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- »One on One with Ed Hess
Grow or Die. It’s probably the most common business axiom, and the least accurate, according to the new book “Smart Growth: Building an Enduring Business by Managing the Risks of Growth” (Columbia Business School Publishing). To better understand the book’s implications for firms, Consulting’s One-on-One sat down with the book’s author, Ed Hess, a former Arthur Andersen strategy consultant and current professor at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business.
- »One on One with Summit's David Litherland
When prospective employees interview for a job, they obsess over making a good, lasting impression. Firms should do the same. To learn how firms can avoid typical pitfalls, Consulting’s One on One sat down with David Litherland, managing partner of Summit Search Group, an executive search firm specializing in placing professionals within professional service firms.
- »One on One with PwC's Tom Craren
Senior executives are becoming immune to traditional marketing. Marketing consultants tell us that to pierce through the white noise of corporate communication, firms should consider “content marketing”. Instead of more traditional marketing, providing valuable insight and perspective in a blog or electronic newsletter can serve as a more effective door opener. One of the best examples is PricewaterhouseCoopers’ “10-Minute” series. For almost three years, PwC has boiled down complex thought leadership into small electronic pieces an executive can read in about ten minutes. To learn more about PwC’s marketing efforts, Consulting’s One-on-One sat down with Tom Craren, the firm’s brand strategy and thought leadership leader. His team of 20 writers produces between two to three 10-minute pieces each month, along with more detailed white papers.
- »One on One with Stanford Hospital's Kate Surman
Transitioning healthcare companies from paper to electronic records presents huge consulting opportunities.
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2009
»Top 25 Consultants, 2009: Leslie Moeller
 Leslie Moeller
Senior Partner
Booz & Company
Excellence in Retail
Given that low consumer confidence in the United States has led to significant cutbacks across the media and retail industries, you might assume that Booz & Company’s North American Consumer, Media and Retail practice might be horribly positioned in this economy. But you’d be wrong.
“We’re as healthy as we were a year-and-a-half ago, if not healthier,” says Les Moeller, a senior partner with the firm and the practice’s leader. “And we’ve got a number of self-funding projects that will set us up even better when the economy recovers.”
A significant reason for the practice’s success is Moeller’s approach to helping clients measure the ROI on their marketing investments. He stresses that clients should:
• Understand, classify, and choose specific analytics to monitor the success of their marketing efforts;
• Build a decision-support system to put the analytics to work;
• Establish processes that integrate the analytics and tools into
operations; and,
• Use organizational alignment to assure company-wide acceptance and execution of the system.
“I’ve visited tons of clients and have found that most have one or two, but you really need all four. After explaining the process, I’ve never had a client say anything other than ‘yes, I need it,’ ” he says. Moeller’s ROI Marketing strategy is detailed in his recently-published book, The Four Pillars of Profit-Driven Marketing.
Nailing the ROI on marketing achieves two goals: it prevents wasting money on unsuccessful efforts, and it helps to focus dollars on the biggest revenue generating opportunities. This fits Moeller’s approach of investing in the future while reducing costs today.
“Everyone’s P&L looks tough. Everyone is reducing costs. Even for companies that are growing and remarkably healthy, this is a good time to tighten their belts. That being said, a lot of companies are fundamentally healthy and are making money. They are looking at the future. This downturn presents a great acquisition opportunity,” Moeller says. “I think it is imminently rational to do both at the same time.”
—Jess Scheer
>> Full list of Top 25 Consultants 2009
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