and often effective) strategy for any company to master is this: changing nothing. We all suffer from an almost irresistible urge to tinker. To be active. To keep things fresh and interesting. Not to stand still. We’re told constantly that innovation is the lifeblood of a business. So its understandable that, if […]
How not to sell to retailers
This piece first appeared with Young Foodies, a community for the UK’s up-and-coming food and drink brands. Generally speaking, there are two ways for a young CPG brand to impress a retailer. Numbers Argument The numbers game is simple. If you’ve got fantastic figures from elsewhere you can flash them in front of a buyer, […]
The myth of visionary leadership
Very successful people tend to be surprisingly ordinary. The average millionaire entrepreneur you meet will tend to be highly competent, no question, and generally fairly talented in some manner too. However, they rarely match the image people have in their head of someone unusually insightful, or brilliant. Typically, in their role of management, they’re quite […]
Forget “purpose”, do this instead
A sad fact of life is that even the best ideas will often get warped and simplified to the point of uselessness. As concepts pass through the public consciousness, people will inevitably focus on their most “sticky” elements, slowly changing their meaning until they barely resemble their original definition. For example, consider “integrity”. Integrity, quite […]
A shortcut to good strategy
It has been said that the true competitor of a Harley Davidson is not a Yamaha, or a Honda, but in fact a conservatory. Within this quip lies the most fundamental of strategic truths; one which vanishingly few businesses acknowledge or understand: Your true category is probably not defined by products similar to yours. Naturally, […]
NEW PUBLICATION: Make companies without competitors
Following the success of the previous Basic Arts publication Make interesting companies, not interesting advertising, I’m delighted to announce the follow-up Make companies without competitors. This “mini-book” features 50 pages of brand new material, focusing on the theory and practice of designing a business that has no direct competitors in its market – even if […]
Why “big brand thinking” is poison for independents
In spite of everything you read – including here – there isn’t really one right way to run a business. Businesses can become successful via all sorts of weird strategies, including ones that are diametrically opposed to one another. The single greatest fissure of this type is that between independent companies, and group companies. By […]
In praise of cannibalisation
Hindsight, as we know, is a wonderful thing. Looking back on the great business failures of our time, the likes of Blockbuster and Kodak, and none of us believe that we would have made the same fatal errors of judgement. How could we? Their mistakes were so glaring that surely they would have been obvious […]