The Big Idea

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Apple exits Chamber of Commerce, as climate debate shifts
Apple is the fifth major company in less than two weeks to cut ties with the Chamber of Commerce over the group's stance on climate change legislation. Niv Elis argues that the group is out of step with a growing number of businesses that support climate change regulations. Some experts suggest that defying the chamber on this issue is a matter of self-interest for these businesses, since companies that embrace climate change measures early may enjoy better public relations and a strategic competitive advantage if emissions restrictions later become compulsory. Forbes (10/5)

Strategic Management

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How to manage your brand image through context
The context in which a consumer experiences your brand affects their perception of the advertisement, this article argues. Companies should strive to position brand messages in ways that provide favorable comparisons or create a positive association with an even more desirable brand, the authors suggest. Kellogg Insight (10/2009)

On Leadership

Why you should focus on one thing at a time
The secret to affecting major personal change is limiting your efforts to one problem at a time, Peter Bregman writes. Focusing on a single problem isn't just easier, he writes, it tends to be more effective than a sweeping overhaul. When a person wants to change their life, they often go overboard, focus on too many areas, become frustrated and give up, he notes. "If you're going to work on a weakness, never choose more than one," he writes. Harvard Business Review online/How We Work blog (10/6)

The secret behind Generation Y's leadership deficit
Members of Generation Y are less adept at handling ambiguity, Jason Seiden writes. That doesn't just make them more difficult to manage, he suggests, it may require a complete rethinking of what leadership means. Companies will have to readjust their organizational charts to put decision-making power in the hands of the few people on staff who can handle it, while career paths will become more structured, he argues. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Workforce (10/5)

Innovation and Creativity

Why technology is a mixed blessing for innovators
Social media may be able to spur innovation, but only if the technology is able to enhance spontaneous collaboration, rather than impede it, writes Scott Raskin, CEO of Mindjet. The invention of e-mail ultimately hurt collaboration, he suggests, because it allowed workers to rely on static messages to convey information, instead of dynamic discussions. Companies should look for ways to utilize collaborative technologies such as wikis, which encourage many people to work on a project at once, instead of everyone taking turns, he writes. CNNMoney.com/Fortune/Brainstorm Tech blog (10/5)

SmartPulse

Is it among your goals to cultivate customers to become advocates, or evangelists, for your brand?

We want customer advocacy but don't have any specific initiatives to create it or measure it yet.	37.22%
Yes, we actively seek to convert our satisfied customers to become advocates for our brand.	33.33%
We have a formal goal of stimulating a specific level of positive recommendations from our customers and we measure it.	12.72%
This thinking doesn't relate to our business. The closest we get is to look for referrals from customers.	9.78%
No, we haven't really addressed this as part of our strategy.	6.95%

Poll analysis
More than good buzz: Customer advocacy of their brand is on the radar screen for 83% of the 864 participants in this poll. 46% have actually figured out what to do and undertaken to achieve it. Almost 13% have incorporated it into their formal goals. Whether it's a way of expressing satisfaction or of creating good word-of-mouth, we also know it's aligned with a higher perceived value for the brand vs. competition. --Eva Schmatz, president, Summus Limited

Have workforce reductions at your company in the past year yielded productivity gains that will dampen new hiring needs?
 Yes, our workforce reduction has uncovered efficiencies that we will maintain going forward.
 Yes, since the cutbacks, we've found ways to be innovative and do business differently.
 No, as demand returns, our staffing needs will equal or exceed what they were before the business contraction.
 No, but there is so much long-term uncertainty that we are going to exercise great caution in staffing up again.
 We never cut back on staffing.

Daily Diversion

Chasing the perfect sunset
The sun might be the same the world around, but every sunset is a little different. Ten travel journalists share memories of perfect sunsets from around the globe, complete with photos. ForbesTraveler.com (10/5)

The Buzz (CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Norwich University's Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program prepares emerging leaders from a broad range of institutional settings to positively impact their organizations. The curriculum explores conceptual and theoretical models of leadership, emotional intelligence, strategic communication, and human capital management. Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.

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