2010 Is an Opportunity for Creative Marketing Managers

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

As we kick off the new year, it’s a good time for organizations to take inventory of last year’s marketing programs to evaluate what has been working and what needs to change. In many cases tweaks will be made—in others, a complete overhaul may be in order. Regardless, it’s safe to say that in the new economy most marketing managers are being forced to look at more creative ways to deliver their key messages.

Luxul Wireless is no different. Some of our 2009 programs have been tremendously successful and we will look to expand upon and improve them. At the same time, there are other marketing activities we will certainly reconsider and perhaps discontinue. After all, every program has a cost—even the “free” ones. And, with limited resources and a competitive market, it’s important that we focus on those activities that will deliver the best results.

As a company that sells primarily through distribution channels, much of our marketing effort goes towards leveraging channel partner programs. These programs consist of everything from advertising in channel publications to participation at tradeshows to providing sales training. Each of our channel partners has any number of marketing opportunities, some of which have been fantastic in helping to build Luxul product and brand awareness.

Obama Administration Policies: Good or Bad for Small Business?

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

Small business is the lifeblood of Utah’s economy. Of the roughly 62,000 Utah firms with employees, 97 percent of them are classified as small (less than 500 employees) and provide 50 percent of the state’s private-sector employment. To varying degrees, this is true across the nation. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Business Employment Dynamics (BED) figures, small businesses have accounted for about 65 percent of the private-sector net job creation over the past 15 years and represent approximately 50 percent of the nation’s 120 million private sector jobs.

That being the case, why has small business been largely ignored and excluded from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill? A February survey of small business owners by Discover Financial Services found that 70 percent said the stimulus bill had no impact on their businesses. Only 10 percent said it helped, and 17 percent contend it hurt their businesses. Furthermore, BED data suggests that small firms have suffered over 60 percent of the job losses from 2008 to the second quarter of 2009.

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina: The Impact of Leadership on Culture

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

For the past week I’ve been traveling in the land of the Gaucho, Che, and Evita. As anyone that has visited beautiful Argentina can attest, it certainly has its allures. It is a country extremely rich in culture, diverse landscapes, and vast resources. With so much going for it, it’s hard to understand why Argentina hasn’t become more of a player on the world stage. Interestingly enough, some decades ago Argentina was recognized as one of the wealthiest nations and considered an emerging world power—neck and neck with the United States. So what happened?

While the answer to that question is far too complex for a single blog entry, the simplest answer comes down to leadership and bad management. Truth be known, Argentina has made bad management an art form that starts with government policy and leaches into everyday life. If you want a good look at how government meddling in the free market and imperious leadership can impact the psyche and culture of an entire nation, Argentina is the perfect case study.

To Move Forward, Take a Step Back

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

Thomas Edison once said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.” I can’t think of a more useful piece of advice for a business owner or manager. All too often, we get so buried in the details and daily grind of running a business that we don’t take that critical step back to get a good view of the big picture and look ahead.

At Luxul Wireless, we recently held an offsite executive planning and strategy meeting. It’s not always easy or convenient to get the entire management team together for a day. It’s even more of a challenge to keep everyone focused, minimize the distractions, and promote creative thought processes. However, in my experience, these events can be invaluable tools that help encourage better communication and teamwork, build morale, and generate creativity—all of which leads to a better company. Our Luxul event didn’t disappoint and generated a number of new and exciting ideas that we’re now evaluating.

When considering such an event, here are a few tips that can help make yours a success:

Brand Management and Politics

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

I hate politics. Nonetheless, as a marketing guy, I can’t help but be intrigued by the rather tumultuous political climate in which we currently find ourselves. When it comes right down to it, politics is all about brand management—personal brands, party brands, and ultimately, the American brand. Branding is more than just logos, colors, or slogans. It’s about the core values of the branded entity and being true to those values. From that perspective, if we view the various players in the political theatre, which of them are practicing solid brand management principles? Perhaps that depends on the brand they are trying to create. Still, I must wonder if the brands being projected are consistent with what they envision. As an interested observer, I thought it might be fun to do a short brand analysis of a few of these political entities:
The Presidential Brand: The President represents the American ideal. Over many decades, this brand has been developed into something that is almost larger than life and not to be trifled with—the President is characterized as the leader of the free world, defender of the American way of life, and the embodiment of the strength of our nation. The Obama administration has taken the message of a “kinder, gentler America” to the rest of the world. While some world leaders have embraced this message, others have interpreted it as weakness. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the approach, there’s little doubt that in the eyes of the world and across most of America, the Presidential brand has changed. But is it the change Mr. Obama had in mind?

Values to Keep in Mind When Doing Business in Japan

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

One of the most frequent pieces of advice about doing business in Japan is to “know the culture.” But what exactly does that mean? For starters, it’s important to recognize the American and Japanese value systems don’t always align with each other. While a single blog entry could never come close to addressing the complexities of the Japanese value system, at a high level here are a few values to keep in mind when entering the Japanese market:

Value 1: Nothing is more important than relationships

In American business, logic is almost the highest of virtues. Present a sensible argument that clearly demonstrates a win, and generally you will have management support. In Japan, decisions aren’t always logical—rather, they are more typically based on relationships. Never assume that presenting a logical argument will get you the deal. Certainly, present the argument so the value is understood, but focus your efforts on gaining the trust and respect of your potential customers.

