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The hidden risks in the ria business
The RIA business model is being reinvented. That's not good news for many. The biggest risks in wealth management are hiding in plain sight, the result of the industri’s greatest successes.
Does your venture command trust?
Leaders often say, “It’s all about trust,” without understanding how trust actually works in an organization. It’s fluid. It moves. And you can’t rest on the past. Every venture has to ask real questions about how trust moves through their organization, but some businesses will starve and die without it. They demand it. Is trust central to your venture?
It’s not just you, the internet isn’t what it used to be
Review and analysis of Ben Smith’s Traffic: The internet has failed to deliver on its utopian promise and business leaders need to learn skepticism. The social web or Web 2.0 is controlled by a tiny circle of people, and we need to address the culture we have made of all that code.
formula for failed succession
Successor leaders nearly always come into an organization in need of change. Depending on the Founder's awareness of their weaknesses, the change may be large or small, a revolution or evolution. Regardless, successors seldom are there to stay the course.
They must manage change. But the way they often go about it s a formula for a failed succession.
5 THINGS CEOS do to UNDERMINE Marketing
CEOs and their peers in the C-suite want marketing to do more and do better. Likewise, marketers want to see their work valued and work within their zone of strength.
But all too often, particularly in mid-market service firms like tech, wealth, and education, the Clash between executive culture and marketing culture enflames tension and frustration, dampening results.
outgrowing your ability to grow
Nothing undermines growth like growth. A study of over 400 companies by Harvard Business Review showed that accelerated growth was one of the best indicators for a future decline. Here’s how to recognize and escape your growth ceilings.
What is intellectual capital?
Intellectual capital is the next great competitive edge. Businesses that harness it are not just responsive to market changes but creators of them, driving innovation. Through their investments in human capital, relational capital, and structural capital they will become the stewards of wisdom, trust, and culture.
AntiSocial Business
Social media has changed the way we live, work and connect. The platforms have elected presidents, toppled regimes and memed us into oblivion. Now a new question has emerged - can you grow a business without using social media at all?
WHAT MARKETING’S NOT TELLING YOU: Vol 2
We know it’s sometimes easier to fix problems that are superficial, rather than deep-seated core issues. It’s human to avoid problems, and we’re often encouraged to do so. But CEOs don’t have the luxury of avoiding problems - REAL problems. And too often, the marketing department is asked to fix something, that’s not the real problem. The solution?
WHAT MARKETING’S NOT TELLING YOU: VOL 1
Lots of CEOs and industry leaders have a sneaking suspicion that their marketing departments (those shadowy magicians) are keeping some secrets from them. And they’re not wrong. Marketing is keeping things from you. We start with the first secret of marketing departments: no one is paying attention.
Content is easy and other lies
In the late-stage digital marketing landscape, content is king. Brands everywhere have begun to realize that they will need to provide content to their customers to keep them engaged and generate revenue. But marketing gurus and ad agencies seem to talk about content like it’s easy. Like anyone can do it. So why is it so hard then? The answers, and ways to produce better content, inside.
Why Does Everything look like canva?
Like many other new tech solutions, Canva seems poised to revolutionize brand design and marketing with simplicity. But is it actually doing the work design should be doing? What should CEOs, conscience of every penny they’re spending, do to maximize their design?
Does This work?
A few months back we stumbled across a series of ads for the state of Nebraska, that we hated. We thought they sucked and were going to write a piece about that. Until we found out that the ad was an unmitigated success. What did we get wrong, that the state of Nebraska got right?
People like me do stuff like this
Many brands only have a vague sense of who their ideal customer is, and even more of them are unsure of how to speak a language that centers their customer, rather than themselves. We’ll break down some ideas for how to find your ideal customer, and speak straight to them, in this piece.
Dear marketing, what have you been telling the leads? love, sales.
Marketing departments and sales departments are famously at odds. But for this piece, we wanted to highlight why marketing has to do a better job of setting sales up for success, and sales has to understand that it’s job is marketing too.
Dear sales, where are all the leads? Love marketing
It’s just another day at a company like yours. And like any other day, shots get fired between marketing and sales.
Six levels up
The very best content and design is transparent, allowing the customer to see your product, message, or brand in the fullness of its authenticity - immediately and always. If your customer is going to see you for what you truly are, you’re gonna have to level up that content and design. So here are 6 ways to do just that.
new math is the brand killer
What the hell is marketing? No really, in today's new and emerging economy, where "digital" marketing is dying - what is it actually supposed to be and how are CEOs meant to use it?
how a simple newsletter strategy changed everything
We're celebrating one entire year's worth of MADE volumes. In doing so, we decided to share some of our most hard-won and insightful lessons learned about making a weekly newsletter, and how you can make one too. Our sincerest thanks for lending us your inbox and attention for the past year. Here's to another 52!
How To be trusted in the age of cynicism
How do you get customers to trust you again when we're think in an age of distrust and cynicism? Step 1: Trust the Distrust. The next steps and more ideas on winning customer loyalty.
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