Bob Ferguson

Corporations that became industry Market Share leaders but over time recognized that their marketplace was either in transition or in decline. With an ‘eyes wide open' approach to business basics, they reinvented a corporate culture that ultimately translated into corporate redirection and sustained growth. The decision making processes embraced by these organizations invariably traced their success back to the business basics - Business Process Management tools and broad based Market Research.

A Digital Corporate Culture – Business Model for Today/Tomorrow Internet Networks, Marketing, Peer-to-Peer File Sharing – Exponential Growth This focus of this article is to discuss the broad based subject of the Internet and Internet strategy within the context of old line companies. These are companies that continue to embrace today, the traditional corporate culture of yesterday with very linear go forward strategic planning.

With storm clouds looming the horizon, Amazon, with either an offensive or defensive strategic marketing initiative, probably a bit of both, recently entered the eBook space

The sheer magnitude current recession has all but completely overturned the exceptional marketplace characteristics that drove Land Banking Investment opportunity.

Within the current recessionary business climate and within the Strategic Planning process, there may be a strong Business Case to outsource one of the Functional Areas of a company. Outsourcing is often made in the interest of making better use of capital, infrastructure, technology and current capacity rather than an expanded investment in brick and mortar. Outsourcing can also be a downsizing strategy.

The Internalized Strategic Planning Process Dilemma – Opportunity Lost For any growth oriented organization, a traditional industry acquisition or far more probably a non-traditional acquisition, particularly in these market conditions, represents one of the key building blocks of tomorrow.

Innovation at times can go very wrong but as often as not the problem lies in Project Management and not with innovation. As a bit of a departure from the Corporate side and over to Government, there are very real examples of innovation, but innovation gone wrong through either a poorly conceived Business Case or in the Implementation Plan execution.

For the casual investor and casual observer who are looking at the Dow Jones Industrial Average group of 30 companies it is sometimes a thought that Corporations tend to endure forever - always have been the leaders and always will. Either fortunately or unfortunately such is not the case.

Over the past 12 to 18 months financial markets worldwide have come under huge financial pressure. This situation will continue for at least the next planning period and more than likely well beyond. An economic downturn is certainly a recognized phase of a normalized business cycle; however the magnitude and potential duration of the current cycle is no doubt unique. As such there has never been a greater need for in depth Strategic Planning.

Within the Strategic Planning Process there is a wealth of information available on the potential impact of Political, Economic and Regulatory changes for the segments in which your company operates. Corporate Planning for the next few business cycles will pay particular attention to the potential impact of the very turbulent financial markets worldwide.