Commentary
Commentary: Power Points
Washington state has a long history of taking a leadership role in developing advanced technologies. Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing and even Google and Apple have all invested heavily here for years. But our tech-savvy population isnt simply focused on pumping out software and computer components though it does that well. Washingtons best and brightest are also…
CEO Adviser: Youll Be Hacked!
With cyber attacks soaring, what risk does your company face? Your brand, your reputation and the trust of your customers. Without those, youre not going to be in business very long. So cyber security is the number one task of every organization. The number of cyber attacks worldwide has nearly doubled, increasing by 48 percent…
How to scale content marketing for global engagement
Attorney, Paradigm Counsel The content marketing shift has impacted marketers around the world. To be successful, global brands with diverse audiences must dramatically increase their investment in content, as well as in the strategic promotion of that content in order to scale their stories for global engagement. At its core, content marketing involves a fair…
Letters to the Editor
The Promise of BiotechYour December issue with the cover story Cancer Cure Inc. offered a great overview of Washingtons life sciences industry. It identifies many of the assets that our state possesses, such as world class research, innovators, entrepreneurs, biotech and medtech companies, digital and global health expertise and some of the brightest minds working…
Sony is not alone. Chances are good that you’ll be hacked, too!
With cyber attacks soaring, what risk does your company face? Your brand, your reputation and the trust of your customers. Without those, youre not going to be in business very long. So cyber security is the number one task of every organization. The number of cyber attacks worldwide has nearly doubled, increasing by 48 percent…
Virgin on Business: Architecture as Branding
Weyerhaeuser Co.s corporate headquarters in Federal Way did far more than simply provide a place for employees to spend their day. It was a corporate branding statement, written in concrete, glass and steel, without benefit of a single logo or name on the facade, long before branding statement became standard-issue business jargon. It told the…
Final Analysis: Embrace the Ampersand
Ran into my hipster friend Blue Denim the other day. He was so excited to see me he almost fell off his fixed-gear bike. Whats up, broster? I asked. Dude! exclaimed Denim. I just had the best idea! I looked at his T-shirt the one with the PBR blue ribbon emblem exclaiming, Hipsters Ruin Everything…
Editor’s Note: Selling Seattle
Every year, many of our city and state leaders gather to discuss issues of concern to our regional business community. One perennial topic is the fear that Seattle isnt doing enough to promote its brand. Its an odd concern, given that Seattle gets more than its share of laudatory national coverage from the likes of…
Commentary: Farms and the Environment
While we can easily see how the local food movement has helped small farms market their crops to environmentally responsive consumers, the business logic of environmental management is less obvious for larger, wholesale operations. Yet there are growing sustainable business opportunities in commercial agriculture. Ask the owners of Wilcox Family Farms, one of the biggest…
CEO Adviser: Human Resources
The human resources department can often be the neglected stepchild for businesses, receiving attention only when problems arise. But the follies of a neglected HR department can be costly. Here are three ways toward a more strategic, forward-looking approach to HR. 1. Conduct an HR Audit.Human resources is a vast area encompassing everything from the…
Commentary: A Weighty Matter
First, the good news: Obesity rates increased in only six states in 2013 and Washington was not one of them, according to a recently released report by the Trust for Americas Health. Now, the not-so-good news: 27.2 percent of Washington adults are obese, the 32nd highest percentage in the nation, and that rate will climb…
Commentary: Beyond the Exchanges
The opening of health exchanges last year focused on providing patients with greater access to care. But it failed to address the issue of high cost and the inconsistency of quality across different regions. Now we need to find ways to provide more affordable and efficient care while obtaining healthier outcomes. These goals mean ridding…
CEO Adviser: Comic Relief
Like you, Ive read dozens of business books (and magazines like this one), dozens of marketing books, dozens of management books. Ive been to and led seminars, retreats and workshops. Ive listened to leadership MP3s, CDs and tapes (yes, Im that old). And yet I learned one of the best business lessons of my life…