Marketing & Communications Publications
Conference KeyNotes
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Corporate Image and Branding Conference KeyNotes Report
May 2013 | Conference KeyNotes
Connecting Your Organization to Tomorrow’s Customers
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2013 Customer Experience Leadership Conference KeyNotes Report
April 2013 | Conference KeyNotes
Social media may have changed the retail experience, but digital technology has given companies tools for coping with and capitalizing on that change.
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2012 Senior Corporate Communication Management Conference KeyNotes Report
February 2013 | Conference KeyNotes
Strategies and Techniques for Today's Rapidly Changing Marketplace
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Extending Your Brand to Employees Conference KeyNotes Report
August 2012 | Conference KeyNotes
Inspire and Equip Employees to Create Customers for Life
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2012 Customer Experience Leadership Conference KeyNotes Report
May 2012 | Conference KeyNotes
Capturing the Heart of Tomorrow's Customer
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2011 Senior Corporate Communications
Management Conference KeyNotes Report
March 2012 | Conference KeyNotes
Strategies and Solutions for a Changing Business Landscape
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2011 Customer Loyalty Conference KeyNotes Report
March 2012 | Conference KeyNotes
Aligning Marketing, Strategy, and Customer Experience to Drive Significant Growth
Council Perspectives
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Managing the Conversation
March 2012 | Council Perspectives
While branding has always been about shaping experiences, today, in the age of 24/7 communication and social media, the challenge has shifted from shaping the message to managing an active conversation.
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Supplier Diversity: Helping to Enhance the Corporate Brand
April 2011 | Council Perspectives
This Council Perspectives points out how supplier diversity can create a competitive advantage for an organization and encourages leaders to think beyond the function’s traditional role.
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Corporate Brands: Strategies for the New Normal
March 2010 | Council Perspectives
This report is an issue-specific excerpt from Council Perspectives (CP-015) Corporate Brands: Meeting the Challenges of Changing Times.
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Cracking the Financial Code
March 2010 | Council Perspectives
This report is an issue-specific excerpt from Council Perspectives (CP-015) Corporate Brands: Meeting the Challenges of Changing Times.
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Social Media and Word-of-Mouth Marketing
March 2010 | Council Perspectives
What will the operating landscape - the new normal - look like post-recession? It will be a tougher place to manage a corporate brand. Companies simply won't be able to do things the way they always have. But that may not be such a bad thing.
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Corporate Brands: Meeting the Challenges of Changing Times
February 2010 | Council Perspectives
This report, based on a September 2009 meeting of The Conference Board Council on Corporate Brand Management, discusses the challenges facing the corporate brand and what the new operating landscape—the new normal—will look like once the recession ends.
Executive Action Report
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Who's Afraid of the Cloud?
May 2012 | Executive Action Report
This report spells out the benefits and pitfalls for midsize businesses of migrating data and IT operations to the cloud.
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CEO Challenge Reflections: Social Media Goes to Work
October 2011 | Executive Action Report
The implications of social media in the workplace—for product development, go-to-market strategies, customer relations, corporate branding, and recruiting—are enormous. Why then are so many senior executives reluctant to take the plunge?
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Get Social: A Guide to Creating Your Company's Social Media Strategy
October 2011 | Executive Action Report
Most organizations realize the importance of participating in social media but do not have a formal plan on how to make the most of it. This report discusses specifics and best practices for planning a social media strategy.
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Leading Outside—and Inside—the Lines
June 2011 | Executive Action Report
Drawing on the work of Jon R. Katzenbach and Zia Khan, this Mid-Market Conversation Starter suggests ways in which informal networks can help address business problems.
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It's Not Just Your Children's Facebook Anymore
May 2011 | Executive Action Report
Companies that use social media to improve knowledge transfer will see employees benefit from more informed thinking, better ideas, and big steps forward in innovation.
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Managing Brands in a Topsy-Turvy Marketing Environment
February 2011 | Executive Action Report
To create excitement for a new brand, or refresh a tired brand, bring together networks of satisfied customers and user groups to share their experiences and generate word-of-mouth.
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Leadership as Performance Art
November 2010 | Executive Action Report
While acting skills are sometimes useful for leaders of companies, there can be no excuse for dissembling on important cultural values.
