by Hugh MacPhie | Jan 10, 2019 | Leadership, Strategy
How to Say “No” to Bad Ideas “I’ve figured it out! I know what we need to do to set our company back on track! Allow me to introduce… the Pontiac Aztec.” No. No. No. A thousand times no. Now, we weren’t in the room when the Aztec got a green light, and the...
by Hugh MacPhie | Jan 3, 2019 | Marketing, Strategy
The Secret to Holiday Campaigns In 1931 the Coca-Cola company employed illustrator Haddon Sundblom to draw a friendly Santa for their Christmas campaign. At that time, Santa was a known story, but he hadn’t quite reached the same level of brand recognition that he now...
by Hugh MacPhie | Jan 2, 2019 | Strategy
New Year, New Habit Do you notice how crowded the gym is in January? This may be because people are returning from holidays, or couldn’t resist themselves at family feasts, or – what is most likely – following through on their New Year’s resolutions. The New Year...
by Hugh MacPhie | Dec 19, 2018 | Culture, Leadership, Strategy
Leadership Lessons from Santa Claus For centuries, Santa Claus has been the leader of one of the largest not-for-profit operations in the world. Despite the constant societal, economic and technological changes that he has experienced since the 4th Century, he has...
by Hugh MacPhie | Dec 13, 2018 | Culture, Events, Leadership
Craft a Memorable Holiday Office Party We’ve either lived it or heard the stories – the last-minute secret Santa gifts, the stale gingerbread cookies or Mariah Carey’s Christmas anthem stuck on repeat. There’s a hundred and one ways to miss the holiday mark, and those...