What our consultants are listening to…

As another year draws to a close, we round it out by sharing the 12 most popular articles that our team developed and shared during 2012. Some were topical, and some were instructional. Others were written to encourage you to shift your thinking, if only just a little, on what it takes to build strong brands in today’s dynamic environment. 

Our last piece of advice for the year: Reading is best enjoyed with spiced eggnog or your holiday beverage of choice.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2013, from all of us at Prophet!

This month, we discuss Prophet's latest acquisitions and how they serve to deepen our capabilities and roster of talented people, while enhancing the thinking that sets us apart from the crowd and helps us better serve our clients.

In June we talk about the launch of our new blog, how to understand the art and science of marketing,  5 tenets of building a successfull digital presence and more.

In March we discuss Prophet's new analytics practice, change agents, and marketing capabilities. 

Top 11 of '11

In October we talk about customer experiences, transforming marketing, strategy-led design, and inspiration.

In July we discuss brand building and social media, pricing and feature a new case study.

In this issue we talk about Prophet's expanded presence in Europe, Andy Stefanovich's new book, and our 2010-2011 Corporate Reputation Study.

Top 10 of ’10

In October it's all about strong brands, Prophet's new website, and workplace branding.

In July 2010, it’s all about Social Media, great customer experiences, and an interview with Barry Judge, CMO from Best Buy. You'll find an article by David Aaker which outlines how to improve your brand identity, and Scott Davis and Carlos Cata from Heidrick & Struggles discuss marketing leaders’ roles in driving growth to the company.

In this issue we feature a cross-section of our thinking — from Toyota’s recent crisis, to tools that spark creativity and innovation, to the role of marketing in making mergers work.

In this issue we feature the most popular Prophet-authored articles of 2009.

We discuss sharpening the marketing function and its leadership. You'll find an article by Peter Dixon and Scott Davis which discusses implications of “The Shift” on the retail sector. You'll read an interview with David Aaker, and learn about marketing effectiveness and smarter sponsorships in a piece by Fred Geyer and Chiaki Nishino entitled “Getting More Value From Sponsorships.”

You'll find an article outlining concepts from Scott Davis’ new book The Shift; Andy Stefanovich discusses driving inspiration through your business; Roger Sinclair discusses our new brand valuation offer; and Peter Dixon gives his thumbs up or thumbs down on several new logos.

You'll find an article outlining concepts from Michael Dunn's new book The Marketing Accountability Imperative; David Aaker discusses why Sony missed the iPod; and Andy Stefanovich discusses how to treat inspiration as a discipline.

Focus on surviving in times of economic crisis. You’ll find an article about budget cutting and planning for an economic downturn; David Aaker discusses three priorities which should help avoid missed opportunities and irreversible mistakes; and Peter Dixon discusses new ways of thinking in grappling with business issues.

Focus on marketing in a downturn. You’ll find an article about the branding challenges faced by banks involved in the recent financial crisis; an article discussing places to focus when developing your 2009 strategy; and a piece from David Aaker focused on his latest book, “Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative.”

Focus on innovation. You’ll find an overview of our 2008 Best Practices Study: The Making of World-Class Innovators; an article focused on Open Innovation; and an article from David Aaker on Branding Innovation.

Focus on marketing effectiveness. You’ll find a preview of Michael Dunn’s upcoming book The Marketing Accountability Imperative; an article focused on "test and learn" techniques; and a case study featuring our work with UnitedHealthcare.

Focus on customer control. You'll find an article discussing the challenges of connecting with customers without intruding on them in today’s always-on world; a piece which suggests that “quantilitative” research may be the new methodology for gaining customer insights; and Scott Davis helps marketers think about data versus insight.

Focus on trends in marketing. You'll find an article from David Aaker on the future of marketing, a piece focused on countering the innovation backlash, and an article about brands that are breaking the rules.

Focus on innovation. You'll find an article from David Aaker on branding innovation, a podcast discussing how successful companies use innovation, and results from our 2006–07 State of Marketing Study.

Focus on marketing effectiveness. You’ll find an interview with Chris Gibson, Chief Marketing Officer of UnitedHealthcare, and additional information and insights.