You are on point regarding the key to business successes and sustainability. It is the leadership and the quality of the management team. There are three levels to the concept of a product, the core product, tangible product, and augmented product. The core product is the most essential and always provided in some tangible form. The emphasis on the core product as the sustainable product in the absence of a leader that gets it like Steve Jobs is simply a hype. The leader that is able to pull all the organizations' product lines (core product, tangible products, and the augumented products) to prominence under a strong management that gets it is the one that will demonstrate sustainability. The leader must be able to evaluate each component of the marketing mix to better understand products.
I get the fact that the main objective of marketing a product is to influence the target population’s behavior by offering services and/or benefits that are attractive and affordable. But the tactical components of a succesful marketing mix (the product, promotion, and price) under clear and effective leadership is the organization's key to adapting to its environment and remaining competitive.
The concept of sustainability that is wrapped around a core or sustainable product and the idea of a catalyst is unclear to me.he organization that will thrive with the uncertainities in the external environment, is one that maintains an internal environment which has a cultural system that demonstrate high levels of flexibility, adaptability, and is responsive to changes in the external environments. It is also the organization that maintains the tangible product in association with the core product in a manner that allows the organization to be portrayed as prominent thereby gaining a wide audience, especially if the products are geared towards the audiences needs.
Dave thanks for this: I think your key word here is "implement". While I recognise the value of initiatives like Wal-Mart's to act, as you put it, as a catalyst, the question is: what do they catalyse? I believe they draw management attention to the issues; they demand a mastery of information and data; and they ask searching questions within an important core business funtion of procurement. In that sense I fully support them. However even when these, cap and trade, in Europe consumer demand and in the UK Energy market reform and other cumulative market incentives are present there is one common ingredient in all successful implementation: leadership. To date I have still seen nothing more powerful and few if any substitutes. Just look at the correlation between companies winning the sustainability awards like Unilever and the level of senior sponsorship - its usually the CEO. Someone somewhere in authority within the company must "get it" and do what good business people always do: strategise, innovate; create value and compete in the new context. Without this no amount of catalysts will move a company.
Paul thanks for the article.What do you think will be the catalyst for companies to implement widespread sustainability initiatives in the next 3-5 years?Will it be more companies like Wal-Mart who have their Sustainability Scorecard as a guideline and rating system for their suppliers, or do you see something more drastic like Cap and Trade or some kind of industry or government compliance?Would be interested to get your insights, as I am not sure consumers will be requesting or demanding it for quite some time in enough volumes to force the issue.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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