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Age of Meaning

November 9, 2015 — Tracy Lloyd

Thoughts for CEO’s

Business is hard. Companies face a never-ending stream of challenges. Ask a CEO, “What’s the matter?”, and he or she is likely to talk anxiously about need to scale faster, recruiting top talent, lagging innovation, disgruntled customers, growing competition, the threat of commoditization, investor concerns, and a litany of other issues. These are real issues and concerns. They are often complex issues that are difficult and expensive to address. And, try as they may, many CEOs have trouble implementing the changes needed to counter these disruptive and destructive...

June 9, 2015 — Tracy Lloyd

The Importance of Brand Behavior in the Trust Economy

The Trust Economy It’s no secret that we are living through a revolution in the delivery of products and services. Driven by the internet’s uncanny ability to match sellers and buyers, people all over the world are engaging in direct commerce with other individuals, brokered by branded platforms. Some people call it the sharing economy, collaborative consumption, on-demand services, or the peer-to-peer economy. Since all models depend on trusting that a virtual stranger will do what he or she promises, let’s call it the trust economy. The trust economy is transforming sectors like travel,...

January 14, 2015 — Jerry Holtaway

Are We in the Age of Meaning?

In our white paper, The Age Of Meaning, we explore the challenges and opportunities this new era presents to business and brand strategy. Referring to economist Umair Haque’s contention that we’ve left the “age of opulence” – a time of hyper-consumerism based on the mantra of “bigger, faster, cheaper, now” – we make the point that the age of meaning didn’t suddenly appear. There was no “Breaking News” story, no Twitter trending topic, and no planned downtime for a total system upgrade. It crept up on us, through current events...

December 22, 2014 — Tracy Lloyd

Leadership Is What Leadership Means

Gianpiero Petriglieri is Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, a regular contributor to the HBR blog, and a prolific and insightful tweeter. Indeed, the title of this old, but relevant post is taken from one of his tweets promoting his piece on HBR, “There is no shortage of leaders.” Professor Petriglieri’s main point is that the methods and goals of leadership are misplaced. He suggests that the current narrow view of leadership development and practice is falling short of what’s needed in today’s world. “There is no shortage of leadership at all.” “There are plenty of...

November 11, 2014 — Tracy Lloyd

Bridging the Meaning Gap

A great post by Tom Fishburne talks about the risks of going too far in your efforts to matter to people. He cites the example of the “Dove Campaign For Real Beauty”, a notable example of a meaningful brand presence, which started as a concept many steps up the brand ladder. When those “too grandiose” ideas were shot down by real people (formerly known as consumers), the focus turned to building meaning from the product up. The lesson: in your pursuit to bridge the meaning gap, and to create more meaning around your business, product, service or brand (a smart thing...

February 10, 2013 — Thom Elkjer

Millennials. Baby Boomers. Can Brands Reach Both?

Yesterday, I heard some folks having a conversation about how hard it is for brands and employers to engage millennials as consumers and employees. The litany of popular complaints was on full display. “They’re so spoiled, and they don’t even know it. Their parents showered them with everything and they think it will always be that way.” “No attention span, because someone else has always run the agenda for them.” “Superficial, just bouncing from one fad to the next.” “No work ethic. No drive. They want work to be enjoyable – what a fantasy!” “Hopeless consumers. Can’t make an individual...

February 10, 2013 — Tracy Lloyd

When People See Their “Best Selves” Reflected in Your Business

I recently had the opportunity to interview Gianpiero Petriglieri, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at INSEAD, Europe’s top business school. Following our fruitful talk, I reflected on a thought from our interview. We were talking about how people identify with leaders, when Professor Petriglieri said: “Leadership happens when you attract others through your thinking, your beliefs, and your behavior. Or more precisely, when others come to see their best self reflected in your thoughts, beliefs, and actions.” I related Gianpiero’s observation to the...

September 30, 2012 — Tracy Lloyd

Meaning Has a Direct Impact on Business

If your business isn’t doing as well as you think it could – and should – then it’s time to consider the reasons why. Why aren’t people doing all the things you need them to do? Why are they resisting your attempts to change the way they think and act? What are people looking for that you aren’t supplying? There’s a sea of change in the way people feel about the decisions they make. They no longer simply act out of greed, capriciousness, and the need for thrills. They pause. They reflect. They consider. They ask themselves: “What is the impact...

August 9, 2012 — Tracy Lloyd

Businesses That Matter Do Well By Doing Good

When fueled by a Purpose Beyond Profit, a business does good things for employees, customers, society, and the planet. How businesses that matter, matter to people: They help employees create meaning in their lives by making their work matter. They give customers solid reasons to admire, respect, and be happily associated with their business and their offerings. They help build a stronger society by being a good corporate citizen, respecting laws, and helping improve lives. They strive to limit their impact on the environment by conserving non-renewable resources, curtailing pollution, and...

July 5, 2012 — Jerry Holtaway

Are We Really In The Age Of Meaning?

In our white paper, The Age Of Meaning, we explore the challenges and opportunities this new era presents to business. Referring to economist Umair Haque’s contention that we’ve left the “age of opulence” – a time of hyper-consumerism based on the mantra of “bigger, faster, cheaper, now” – we make the point that the age of meaning didn’t suddenly appear. There was no “Breaking News” story, no Twitter trending topic, and no planned downtime for a total system upgrade. It crept up on us, through current events that jarred our...

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