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7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
Non-exclusivity. Note that Branding is a non-exclusive type of Power. Indeed, a direct competitor might have an equally impactful brand that targets the same customers (e.g., Prada and Luis Vuitton and Hermès). All competitors with brand Power, however, still will earn returns superior to those of the competitor with no Branding.
Hamilton Helmer • 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
Strategy strategy value Strategy Dynamics Strategy Statics industry business market Description Strategy (with a Capital S) is the intellectual discipline sometimes called Strategic Management. I define it: the study of the fundamental determinants of potential business value.
The set of conditions needed for persistent differential returns. Power
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Boundedness. As powerful as this Barrier is, it is bounded by the character of the network, something well-demonstrated by the continued success of both Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook has powerful Network Economies itself but these have to do with personal not professional interactions. The boundaries of the network effects determine the
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The notion of Power (and the impact of its lack) is what underlies Warren Buffett’s view that if you combine a poor business with a good manager, it is not the business that loses its reputation. On the other hand, always the domain of Economists, I am a strong believer in the importance of leadership in the creation of value.
Hamilton Helmer • 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
For any business person, "Me too' won't do" feels right intuitively. Action, creation, risk-these lie at the root of invention. Business value does not start with bloodless analytics. Passion, monomania and domain mastery fuel invention and so are central. The compelling continuing contribution of founders demonstrates this. Planning rarely creates
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Pasteur’s well-known dictum: “Chance only favors the prepared mind.”
Hamilton Helmer • 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
Scale Economies: Benefit: Reduced Cost Barrier: Prohibitive Costs of Share Gains
Hamilton Helmer • 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy
Narrowness. To clear the high hurdle of Power, Branding in the context of Power Dynamics is a much more restricted concept than in marketing. For example, even if “brand recognition” is very high, there may not be Branding Power. In instances like this, it could actually be Scale Economies creating heightened brand awareness. For example, Coca Cola
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A Benefit: some condition which yields material improvement in the cash flow of the Power wielder via reduced cost, enhanced pricing and/or decreased investment requirements.