iPad the ultimate

productivity tool

WSJ’s Walt Mossberg on personal
technology apps that really work

17 May’13
There's a popular myth that Apple's iPad and other tablets are simply media-consumption devices, unsuitable for productivity applications. That's just not so, and here’s why

Read more: Apple iPad the ultimate productivity tool

Retailers Refresh!

Where’s the destination driver,
the innovative user experience?

17 May’13
Retail sales are declining. Bigboxes talk omnichannel development as local retailers maintain relic looks. Have most forgotten the importance of a lighter, brighter, whiter, more innovative customer service experience? Later today

Read more: Retailers refresh the user experience

Everything

is marketing

From departmental discipline
to the brand’s soul provider

16 May’13
Marketer Will Harris argues that marketing has become the all embracing home for business problems and opportunities that don't fit anywhere else. We discuss the leading marketers in the OPS marketplace…

Read more: Everything is marketing

Your modern
marketing map

12 steps to make marketing the

 focus of future success plans

15 May’13

There are two big questions about marketing as a discipline at the moment. Firstly, is it getting more, or less, important within organisations? Secondly, has digital marketing completely changed what marketing is or has it fundamentally remained the same?

Read more: Your modern marketing map

Managed Services…

From DROPS

to P R O P S!

Journey from paper products to
managed productivity services

14 May’13
Whilst it was sad to see the demise of the printer paper and ink market as exemplified at ITEX’13 and Q1’13 results from the ex-tech giants it is exciting to envision the shift towards productivity services. We explore the opportunities for OP dealers…

Read more: Managed Services: From DROPS to PROPS

Mighty movers in

managed services

Progressive productivity services
providers in US/UK lead the way

14 May’13

The already-huge managed services segment will continue to grow at double-digit rates over the next four years as business demand increases for reliable IT and FM alternatives to fixed costs, according to Insight Research.

Read more: Mighty movers in managed services

Your stairway

to a productivity

services future

Paper & ink increase costs. 6

steps to help customers’ costs

12 May’13 (Complete)
Over 50% of OP dealers’ sales are threatened by declining demand for paper and ink. It’s time to embrace these new office productivity growth drivers...

Read more: Your stairway to a productivity services future

Consolidation,

contraction

continues…

Latest financials confirm decline

and new category opportunities

9 May'13 (Complete)

The Q1’13 reporting season is virtually complete and the 'Post-OP era' decline signs are obvious. PC’s, printer, ink and papermakers are in serious decline. Unlike many, we herald in the new productivity services era…a world of opportunities for local resellers…

Read more: OP Consolidation, contraction continues...

Can superstores

survive Amazon?

Massmarketers & etailers forcing
Depot and Max down the drain

7 May’13
Dana Blankenhorn, a blogger for The Motley Fool investment advisory service has raised concerns about the future of office superstores. We pick up on her analysis and comment...

Read more: Can superstores survive Amazon?

Don’t you reap


what you sow?

Why is OPI launching a B2C
pimping service for dealers?

4 May’13
We were not entirely surprised to read about this news. It just confirms OPI’s lack of understanding of dealers’ need to focus in developing deeper relationships with existing customers, not prostituting themselves with casual lovers…

Read more: OPI: Email B2C email service for independents

Managed Services…

From DROPS
to P R O P S!

Journey from print products to
managed productivity services

25 Apr’13 (Updated)

Whilst it is sad to see the demise of the printer paper and cartridge market as exemplified at ITEX’13; it was exciting to envision the shift towards productivity services promoted by Continuum and Docuware. We explore the opportunities for OP dealers…

Read more: Managed Services: from DROPS to PROPS

Don't be a 
tech dinosaur

As progressives speak Twitter,
can luddites adapt and get it

22 Apr’13
For many pros over 40, the workplace brings the confidence of experience, It can also bring a nagging insecure feeling that younger colleagues are overtaking them from their superior tech skills...

Read more: Don't be a tech dinosaur

Bad Apple

bandwagon

baloney…

Why has Wall Street whirled

back on #1 office innovator

22 Apr’13

Fast Company’s Ciara Byrne writes ‘Many believe there's something bad happening at Apple; that its past its historic peak and headed into a tailspin?’ Q1’13 results are out tomorrow and we challenge the bandwagon of cynics…

Read more: Bad Apple bandwagon baloney

12 Mythbusters!

Why emotional intelligence beats

bandwagon logic in personal

productivity services market 

19 Apr’13 (Complete)

The recent  BOSS ‘Leaders of the Future’ conference was a reminder of the positive spirit of the industry. It was also a reminder of poor awareness of market trends; the huge disconnect with empowered user choosers; and the bandwagon of myths that have slowed its progress. We discuss 12 mythbusters…

Read more: 12 Mythbusters! Aim: productivity with personality: EQ beats IQ - 12 mythbusters

Great stories get
great customers

Content is king when connecting
brands with busy user-choosers

16 Apr’13
The art of storytelling is key to reaching users in a crowded marketplace. So how can you ensure you're telling the right story, to the right people in the right places? We build on these key questions asked by FMG’s Julia Hutchison.

Read more: Great stories get great customers

The search
for simplicity

Why users unsubscribe to
interruptive noisy messages


15 Apr’13
When so many users are overwhelmed by information, brands need to careful when it comes to communication. We pick up an excellent article by Nicola Kemp in Marketing and apply it to the PPS marketplace

Read more: The search for simplicity

B2C webstores
are redundant

Commercial, retail & B2B terms
are dead in the new B2U era

12 Apr’13 (Complete)
We listened to the OPI interview with Spicers’ leaders about its MemoEtc play to reach the SOHO market on behalf of its new Brilliant Partners. Why didn't it ask key questions: Comparisons with failed predecessors SMARTXpress and Caboodle? How this model can compete with Amazon? Why create a brand that competes with its customers? 

Read more: B2C webstores are redundant

Wholesaler-Dealer Alert!

Buyers are not
the end users

Disconnected! Reps focus on

Sally's dying buying power.

When user Lucy picks Amazon.


11 Apr’13
It’s the biggest misconception in the OP market today. Most players refer to ‘end-users’ and assume dealers reach them. They don’t! Dealers are disconnected from Lucy, the typical users chooser, who buys 70% of business supplies. Meanwhile, most reps focus on selling to Sally, the buyer with diminished power…later today

Read more: Dealer Disconnect: Buyers are not end-users

Wholesaler-Dealer Alert!

Make tracks

before trains

Selling single source, MPS & UC

to CFO’s, needs specialist skills

11 Apr’13 (Complete)

The hot topic in the market over recent years has been managed services e.g. MPS. It seems everyone has a solution. However, it is no good having a great ‘proposal train’ if there are no ‘C-level’ selling skills available to get on the right track to the CFO. 

Read more: Make tracks before selling to CFO's

7 bad habits of
bigbox buyers

Merchandising managers tighten
squeeze on brand marketers

8 Apr’13
Massmarketers and bigbox buyers love to parade charm offensives to divert attention away from their normal ball-squeezing anti-marketing activities. We highlight the normal behaviour:

Read more: 7 Bad habits of bigbox buyers