Number of words – 205 Birkenstock sandals, tie dyed T shirts, daisy chains and a VW van. All are symbols of the Hippie ideals of peace, love and all things vegetarian. So it was a bit of a surprise in 2004 when Volkswagen introduced $70,000 luxury model to their lineup. The company famous for putting … Read more

Number of words – 115 Energy motivates but charisma inspires. Energy is easy to see, easy to measure and easy to copy. Charisma is hard to define, near impossible to measure and too elusive to copy. All great leaders have charisma, because all great leaders have clarity of why, an undying belief in a purpose … Read more

Number of words – 228 Southwest Airlines is famous for pioneering the 10 minute turn around – the ability to deplane and board a plane in 10 minutes. This ability helps an airline make more money, because the more the planes are in the sky, the better the company is doing. What few people realise … Read more

Number of words – 214 People doing laundry want the detergent to help get their clothes not just clean, but very clean. Soap brands attempt to differentiate how they got your white whiter and brights brighter by trying to convince customers that one additive was more effective than another. Protein, said one brand. Colour enhancers, … Read more

Number of words – 173 Manipulations are a perfectly valid strategy for driving a transaction, or any behaviour that is only required once or on rare occasions. The rewards the police use are designed to incentivize witnesses to come forward to provide tips or evidence that may lead to an arrest. And, like any promotion, … Read more

Number of words – 241 In the 1970s, there were only two types of Colgate toothpaste. But as competition increased, Colgate’s sales started to slip. The company introduced a new product that included a new feature, the addition of fluoride, perhaps. Then another. Then another. Whitening. Tartar control. Sparkles. Stripes. Each innovation certainly help boost … Read more

Number of words – 363 There is a wonderful story of a group of American car executives who went to Japan to see a Japanese assembly line. At the end of the line, the doors were put on the hinges, the same as in America. But something was missing. In the United States, a line … Read more

Number of words – 1,958 There’s increasing evidence to show that trees are able to communicate with each other. More than that, trees can learn. If that’s true — and my experience as a forester convinces me it is — then they must be able to store and transmit information. And scientists are beginning to … Read more

Number of words – 612 Mark Cuban grew up working class in Pittsburgh. His father installed upholstery in cars and his mom worked a myriad of odd jobs. Today, Cuban is worth more than $3 billion, owns the Dallas Mavericks and is a star on ABC’s hit reality television show, “Shark Tank.” He chased any … Read more