Photograph of Kay Plantes

Kay Plantes is an MIT-trained economist, business strategy consultant, columnist and author. Business model innovation, strategic leadership and smart economic policies are her professional passions. A former Madison, WI resident, Kay now resides in San Diego, CA. The views on her blog are not those of her employer, IBM.

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March 30th, 2011

Business model innovation starts with challenging hidden assumptions

Impressionist artists were excluded from top official exhibitions because their “fuzzy paintings” did not fit the mold (i.e., set of assumptions) of what constituted great art of its time.  So Monet, Van Gogh and others formed their own association, held their own exhibits, and attracted an art dealer who needed to differentiate himself from established [...]


May 3rd, 2010

Business Model Innovation Earns 2009 Inc 500 Spot

I spoke a number of months ago to an audience composed largely of machining companies. (Machining companies transform metal and other hard materials into parts used in transportation equipment, packaging machinery and other manufactured goods.) Like many CEOs in mature manufacturing markets, the leaders felt their companies’ offerings had become commoditized. