...Italian company run by a U.S.-educated lawyer and an American designer, and advised by London-based American investment bankers. “Gucci Watch,” Wall Street Journal, March 22, 1999. The Gucci Group N.V. 2000 Annual Report really said it all. Tom Ford, Creative Director, and Domenico De Sole, President and CEO, stood side-by-side facing the camera with eyes of steel. Ford, unshaven and shirt provocatively opened, was the American designer who had single-handedly revitalized the Gucci name. Domenico De Sole, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, with finely trimmed beard, was the Italian lawyer -turned-businessman who had returned Gucci to profitability and promise. The photograph, of course, by the famous fashion photographer, Annie Leibovitz. These two men represented the defiant spirit of Gucci, a molten mix of high-powered fashion and high-powered finance. These two men had, in the first six months of 1999, been the centerpiece of one of the most highly contested hostile takeover battles ever seen on the European continent. Under attack by LVMH Möet Hennessey Louis Vuitton, the French luxury goods conglomerate, Gucci had implemented the age-old strategy of “the enemy of an enemy is a friend.” Gucci successfully enticed Pinault-Printemps-Redoute of France, a retailer, to act as a white knight, grabbing Gucci from LVMH’s clutches. Now, in September of 2001, it appeared this particular chapter of the fashion wars was finally over. But in the end, when all was said...
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...Chapter 1 Case Study: Harmonix Embrace Your Inner Rock Star Little more than three years ago, you had probably never heard of Harmonix. In 2005, the video game design studio released Guitar Hero, which subsequently became the fastest video game in history to top $1 billion in North American sales. The game concept focuses around a plastic guitar-shaped controller. Players press colored buttons along the guitar neck to match a series of dots that scroll down the TV in time with music from a famous rock tune, such as the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” Players score points based on their accuracy. In November 2007, Harmonix released Rock Band, adding drums, vocals, and bass guitar options to the game. Rock Band has sold over 3.5 million units with a $169 price tag (most video games retail at $50 to $60). In 2006, Harmonix’s founders sold the company to Viacom for $175 million, maintaining their operational autonomy while providing them greater budgets for product development and licensing music for their games. Harmonix’s success, however, did not come overnight. The company was originally founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy in 1995, focused around some demo software they had created in grad school and a company vision of providing a way for people without much musical training or talent to experience the joy of playing and creating music. The founders believed that if people had the opportunity to create their own music, they would jump...
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...Chapter 1 Case Study: Harmonix Embrace Your Inner Rock Star Little more than three years ago, you had probably never heard of Harmonix. In 2005, the video game design studio released Guitar Hero, which subsequently became the fastest video game in history to top $1 billion in North American sales. The game concept focuses around a plastic guitar-shaped controller. Players press colored buttons along the guitar neck to match a series of dots that scroll down the TV in time with music from a famous rock tune, such as the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” Players score points based on their accuracy. In November 2007, Harmonix released Rock Band, adding drums, vocals, and bass guitar options to the game. Rock Band has sold over 3.5 million units with a $169 price tag (most video games retail at $50 to $60). In 2006, Harmonix’s founders sold the company to Viacom for $175 million, maintaining their operational autonomy while providing them greater budgets for product development and licensing music for their games. Harmonix’s success, however, did not come overnight. The company was originally founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy in 1995, focused around some demo software they had created in grad school and a company vision of providing a way for people without much musical training or talent to experience the joy of playing and creating music. The founders believed that if people had the opportunity to create their own music, they would jump...
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...MKT 533 Branding Strategy Cases Dr. Diane Badame Fall 2015 The price of this reader reflects a 20% discount on production costs, due to the early submittal of material by the instructor. Dear Student: Reproduction of copyrighted material, without prior permission of the copyright owner, particularly in an educational setting, is an issue of concern for the academic community. Unfortunately, the impropriety of much unauthorized copying is all too often overlooked by users in an educational setting. Although copying all or part of a work without obtaining permission may appear to be an easy and convenient solution to an immediate problem, such unauthorized copying can frequently violate the rights of the author or publisher of the copyrighted work, and be directly contrary to the academic mission to teach respect for ideas and the intellectual property that expresses those ideas. With that in mind, the University Bookstore has sought permission and paid royalties for all materials enclosed. The price of your reader reflects those necessary costs. This material comes from "Questions and Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community," Copyright 1993 by National Association of College Stores, Inc. and the Association of American Publishers. MKT 533 – Branding Strategy Dr. Badame, Fall 2015 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARSHALL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MKT 533 – BRANDING STRATEGY 1.5 CREDIT COURSE FALL 2015 ___________________...
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...LVMH 2012 — ANNUAL REPORT BUSINESS REVIEW CONTENT — Group’s profile 03 06 09 10 11 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS INTERVIEW WITH THE GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE EXECUTIVE AND SUPERVISORY BODIES A coherent universe of men and women passionate about their profession and driven by the desire to innovate and achieve. An unrivalled group of powerfully evocative brands and great names that are synonymous with the history of luxury. A natural alliance between art and craftsmanship, dominated by creativity, virtuosity and quality. A remarkable economic success story with more than 100,000 employees worldwide and global leadership in the manufacture and distribution of luxury goods. A global vision dedicated to serving the needs of every customer. The successful marriage of cultures grounded in tradition and elegance with the most advanced marketing, industrial organization and management techniques. A singular mix of talent, daring and thoroughness in the quest for excellence. A unique enterprise that stands out in its sector. Our philosophy can be summarized in two words: CREATIVE PASSION. 12 22 36 46 58 WINES & SPIRITS FASHION & LEATHER GOODS PERFUMES & COSMETICS WATCHES & JEWELRY SELECTIVE RETAILING — The values of LVMH Innovation and creativity Because our future success will come from the renewal of our product offering while respecting the roots of our Maisons. Excellence of products and service Because we embody what is most noble and accomplished...
