David Wyld
Bio
Professor, Consultant, Doer. Founder/Publisher of The IDEA Publishing (http://www.theideapublishing.com/) & Modern Business Press (http://www.modernbusinesspress.com)
Stories (300/0)
The Age of “Wood in” Advertising
Introduction Yes, I am a strategic management professor who is “of a certain age.” So, sometimes my reference points can be a bit dated, no matter how hard I strive to keep up with the times. In conversations with students, colleagues, and clients, I know that I’m going to miss some references and not quite “get” what is so funny - or alternatively - horrible about a story, an advertisement, a social media post, etc. And at the same time, I know that some of my references from my youth, young adulthood, and now, even my parenthood days won’t resonate with today’s students who were born after September 11th and consulting clients who may not have been alive to see the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
By David Wyld4 months ago in Journal
- Top Story - November 2023
Cryptonation: The Rise of Cryptocurrency Investments in Americans’ Investment Mix Top Story - November 2023
Introduction Football fans worldwide remember the 2022 Super Bowl as one of the best championship games ever. In the history of the Roman Numeral-enumerated National Football League (NFL) championship games, Super Bowl LVI - that's number 56 to you and me - stands out for many reasons. The Los Angeles Rams finally won their elusive first Super Bowl. Sean McVay became the youngest Super Bowl-winning coach ever. Matthew Stafford, who long toiled in virtual anonymity as the quarterback of the seemingly forever losing (until this year!) Detroit Lions. And yes, Joe Burrow solidified his star status and the Cincinnati Bengals gained a whole lot of respect in a valiant losing effort in a game that was literally decided on the final play of the game.
By David Wyld4 months ago in Trader
Cash is (Almost) Dead
Introduction I must admit that I am a strategic management consultant and professor “of a certain age.” As such, I have to guard against falling into what might be academically called “old fart stories” and telling students/clients about the way things used to be - which, of course, plays no bearing whatsoever on the way things operate today and will in the future. Yes, those of us in our 50s, 60s, and 70s are the last generations that will really remember a marketplace where “cash was king.” We remember paying for items in stores with cash - or even a check. We can even remember writing out actual checks to mail to pay our bills (like in the days of the “Pony Express!”). Today, when the proverbial “little old lady” whips out her checkbook to write out a check to pay for her items at Walmart or Target, people behind her - or him - will often almost get enraged, thinking: “Why can’t she (or he) get with the program - and the times?”
By David Wyld4 months ago in Trader
Pickup Truck Nation
Introduction Every once and a while, a visual just grabs your attention - and simply won’t let it go! That happened to me when I saw an amazing infographic put together by the data analysts at Visual Capitalist. Now, as a strategic management professor and consultant, the auto industry is one area of the economy that you simply have to pay attention to - as it is perhaps the one consumer product category, outside of the absolute “basics,” like groceries, medicines, clothing, and real estate, that impacts everyone in one form or fashion - on what we drive, on how much we pay each month for our car (and insurance, and gas, and maintenance, etc.).
By David Wyld4 months ago in Wheel
The Grammar Trap: Rebranding the University of Wisconsin System
This article examines how the recent rebranding of the University of Wisconsin System into the “Universities of Wisconsin” can be both a lesson and a cautionary tale for any organization looking to solve its problems with a name change.
By David Wyld5 months ago in Education
The AI Digital Land Rush is On!
Introduction As the famous movie villain, Harry Payne (played by Dennis Hopper), frighteningly posed his questions in the movie, Speed, let's start in the same spirit with this: “Pop quiz, hotshot!” Want to bet that you could find Anguilla on a map? Is it a country or a city? Can you name the continent or even the general area where it is located in our wide, wide world?
By David Wyld5 months ago in 01
No More Salary Guesswork - or Poker Games!
