Touchpointers

No matter how strong your brand, game-changing situations can  develop. Just ask the good folks at Kodak, as that historic and much beloved brand continues to deal with unthinkably life-threatening challenges. Could it happen to your business or mine? Standing in the front door of a fresh 2012, it’s a good time to consider things like:

What if there was a dramatic, game-changing advancement looming from within or around your industry?  A dramatic new innovation?  An entirely new market approach that made yours obsolete?  Is there? Could there possibly be?

What if your market position as the industry’s (insert your distinctive position here) weren’t completely bullet-proof?  Is your brand, your intellectual property, your product or service, your primary point of distinction susceptible to being (easily) copied?

What if demand for your specific product or service dropped off dramatically?  What would the conceivable reasons be?  How would you respond?

If someone put a gun to your head and demanded you increase sales and/or market share this year — irregardless of market realities — what would you do, specifically?

Over the past few decades, Kodak has been hit by competitive challenges from Japan and by the dramatic emergence of digital technology which they actually pioneered — but couldn’t keep pace with.  Serious game changers for a historically strong, globally dominant brand.

As you stare 2012 in the face, a complete 360 degree look might be in order.

Of course, there’s still that little thing of the Mayan calendar…