Every required element of a business is a cost of doing business, and thus subject to cost pressures. Organizationally, finance may not be in charge, but finance gets a big say.
One of the more important strategic choices for a business is how it will organize itself and go about delivering value to its customers. Few firms have the capacity to be fully integrated and take responsibility for creating and delivering the entire product or service they sell. Even if a firm could do so, complete integration is rarely an optimal financial strategy.
Whether we like it or not, cults are very effective in building a following of devotees. Beyond the manipulative and unethical aspects of cults, there is a lot marketers can learn from cult leaders.
Hilton just introduced a new hotel brand in its Elevated Essentials group of hospitality offerings. The Elevated Essentials category comprises Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton and the latest entry, Spark by Hilton. The overarching description of the Elevated Essentials group is “Signature amenities and services in all the places you want to be.”
The biggest shift today is that Brands used to be about products and services — but today “Brand” is about the people who buy those products and services.
