Start with the End in Mind

 There was a great article a few weeks ago in the Harvard Business Review by David I. Collis, Michael G. Rukstad titled (Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? ).  The article highlights that “most executives cannot articulate the objective, scope, and advantage to their business in a simple statement.  If they can’t, neither can anyone else.”

So how does an organization develop a successful and clear strategy?  With the end in mind.  Not a literal end but a place in the future no less than three years and no more than five years away.  Anything less than three years does not provide enough time to deal with the real challenges and changes that will be needed to be successful.  Anything more than five becomes un-grounded in reality because there is so much evolution in the marketplace driven by the advance of technology.

Social Networks Lose Advertising Impact

There is an interesting article in Business Week on the decline in effectiveness of ads on myspace.  The article highlights a growing problem in the on-line advertising space, the diminishing ROI of on-line ads.  For those who follow the convergence of media, the evolution of technology and the advancement of the Internet – this should come as no surprise.

The fundamental problem with the on-line advertising model is that it is based on a one directional, on dimensional advertising concept developed for traditional media.  Is it surprising that customers continue to “tune out” advertising as highlighted in the article?

With Microsoft (and possibly Rupert Murdoch) attempting to purchase Yahoo, it is clear that there is still a great deal of evolution that needs to occur before the market finds a new equilibrium of how business communicate with consumers.  There is a great deal more change to come, and it will profoundly effect every company and organization.