ON BRANDING

Branding can be done even by the smallest company, says an academic. After a company decides what it wants to be known for, David Shore (Harvard School of Public Health) advises executives to compile profiles on competitors by visiting their stores and Web sites, talking to their customers; among other actions to pin down market share. What is also key is: 1) Knowing what "extras" a competitor offers. 2) A successful brand will even go beyond name recognition 3)" Branding equals perceived quality plus strategic awareness plus singular distinction."

The Coach suggests…get on your competitor's mailing list.

ON MURPHY'S LAW IN REVERSE

Andy Kessler (Wall Street Journal) discusses the upside-down world of High-Tech where very often what makes sense is the exact opposite of what works.

1. Smaller is better - cars and diamonds exemplify bigger-is-better thinking, but that Motorola cell phone is getting smaller, cheaper and faster.

2. Things get done when no one is in charge - The Internet was a complicated project that was built with essentially no one in charge. Known as the "open effect."

3. Giving up profits to your partners increases your profits - Dell makes great profits by letting Microsoft and Intel make great profits on software and microprocessors.

4. You sell products at or below cost, and still make money - Amazon.com sells books and other stuff on line for lower margins than traditional retailers that have to pay rent. Can they make money? Sure.

5. Working at a small company is safer than working at a big company - Big companies constantly announce layoffs, hiring freezes, while small companies are having a hard time finding enough qualified people to hire.

The Coach thinks…that technology is not sensible.