*Kroger Buys Albertsons For $25B - Will It Work?  This latest mega M&A deal has us wondering:  why do many such deals fail?  Let’s look at the Marketing and Sales reasons why many promising combinations of two smart companies often fall well short of expectations, and what can be learned.  
 

*GE’s New Focus - the Great Break Up.  Once the poster child of conglomeration is now breaking into GE Aerospace, GE Vernova and GE HealthCare to focus.  What can the magnetic effect of focus possibly do for your business?
 

*What are the best inventions of 2022? From Time magazine’s list of the 200 Best Inventions of the Year… we’ll get the details on several of the most interesting, important, entertaining and fun inventions. We’ll also be looking at the creativity – and innovation – strategies behind them! (This will be the first of two parts.)

 

*Return to Office - How social media is being used to make coming back to the office look inviting to young professionals.

 

*It’s time to dust off your “failure resume” - Embracing failure is becoming increasingly acceptable in the world of business with studies showing failure early in your career leads to more future success. How can we best leverage our failures to drive future success in our businesses?
 

Key Words: Kroger, Albertsons, GE, General Electric, Remote Work, Inventions, Failure

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Tim Boyd
Produced by Tracylynne Williams
 

In this session we discuss:

*Have you checked out a Return Bar yet? We have been enjoying the trend of free online returns for a few years. The problem is that returns are not free to the merchants - the average retailer has $166 million in returns for every $1 billion in sales.  What can companies do to minimize costs & regain profit?  There are some great lessons if your business is looking for creative ways to cut rising costs and keep your customers happy.
 

*At Google’s AI event this month a new prototype writing program named Wordcraft was debuted. Unlike other AI writing tools like Jasper and Open AI, Wordcraft was built to help writers create works of fiction, even complete novels! What might some of the ramifications of the new AI writing tools be for business productivity, creativity, talent recruiting and culture building? Let’s find out!  

*As the tech industry cuts jobs, it shines a new light on an old question: Is there a right way to downsize?

*The Unforeseen Impacts of Unconscious Bias on your Business

Diversity in the workplace is becoming increasingly popular. Are businesses participating because of the favorable optic or because they realize the value it can have on their financial success?

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV
 

Hosted by Tim Boyd
Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this session we discuss:

*Over-engineering Insight Programs

Companies are investing more money, time and effort than ever in trying to generate insights into customer buying behavior and market dynamics.  In the process, they are creating vocabulary, definitions and tools that are having the opposite effect; causing companies to miss insights that they could leverage.  Here’s how to avoid over-complicating your insights program.

*The 4 Day Work Week - Is it Possible? Other countries have proven that a 4 Day can definitely be successful.

*Delivering on a Living Wage During a Recession

Many organizations around the world have committed to providing a living wage. How will they navigate this and their other ESG commitments when their bottom lines are under pressure like they haven’t seen for many years?

*Does your mayo need a mission statement? Can a condiment change the world? What does it mean to have a purpose driven organization?

*Why Supply Chain Problems are Not Going Away Soon

Jim Farley, CEO at Ford said in a recently in an AOL interview, “It feels like supply chain whac-a-mole!” He of course was referring to the never-ending sequential crises hitting supply chains across the globe. Pandemic, inflation, currency volatility, logistic imbalances, talent shortages, restrictive tariffs, energy shortages, hurricanes and other natural disasters are forcing supply chain managers to rethink their strategies almost daily. Such replanning requires both a resilient culture and a resiliency  tools to support daily replanning efforts.  The big problem is that if your company is not a true resilient enterprise, it may be too late. Let’s talk about strategies if your business falls into this last conundrum.

*The circular economy meets marketplaces

When we think of marketplaces we typically think of large diverse marketplaces like Amazon selling new goods.  However, there is a lot of movement regarding secondhand marketplaces.  For example, this month Goodwill launched an online shopping site, that will sell all sorts of secondhand goods including fashion labels like Guchi and Prada.  There has also been growing M&A activity.  Naver, the South Korean tech platform, will acquire fashion marketplace Poshmark for $1.2B.  The move follows Etsy's acquisition of the fashion resale platform and Poshmark competitor Depop for $1.62 billion last year.  If we are, in fact, heading into a recession then these marketplaces may do quite well as consumers become more frugal. But it may also speak to a deeper trend which is two more effective reuse or what some call the circular economy. A circular economy keeps materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible as the need for more sustainable modes of production becomes more pressing.  Marketplaces are great ways to realize the circular economy by matching the supply of reused items with needs.  

*Reflecting on the past with the James Webb Space Telescope

Looking backward is crucial to helping us move forward. How the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will radically transform our understanding of the universe and how it has already shown us why we continue to dare to do big things

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!

https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Tim Boyd

Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this session we discuss:

*Bed, Bath & Beyond – are they ANOTHER example of a company not updating their trend analysis? Are they the latest “Pandemic Darling” to meet troubled times in the post-pandemic world (e.g., Peloton, Netflix, Wayfair)? What lessons can B2B companies learn from this case?

*What is tenniscore… and why has it become such a hot trend? As important, how can any company leverage the “innovation principles of success” behind the tenniscore phenomenon to create their own “next big thing?”

*Is “Quiet Quitting” a new phenomenon in the workplace or has it always existed and is just getting louder? Is there anything companies can do about it?