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Harnessing the Power Within: Using Your Employees to Help Deliver the Brand Promise
May 2010 | Executive Action Report
This report discusses how creating an internal branding model will help employees understand and connect to your core brand, then communicate that brand message to your customers.
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Up in the Air / Down to Earth
April 2010 | Executive Action Report
Is there a more deflating pronouncement to hear from your boss than "I’m going to start incorporating humor in my staff meetings?" A Mid-market Conversation Starter.
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Social Networking: How Companies Are Using Web 2.0 to Communicate with Employees
November 2009 | Executive Action Report
Companies are revamping their intranets to mirror the function and applications of social networking and they are seeing benefits such as keeping work-related ideas inside company firewalls and increased employee engagement
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Precision Marketing: Five Ways to Make Better Marketing Investment Decisions
October 2008 | Executive Action Report
Five principles are presented that can help companies make better marketing decisions by refocusing their concentration and perception of customer behavior — and in some ways redirecting their delivery investments.
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What Others Think of You Matters: Manage and Boost Your Corporate Reputation Using Social Media
November 2007 | Executive Action Report
Podcasts. Blogs. Virtual Worlds. Today's media landscape is evolving, stretching far beyond traditional radio, television, and print, and the days of managing your company's reputation with just a press release are history.
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Connecting Emotions and Personality to Your Corporate Image and Brands
August 2007 | Executive Action Report
When it comes to building and maintaining a corporate brand, today's democratized market is no place for top-down, hierarchical thinking. In this climate, an authoritative tone is as apt to cause resentment as it is to increase sales.
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Philanthropy at Mid-Market Firms: It Pays to Be Creative
September 2006 | Executive Action Report
With a little creativity, midsize companies can make their philanthropic activities stand out, not only providing a wealth of assistance to those in need, but also strengthening their organizations at the same time.
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Nuts and Bolts of Execution: Putting Ideas to Work
June 2006 | Executive Action Report
How do mid-market companies take great vision and make it a reality?
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Defining the Corporate Ethics Brand
November 2005 | Executive Action Report
Corporate Ethics and Social Responsibility, although seen as equivalent by the public, have different lines of authority, and different sources of institutional support. Is there a way to integrate them and mold a coherent Corporate Ethics Brand?
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How Smaller Companies Earn Customer Loyalty
August 2005 | Executive Action Report
How do you develop customer loyalty? How do you measure it? How do you profit from it?
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China: Creating An Unlikely Edge In The Global Market Share Battle
July 2005 | Executive Action Report
In the quest for market dominance, is the ability to exploit the mass market more important than cutting edge innovation?
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Can U.S. Corporations Change the Way People Think About America?
June 2005 | Executive Action Report
There has been a gradual global erosion of faith in the United States and its government, and in turn consumers worldwide are losing trust in American corporations. Is it time for U.S. corporations to help change the way the U.S. is viewed?
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A Failure to Communicate . . .Twelve Habits of Effective Writers
May 2004 | Executive Action Report
With the advances in media and technology, getting your message delivered has never been easier. However, it is also easier than ever to be misunderstood or overlooked in today's deluged inboxes.
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Webcasting on the Corporate Intranet
April 2004 | Executive Action Report
Many large and medium sized companies are using webcasting to communicate with their employees, courtesy of high-bandwidth network connections.
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Taking Global Brands to Japan: A Luxury Goods Market that is as Profitable as it is Unique
February 2004 | Executive Action Report
This report delves into how the profound social changes in Japan - brought about by a decade long recession - have allowed global luxury brands to blossom there.
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Corporate Communications Trends... Ruling in Nike Case May Lead to Increased Corporate Self-Censorship
January 2004 | Executive Action Report
The repercussions from the lawsuit against Nike concerning its international employment practices, may cause the loss of free speech protection for businesses and an increase in false advertisement suits.
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Business Environment Abounds with Angry Questions: How to Answer a Zinger
January 2004 | Executive Action Report
Challenging questions are being asked today in the workplace. The key to dealing with the tough questions is to understand that they often have a genuine emotional component.
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Branding Challenges in the Great China Breakout
December 2003 | Executive Action Report
The domestic market in China for many manufactured goods is heavily saturated in several sectors, leading to stiff competition and squeezing profit margins. This is causing Chinese manufacturers to launch their brands on the world market.
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E-mail Management and Distribution Tools—A Primer
August 2003 | Executive Action Report
A sound management strategy of e-mail communication can produce important cost and customer retention benefits.
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New Dynamic of First Reports: Executive Lessons from the Iraq War
May 2003 | Executive Action Report
In the war with Iraq, first reports from the battlefield were handled in a new way, creating a different dynamic that until now has only been hinted at.
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Marketing's New Path to Profitability
April 2003 | Executive Action Report
With budgets shrinking, the pressure is on marketers to demonstrate real and immediate returns on their investments. (Download Spanish version)
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One Year After: The Leadership and Communication Dilemma of 9-11-02
August 2002 | Executive Action Report
For corporate leaders on the anniversary of 9/11, listening may become more important than speaking.
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Mission Critical: Controlling Costs ... Marketing Costs: The Efficiencies Provided by Targeted Approaches
July 2002 | Executive Action Report
One danger in attempting to contain marketing costs: If a company's value proposition is compromised then cost-cutting becomes counterproductive.
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Coping With the Coming Wave of Web Communication
April 2002 | Executive Action Report
Looks at Web conferencing and collaboration systems: how they work, how to create a successful enterprise strategy for them, and their outlook.
Periodical
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Board Asia Newsletter
September 2012 | Periodical
Quarter Three 2012
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Board Asia Newsletter
July 2012 | Periodical
Quarter Two 2012
Research Report
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Managing and Measuring Return on Marketing Investment
October 2008 | Research Report
This report documents the research findings of The Conference Board's Working Group on Managing and Measuring Return on Marketing Investment (MROI).
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Future of the Annual General Meeting
December 2004 | Research Report
Based on The Conference Board’s second Corporate/Investor Summit, this report represents a unique consensus achieved on what is referred to as the annual general meeting (AGM) in Europe and the annual shareholder meeting in the United States.
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Improving Communications Between Companies and Investors
November 2004 | Research Report
Based on The Conference Board’s Global Corporate Governance Research Center’s first transnational Corporate/Investor Summit, this report represents a unique consensus on best practices to improve communications between companies and investors.
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Shared Services and CRM
April 2004 | Research Report
This report investigates how organizations are using the new emphasis on both internal and external customers to confront the significant cultural and operational challenges they encounter when implementing new shared service initiatives.
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Managing Customer Data for Strategic Advantage
December 2003 | Research Report
This report presents the findings of a recent survey of 45 companies on the goals, effectiveness, and importance of their customer data management programs.
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Sustaining Customer Care in a Rapidly Changing Business World: A Snapshot of Practices
September 2003 | Research Report
This study attempts to gauge the fast-changing technologies and approaches taken in maximizing customer and, hence, corporate value.
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Beyond the Hype: E-nabling the Sales and Marketing Force
December 2002 | Research Report
This report describes the impact of e-nabling, defined as the implementation of digital and communication technologies for the purposes of improving performance and creating the real-time enterprise.
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Branding on Site: Customer Relationships in the Digital Marketplace
December 2001 | Research Report
Done in collaboration with a Working Group of branding / marketing executives from 12 U.S. companies, this study examines how major firms are adjusting their branding strategies to embrace the Web as a new communications channel.
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Customer Relationship Management: New Ways of Keeping the Customer Satisfied
August 2001 | Research Report
This report examines planning and implementation practices for Customer Relationship Management and pinpoints keys to success among B2C and B2B practitioners across a range of industries.
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Engaging Employees Through Your Brand
April 2001 | Research Report
This report compares corporate and employer branding methods and provides benchmarks for successful implementation of programs to engage your employees through your brand.
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Employee Communication During Mergers
June 2000 | Research Report
This report addresses employee communications before, during, and after a corporate merger or acquisition. Best practices and examples from companies that have achieved successful employee communication are also presented.
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Consumer Expectations on the Social Accountability of Business
September 1999 | Research Report
This report, based on a survey of 1,000 consumers, is designed to help companies better understand the factors and the perceptions that drive public opinion of the role of business.
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Communicating in the Future
June 1999 | Research Report
What's the best way to manage your company's relations with the media? What about using your Intranet to reach your employees? The answers are here.
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Power of Marketing Innovation
March 1999 | Research Report
Will interactive marketing give your company the edge? Can you revive "lost" customers? These and other questions are answered in this report featuring the experience of Colgate-Palmolive, IBM, and Kodak, among others.
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Forging an Effective Sales Organization
February 1999 | Research Report
Without a solid sales organization, your corporation could be out of luck or even out of business. Here's a look at the successful steps some companies have taken.
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Managing the Corporate Brand
May 1998 | Research Report
Companies want more out of their brand—and this report looks at successful methods for getting it.
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Managing Reputation with Image and Brands
April 1998 | Research Report
How can you take full advantage of one of your company's biggest assets? This report captures the experience of some of Europe and the United States' best known companies.
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Investing in Profitable Customer Relationships
October 1997 | Research Report
Every time you sell product or service to a customer, you should be learning something as well. Here's how to learn — and profit — from those transactions.
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Communicating For Global Competitive Advantage
August 1997 | Research Report
Whether challenged by a corporate crisis, merger, or acquisition, these executives have gotten their messages out.
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Communicating Corporate Performance: A Delicate Balance
July 1997 | Research Report
This executive summary looks at how global companies communicate their strategic performance measures to investors.
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Shaping a Superior Corporate Image
July 1996 | Research Report
These excerpts from discussions with CEOs and other pros show you how to grow a strong brand image and steer through a crisis.
The Conference Board Review
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Marketing Monster: When executives begin to believe their own hype.
October 2012 | The Conference Board Review
BP offers a cautionary tale about how a company can fall victim to its own deceptive empowerment marketing strategy. An excerpt from Jonah Sachs' book "Winning the Story Wars."
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Do Your Customers Trust You?
July 2012 | The Conference Board Review
Q&A with Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, authors of "Extreme Trust: Honesty as a Competitive Advantage."
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From Selling Beauty to Selling Fear
July 2012 | The Conference Board Review
Manufacturers of skin-care products transitioned smoothly from sun-worshipping Coppertone to fearful sunscreen.
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Nothing in Common: How to do business in a world of difference
July 2012 | The Conference Board Review
Understanding the ways and whys of people unlike yourself is key to winning and keeping customers, managing today’s workforce, and relating to the activists who have an increasingly influential voice in where and how a company does business.
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Our Brands, Ourselves: The power of attachment
July 2012 | The Conference Board Review
As both marketers and consumers attach more meaning to brands, it's important to understand their context in society and business.
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“What’s the Best Business Book You’ve Read Lately?”
January 2012 | The Conference Board Review
TCB Review's annual survey of business-book authors' favorite reads of the past year.
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From Like to Love
October 2011 | The Conference Board Review
According to Adrian Slywotzky, "very good" isn't good enough anymore—your product needs something extra.
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Rebranding the Jay-Z Way
April 2011 | The Conference Board Review
How to transform "a mediocre product" into an overnight sensation.
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What's the Story?
April 2011 | The Conference Board Review
Narrative, character, drama—Peter Guber knows how to get your attention.
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Watch What You Say!
January 2011 | The Conference Board Review
Business talk communicates less than you want—and more than you mean.
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Value of Values
October 2010 | The Conference Board Review
John Gerzema explains how consumers have rediscovered what’s really important—and how they’re reshaping the marketplace.
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Rethink Pink
July 2010 | The Conference Board Review
Angela Eikenberry wants companies to stop hawking products in the name of charity.
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Identity Recession
January 2010 | The Conference Board Review
Why are companies so cautious about rebranding themselves?
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Clicking With Customers
May 2009 | The Conference Board Review
There's a difference between online presence and online marketing.
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Why Are We in Business?
March 2009 | The Conference Board Review
Ad man Roy Spence wants to know what your purpose is.
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Are You Talking to Your People or at Them?
March 2009 | The Conference Board Review
Learning to focus both your message and your presentation.
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Brand Evolution
January 2009 | The Conference Board Review
Signaling dramatic change or keeping it under wraps?
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Wherefore Art Thou, Brand?
January 2009 | The Conference Board Review
Adjusting to marketing's new realities.
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Martin Lindstrom Can Read Your Mind
November 2008 | The Conference Board Review
Danish marketer Martin Lindstrom explains why we buy what we buy.