Management Blog

Ask.com queries Google's dominance

The search engine ask.com is doing what many might think is impossible by embarking on a quest to steal market share from the all-conquering Google. 

But as a recent Times article points out, sometimes being lean and hungry can be a company's greatest asset.

Started in 1999, the site's previous incarnation 'Ask Jeeves' made a big impact with its focus on answering natural language questions, such as "Where can I find organic vegetables?".

However the dot com crash and rise of Google saw the company become the world's third most used search engine.

A change of management is seeking to change this situation by focusing on non-tech savvy markets like school children with homework queries and mothers looking for household advice.

The new look ask.com also aims to offer a more human approach by making its trademark cartoon butler the focus of its brand strategy.

Can ask.com win this epic battle? The search engine itself isn't so sure. The search query: "Can ask.com beat Google?" was unable to provide an answer.

AIM Whitespace: The promise and perils of measuring online chatter

When Kraft wanted to better understand what Australians thought about its iconic spread Vegemite, the company didn't request the assistance of focus groups or branding gurus, it sought the help of artificial intelligence.

More specifically, it engaged the services of IBM and its brand sentiment software program CoBRA (Corporate and Brand Reputation Analysis) to sift through over 1.5 billion pieces of user generated online content – a process that identified nearly half a million mentions of Vegemite.

What CoBRA found took even Kraft by surprise: Australians don't just like Vegemite... we love Vegemite. In fact, the research project suggests Vegemite is the most loved brand on the Internet.

This kind of insight could only have occurred in the Web 2.0 age. Never before have consumers had so much opportunity to speak their minds via online reviews, ratings and rants. And never before have companies had access to such a large amount of feedback.

As a result of this development a new industry is quickly emerging. Brand sentiment software is currently big news in marketing circles as companies seek to make sense of web chatter at a time when reputations can be made and broken at warp speed.

Standing up to the workplace bully

Bullying isn't a workplace issue that will sort itself out – it's a problem managers need to tackle head on to ensure a productive work environment, SME blogger James Adonis argues.

The issue has been highlighted by new survey that indicates 70 per cent of employees have been bullied, while WorkCover ACT says bullying costs the economy up to $13 billion a year in lost productivity.

Adonis suggests that being able to identify on-going bullying behaviours, such as sarcasm, mind-games, put-downs and abusive language, can help managers curb the problem.

It may also pay to identify different types of bullies. A psychologist quoted in the blog post claims there are three varieties:

• The accidental bully - turns nasty when they're stressed out
• The narcissistic bully - craves power and will do anything to get it
• The serial bully - gets a thrill out of deceiving and destroying

To reduce any possible bullying in your workplace Adonis offers 12 well considered steps, the first of which is to make it clear to all employees that bullying will not be condoned.

The other 11 steps can be found here.

Buzzword watch - snowbird workers

What do you call a baby boomer who's just coasting through their working lives? A snowbird, management-issues claims in a recent article on the trend.

A US study has found many older workers are disengaged at work largely because employers aren't taking their stage of life specific needs into consideration.

To help managers retain their snowbirds and improve productivity in the process the following suggestions are offered:

• Talk it through - Articulate a sustained commitment to keeping experienced staff on the job
• Get creative - Consider innovative approaches to staff benefits
• Health matters - Focus on employee health and wellness programs
• Culture club - Foster a culture that values the ageing
• Tailor made - Offer compensation packagers that meet the needs of older workers
• Get flexible - Respond to the needs to older workers with flexible working conditions

Workplace link to alcohol issues

Managers are being asked to reconsider workplace related or supported drinking following a new study that's found 6.6 per cent of employees who drink have shown up to work inebriated.

The Federal Department of Health and Aging commissioned study found 9 per cent of these workers drank at what could be described as a 'risky' level at once a week, news.com.au reports.

In addition, the study found 44 per cent of Australian workers drink above safe levels at least occasionally.

Researchers claim all this adds up to high number of hangover induced sick days that in turn costs the economy an estimated $5.6 billion a year in lost productivity.

