Maslow's Hierarchy of Corporate Existence

Maslow’s Hierarchy

of Corporate Existence.

Half a century ago, the life expectancy of a !rm in the Fortune 500 was

around 75 years.

Now, that number is approaching 5 years.

It’s time to think about corporate existence as a matter of

survival.

What does it takes for a company to endure such a turbulent

environment?

More importantly, how does a company transform its existence from

merely surviving to thriving?

Enter

braham Maslow.

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MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF CORPORATE EXISTENCE

SURVIVAL

SELF-ACTUALIZATION

ESTEEM

ACCEPTANCE

SUSTAINABILITYCASH FLOWS

+ PROFIT

+ FINANCIAL VIABILITY

INVENTION

BRANDAWARENESS

+ EXTENSIONS

CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE+

COMPETITIVE RECOGNITION

REINVESTMENT +

OPERATIONAL RHYTHM +

SUSTAINED GROWTH

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SURVIVAL

SELF-ACTUALIZATION

ESTEEM

ACCEPTANCE


+ PROFIT


INVENTION

BRANDAWARENESS

+ EXTENSIONS



REINVESTMENT +


SUSTAINED GROWTH

Let’s start at the base.

SURVIVAL

CASH FLOWS +

PROFIT +

FINANCIAL VIABILITY

The baseline factor is a !nancial need.

Whether or not we’d like to admit it, money is oxygen to a business.

It is important to note that, like in human behavior, the !rst need is

based on raw instincts more than it is judgment or logic.

If you let money be your sole guide, the survival rate will be zero.

Example: Oliver’s Apparel

Example: Oliver’s Apparel

STARTUPBEAT, September 17, 2013 - The San Francisco-based startup, which has designed high-quality athletic shorts for men, completed a $271,043 fundraising campaign on Kickstarter on September 13th. Its original goal was $10,000.

But pro!t is like health, necessary but not the reason why we live.

SUSTAINABILITY

REINVESTMENT +


SUSTAINED GROWTH

With the doors open and the lights on, the next step is

sustainability.

User experience.

Inventory management.

Customer service.

These aspects of the business need to be functioning together in a steady operational rhythm before any serious

growth can be attained.

Example: MakerBot

Example: MakerBot

PANDODAILY, November 12, 2013 - The company has been on a streak of big announcements. First came the opening of its huge factory in Brooklyn, then its merger with Stratasys. And today the company announced its nationwide plan for school outreach.

Example: Nest

Example: Nest

SJM News, October 18, 2013 - The venture-backed startup has more than 280 employees and is rapidly hiring…It's very similar to our Apple days: They started with a small iPod and they grew up into the Apple line over time, and they went all the way up to the Mac.

ACCEPTANCE

CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE +


Consumers must accept you and accept your product or service as a

viable solution.

In the right families of customers, you can cultivate loyalty and brand

evangelists at this step.

In addition, the days of "ying under the radar are

over.

Competition feels your presence now, and they are preparing to treat you as

one of their own.

After all, tough love is love nonetheless.

Example: Audi

Example: Audi

Bloomberg, October 9, 2012 - The Daimler unit’s sales will have advanced 19 percent through this year, compared with a 31 percent jump by BMW and a 70 percent surge by Audi over the past seven years, according to IHS Automotive estimates.

Example: Blue Moon

Example: Blue Moon

Businessweek, August 8, 2013 - Microbreweries have reason to be defensive: Blue Moon, a Belgian-style white beer, had sales equal to 15 percent of the 13.2 million barrels of craft beer sold in the U.S. last year. Its success has even prompted AB InBev to introduce a white beer of its own called Shock Top.

ESTEEM

BRAND AWARENESS +

EXTENSIONS

You have cemented your place among the competitors.

A napkin doodle is now a recognized solution in the market.

Budgets are growing, markets are emerging, and brands are extending.

The “low hanging fruit” become the next markets to conquer.

Example: Starbucks

Example: Starbucks

SEATTLE, April 23, 2013 - Starbucks Coffee Company reports that Information Resources, Inc. has named Starbucks coffee K-Cup packs one of the top 10 food and beverage launches of 2012.

Example: Under Armour

Example: Under Armour

BALTIMORE, July 25, 2013 - Second quarter footwear net revenues increased 21% to $82 million from $67 million in the prior year's period, led by the Highlight football cleat and the UA Spine platform.

SELF-ACTUALIZATION INVENTION

Your existence has been ful!lled.

It’s time to use that budget for a wildcard.

A new doodle.

A new business model.

A new system.

Not an update, an entirely new system.

It’s the time to take a position on the leading edge.

To pursue the ful!llment of a higher purpose for the brand.

To reach a rare point in the market where the de!nition of brand and

segment can become one.

Example: iPod

Example: iPod

IGN, September 2, 2010 - There's no question that Apple's iPod is the dominant force in the mp3 player market. Like Nintendo was for videogames in the late '80s, the word "iPod" is synonymous with mp3 player for the average American.

Example: Google

Example: Google

Bloomberg, July 9, 2013 - Chromebooks have in just the past eight months snagged 20 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. market for laptops that cost less than $300, according to NPD Group Inc. The devices…are the fastest-growing part of the PC industry based on price, NPD said.

WWW.ALEXBRANDS.COM


SURVIVAL

SELF-ACTUALIZATION

ESTEEM

ACCEPTANCE


+ PROFIT


INVENTION

BRANDAWARENESS

+ EXTENSIONS



REINVESTMENT +


SUSTAINED GROWTH

WWW.ALEXBRANDS.COM


SURVIVAL

SELF-ACTUALIZATION

ESTEEM

ACCEPTANCE


+ PROFIT


INVENTION

BRANDAWARENESS

+ EXTENSIONS



REINVESTMENT +


SUSTAINED GROWTH

For any questions or comments, feel free to reach out

@AlxBrands.

Thank You.