The Hindu Business Line : Lessons in radical contradictions bookmark

Some 400 demonstration models made available for journalists compared to the usual 30, advertisements in 37 national and sports daily newspapers, 311 television spots, 600 radio spots, 4,300 billboards, and Web site banners. This was how, in 1999, Toyota launched the first generation subcompact Yaris in Italy, adopting the maximum exposure route.

“The Yaris marketing blitz paid off handsomely,” recount Emi Osono, Norihiko Shimizu and Hirotaka Takeuchi in Extreme Toyota ( www.kkbooks.com). “In 1999 alone, Toyota booked over 45,000 orders and sold 25,000 units, almost doubling the company’s revenue in the Italian market.”

The authors explain how the marketing campaign emphasised Yaris’ French roots — a car built in France by French workers.

Engaging account of ‘radical contradictions that drive success at the world’s best manufacturer.’

Twelve imperatives

Chaotic Markets: Thriving in a World of Unpredic-tability A. Coskun Samli

Do not ignore chaos. Thus reads the first of the twelve imperatives that A. Coskun Samli lays down in Chaotic Markets: Thriving in a World of Unpredictability’ ( www.macmillanindia.com). “Counterchaos strategies must always be on the back burner with the possibility of sudden release,” he advises.

The second point in his strategic agenda is to be proactive. Success lies in being market drivers, in using some product/service for generating market power, says Samli.

He urges companies to understand where the future opportunities are, because “tracking megatrends, determining where the emerging markets are and evaluating where the major threats are coming from, are all critical for establishing market superiority and chaos immunity.”

A read that may be well-relished by the academically-inclined.
Embrace disruption

The Innovator’s Guide to Growth Scott D. Anthony, Mark W. Johnson, Joseph V. Sinfield and Elizabeth J. Altman

If you thought that disruptive innovation is impossible in big companies you may be wrong. For instance, many of the powerhouse brands of P&G have their roots in disruptive innovation, observe Scott D. Anthony, Mark W. Johnson, Joseph V. Sinfield and Elizabeth J. Altman in The Innovator’s Guide to Growth ( www.tatamcgrawhill.com). “In the 1940s Tide made it simple and affordable for people to cl ean their clothes without going to professional cleaners or spending hours hand-washing garments. In the 1950s Crest’s fluoride-based toothpaste moved dental care from treatment to prevention. In the 1960s Pampers revolutionised baby care with its easy-to-use disposable diapers.”

In 2005, the company created a small team of ‘guides’ to help senior leaders and project groups to master disruption. “These guides developed a deep competency in disruptive innovation and began working with a handful of pilot project teams,” the authors narrate. Suggested in-depth study, even if it means disrupting your regular sleep!

D. Murali

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Lessons in radical contradictions bookmark