What I've Liked: The lovable slapstick Charlie Chaplin and Cherry Blossom have been together for an impressively long spell. Their relationship has grown ever so subtly and steadily over the years that one hardly notices that each episode has been carefully worked out in startling similarity to the original.
Celebrity branding is all about the transfer of the value from the person to the product he endorses. And the fact that Chaplin wins despite all his bumbling antics is probably meant to demonstrate that anyone can have a pair of perfectly polished shoes and that it is not as laborious as it seems.
Whatever be the rationale behind this pairing, there is no denying that the brand and the legend have weathered many a changing market conditions.
I admire the brand for sticking to its creative route in a market which faced a severe downturn because the shoe itself had changed. Lifestyle and fashions changed, and it must been have been quite daunting to get used to the reality that perhaps only one pair in every man's closet now required polishing.
Yet, Chaplin and Cherry have been together through thick and thin. And that must be commended. Not a beat is out of place and the comedy rolls on with the same rhythm and perfect timing. Can't say there are many brand icons, even internationally, which have stuck together for so long.
Simplicity, I guess, is the secret of his success and more important, Cherry Blossom has managed to replicate it frame by delightful frame faithfully over the years. Here's to many more of them!
What I've Learned: The 80-20 rule: Life's equation for success.
It's called Pareto's Principle and it is a formula that observes that 20 per cent of something is always responsible for 80 per cent of the results. It began at the turn of the 20th century when an Italian economist Pareto observed that in his country 20 per cent of the people owned 80 per cent of the wealth.
His formula soon spread like wildfire, with people all over the world noticing that it was applicable in almost every area of expertise. This technique of distinguishing the "vital few from the trivial many" soon became hugely popular as it could be used as an excellent tool for managers to handle their work efficiently.
For those who keep overcrowded schedules where every decision seems equally important -- it would do good to remember that 80 per cent of value perceived by customers relates to 20 per cent of what your organisation does.
Or 80 per cent of the benefit from any product or service can be provided at 20 per cent of the cost. Or that 20 per cent defects cause 80 per cent of the problems and so on
You can apply the 80/20 rule to almost anything from the science of management to the physical world. To engage in 80/20 thinking you must constantly ask yourself what is the 20 per cent that is leading to the 80 per cent.
The trick is to spot the few instances where you are making great surpluses and maximize them. Basically it teaches you how to get more from less and is an excellent energy conserver.
Unfortunately, some theories are taken too far and the concept of 'superstar management' was born this way. It was argued that since 20 per cent of people produce 80 per cent of your results, you should focus on managing these elite achievers.
Over time, of course, people have realised that helping the average become good is far better use of your time than getting the great to become super-great! Simply because they would achieve that on their own anyway since they are highly motivated individuals.
The 80/20 rule, too, just like all other theories should be adopted with a heavy dose of common sense. It works, only if you are smart enough to apply it to the 'right things'.