Columns

In June, The Hershey Co. held the grand opening of its newest experience, Hershey’s Create Your Own Candy Bar. This interactive attraction immerses guests in the candy bar creation process. So far this summer, it has attracted 75,000 visitors willing to pay nearly $15 to experience the candy innovation process on replicas of factory equipment.

It’s not just the economy or cheap Chinese labor that is causing higher unemployment in the United States. All around us, new strategies are being executed that are disrupting industries and reducing the need for people, including the management of companies on the wrong end of disruption.

“You know what, Stan, if you want me to wear 37 pieces of flair — like your pretty boy over there, Brian — why don’t you just make the minimum 37 pieces of flair?”

In these dog days of summer, we are witnessing the continuation of a multiyear trend. Investors and their advisers are pouring dollar after dollar into fixed-income funds while largely fleeing equities.

As the end of summer approaches, many business leaders are faced with more change and complexity than they’ve experienced in their entire careers. A surprising number of businesses operate without long-range strategic plans or annual operating plans and budgets. Now is not the time for “Ready, fire, aim.” Now is the time to plan and execute.

“Guests check in with expectations, and they check out with memories,” said Trevor Bracher as he began a discussion of how Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide manages its hotel brands. What he was talking about is the basis for building and maintaining a quality brand.

The uncertainty about the recovery is growing. Those who once thought we were in the middle of a typical robust upturn now have decided that all is lost and we are headed back into a recession. And the blame game has begun.

According to Landmark Commercial Realty’s “Market Watch,” the first quarter of 2010 had the highest office absorption rate in Greater Harrisburg since the third quarter of 2006. As facilities consultants and space planners, we are experiencing increased activity for feasibility studies for tenants who are considering relocation.

Unless you’ve been on a desert island, you’ve probably heard about “Antenna-gate,” the media and blogosphere uproar about reception issues with the new Apple iPhone 4. When Apple announced that CEO Steve Jobs would hold a news conference, I wanted to watch it to see how a company that positions its products as best-in-class would handle a problem.

At one time or another, most businesses dream of rapid growth and brand success coming their way. But while the view from the top can be breathtaking, a small shift in consumer popularity can lead to a devastating decline.