Value 2: Don’t ever let your partner lose face

Doing Business in Japan: Honor, Loyalty, and Saving Face

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

In 17th century Japan, a Samurai lived by a strict code of honor and loyalty to his lord. Honor (and acquiring wealth) was what he lived and died for. In modern day Japan, while many things have changed, honor and loyalty remain fixed within the Japanese character. Key to honor is the concept of “saving face”—the Japanese will go to great lengths to avoid embarrassment. The loss of face is not easily forgotten nor is it easily forgiven.

In some harsh corporate cultures in America, you win by cutting someone else. In Japan, if you do something that makes someone look bad (even inadvertently), they may smile and seem ok on the surface. However, behind that smile may be someone that now feels the need to become a roadblock to progress in order to save face—either ending the deal outright or perhaps waiting and acting as saboteur later on when it may be too late to change direction. On the other hand, by finding a creative solution to problems or concerns, you will have an advocate for life and strong supporter in making the deal move ahead.

At Linux Networx we were fortunate to have strong partnerships to help navigate the Japanese business culture. One of the largest customers was a major government lab that had purchased a multi-million dollar system. Because the system was built around newer, state-of-the-art technologies, there were inherent challenges in the deployment and operation of the system. Nonetheless, the customer was willing to take the risk—based on personal relationship and the prestige of having one of the top 50 supercomputing systems in the world.

Doing Business in Asia: Learn the Asian Face

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

Katsuya Nishi, a long time friend and mentor in Japan, once told me to “learn the Asian face.” This valuable piece of advice was his way of telling me that while there may be physical similarities between the Asian cultures, that my success would be greatly enhanced by better understanding the differences. This message stuck with me and I made it a point to study and learn to recognize both the physical traits and cultural distinctions that characterize the various Asian societies.

In time, I came to realize that the differences in thought processes, culture, mannerisms, business customs and even physical features could oftentimes be striking—and that failing to understand the differences could prove fatal in a business setting. For instance, the Japanese are much more formal in business settings than their Korean and Chinese counterparts. While you may get away with being a bit more laid back in China, not following protocol in Japan can be considered offensive and turn you into persona non grata very quickly.

The Japanese are also very serious about the commitments they make and certainly expect the same from their partners. In Japanese culture, it’s a matter of honor and respect to do exactly what you say you will do. With that in mind, they can be slow to make commitments—but once the commitment is made, you can count on it happening. Contrast that with Chinese culture where the typical answer to almost any request is “yes”. And, while the intent is not necessarily to be any less honorable than the Japanese, this standard “yes” answer should not be construed as a commitment. Rather, it’s more of a sign that your request is understood and that it will be discussed and considered.

When in Rome….Behave Yourself

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

While traveling in Asia recently, I have been reminded of that old adage about doing as the Romans do. If not taken too literally, this can be good advice about the importance of being culturally sensitive and avoiding what can be perceived as offensive behavior. In many parts of the world, Americans all too often have been labeled as arrogant, obnoxious, and even a bit boorish—not necessarily a stretch, especially when compared to certain Asian cultures that tend to be more conservative in social settings.

Last night when I sat down for dinner in the Sinchon district of Seoul, I couldn’t help but notice the group of American businessmen sitting two tables away. In fact, the entire restaurant couldn’t help but notice them. In rather typical American fashion they were being conspicuously loud and even a bit rude—totally oblivious to how their behavior might be perceived by those around them. Contrast the behavior of these fine gentlemen with that of the three Japanese ladies seated at the table next to me. They were the perfect picture of proper Japanese etiquette—talking quietly with hands folded neatly in front of them and making no effort to be noticed. The behavioral and obvious cultural differences were striking.

In business settings, experienced international executives typically understand and will shrug off potentially offensive behaviors as cultural. Certainly, if the business opportunity is compelling enough, they may indeed give even the most boorish of individuals a pass—but that doesn’t mean it’s ok. When in another country, it’s always good manners to observe and try to follow local behavioral customs. True international business success is attained by being respected, which comes from showing respect. I’ve heard some American businessmen dismiss this notion by saying, “I’m just being myself.” I’m not saying don’t be yourself—but be culturally sensitive.

Do One Thing and Do It Well: Start by Doing One Thing Right

By Clark Roundy, Luxul Wireless VP of Marketing.

Original Post on Utah Business.com Blog.

There’s a maxim in the Unix programming philosophy that says programmers should “write programs that do one thing and do it well.” It’s a beautiful philosophy, and one that can be applied to almost anything in life. In business, if you can’t do that one primary function well, you certainly won’t survive to do another. It sounds simple, but the reality is that many companies struggle with this concept—oftentimes not even recognizing their primary function—and never seem to reach their potential. With that in mind, for some organizations, perhaps the initial goal should be to first clearly identify their primary function and learn do it right on an ongoing basis—then it becomes easier to focus on improvement to do that one thing better than anyone else.

Every time I see a manager or a company fail to do their primary function right, I wonder how they got to be where they are and how much better they could be with the right focus. Here are some real-world examples to illustrate the point: