Interesting Financial Times review today of "Hidden in Plain Sight: How to find and execute your company's next big growth strategy" by Erich Joachimsthaler, Harvard Business School Press.
Extracts examples of companies perceived as effective listeners, including Apple for the IPOD, Mastercard and Frito Lay (for advertising and branding,) and State Street's transition to focus on providing financial information. Story of UK based Tesco's efforts to enter the grocery market in California describes what the process of listening to customers can entail.
Jonathan Birchall, the reviewer in closing suggests that while a "fascinating tour around the global block on innovation" the book would have been "more exciting to read" before the widespread awareness of AG Lafley and Jim Stengal's focus on rethinking innovation with toothpaste at Procter and Gamble starting in 2000, or GE's Jeff Immelt's resurrecting the post of "chief marketing officer", "appointing Beth Comstock who had worked on identifiying the needs of customers in 10 year's time".
Book listed as not yet available on Amazon.
~ Jenny Ambrozek
