Thursday, June 19, 2008

Today I drove past Glendinning Place

In 1959 Ralph Glendinning, an ex-P&G marketer founded Glendinning Associates in Westport, CT. By the late 1960s the company had re-created sales promotion with its scratch off gas company promotions and invented Marketing Consulting. It spawned many spin-off companies, and many imitators. It grew strong and powerful as a consulting firm. It had offices in several countries and a reputation as a repository of some of the smartest brains in business. One of its spin-offs, Marketing Corporation of America waxed strong as Glendinning waned. During the 1980s it dominated marketing advice to many Fortune 1000 corporations. Yet, it too faded into the past, although alumni of both can be found in many places.

So too do businesses grow and fade unless they are very careful and disciplined. These two companies, made up of many very smart people did not survive.

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