The Ebbers verdict will likely create a significant opportunity for marketers in privately-held enterprises competing against larger, publicly-traded enterprises. His guilty verdict will have a major chilling effect (above and beyond that already created by Sarbanes-Oxley) on CEO’s running publicly-traded enterprises. The result of which will be a risk averse bias defined by greater transparency, and slower decision cycles. Look for massive turn-over in the executive suites, siege mentalities and attrition strategies. The Art of Attack describes 11 attack signals indicating vulnerability in a larger competitor. Here are four of the signals consistent with the "Ebbers Effect" :
04.13.01 Publicly traded. Transparency, reporting overhead, risk adverse boards, and regulatory oversight all combine to make the publicly-traded enterprise vulnerable to less-burdened privately-held challengers.
04.13.02 Executive turnover. Rapid turnover in both executive and management ranks indicate internal issues ripe for exploitation.
04.13.03 Trophy boards. Leaders with high-profile board members are vulnerable to attack by challengers with less oversight.
04.13.05 Operating bias. Leaders managed by CPA’s and attorney’s are predictable and vulnerable to unconventional attacks.
Bottom line is that assertive marketers in smaller, privately-held enterprises have an immediate opportunity to wage and win battles for share against the larger, publicly-traded enterprise. Tour the Armory for more ideas on how to exploit this opportunity.
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