Introduction: “The Flop” in Poker and in Job Hunting Are you a poker player? If not, are you one of the many, many of us who have wandered into watching one of the thousand channels we now have and watched a poker show at 2 a.m.? Now, there are two, mutually exclusive schools of thought when it comes to watching “professional” poker players wager thousands - often tens of thousands of dollars or even more - on your big-screen TV. Either you find this exhilarating, in that you can live vicariously - and far more cheaply - by watching others gamble on a high-stakes turn of the cards, or you find it akin to watching paint dry. However, one thing is for sure: These shows do definitely draw eyeballs, as people - out of either sheer fascination or sheer boredom (and yes, they do count the same to marketers!) - will watch these shows and give their attention not just to the obvious ads inserted into what is largely very well-produced and choreographed entertaining shows, but also to the players’ sponsors, who adorn their shirts and visors with logos of some very prominent firms outside of the gaming sector!
By David Wyld6 months ago in Journal
The Deep State Isn't Nearly as Big or Powerful as Some May Think
Introduction We hear A LOT these days about the size of government, specifically focusing on Washington, DC. We see politicians debate just how much the federal government costs, how bloated it is, and yes, how perhaps the “deep state” impacts our lives. As of this writing (in late September 2023), Washington is in gridlock (well, THAT’S not a shock!) over the size of the government, with a government shutdown perhaps days away…
By David Wyld6 months ago in Journal
We Are Family...
Introduction Okay, as a management professor and consultant, there will ALWAYS be catchphrases that are not just warning signs, but the linguistic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard! There will ALWAYS be slogans and expressions that management will see one way, but quite often, the rank and file worker will perceive - if not coming across as disingenuous by management - as at the very least out of touch and out of step with the proverbial “conditions on the ground.” So very, VERY often, what sounds good in a conference room - or the board room - gets very much lost in translation when those at the “tip of the spear” hear the latest, greatest missive and/or initiative from the higher-ups.
By David Wyld6 months ago in Journal
ChatGPT: A Game Changer in…Everything
Overview: Is Artificial Intelligence “The Next Big Thing?” Okay, when you have a knack for being a futurist, you always run the risk of falling somewhere on a scale between a Jim Cramer (“hyping” the next BIG thing - maybe) and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” (warning of something BIG and threatening, but no one believes you - until it’s too late). With a few decades under my belt of working with how new, emerging technologies will impact business strategy, as a consultant and professor, I’ve lived through several tech revolutions - and made a living - talking about, consulting about, and writing about how everything from the advent of the Internet, the rise of social media, and yes, online meetings would impact businesses near and far, large and small, service-based or product-based, etc. When a new technology came along, I sought to learn as much as I could about it and what others saw in its potential, and then turn this into my “new” area of expertise as companies and organizations of all types and sizes, including government agencies, looked for answers as to how this “next big thing’ would impact them - and perhaps, how they could indeed take advantage of the changes being brought about by “it” - whatever it is!
By David Wyldabout a year ago in 01
Alejandro’s Tale: What Happens When Management Doesn’t Have the Authority
Introduction My 5 month-old iPhone 13 just suddenly died just after Christmas. I didn't drop it. I didn't dunk it. It just plain died! Despite all the help from the “amateur tech support” (my two adult sons and their significant others) gathered at our house for the holidays and from my wireless carrier’s tech support, the phone was simply dead, for no apparent or easily solvable reason. And so I began my journey to get a replacement phone, something I assumed would just take an hour or two at the local outlet for the wireless carrier. But as Lee Corso famously says, “Not so fast my friend!” No, you can’t get a replacement iPhone from the local store, but we’ll ship one to you!
By David Wyldabout a year ago in Journal
What Does the Future Hold for Southwest Airlines After the Great Holiday Debacle of 2022?
Overview: The Great Southwest Meltdown of 2022 As a strategic management consultant and professor, certainly Southwest Airlines is always - always - one of the first firms - if not the first - that students will mention when we discuss which companies provide excellent customer service. And that has not just been the case this year, or for the past few years, but literally, for the past decade or two, even as the airline has expanded and grown… and grown…and grown.
By David Wyldabout a year ago in Wander