• Running

    You can learn a lot about how people approach their careers by looking at how they approach their hobbies. Running is such an important part of my life that I have created a separate blog for it, Predawn Runner. Whether you are recreational or competitive, I welcome you to join me there in discussing how we fit running into an already-full life.

Category Archives: Strategy

Building a Better Business Sense

By Greg | Published: February 16, 2010

Demonstrating good business sense or orientation is a key leadership skill. While it may be a natural talent, there are steps you can take to further develop this capability. Here are four investments you can make in your career to help you build a better business sense.

Also posted in Leadership | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

A Market Segmentation Example

By Greg | Published: December 3, 2009

After laying out the differences between market segmentation and classification in a previous blog post, this follow-up post provides an example of how segmentation was used to target growth for a new product by selecting customers for whom it had the greatest value proposition, allowing it to be priced at a significant premium to existing offerings.

Also posted in Marketing | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Market Segmentation for Industrial Marketers – Why You’re Probably Doing it Wrong

By Greg | Published: November 24, 2009

As a marketer, you are undoubtedly familiar with the concept of market segmentation, where you divide your market into identifiable customer groups to improve your targeting. A key concept for proper market segmentation is that customers should be grouped by values (needs and wants) and the behaviors these values drive. It is important not to confuse segmentation with classification, where customers are grouped by characteristics which are not necessarily predictive of how they will respond to a specific value proposition.

Also posted in Marketing, Parenting | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Why the US Chamber of Commerce should Stand Firm on their Cap and Trade Position

By Greg | Published: November 16, 2009

The US Chamber of Commerce, which has come under pressure and lost some larger business members due to its position on cap and trade, is right to insist that such legislation be created through Congress and not directly by the EPA. Apple, Nike, and GE are acting short-sightedly in their criticism of the Chamber’s position.

Posted in Strategy | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Are Starbucks’ Big Gambles Paying Off? Too Early to Tell, but Reasons to be Encouraged

By Greg | Published: November 7, 2009

Starbucks’ actions on opening 15th Ave. Coffee and Tea and introducing Via instant coffee may have looked like gambles, but early signs are encouraging, and there is a lot that was done right with the experiments. The threat of cannibalization to their in-store experience is pretty minimal, and the margins on the Via brand are worth the slight risk.

Also posted in Marketing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment