The business blindspot & the lost fuel of marketing maturity — Prologue Not many of my readers will know that I spent a portion of my career advising companies on risk. From tech risk consultancy, and later leading the business risk advisory practice at the world’s largest broker, running behavioural risk research (where I first fell in love with behavioural economics) …

Nations, Corporations, Executives, and Brands — Do you remember, as a child, dreaming of the things you would do? Do you remember the imagery you had of yourself, of the hero, or the force for good that you would be? Children have a sharp sense of justice and an even sharper rejection of injustice. …

The big problem that no one talks about — “The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!” As the boards of organizations across industries as far afield as banking and insurance, to retail, media, utilities, and telco all grapple…

The Marketing Playbook for Big Tobacco, Dirty Coal, and Digital Advertising is Depressingly Similar — If you’re a parent, you will have noticed those signs at playgrounds, telling oblivious children to “Play with Caution”. No one expects kids to read them of course. Such signs are erected mainly to ensure liabilities have been denied, or limited, and insurance premiums modeled down. …

Marketing’s latest misdirection — Needy. It’s a word you’ve probably heard. You could have even used it yourself, in which case you’ll be imaginging a deeply insecure person who places undue pressure on relationships, usually as they look for acceptance or belonging. The more cruel colloquialism, usually found in the world of dating, may…