Monday, July 13, 2009

Coach's Poppy Line Is Luxury for Recessionary Times

"In July 2008, amid the spreading gloom, the senior executives of Coach gathered for a private annual meeting. At the end of the first day they made an important decision. The brand had emerged from its modest origins in the 1940s to become an emblem of the working woman and then, remarkably, a favorite among the fashion-conscious.

"It had created the very conceit of affordable luxury. Now that sense of expansiveness, opportunity, even desire, was diminished. Coach had to adapt. So began a nearly yearlong quest to design a line of purses and accessories that could be priced to fit the times without cheapening or otherwise damaging Coach's image. Doing so would require executives to find new sources of leather, fabric, and hardware, renegotiate deals with suppliers, and collaborate more than they ever had.

"The resulting collection, which will be introduced in late June, is called Poppy. It's more youthful; CEO Lew Frankfort describes it as eclectic and spontaneous. The average price will be about 20 percent less than the usual Coach purse."

Check out the full article here.

Crowdsourcing: What It Means for Innovation

"Some predict that crowdsourcing is the future of the marketing, advertising, and industrial design industries. The phenomenon, they argue, will accelerate creativity across a larger network. Others predict that this practice of opening up a task to the public instead of keeping it in-house or using a contractor will be the demise of those businesses because of the downward pressure on prices.

"If LG crowdsources a new cell-phone design on CrowdSpring for $20,000, as it did recently, what happens to the old model of paying a design firm millions of dollars for the same project? Most likely, the practice will continue evolve, supplying a more efficient and creative way for companies to engage with and harness the crowd for help
."

Check out the full article here.

The Productivity Holy Grail!

Lifehacker.com just came out with the Top 10 Productivity Tips. I'll bet you aren't doing 1/2 of them.

Inbox Zero


These posts from 43 Folders explain the "Inbox Zero" philosophy. Enjoy!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

11 Health Myths That May Surprise You

Some of the myths discussed: "It’s okay to double dip in the chip dip," "Singles have better sex lives than married people," "Sugar makes kids hyper," and"You lose most of your body heat through your head." Check out the 11 health myths here.

Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.s, According to Women Who Almost Were

"It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s about loneliness, competition and deeply rooted barriers." Read more in the NYT .