Developing an effective value proposition is not a dark art. It’s a worthy exercise for all organisations and is in reach of all. Here are a few lessons and tips about crafting a great one.

Think first, write second

Not only is it easiest to get your ideas out there firs...

As I was driving home a few weeks ago I was taken by this billboard from McDonald’s. It’s part of their new-ish ‘Our food, your questions’ campaign. What ‘took’ me wasn’t the campaign itself but rather that the question, ‘Does your ice cream have pig fat at all in it?’...

Social entrepreneurship uses business to empower socially-motivated causes. It’s been around for about as long as people have but it feels like it’s going through something of an explosion. Anyone who subscribes to Springwise would be aware of the creative, dynamic and...

It seems like a fairly obvious insight – create your product or service around the customer’s world…not yours. Yet, this insight is stunningly absent from a fair number of business strategies. In reality, it’s not hard to do but it is a choice and, for Heads-up creator...

A retail downturn and a market with highly recognised, established brands is hardly the ‘ideal’ context for launching a new business.

If you want to build a brand in this environment, you have two options: play in someone else’s space (sounds crowded? yes, it is), or cr...

DNA to one side, the work of my older brother Daniel’s media production company, Graetzmedia, is of the highest standard I’ve seen. Dan recently won a Golden Tripod at the 2012 Australian Cinematographers Society National Awards for Cinematography, in the Experimental...

Whether or not you have the constraint of a low budget, it pays to be resource smart in your marketing communications program. Here are a few pointers that can make a big difference:

1. Capitalise on seasonality. If you're in retail this might mean spending less during...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is getting increasing airtime in business circles. There’s no question that it can be a ‘forced hand’ strategy…everyone’s ‘doing it’ so we have to as well. It can also be a manipulative strategy…solely the desire to look good and m...

Whether you’re a manager, a marketer or any professional handed the classic ‘do more with less’ challenge, there are some lessons you may find useful in a process that isn’t born out of business strategy.

During my community development studies at Deakin University, I c...