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It was interesting hearing Tony Hsieh of Zappos talk the other day about how consulting is a new revenue opportunity for Zappos.

Other companies simply want to know their secrets and Zappos is prepared to share them and charge handsomely for access.

Years back, your company's secrets were just that, you didn't share them with anyone, but Toyota changed that when they let anyone visit their plants and see how it all worked. Toyota believed it was one thing to see and yet another to replicate, so they never felt threatened in any way by opening up.

The other company happy to do this is 37signals. A company that's viewed by many as a software radical, that not only makes great products, but has a really interesting culture that it can't stop talking about. It has blogs, podcasts, best-selling books and now for $1000, a masterclass.

It's not something that's been exploited much in the creative world with exception of Wieden, who run a school and I remember London design collective, Tomato used to make big money running classes in Tokyo.

If you have an interesting brand and culture and your are open, there are bound to be people who are willing to pay to for opportunity to seize the "magic". While many might be scared of the competitive threat, there's none, because unique cultures are so hard to replicate.

Posted by Ed Cotton In the past, corporations might have called ad and PR agencies to solve their image problems. While these efforts may have papered over the cracks, they might have made companies feel good and feel like real change was happening. However, as well know, change happens from within and without changing the culture of an organization, little progress can be made.

The issue of corporate culture is a huge one and it's a big problem for a number of large players.

Here's a story from Fast Company today about Nokia's troubles.

"Many management posts are filled with folks who've been promoted through their incompetence (the classic Peter Principle). While Nokia's R&D is roaring along on rocket-powered roller skates, Risku believes many of the potentially world-beating ideas are ditched by managers who merely don't like them. Or else they are delayed and then tinkered with by unthinking staff to the point that they become flat and boring by the time they become real products."

It suggests to me that there's a market for a new type of agency- a cultural change agency.

This isn't the company you go to when you want to communicate your brands and your image. It isn't the company you go to to tell you how to improve your bottom line by cutting out costs.

It's a new type of company that helps you work out who you are and doesn't walk away, it stays with you; it helps, it motivates, it inspires and it brings the moving parts of the organization together.

Think of this new entity as a entirely new type of agency; one that inspires companies to change and get the best out of themselves by working from the inside out.


Posted by Ed Cotton Social media is what many brands want a part of, but very few have made it.

On the surface, it seems simple, but dig a little deeper and you come across a myriad of complex political and structural issues that are standing in the way of success.

It seems there's probably a role for consulting companies to step into the vacuum and help companies navigate their way through this complexity. It appears Charline Li, formerly a superstar analyst at Forrester felt this way, because she now has her own consulting group- Altimeter.

Glancing through Alitimeter's Slideshare credentials deck, it appears they have a vibrant business model. There are very few consultants or agencies digital and otherwise who can help clients answer every single one of these questions the credentials deck suggests they answer.

Strategy

How do emerging technologies impact my strategy?
How can I align technology with my business goals?

Leadership

How do I lead my company in this new landscape?
How do I transform this organization with these technologies?

Tactics

What channels should I use to reach my audience?
How do I integrate technologies into existing systems?
When should I use which technologies?

Technology

How do I decide which technologies/service providers to use?
What's the future of emerging technologies?

How long before Altimeter gets an on offer from IPG, Publicis, WPP and the rest?



Posted by Ed Cotton