Mike Osorio

1. All companies in today's interconnected world must have a social media policy.

2. It is naive to think a 'private' social media account is safe from scrutiny by the employer. Particularly as companies adopt enterprise social networks, the line between personal and professional completely blurs.

3. The answer...

For most retailers (and most businesses in general), the gap in perception is caused by the expectations put on front line managers and how they are trained. Most are trained on and required to focus on financial results -- regardless of how those results are achieved. Without guidance, most...

Most efforts at diversity training focus on accepting diversity. This is not enough. Only when we truly embrace diversity and internalize the positive impact a truly diverse workforce has on both the employee and customer experience, and therefore results, can we maximize diversity's potential.

Senior leadership owns the solution...

A very well written article. The real challenge is giving front-line staff enough instruction and practice to prepare them to utilize these methods when challenges arise. The vast majority of customers are fine, but the staff's perception (and fear) is that difficult customers are the norm.

We focus our...

It is a simple yet brilliant idea, taking advantage of the current consumer infatuation with sharing -- which shows no sign of slowing down. I can see a next generation of this technology showing live streaming video of consumers giving testimonials of products they love, with the best retailers...

Of course outspoken consumers are gaining more influence using social media tools. It is critical to engage with the active consumers in the social media space in ways that are authentic to the brand's DNA. Anything inauthentic is as bad as ignoring social media altogether. The age of social...

This is a very simple issue. Pepsi, like any brand, has certain brand "codes" that should be protected and utilized in marketing to constantly remind existing and potential consumers of the DNA of the brand. The only question is whether MJ aligns with and even strengthens the brand codes...

I was surprised to read only 5% of online shopping is happening outside of the home. As more online time migrates to smart phones and tablets, I would expect the amount of shopping while at work or other places outside the home to increase significantly.

Retailers must keep the...

Interesting that many comments here are made without checking out Graphite in detail. This 11 minute video interview helps explain it simply and quickly.

The product looks to be quite compelling, but leveraging off the only real way that social marketing leads to selling: via individuals, not...

The 5 ideas are very basic, but certainly foundational for anyone approaching this topic seriously for the first time, or in analyzing what may already be in place but not meeting expectations.

This is a long-term game that requires patience and a strict adherence to the DNA of the...