Having just read the book, HBR’s 10 Must-Reads on Strategy, that I ordered from Amazon India, I am once again reminded of how central brands are to strategy. Not merely product brand strategy, but to corporate strategy. It’s something I have been thinking about for the past couple of decades that I have been unemployed,… Continue reading When Brands Can Guide Strategy and Execution
Some of you might have seen my posts on LinkedIn about a new book, The Corporation in the 21st Century by John Kay, that I bought and was reading recently. Actually, it was a review that I read in the Financial Times that prompted me to buy and read it. I must admit that I… Continue reading The 21st Century Corporation in the Rear-view Mirror
Time to turn my attention to brands once again, after all the chaos and confusion that Trump’s tariffs have caused from the start of this year. I must say, though, that if companies have to raise prices of their goods in the US and elsewhere, it ought to be because of a superior dimension to… Continue reading Hardwiring Brands into Products and Services
When I read about the latest tranche of Vodafone Idea equity stake that the government of India is going to have to acquire, as spectrum auction dues get converted to equity, the first thought that occurred to me is “Oh gosh! Soon it will become a PSU!” And we all know the fate of our… Continue reading How Not to Allow Vodafone Idea to Go the Air India Way
In all the hype and news flow around AI and technology in general, it appears that there are some changes taking place in a few industries at least that might require us to pay attention. Where these changes might be real and enduring, perhaps it’s time to engage in “What if?” kinds of thought experiments.… Continue reading Implications of Changes in Some Industries: Playing Devil’s Advocate
As an old advertising and brand communications professional in India, I realise that I am writing this post at the time of year when companies gear up for annual appraisals, promotions, increments, etc. It’s a time when employees and company leadership take stock of people’s careers, how they’re faring, what areas of weakness if any… Continue reading What it Means to Be a Woman Professional Amidst So-called Entrepreneurs in India
If many of us thought that Trump’s first term was chaotic and polarizing, we are already beginning to see what Trump 2.0 is going to be like. With his campaign rhetoric of Making America Great Again and America First at his swearing in ceremony at the start of his first term, he had painted this… Continue reading How Should Countries Respond to Trump’s Tariffs?
I began the year by saying that since my blog is celebrating 25 years of the 21st century which has been all about innovations, I should innovate and start sharing some of my ideas. After creating a climate change brand for the UNFCCC which I shared recently on my blog, I thought I’d turn my… Continue reading How the UK Royals Can Build their Brands
This month and the previous one in the New Year, Indian companies have been reporting their quarterly earnings for Q3 FY25. They have been along expected lines in the sense that they are much more muted than in previous quarters and years. Much of this can be explained by the effect of the Covid pandemic… Continue reading India Inc Caught Between Slowdown and Innovation Inertia
It’s been a long time since I last wrote on the UK and the EU economies, which was just around the time of their elections in 2024 and not since then have I considered how they’re faring. Of course, France had its own very consequential election soon after the EU elections, and the big one… Continue reading Weak Economic Growth, Big Plans on the Anvil
Peripatetic Perch 