Brands are all about emotions.  Yes – emotions first, logic second.  The loyal supporters – fans, consumers or followers – are emotionally engaged with the brand story and will willingly give of their preference and pockets to their cherished brands.

But what happens when the brand does something the consumers don’t like – as has been the case of the All Black Jersey and their Corporate Supporter – Adidas. 

All Blacks are part of the Kiwi cultural DNA and therefore our core identity. And fans have been hugely upset by the fact that the All Blacks rugby jersey cost almost twice as much in NZ when much cheaper jerseys can be purchased off shore.  And then to add salt to the wound, NZ got removed from some of the sites so Kiwi fans couldn’t even do this! 

When fans start to feel taken for granted, “ripped off”, forgotten or disadvantaged in some way, then brand integrity is at stake big time and brand reputation comes under challenge. (more…)

Tension, stress and relationship challenges are all part and parcel of life – work and home included. The key is not so much that these exist but how one deals with it. 

 The thing to not do is  “blow up” or wish that the issue will just go away because problems rarely  “just disappear.”  They typically fester and get bigger with time.

Here are a few tips that could help:

• Get to know yourself better. How do you typically react to relationship challenges? We all have our default way of being and reacting.  People can also be either too passive or aggressive neither of which helps.  Learn to be assertive and appropriate.  (more…)

The business world is now more connected than ever before. And companies with global operations have executives who are doing business with new emerging markets – different countries with diverse cultural groups of locals and other international executives.  While the opportunities for business growth and success are immense, challenges also abound.   At a human level, no matter what the culture is and or what advancements have been made technologically, business at its heart is still about people, relationships and connectivity.

If you are doing business with people from a different culture, how do you minimize misunderstanding and faux pas and maximize good will,  co-operation and success?  How do you not only survive but thrive in a culture vastly different from yours?  In such a potentially challenging context, skills involving a keen sense of observation, attunement, genuine interest and emotional intelligence (EQ) become more poignant.  Cultural intelligence is just as important as any other technical skills relevant to your job. The good news is that this  need not be a minefield of unknowns but a journey of learning, discovery and success.  (more…)

Whether you are a manager, leader or an employee, having a sense of entitlement can be a dangerous thing. I am not referring to certain entitlements we all have as per legal, contractual or basic moral rights. But more the sense that comes through one’s place in society, organization or political life, where one gets used to a level of position, power, privilege and perks. “Who I am” takes precedence over “what I do” (or how I perform). (more…)

1. Employee engagement is a three-way process and requires responsibility, accountability and ownership from employer, employees and the organization.  We talk about employee engagement including the kinds of things employees need to feel engaged and what the managers and leaders need to provide. The latter certainly have an active role in harnessing the best of their talent and creating a rich culture that people want to be part of and enjoy coming to work.  There is certainly a lot that can be done at the level of leadership engagement behaviours.  However, employees aren’t mere passive receptacles of these initiatives but are also active players who have a role in shaping a great workplace. (more…)