Archive for October, 2007
Mission Impossible
The New York Times ran an intriguing piece on the ubiquity of corporate mission statements and, in the opinion of many experts, their, shall we say, lack of utility. The salient point here is that Mission Statements are not bad in and of themselves. It’s what you do with them. And it comes down to language. Cliche terms and corporate mumbo jumbo don’t illuminate or inspire one to seek a business path forward — in mission statements, corporate writing, or, in fact, in life.
Focusing on benefits to costumers and clearly articulating the value of your business makes it easier for your customers, employees, and partners to see what the real differences are between you and your competition. Poorly written mission statement make a statement of their own: there is no real difference. We’re just like the other guy offering “innovative solutions with a focus on service.” Sound familiar?
Advertising Hits Medical Journals
Reed Elsevier’s launch of online advertisements to support free subscriptions to its www.OncologySTAT.com cancer research website ushers in a new era in scientific journaling. Unlike traditional medical journal business models, which charge premium subscription fees for article access, OncologyStat.com will provide relevant content to oncologists free-of-charge, courtesy of its e-advertisers.
Reed cites the lucrative future of online advertising, which the company hopes will subsidize any lapse in subscriptions caused by free online access. With only three percent of pharmaceutical marketing dollars spent online, the potential for growth is immense.
Reed’s issue is common in the publishing community as publishers continually seek to institute the optimal balance between free vs. fee-based access to online content without diminishing the value of printed media. Given that subscriptions to Reed’s printed journals can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per year, this is an issue worth noting.
It will be interesting to see how the site pans out. Will it be the answer to the medical community’s prayers for cheaper access to value-added research?
More info at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/business/media/10journal.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
