Curious & Cuirky

In this episode, we discuss:   *DeBeers, who has been the market leader for decades - may no longer be the price leader as they try to respond to new market trends and technology (lab-grown diamonds). What can you learn about your market leadership & pricing power?   *We know that “X” marks the spot, but should it also be a “trade-in” (and “trade-off”) for the well-established Twitter brand/tradem...

In this episode, we discuss the following: *Barbenheimer – a great demonstration of Co-opetition & Segmentation. It provides several best practices for B2B companies to consider in their industry. *Back-to-school…of the future! How might AI affect teaching and learning, both positively and negatively? Let’s find out!     *How do you move thousands of musical and sound instruments, a stage the size...

In this episode, we discuss: *What can B2B strategists learn from the PGA/LIV Professional Golf Merger? *How important is failure to successful innovation programs? *The return to office wars - are they over? *Urban apartments *The Amazon Go Experience: Sacrificing your data for convenience Hosted by Tim Boyd Produced by Tracylynne Williams

In this session, we discuss:     *The Disney Juggernaut Back on Track: Disney has been in the news lately for a lot of reasons, but the rehiring of former CEO Bob Iger seems to signify a doubling-down on the organization's legendary customer focus. Let's take a look at the strategic reasons behind Dinsey's latest moves, with a particular emphasis on the Disney+ streaming service and the implicatio...

In this session, we discuss:     *Why did Tesla slash its prices by up to 20% on its cars earlier this year? Why now? Pricing strategies are critical - especially when an industry is shifting. How much pricing leadership do you have?   *In his book, Hit Makers, The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction, author Derek Thompson recommends a strategy for creating hits by leveraging the princi...

In this session we discuss:     *How can you tell the difference between a Trend or Fad? How can Beyond Meat provide lessons for B2B Technology Companies? If you are on the "receiving end" of a potential trend that could disrupt your business - are there ways to mitigate your potential risk?     *The Future of Team Ideation.. Part 2! How might the new visual AI content creation programs affect the...

*The Brighter Side of Risk - whether it’s war, pandemic, inflation or recession, managing risk is essential in today’s business world.  But if you could turn risks into new offerings, perhaps you would view an uncertain environment as the best time to compete.   *The Future of Team Ideation… How might the new AI content creation programs affect the design and facilitation of team ideation (or brai...

*“Kidults” an emerging segment since the pandemic, driving $9B in the toy industry (25% of US toy sales and 60% dollar growth). Learn how Legos and others are leveraging the trend and what it might it mean for your business strategy.     *The Best Inventions of 2022… Part 2! From Time magazine’s list of the 200 Best Inventions of the Year. We’ll get the details on several of the most interesting,...

*Kroger Buys Albertsons For $25B - Will It Work?  This latest mega M&A deal has us wondering:  why do many such deals fail?  Let’s look at the Marketing and Sales reasons why many promising combinations of two smart companies often fall well short of expectations, and what can be learned.       *GE’s New Focus - the Great Break Up.  Once the poster child of conglomeration is now breaking into GE A...

In this session we discuss: *Have you checked out a Return Bar yet? We have been enjoying the trend of free online returns for a few years. The problem is that returns are not free to the merchants - the average retailer has $166 million in returns for every $1 billion in sales.  What can companies do to minimize costs & regain profit?  There are some great lessons if your business is looking for...

In this session we discuss:   *Over-engineering Insight Programs Companies are investing more money, time and effort than ever in trying to generate insights into customer buying behavior and market dynamics.  In the process, they are creating vocabulary, definitions and tools that are having the opposite effect; causing companies to miss insights that they could leverage.  Here’s how to avoid ove...

In this session we discuss: *Bed, Bath & Beyond – are they ANOTHER example of a company not updating their trend analysis? Are they the latest “Pandemic Darling” to meet troubled times in the post-pandemic world (e.g., Peloton, Netflix, Wayfair)? What lessons can B2B companies learn from this case? *What is tenniscore… and why has it become such a hot trend? As important, how can any company lever...

In this session we discuss: *Implications of the CHIPS and Science Act 2022 on future careers and workforce development *Alphabet (aka Google) is becoming a force in health care,  (wearables, health records, AI & extending human longevity).  What might this mean to your business in terms of possible competition & complementors? *What the Feud Between Two Competing Professional Golf Tours Can Teach...