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...LVMH 2012 — ANNUAL REPORT BUSINESS REVIEW CONTENT — Group’s profile 03 06 09 10 11 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS INTERVIEW WITH THE GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE EXECUTIVE AND SUPERVISORY BODIES A coherent universe of men and women passionate about their profession and driven by the desire to innovate and achieve. An unrivalled group of powerfully evocative brands and great names that are synonymous with the history of luxury. A natural alliance between art and craftsmanship, dominated by creativity, virtuosity and quality. A remarkable economic success story with more than 100,000 employees worldwide and global leadership in the manufacture and distribution of luxury goods. A global vision dedicated to serving the needs of every customer. The successful marriage of cultures grounded in tradition and elegance with the most advanced marketing, industrial organization and management techniques. A singular mix of talent, daring and thoroughness in the quest for excellence. A unique enterprise that stands out in its sector. Our philosophy can be summarized in two words: CREATIVE PASSION. 12 22 36 46 58 WINES & SPIRITS FASHION & LEATHER GOODS PERFUMES & COSMETICS WATCHES & JEWELRY SELECTIVE RETAILING — The values of LVMH Innovation and creativity Because our future success will come from the renewal of our product offering while respecting the roots of our Maisons. Excellence of products and service Because we embody what is most noble and accomplished...
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...MORE ADVANCE NOISE FOR QUIET “An intriguing and potentially lifealtering examination of the human psyche that is sure to benefit both introverts and extroverts alike.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Gentle is powerful … Solitude is socially productive … These important counterintuitive ideas are among the many reasons to take Quiet to a quiet corner and absorb its brilliant, thought-provoking message.” —ROSABETH MOSS KANTER, professor at Harvard Business School, author of Confidence and SuperCorp “An informative, well-researched book on the power of quietness and the 3/929 virtues of having a rich inner life. It dispels the myth that you have to be extroverted to be happy and successful.” —JUDITH ORLOFF, M.D., author of Emotional Freedom “In this engaging and beautifully written book, Susan Cain makes a powerful case for the wisdom of introspection. She also warns us ably about the downside to our culture’s noisiness, including all that it risks drowning out. Above the din, Susan’s own voice remains a compelling presence—thoughtful, generous, calm, and eloquent. Quiet deserves a very large readership.” —CHRISTOPHER LANE, author of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness 4/929 “Susan Cain’s quest to understand introversion, a beautifully wrought journey from the lab bench to the motivational speaker’s hall, offers convincing evidence for valuing substance over style, steak over sizzle, and qualities that are, in America, often derided. This book is brilliant...
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...___________________________ LIVING HISTORY Hillary Rodham Clinton Simon & Schuster New York • London • Toronto • Sydney • Singapore To my parents, my husband, my daughter and all the good souls around the world whose inspiration, prayers, support and love blessed my heart and sustained me in the years of living history. AUTHOR’S NOTE In 1959, I wrote my autobiography for an assignment in sixth grade. In twenty-nine pages, most half-filled with earnest scrawl, I described my parents, brothers, pets, house, hobbies, school, sports and plans for the future. Forty-two years later, I began writing another memoir, this one about the eight years I spent in the White House living history with Bill Clinton. I quickly realized that I couldn’t explain my life as First Lady without going back to the beginning―how I became the woman I was that first day I walked into the White House on January 20, 1993, to take on a new role and experiences that would test and transform me in unexpected ways. By the time I crossed the threshold of the White House, I had been shaped by my family upbringing, education, religious faith and all that I had learned before―as the daughter of a staunch conservative father and a more liberal mother, a student activist, an advocate for children, a lawyer, Bill’s wife and Chelsea’s mom. For each chapter, there were more ideas I wanted to discuss than space allowed; more people to include than could be named; more places visited than could be described...
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...Disclaimer Notes to the Annual Report and Accounts This PDF version of the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2007 is an exact copy of the document provided to Unilever’s shareholders. Certain sections of the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2007 have been audited. Sections that have been audited are set out on pages 69 to 121, 125 to 126, 128 to 130 and 133 to 135. The auditable part of the report of the Remuneration Committee as set out on page 49 has also been audited. The maintenance and integrity of the Unilever website is the responsibility of the Directors; the work carried out by the auditors does not involve consideration of these matters. Accordingly, the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially placed on the website. Legislation in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Disclaimer Except where you are a shareholder, this material is provided for information purposes only and is not, in particular, intended to confer any legal rights on you. This Annual Report and Accounts does not constitute an invitation to invest in Unilever shares. Any decisions you make in reliance on this information are solely your responsibility. The information is given as of the dates specified, is not updated, and any forward-looking statements are made subject to the reservations...
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