You’ll never think about sledding the same way again. Wishing you Happy Holidays and a New Year filled with the best kinds of twists and turns from your friends at Vivaldi.

‘Twas the holiday season, and all through the land
Laughing children were sledding, and the sight was quite grand.
Looking out of his window, the sleigh-maker took pride
At the joy of the little ones and the thrill of their ride.
“With a snowfall like this, I’ll be doing just fine,”
Said the old craftsman of his one-product line.

When all of a sudden, with a buzz and a “Ding!”
His smartphone lit up: ’twas his daily news ping.
Instead of good tidings, he was troubled to find
The debut of a challenger – the industrious kind.
“Why own your own?” the press release read,
“When for a less than a dollar, we can share the same sled?”

“A ride-sharing app? But this is absurd!”
The man was disgruntled at the words that he heard.
He looked out again: kids were now taking turns
And he started to panic with mounting concerns.
“If all don’t need one, and it’s one sled for all,
then my business might crumble, my business might fall!”

“What’s changed?” he wondered, “What’s happening here?
I thought my buyer personas were all in the clear.
My retention was high; this seems so abrupt.
Who knew that this market was one to disrupt?
I’ve got to get insights, I’ve got to see trends
I’ve got to find out how my audience spends.”

So he pulled some reports and he learned some new argot
With a mind to re-brand, re-position, and re-target.
“Not all is lost,” he started to smile,
“With the right plan, I’ll refresh this trade mercantile.”
His gumption restored, new ideas on the rise,
He happily started to re-strategize.

“More KPIs, more banners, more mobile!
I’ll start sourcing local, but make my reach global!
Play up the hand-crafted, the eco-friendly, the green,
Even make a new logo (more streamlined and clean)!
I’ll tap into social, get someone with clout
To pose with my sled and spread the shout-out!”

And just as he readied to set his campaign in motion,
His phone buzzed again with a sudden commotion.
More news had broken, as he read with elation:
The sleigh-sharing business faced new regulation!
The courts deemed it unlawful, unsafe, and unfair;
The man sighed with relief and leaned back in his chair.

“While I’ve got some more time, that much is true,
I’ve well learned my lesson – there’s much work to do.”
So he kept his rest short and lay plans anew
To revamp his business and raise revenue.
As our tale reaches its end, we’ll bid you adieu:
From all of us at Vivaldi, Happy Holidays to You!

…

Join us as we share our favorite #SledSharing memories.

Happy Holidays from Vivaldi!

The post A Very Merry Marketing Tale appeared first on Vivaldi.

Over the years, our namesake has inspired us in many ways. So it’s only fitting that in our office we work to the beat of music (and that our New York team’s holiday party ended in karaoke duets!). Notes drifting across our desks connect us to one another and keep our afternoons moving, fueled by debates over our eclectic musical tastes.

On a recent afternoon, we reflected on the many ways in which music has been shared and enjoyed since Antonio Vivaldi gathered his fans around a harpsichord. Are cassette tapes going to be retro-cool anytime soon? Maybe, maybe not – but we’re reminded that the only breakthroughs that truly matter are the ones that bring us closer together. How aligned with our thinking and our work! Truly, innovations are only worth the value that they create in our busy daily lives.

To celebrate the power of music, we put together a collection of share-worthy office tunes representing what matters most to us: connections, new beginnings, community and fresh perspectives.

Join the fun on Spotify for some holiday cheer and year-round inspiration. You’ll find a bunch of beautiful voices, some groovy lite rock tunes and several new pop anthems—so listen up. Add your favorite tunes directly on Spotify or send us a request (tweet us @VivaldiPartners).

Share the soundtrack. And together, we’ll #listenlouder.

The post Here’s to Listening Louder in 2015 appeared first on Vivaldi.

If you missed these articles the first time around, here they are for your reading pleasure. We’ve narrowed it down to the seven must-reads before the ball drops:

1. Last January, IBM researchers and advisors wrote about innovation, new patterns and data– an insider view on how their clients took advantage of opportunities generated by the explosion in digital information and tools.

2. James Surowiecki raised the dialogue in the New Yorker about the value of brands in today’s age, – and concluded that brands are ever more powerful and valuable.

3. McKinsey Quarterly explored the power of digital and how it influences strategy – and discussed six critical decisions to be made by CEOs.

4. Brian Solis hit the mark in this report on Digital Darwinism and Digital Transformation. It is NOT about technology but about consumers, a point of view we strongly believe in at Vivaldi Partners.

5. Another HBR piece made the interesting distinction between value-creating and value-capturing innovations – asking ‘what opportunities to capture value are you missing?‘

6. This landmark study by WOMMA offers the definite proof that the concept of social currency is a powerful driver of sales. (Disclaimer: Vivaldi Partners invented the concept of social currency in 2009 and has studied its impact on brand equity for the last five years.)

7. And Michael Porter rounds off the list with his discussion about a new group of technologies – smart, connected products and how they transform business.

Take it slow and steady – one a day and you’ll be caught up for New Year’s Day.

The post Seven Must-Reads of 2014 appeared first on Vivaldi.