Though more known for his legendary publicity stunts, Richard Branson has led Virgin Group to success with a singular, flamboyant style. Learn the secret of how he tackles the big bad wolves of many industries.
To create a successful merger requires respecting each partner's differences. It also requires procedures for settling disputes and integrating workforces strategically.
As product life-cycles become shorter, the ability to innovate becomes a more important factor. But how do you innovate consistently? And how do you manage creative people whose jobs require them to "think differently"? Broderbund shows the way.
Harley-Davidson has been able to build a community of enthusiasts around its brand that includes members from very diverse groups, and with almost no advertising. How does the king of heavyweight motorcycling keep its fans so loyal? It gives them a reason to "belong."
Once a purely American sport, basketball has been transformed by the N.B.A. into a global phenomenon. What marketing lessons does the N.B.A. teach? If you promote it, the fans will come.
Cisco Systems plans to dominate its market and is well on the way, having acquired 14 companies since 1993. While many acquisitions bring with them attendant stress, Cisco has more than doubled its sales and net income in 1996. The secret: not just buying, but finding organizational synergies prior to the purchase.
Sound marketing principles from an unlikely source, the Grateful Dead rock group. Jerry Garcia and his fellow musicians emerged from the non-materialistic counterculture of the 1960's to create an exceptionally strong and lucrative brand name that has stood the test of time, and even Mr. Garcia's death in 1995. The basis of the Grateful Dead brand was the group's sustained personal relationship with its customers, derived from an unusual dedication to playing its distinctive and improvisational music at live performances.