In this session we discuss: *Apple just announced Apple Pay Later! What does this mean for you and your business? How might this shape the finance industry? *The “Cola Wars” are Heating Up Again…Only This Time in E-sports! What’s Happening…and How Can Firms Who Target Older Consumers also Play? Let’s Find Out! *Airbnb’s “live and work from anywhere” policy - Is this the beginning of a “nomadic” wo...

In this session we discuss: *How is Tropicana’s new offer - cereal with orange juice - interesting for B2B companies? How can complementors add value to your products and services? *Not so fast on that inflation-driven price hike! Why Netflix lost $54 billion in market cap in one day! *A social media contest with $50 million in prizes… that only multi-millionaires can enter – without risking any o...

Title: Apple and iPhone Subscriptions, Making Fun Of Your Own Brand, Bat Wings & Caltech, The “Great Resignation” Regret, Dear Starbucks, Mercer’s new Global Talent Trends, and Starbucks CEO Recommendations. In this session we discuss: *Given the slowing pace of innovation - can Apple make more money by selling iPhone subscriptions? If you sell equipment, what lessons might you borrow from Apple?...

In this episode we discuss:   *See how Nike is stepping up their Brand value with a new channel strategy. What are Nike’s customers doing in response? What are the B2B implications of this type of strategy?   *Why CX Is a Higher Priority Than Product Quality: In a recent survey of close to 2000 executives, Customer Experience was rated a higher priority than product/service quality by a large marg...

In this episode we discuss: *What B2B Companies Can Learn About Increasing Their Prices From Companies Like Amazon Prime and Tyson Foods *The Pandemic Will Accomplish What Humans Could Not: Unification of Sales and Marketing. *What Can We Learn About Innovation From The Olympics? A Lot! *Uber Eats and the Possibility of “No” to drive Change *After the “Crypto Bowl” What’s Next for web3?    *Experi...

In this episode we discuss:   *Inflation! The annual inflation rate in the US accelerated to 6.8%. What lessons can we learn from C&H Sugar and others about creative pricing strategies? *Will Some Smaller Company Steal the Super Bowl Again This Year? Several years ago, Volvo “stole” the Super Bowl ad wars with an innovative social media strategy. What can you learn from Volvo’s brilliant campaign?...

In this episode we discuss:   *The Peloton Dilemma *The Vaccine Pill *Facebook Becomes Meta   *The Kohl’s - Amazon Partnership  *The Growth of B2B Platforms *The Thursday Dating App  *Surprising -- and Fun -- Inventions of 2020 *What New Corporate Innovation Strategies Might these Award Winning Inventions Suggest? *Seven Invention Themes  *Super Apps *Platform to Platform Integrations *Specter of...

In this episode we discuss, Understanding How Costco Convinces Suppliers to Compete Against Themselves Is Vital For Your Company’s Future, What’s in a Name? A Space Probe named Lucy? Nike in the Metaverse: Brand Strategies for Web3, Agility Splits GE, End of an Era. Add all monthly events to your calendar in one click! https://rokt.it/3hdjHCV ,

In this episode we discuss how Supply Chain History Repeats, Walt Disney World & Their Magic Recipe for Success Turns the Big 5-0!, How Costco Convinces Suppliers, How Nature Innovates, NFL Plays Football with NFT & The $100b Buy Now Pay Later Trend

In this episode we discuss, A Roomba for Weeds? The Autonomous Weeder by Carbon Robotics.   Has Anyone Seen My Container? How Supply Chain Disruptions are Impacting All of Us.   Mutation Innovation! What Evolution Can Teach Us About Innovation, Lessons from the Life Sciences.   The Race for Super Apps!   And how, Buying Potatoes Will Give You a Dental Discount.   Host: Hari Abburi Link to show pag...

In this episode we discuss if this will be the year that the Grinch steals Christmas, Bold Pricing, Amazon's innovation month, Facebook & new Metaverse jobs economy, and Paris aiming to be a 15 minute city! Host: Hari Abburi Link to show page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caltechexecutiveeducation Show Contributors: Mary Abbazia, Tom Spitale, Bryan Mattimore, Peter C. Evans PhD, Alan Dunn, Har...

In this episode, we discuss enterprise technology, enquiry rights and organization design, Radio Garden and synchronicity, Out-Amazon Amazon’s of the world and Target, Coopetition between Amazon & Kohl's, 3 Types of Platform Leadership Capabilities, Ghost Kitchens, Reef Technologies and Cloud Kitchens. Host: Hari Abburi Link to show page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caltechexecutiveeducation...