Agility
Day of the (Marketing) Ninja
16/12/08 01:31
No, it's not the name of the latest Chuck Norris movie. Though to read the financial headlines, you might think we're living in the middle of a disaster flick. Everywhere you turn there's talk of bailouts, deficits and economic collapse. You think maybe it's time we take a second look at some of our most cherished business paradigms? If BIGGER is BETTER, then why are some of our largest commercial/industrial institutions imploding? And by the way, in my book at least, if someone calls you "too big to fail"-- you already have.
A lot of our "Captains of Industry" are probably wishing their troops were a little lighter, a little more focused, a little more action-biased and a little more quick-to-the-punch Yes, a little more "ninja-like." They know that not only have many of them become fat and lazy, bloated bureaucracies dedicated to maintaining a dilapidated status quo, but that they're going to have to recreate themselves in a new image-- that of the 21st Century "Shouninjutsu" (Ninja Marketer). Their very survival depends on it.
There's just not enough "wiggle room" an more for companies to tolerate inefficiency. Without the Ninja Marketing traits of Simplicity, Speed and Agility, businesses will quickly be bypassed and made irrelevant by nimbler, quicker and more hungry competitors.
If there is any good news on the horizon, it is that the Day of the "Marketing Ninja" is here-- without a doubt.
A lot of our "Captains of Industry" are probably wishing their troops were a little lighter, a little more focused, a little more action-biased and a little more quick-to-the-punch Yes, a little more "ninja-like." They know that not only have many of them become fat and lazy, bloated bureaucracies dedicated to maintaining a dilapidated status quo, but that they're going to have to recreate themselves in a new image-- that of the 21st Century "Shouninjutsu" (Ninja Marketer). Their very survival depends on it.
There's just not enough "wiggle room" an more for companies to tolerate inefficiency. Without the Ninja Marketing traits of Simplicity, Speed and Agility, businesses will quickly be bypassed and made irrelevant by nimbler, quicker and more hungry competitors.
If there is any good news on the horizon, it is that the Day of the "Marketing Ninja" is here-- without a doubt.
Who Else Wants "Mad Ninja Skills?"
17/07/07 13:55
While Napoleon Dynamite might be a tad old news, aficionados of the Cartoon Network (or anyone who has tried to buy birthday present for a pre-teen boy in the last 12 months) know that Naruto has taken center stage as the "Ninja du jour." There always seems to be a spunky, heroic martial arts underdog lurking around the edges of popular culture.
And yet the underlying principles of “Ninjutsu” have been passed on by secretive ninja “families” for hundreds of years and have alway been embraced by “shadow warriors” seeking an unfair advantage against opponents with seemingly vastly superior resources.
So what is “Ninja Marketing?”
Successful Ninja marketers leverage the three primary traits that define a “ninjutsu” philosophy (thus the 3-pointed shuriken in the Shuriken Systems logo):
1. Simplicity
2. Agility
3. Speed
Simplicity– the shortest distance between two points is still a straight line, regardless of how many committees, corporate gatekeepers and self-proclaimed gurus say otherwise. Common sense and the 80/20 rule– when combined with the other “mad ninja skills” of Agility and Speed– will almost always get you farther faster than any other approach. The key is determining and absolutely mastering those few things that will really make a difference in your business. Forget about all the rest. At least for now.
Speed– You’ve got to be able to move fast. One of the key advantages of smaller, more entrepreneurially-oriented organization is the ability to make decisions quickly. In the four-dimensional universe that Einstein introduced us to in the last century, TIMING is ironically the element that is often the most easily utilized in manipulating the physical world. Learn to leverage speed and you can “be there” and “do that” before your competition has a chance to even notice you’re in the room.
Agility– the ability to make immediate, even instantaneous, course corrections is a key advantage in the 21st century business world when your competition may need to convene multiple meetings and conference calls just to be able to identify a problem or opportunity– let alone get everyone to agree as to how to capitalize upon it. Focus on what you really need to accomplish without being married to how it gets done, and you’ll reinvent not only your own internal “business models,” but your entire industry as well.
Balancing your Mad Ninja Skills
Notice that all three characteristics are critical and keep each other in balance. The main reason to simplify is so that you can “lighten up” to improve agility, speed and focus. Speed is hardly an asset if you’re still carrying around too much baggage. And without agility and flexibility, “business at the speed of change” can be very brittle, indeed.
In future posts, I plan to comment in more detail about each of the three key aspects of a “Ninja Marketing”-focused enterprise.
But don’t expect me to share any of my sweet dance moves…
And yet the underlying principles of “Ninjutsu” have been passed on by secretive ninja “families” for hundreds of years and have alway been embraced by “shadow warriors” seeking an unfair advantage against opponents with seemingly vastly superior resources.
So what is “Ninja Marketing?”
Successful Ninja marketers leverage the three primary traits that define a “ninjutsu” philosophy (thus the 3-pointed shuriken in the Shuriken Systems logo):
1. Simplicity
2. Agility
3. Speed
Simplicity– the shortest distance between two points is still a straight line, regardless of how many committees, corporate gatekeepers and self-proclaimed gurus say otherwise. Common sense and the 80/20 rule– when combined with the other “mad ninja skills” of Agility and Speed– will almost always get you farther faster than any other approach. The key is determining and absolutely mastering those few things that will really make a difference in your business. Forget about all the rest. At least for now.
Speed– You’ve got to be able to move fast. One of the key advantages of smaller, more entrepreneurially-oriented organization is the ability to make decisions quickly. In the four-dimensional universe that Einstein introduced us to in the last century, TIMING is ironically the element that is often the most easily utilized in manipulating the physical world. Learn to leverage speed and you can “be there” and “do that” before your competition has a chance to even notice you’re in the room.
Agility– the ability to make immediate, even instantaneous, course corrections is a key advantage in the 21st century business world when your competition may need to convene multiple meetings and conference calls just to be able to identify a problem or opportunity– let alone get everyone to agree as to how to capitalize upon it. Focus on what you really need to accomplish without being married to how it gets done, and you’ll reinvent not only your own internal “business models,” but your entire industry as well.
Balancing your Mad Ninja Skills
Notice that all three characteristics are critical and keep each other in balance. The main reason to simplify is so that you can “lighten up” to improve agility, speed and focus. Speed is hardly an asset if you’re still carrying around too much baggage. And without agility and flexibility, “business at the speed of change” can be very brittle, indeed.
In future posts, I plan to comment in more detail about each of the three key aspects of a “Ninja Marketing”-focused enterprise.
But don’t expect me to share any of my sweet dance moves…
