by Robert Bradford | Feb 15, 2019 | Competitive Strategy
We all know that successful differentiation is the key to higher profits. Unless you offer something that a competitor doesn’t offer, you will almost always get sucked into a game of “who can charge the lowest price”. Unfortunately a lot of competitors know...
by Robert Bradford | Feb 8, 2019 | Strategic Planning
Many executives face the prospect of strategic planning with a certain amount of dread. Some of this may be the result of poorly designed processes that make strategy meetings dull and useless, but some comes from the anxiety we feel when we consider an uncertain...
by Robert Bradford | Feb 1, 2019 | Competitive Strategy
Every so often, we encounter markets that are going through competitor consolidation. Usually, this happens when someone convinces investors that the profitability of several players will be higher if they were one. This approach usually leads to mixed results for...
by Robert Bradford | Jan 25, 2019 | Competitive Strategy
Disruptive innovation is not just something that is happening in many industries. It is both a threat to companies that fail to adapt and an opportunity for companies that drive the disruption. One of the most common issues in strategic planning is a failure to...
by Robert Bradford | Jan 18, 2019 | Competitive Strategy
How can you tell when your distinction is real? This question comes up often in strategic planning meetings because real differentiation is extremely important in almost all markets. It’s also an important question because we tend towards a kind of self-delusion that...
by Denise Harrison | Jan 11, 2019 | Strategic Planning
What are your strategic planning problems? Many executives know they need a strategic plan but are left unsatisfied with their planning efforts. Therefore, we would like to know what you find most frustrating/disappointing about your strategic planning process....
by Robert Bradford | Jan 2, 2019 | Strategic Thinking
“Ecosystem” is a funny word to use when talking about strategy. Historically, the term has been used to talk about natural ecosystems. So how can we use that understanding for a better sense of how our strategy can work? In nature, one of the key concepts we can use...
by Robert Bradford | Dec 28, 2018 | Competitive Strategy
As you may know from Simplified Strategic Planning, we tend to counsel companies to pursue either the low cost/price strategy (think Henry Ford or Sam Walton) or one of the two specialty strategies, differentiation or niche strategies. All three are good, but we tend...
by Robert Bradford | Dec 20, 2018 | Competitive Strategy, Strategic Thinking
Pursuing a competitive advantage strategy One of the biggest struggles in strategy is pushing a bold, distinctive identity for your company and brand. This is so common that we start the strategic planning process assuming that we haven’t pushed the envelope. We...
by Robert Bradford | Dec 13, 2018 | Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking
We live, as the old proverb says, in interesting times. This can be exciting – especially if you are the disruptor, changing the industry you are in. It can also be frightening, and it can make good planning extremely difficult. When markets, regulations, the...
by Dana Baldwin | Dec 6, 2018 | Strategic Planning
Proper strategic planning process steps are necessary for the long-term success of an organization The results should guide the future course and direction of the company, and attain success as defined by the management. What are the important steps in good strategic...
