Imagine that you are the owner of a highly successful orange juice manufacturer.  You have a nationally recognized PREMIUM brand, won numerous consumer awards, and have the thickest profit margins in the industry.  One day, after your annual … [Read more...]

... or how to spend $90,000 without even trying by Kurian M. Tharakan I love the analogy of riding a bicycle. Almost everyone I know can ride a bike, but very few can actually build a bike, ... including me. But, if I could build a bike, you … [Read more...]

... or why today's retailers know you better than you think they do! by Kurian M. Tharakan Retailers love life’s defining moments, especially ones that convey a significant emotional experience. College, marriage, and the birth of a new baby are … [Read more...]

by Kurian M. Tharakan Losing swaths of customers can be a terrifying experience for an entrepreneur.  What can be more frightening is not knowing what to do about it.  Modern symphony orchestras faced a similar situation in the mid-2000s, with … [Read more...]

... a powerful technique for winning, even with low bids by Kurian M. Tharakan Want to buy a scarce item, like that one of a kind dream home, vintage car, or a classic grand piano?  Well then there's good news. You can successfully win … [Read more...]

by Kurian M. Tharakan William Sheppard was first issued a patent for liquid soap in 1865. His discovery was that regular soap mixed with liberal quantities of hartshorn resulted in a soap derivative that had the consistency of a thick honey or … [Read more...]

by Kurian M. Tharakan Marketers can learn something from a Texas study done in the mid-eighties on 253 incarcerated felons who were given the opportunity to have cosmetic surgery as part of their rehabilitation. From nose and ear jobs to … [Read more...]

by Kurian M. Tharakan We all have to sell ourselves and our ideas, whether it is to a new boss, a prospective customer, or a potential mate. Conventional wisdom tells us to infuse our presentation with a strong peppering of our accomplishments. … [Read more...]

by Kurian M. Tharakan In a recently published paper in the Journal of Marketing, a team of researchers led by Akshay Rao from the University of Minnesota found that a significant number of customers preferred getting a bonus quantity of a product … [Read more...]

... or how people think a lot like rats! by Kurian M. Tharakan In a series of experiments conducted in 1934, psychologist Clark Hull found that rats running a maze increased their efforts and ran faster as they came closer to the food goal at … [Read more...]