Business Strategy Archives

May 22

A Dictionary of Business Clichés

By Joe Barkai Business Strategy No Comments

We are drawing in business jargon, clichés and buzzwords. In marketing materials, PowerPoint presentations and in day to day conversations, they are so pervasive that we no longer notice them. We have become so numb that we don’t care about their meaning and what impression they create.

We are so used to some clichés and meaningless phrases that we use them as obligatory business terms and as pseudo-technical specifications. I find this phenomenon most common among small early-stage companies whose marketing materials is often a great example of keyword stuffing.

Here are a few examples.

May 05

Intel’s Mobility-as-a-Service Strategy

By Joe Barkai Automotive, Business Strategy No Comments

Intel Corporation announced it has acquired Israeli mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) company Moovit for approximately $900 million. Moovit’s product is an urban mobility app with particular focus on public transit that helps travelers planning their daily commute by combining public transportation, bicycle and scooter services, ride-hailing, and car-sharing.

According to Intel, the app is used by 800 million customers and transit services in 3,100 cities across 102 countries.

This is the second highly visible acquisition of an Israeli company by Intel. In 2017, Intel acquired Mobileye, a provider of computer vision for autonomous driving technology, for $15.3 billion — the biggest-ever acquisition of an Israeli tech company. Moovit will join the Mobileye business unit and will retain its brand and existing partnerships.

May 04

Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (Andy Warhol, 1963)

Auto Industry’s Short-Term Crisis and Long-Term Decline Risk

By Joe Barkai Automotive, Business Strategy No Comments

The rapid spread of the coronavirus is having a devastating impact on all business sectors and is throwing the economic outlook into uncertainty. Arguably, no other manufacturing sector has been impacted more than auto manufacturers and their suppliers.

Automakers are seeing their revenue and profitability nearly disappearing overnight as potential buyers are stuck in lockdown and shun spending large amounts of cash.

And car manufacturers are also bearing the financial burden of supporting tens of thousands of furloughed employees.

Mar 19

The Most Proximate Cause (Heidi Taillefer, 2008)

From Technology Adoption To Enterprise Adaptation

By Joe Barkai Business Strategy, Internet of Things (IoT) No Comments

Technology Adoption Isn’t the Same as Adaptation.

Product companies are always highly optimistic about the rate in which customers will rush to adopt new innovation. And they are often disappointed.

They are often disappointed and frustrated when the marketing campaigns, press releases and early-adopters sales campaigns yield just that—early adopters that appear to be perfect candidates to exploit the benefits of the new product, yet wide adoption seems to always be in the distant future.

There is always a time lag between innovation adoption and organizational adaptation. Vendors often mistake early small volume buyers and mere tire-kickers for their organization’s willingness and ability to adapt to the changes imposed by the technology and must be heeded before realizing its benefits.

Mar 16

The Coronavirus Pandemic and Your Company’s Brand

By Joe Barkai Business Strategy No Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic, now in its third month, continues to spread around the world, leading to the cancellation of conferences, trade shows and large meeting, as organizers are participating in global efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

In short three months, your plans to take part in your industry’s top trade show have been shattered. No sophisticated displays showcasing your products and attracting high quality prospects. But also no need to fuss over many hours on your feet trying to get the attention of bored conference goers and make them listen to the pitch you are reciting for the umpteen time. And no more expensive dinners and long evenings at the bar.

Now, that all these great opportunities are temporarily unavailable, it is the perfect time to revisit the role of trade shows in your product marketing strategy.

Business Strategy