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Mary Abbazia
Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this session we discuss:

*Implications of the CHIPS and Science Act 2022 on future careers and workforce development

*Alphabet (aka Google) is becoming a force in health care,  (wearables, health records, AI & extending human longevity).  What might this mean to your business in terms of possible competition & complementors?

*What the Feud Between Two Competing Professional Golf Tours Can Teach Us About Branding and Positioning.  The PGA Tour and the new Saudi-backed LIV tour are engaging in an epic battle for the world’s greatest professional golfing talent.  The conflict is producing valuable marketing lessons for all businesses in any industry.

*IBM has been a sponsor of the Wimbledon and US Open tennis tournaments for 30 years… and are using both of these events to help launch their new “Let’s Create” advertising campaign and business development strategy. What’s behind the “Let’s Create” campaign, and why does IBM want us all to make a trip to their “IBM Garage?”

*McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Others are Gearing Hiring Around Reaching a 90-Day Milestone.  Is Employee Onboarding Finally Getting the Attention it Deserves?

*After 40 years, DeLorean is planning a comeback with a new all electric vehicle called the Apha 5.  How they are going to do it is revolutionary.  

*The rise of internal talent marketplaces is transforming organizations as we know them. From how talent is connected to work to how careers are guided to how skills are acquired and deployed, every facet of the human experience of work is changing. Are we ready?

*Prior to the pandemic, industry 4.0 initiatives were well underway in many companies that participate in global supply chains. Then BOOM! In a matter of months, the pandemic brought to light changes necessary to compete in the new digital world, including numerous talent issues.  One of the most interesting talent discoveries was that resiliency skills in chief supply chain officers and COO’s positions them to become the CEOs of the future.  A recent World Economic Forum article presents THREE reasons for this new opportunity.

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Alan Dunn
Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this session we discuss:

*Apple just announced Apple Pay Later! What does this mean for you and your business? How might this shape the finance industry?

*The “Cola Wars” are Heating Up Again…Only This Time in E-sports! What’s Happening…and How Can Firms Who Target Older Consumers also Play? Let’s Find Out!

*Airbnb’s “live and work from anywhere” policy - Is this the beginning of a “nomadic” workforce?

*Reflections on Davos

*Digital Outside, Complexity Inside McD & More

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Hari Abburi
Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this session we discuss:

*How is Tropicana’s new offer - cereal with orange juice - interesting for B2B companies? How can complementors add value to your products and services?

*Not so fast on that inflation-driven price hike! Why Netflix lost $54 billion in market cap in one day!

*A social media contest with $50 million in prizes… that only multi-millionaires can enter – without risking any of their own money?

*Does your mayo need a mission statement? Can a condiment change the world? What does it mean to have a purpose-driven organization?

*Oh Tweet! It is not a Musk problem.

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV
 

Title: Apple and iPhone Subscriptions, Making Fun Of Your Own Brand, Bat Wings & Caltech, The “Great Resignation” Regret, Dear Starbucks, Mercer’s new Global Talent Trends, and Starbucks CEO Recommendations.

In this session we discuss:

*Given the slowing pace of innovation - can Apple make more money by selling iPhone subscriptions? If you sell equipment, what lessons might you borrow from Apple?

*Why Making Fun Of Your Own Brand May Be a Smart Thing to Do - recently, brands like Dominos, Lenovo and Buick poked fun at themselves and profited. Why would they do it, and what can you learn from this unorthodox approach?

*The structure of a bat’s wing is helping inspire the design of a revolutionary new robot at Caltech. Can you use a similar process of imitating nature – known as biomimicry – to reinvent your products and services? Let’s find out!

*A recent survey finds that about 1 in 5 workers who quit their jobs during the “Great Resignation” regret it. How can companies turn the “Great Resignation” into the “Great Engagement”?

*Mercer’s new Global Talent Trends study points to the continuation of a troubling perspective on the part of many corporate leaders; companies’ continued reluctance to invest in upskilling talent for fear of them leaving. What’s the solution?

*What are Community-Driven Companies and what advantages do they have? 

*Dear Starbucks, We have CEO recommendations for you.

Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click!
https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Hari Abburi
Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this episode we discuss:

*See how Nike is stepping up their Brand value with a new channel strategy. What are Nike’s customers doing in response? What are the B2B implications of this type of strategy?

*Why CX Is a Higher Priority Than Product Quality: In a recent survey of close to 2000 executives, Customer Experience was rated a higher priority than product/service quality by a large margin; and twice as important as improving pricing! Why is customer experience such a huge agenda item - and what are some simple, time-tested strategies that B2Bs can implement to improve their customer’s experiences?

*How can you “de-commoditize” a Commodity? Creativity AND Social media! We’ll see how Vaseline stopped “slugging” it out on the store's shelves, and is instead now “slugging” onto the skin… with the hashtag #slugging” now hitting over 150 million views on TikTok! The Curious and Cuirky question: Is there a trend you can ride for your brand?

*Airbnb - Pay, Don’t Stay - How a Worldwide Movement Can Change a Company

*The Future of the Retail Experience. Building a brick-and-mortar store or even a digital marketplace is not enough. Customers are increasingly looking for experiences. Experiences are increasingly the new product.

*The Simplicity Challenge.: Why is Walgreens Replacing Fridge Doors with Touch Displays?

https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV

Hosted by Hari Abburi

Produced by Tracylynne Williams