CEO Branding
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
“CEO Branding” has never been a more important or relevant topic than it is in today’s highly charged business and economic climate. Working with some of the top CEOs in the country I can tell you from first hand experience that to the one, chief executives at the top of their game all place CEO branding near the top of their priority list. With the public’s overall perception of CEOs as a class being at near all time lows, there is much work to be done in the arena of CEO Branding. The simple truth of the matter is that what was once the most coveted title in the world, now rests just above villain status in the minds of many. In today’s post I’ll address the benefits of CEO Branding both for the chief executive and the corporation they serve…
Design Matters
Friday, September 19th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Let me make my position very clear…design absolutely matters. Whether it is aesthetic, functional, creative, process, innovative, intellectual, technical or applicational…design matters. While I have heard many a professional downplay the value of design, it has been my experience that most business people who espouse this opinion are commenting on something outside of their domain expertise in an attempt to justify a competing agenda or a position of ignorance. While this position may seem a bit harsh, it is nonetheless true. In today’s blog post I’ll examine why design matters.
How Not To Advertise…
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
While I’ve seen some great TV spots over the years, Microsoft has created the perfect case study in how not to advertise with its latest commercial. If you think a large advertising budget coupled with a celebrity endorsement will move mountains, then I suggest you watch this video by Microsoft. This ad is one of the worst I’ve seen, and is the perfect reason to fire an ad agency…
While much could be said about this ad, the following check list sums-up my evaluation:
- Cool - no
- Funny - gong
Recession Proof Your Business
Friday, August 22nd, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Want to recession proof your business? Increase your marketing expenditures. If you’re the short-sighted CEO who cuts back on marketing, branding, and advertising budgets in an attempt to reduce costs, shame on you…Top CEOs recognize that economic slow-downs are not all doom-and-gloom. In fact, the smartest executives understand that swimming upstream against the conventional wisdom of the risk adverse can actually create significant opportunities for growth. By making heavy operating investments into marketing, advertising, business development, and sales initiatives, the aggressive enterprise can create significant competitive separation during a time when many are pulling back on such expenditures. In today’s post I’ll make the business case for applying contrarian thinking by becoming very bullish in the face of a waning economy…
Top CEOs leverage Great Messaging
Monday, August 18th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Top CEOs understand the power, influence, and leverage created by great messaging. Do you ever find yourself sitting back and marveling at those chief executives who always seem to have the right thing to say? Contrast this with the feelings you have when you hear an awful sound-bite that makes a CEO look either uninformed or unintelligent. The difference between the two aforementioned examples is that top CEOs have mastered the art of finding the right message regardless of the medium, market, or constituency being addressed. In today’s post I’ll share some of the messaging secrets used by the world’s top CEOs…
Marketing Gone Awry
Monday, August 4th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Has your company’s marketing gone awry? Is the proverbial tail starting to wag the dog with respect to current marketing initiatives? How do you know when marketing is out of control? Those of you familiar with this blog know that I’m generally a strong advocate for sales and marketing driven organizations. However my typical pro-marketing position assumes that certain key fundamentals are in place to insure that the lunatics don’t somehow become in charge of the asylum. In today’s post I’ll discuss how to keep marketing in check so that brand focus is maintained and your company avoids the costly trap of marketing gone awry…
Influence and Personal Branding
Friday, June 27th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
I’m often asked how to tangibly measure personal brand equity and my answer is quite simple The value of a personal brand is directly proportionate to its ability to create and wield influence. When it comes to the subject of personal branding much has been written about authenticity, transparency, marketability, thought leadership, etc., but it is the ability to leverage the sum of these individual brand components for influence that determines the true strength of a personal brand. Put simply, a personal brand that cannot open doors or influence actions and decisions is not much of a personal brand.
First Impressions
Thursday, June 19th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
So, do first impressions really matter? While they shouldn’t, the reality is that they most certainly do. As the old saying goes “you only get one chance to make a first impression,” and often times it is the perception of appearance that determines whether or not you are even afforded the opportunity to get up to bat. The truth is that most people when first meeting someone will quickly attempt to size them up. Whether consciously, or unconsciously, they will make quick value judgments in an effort to assess your credibility and flesh out your agenda. In today’s post I’ll examine how managing appearances can have a substantial impact on your personal brand and your success.
Is Your PR Effective?
Monday, May 5th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
When was the last time you received a call from the media asking you to provide an expert opinion to be included in an upcoming article? How about the last time you were invited to speak at a trade show or conference? When was the last time you authored anything that was published (and I’m not talking about an e-mail, memo or business letter)? If the aforementioned items are not happening on a regular basis then you are perhaps missing out on one of the most powerful brand building opportunities PR.
Read The Full PostFinally, A Law Firm That Gets It…
Monday, April 21st, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Surely I jest…A law firm that gets it? I have been waiting to be able to make this statement for most of my professional life, and to be candid, I actually thought I would be dead and buried long before I found a firm that would wake up and smell the roses. No single industry has been guilty of lagging behind the times more than the legal profession. In fact, I think it is fair to say that no industry is more adverse to change than our venerable friends in the practice of law. In today’s post I’ll refer you to a law firm in Chicago that is going to revolutionize the way attorneys conduct business in the future…
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