*Weathering the Storm: Corporations can take advantage of globalization to manage today's economic uncertainty, as well as prepare for long-term opportunities in service
globalization, according to a new report. The neoIT study urges global companies to implement the following five policies immediately to stay ahead of the curveball thrown by the
current economic downturn:
1. Resize globalization efforts according to the current slowdown and reduce costs, making sure all programs address the present economic realities.
2. Increase efficiency between business units, IT infrastructure and applications. Consider a full audit of the Demand Management Process.
3. Review globalization programs to ensure they are delivering the right results, and update performance metrics after every program.
4. Look for ways to restructure or acquire new lines of business. A slowdown can be an opportunity to transition to a new technology or process at a good price.
5. Renegotiate outdated or disadvantageous contracts during the slump, and standardize them or include provisions to protect the company against a downturn.
Source: neoIT
*It's Lonely at the Top: An increasing proportion of directors of US-based public companies think CEOs are overpaid, according to a new survey. The report also looked at pay
differences between CEOs and other managers, and found concern among directors over the Securities and Exchange Commission's disclosure rules about executive compensation. With all
the hubbub surrounding executive compensation, coupled with the public's widespread distrust of corporate leadership, communications executives are wise to consider the following
stats:
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32.2% of respondents think CEO compensation is too high in most cases, versus the 25% who thought so from 1998 through 2001.
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51.8% said compensation for top executives is "about right except for a few high-profile cases."
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9 out of 10 respondents thought CEO pay should be no more than 2 to 3 times higher than the next highest paid executive.
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85% believe this difference is more or less accurate in their own firm.
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Only 11.% agreed to a "great" or "very" great extent that SEC-ordered compensation information was easily understood, and only 11.2% agreed that this information served
investors well.
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Only 27.8% agreed that the compensation proxy statements about the amount of executive compensation.
Source: Heidrick & Struggles International
*A Hit or Miss Holiday: Oneupweb's study of the 2007 shopping season finds that, despite the disappointing holiday figures, online marketers who took advantage of social media
marketing profited. The study ranked 12 online retailers and their social media strategies, examining their tactics and how well they worked:
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Ranked "Best of the Best" were Nintendo Wii, Coach, Pronto.com, PLEO, and Sephora.
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Those that had a "Nice Showing" include Webkinz, iPod Touch, Starbucks, Target and Casio Exilim Camcorder.
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The products and brands that "Missed Out" on social media marketing include A Thousand Splendid Suns (novel) and Taryn Rose.
Source: Oneupweb
*The Top 15 in Video Downloads for 2007: The NewsMarket, an online platform for corporations, nonprofits and other organizations to deliver video content to the media and
consumers, reports its 15 most popular content providers of 2007:
1. General Motors
2. BMW
3. Volvo Car Corp.
4. Daimler/Chrysler
5. Volkswagen of America
6. UNICEF
7. Nokia
8. Nissan
9. Fiat
10. The World Bank
11. Adidas
12. Intel USA
13. AARP
14. Nintendo of America
15. AOL
Source: The NewsMarket
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