So how can the problem be tackled?

The report suggests the workplace is an ideal setting for the introduction of strategies that may help prevent dangerous drinking patterns – a form a positive peer-group pressure.

Of course, it sounds like a plausible solution, but are Australian bosses and business owners prepared to transforming themselves into a drink-wise Big Brother, the article ponders.

Is working too hard killing your productivity?

It might impress coworkers and clients if you appear to be busy 24/7, but this approach could actually be hindering your productivity a recent article from The Age argues.

To back its point the story cites a classic economics and management study that dissected the game of soccer to suggest frenetic action does not always result in the best outcomes.

The study looked at soccer goalkeepers who, when facing a penalty, often hurriedly leap left or right in a 'bias for action'. Apparently it's more effective to simply hover in the middle.

To determine if they display a 'bias for action' its suggested professionals consider the following statements in a bid to gauge if they might be overworking and underperforming.

1. You work while eating at meal times
2. During phone conversations you become hypnotised by the computer
3. You email colleagues at night about work
4. You take work to bed and don't sleep much
5. While on holiday you feel guilty that you're not working

Skinny ties make a Mad come back

When it comes to selecting a necktie that says you're hip and now, think Mad Men, a recent Sydney Morning Herald Executive Style article advises.

It's claimed designers of men's fashion across the globe are taking their cues from the hit show about advertising agencies in the 1960s and are bringing the skinny tie back to life.

The good news is that skinny ties are said to be capable of flattering any man's look and can be worn with either a suit or sports jacket.

Gentlemen are however warned to stick with a Don Draper 60s look and avoid the 80s trend of skinny leather ties.

Are you ready to throw away your fat ties? Is it even worth is trying to keep up?

World's best brands revealed

What do McDonalds, Harley-Davidson and Avon have in common?

They've all managed to successfully build their brand equity despite the global financial crisis, according to BusinessWeek's latest listing of the world's top 100 brands.

Here are the top 10 brands from the list and a summary of judge's comments:

1. Coke - responded to new trends with its macho no-cal beverage Coke Zero

2. IBM - has changed its focus to environmental issues, health care and mass transportation

3. Microsoft - has forcefully taken on rivals with the search engine Bing and survived Apple's barrage of negative advertising

4. GE - has become a green company by using its 'ecomagination'

5. Nokia - has dominated mass-market handsets with tough, easy to use, low-key products

6. McDonalds - McCafe drinks have given new life to sales figures

7. Google - has maintained its cuddly brand image

8. Toyota - has positioned itself to blossom as the economy revives

9. Intel - has pushed into new markets like smartphones and home electronics

10. Disney - has invested in its future by buying the Marvel brand

One surprising addition to the US dominated list was Marlboro at No. 17, which was praised for its push into Asian and Russian markets. 

Prepare for a population growth spurt

Australia is headed for a migration-driven population explosion according to demographers.

Reporting on the trend, Smart Company says Federal Government research indicates Australia's population will grow by 62.8 per cent over the next 40 years.

The Government says that along with a rising birth rate, migration will be a key driver of growth in order to ensure the country has a sufficient population of working age.

It's claimed the changing face of Australia may result in new cities popping up as well as growth in key areas such as Harvey Bay, Cairns, Port Douglas, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.

Another result of the trend is a large number of highly educated, high maintenance Baby Boomers finding themselves with lots of time on their hands.

A development that demographer Bernard Salt says will require businesses to tailor their services to a group that won't hold back when it comes to complaining.

What a squeeze page can do for you

Most small businesses are well aware of the fact they need a web site, now it's time for them to think about the benefits of a 'squeeze page', The Age's Enterprise blog argues.

A squeeze page is a single page web presence that's independent of an organisation's main web site. The reasons why you'd create a squeeze page revolve around simplicity. They exist to offer customers dedicated, clutter-free information about a particular product, service or promotion.

Many squeeze pages include a sign-up option in order to build the company's database of potential customers... the key to getting it right, according to Enterprise, is to offer an incentive, like a discount or free report.

What will your squeeze page offer?