I love this industry. In most organisations you get to talk about such things as working capital efficiency and return on investment at Board meetings. We do all that, of course, but we also talk about SpongeBob SquarePants…
Hopefully with the SpongeBob SquarePants smile on all your faces Paul Blackaby
Excellent post Paul. Good old Spongebob
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A success story of finding the right niche, core values, partnerships instead of capital investment, and taking on the big guys. A lengthy but worthwhile read. https://lnkd.in/gexZbe5Z
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How Microbetting Is Creating a More Engaging Fan Experience (endava.com)
Resilient Futures, Business Intelligence (formerly COLLINS); journalist / producer (BusinessWeek, National Geographic, Discovery); Managing Director, SJM Media
I followed a link in the article to a wonderful inteview with Forest Young: https://lnkd.in/g9rKWup6 Young had me at “organizational ethos”… Then once more with the truth that no amount of branding can make a bad company good. It’s a smart move on Fundamentalco’s part to insist on a direct line to the CEO, both because the CEO has skin in the game, reporting to the board,and also to give the design firm (aka “a valuation company” or “a transformation consultancy”) a chance to evaluate whether the would-be client company is worth the effort. Branding at its best opens doors to the “adjacent possible.” That’s a term first used by Stuart Kauffman, a biologist and complexity theorist, to decribe Earth’s orginal suite of molecules. Over eons as the molecules danced around the planet and occasionally into one another other, new molecules were created. Eventually, all the molecules needed for the emergence of life were assembled, ready to make life. Each interaction, each touchpoint, opens doors. Branding / strategy / design can bring (or restore) a company’s clarity of purpose. When that clarity resonates across an organization, the kismet of the “adjacent possible” can come from anywhere. ********* I have become to the Roomba of my neightborhood. One day all the litter around the neighborhood (a nice neighborhood, too) that I’d manageg to ignore could no longer be ignored. So I put on some gardening gloves, grabbed a paper bag and started cleaning up. My street’s pretty pretty. But go by a main thoroughfare and it is shocking how many Dunkin' bags, Starbucks cups, McDonald's french fry 🍟, candy bar wrappers, Aquafina and Poland Spring Water Corp water bottles and packs of Marlboro’s end up on the parkway. Plastic cups splat into shards. Yes, customers did the littering, but these companies should be ashamed. Their brands are literally being dragged in the gutter. Add a nickle to cost of every cup and bottle, a penny per candy bar, fifty cents per pack of cigarettes, throw that into a fund and PAY for the cleanup. NO amount of fancy branding is going to be make you look better than the garbage you leave behind. That’s your branding legacy. #branding #garbage
We’ve all heard of Blackstone the world’s largest private equity firm. But have you followed their secretive value creation arm, FundamentalCo? - Founded by Jonny Bauer, FundamentalCo was an internal team servicing dozens of Blackstone’s portfolio companies. Their goal was right in the wheelhouse of private equity: to increase the monetary value of businesses - But a few months back, the group spun out of Blackstone (which is still its primary customer though not an owner) to become an independent agency that, theoretically, any company can enlist for their services - After bringing on Jenna Lyons (J. Crew, RHONY) last year, the company is announcing the addition of another design superstar: Forest Young (Rivian, Wolff Olins) So what makes FundamentalCo different than your average agency? To start, most agencies don’t insist that the CEO gets involved in the work. Read the full story here:
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Check out this exciting webinar! Link to register is below
🔓 Unlock Your Brand’s Biggest Competitive Advantage: Transform Your Community into Shareholders Is your brand ready for the next big leap? In today’s market, integrating retail investors is more than just a financing strategy—it’s a brand-building power play that drives long-term growth and brand loyalty. Join us on June 25th for a live webinar where we’ll show you how to turn your loyal customers, followers, and fans into a strategic asset and competitive edge. 🗓 Why Attend? Learn from real-world examples like Miso Robotics, a DealMaker customer that has raised over $72M through its community, driving down its cost of capital and boosting investor engagement. 🎯 Case in Point: You’ll hear from the chief legal counsel at BrewDog, which created a massive and loyal community of brand ambassadors while raising nearly £80 million from retail investors. Our panel of experts has extensive experience working with hundreds of brands that have executed this retail shareholder playbook to do everything from creating an army of brand advocates to raising millions in a matter of days, simply by inviting their audience to invest. In this webinar, we'll teach you exactly how to leverage this strategy effectively and supercharge your growth. Register now to secure your spot: https://hubs.la/Q02BYTtt0 #BrandStrategy #RetailInvestors #Webinar #Shareholders #DealMaker
💫President 3.0 Talent Management Agency💫 Career Highlights: Executive Producer Story Wars Live, Author 2 Best Selling Children's Book Series, Founder SHE the magazine
In my humble opinion, investing in creator-led businesses is the smartest way a US-based portfolio can be diversified in the coming year. Members of the creator economy actively partake in global business partnerships as part of their fundamental practices, which serves as a protective factor in times of economic uncertainty. #venturecapital #angelinvesting #creatoreconomy
Great article on the view of legendary investor Marc Andreessen on creator-founded brands! Interested in investing in the next Prime and Feastables? You can do so now via the CELEB syndicate https://lnkd.in/ei4hMKVB
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Paul Blackaby SpongeBob SquarePants certainly adds an enjoyable twist to the usual boardroom topics. It must make for some lively and memorable meetings!