Blogs

One of the most significant, though least recognized aspects of business is competition – specifically, the role competitors play in the success or failure of your company.

I've found that far too many folks see what they do as being isolated from the outside world – especially the outside world that's involved in similar lines of business.

For example, many of the tackle retailers I talk to on a daily basis seem to think in terms of "I'm selling (fill in the blank)...those guys aren't really in the same business." Really? Because the last time I checked, consumers don't much mind where a product comes from, provided they can consistently find what they need, have it delivered in a timely fashion and get adequate customer service in the process.

The I-don't-really-...

I know it's a result of my own quirkiness, but the sponsorship shirts of professional anglers annoy me. Why? Each year, they change like the wind and there's very little consistency. This year Angler X has one hardbait company as a sponsor. The next year he's sponsored by the company's chief rival.

Did he want to be with the second company all along? Or was it a straight economic decision? Likely the latter, but seeing him change so soon has to make some consumers wonder.

My annoyance likely arises out of the knowledge that, unlike just about any other sport, viewers can actually participate in ours. Viewers can fish the same waters with the same equipment. And while I don't think a pro's shirts greatly impacts consumer buying behavior, consumers do notice. And most...

I recently wrapped up an evening by spending 30 minutes on the phone with one of our industry's leading branding- and marketing-strategy gurus. I initiated the conversation with a desire to pick his brain for a piece I'm doing for my newsletter, but when the topic turned to marketing strategy, he said something that piqued my interest.

"Many companies lack an adequate understanding of the consumers they're marketing to," he said. "Without that, you're dead in the water."

That got me to thinking about the companies I talk to on a week-to-week basis. Many, if not most, have no idea who they're marketing to. Yes, they know their product is geared to anglers – maybe even avid anglers. But beyond that, they're lost. I mean alone in a strange place. Blindfolded lost.

...

Since making the choice to eat better, exercise regularly and overall live a healthier, more active life, I've felt better, moved better and learned to enjoy foods I never thought I'd sample, much less enjoy. Nowadays, my obsessions are peanut butter, Greek yogurt, leafy vegetables, pork shoulders and eggs. Even so, I still allow myself fried fish on occasion, French fries are a once-every-few-months treat and should I have a hankering for carrot cake, I don't deny myself. I just don't enjoy food enough to worry about bingeing.

Occasionally, however, I hear "You mean you're going to eat that? That's not healthy," from friends and family members. After devouring whatever food is in question, I always deliver the same terse words: "It's not what you do occasionally that's kills...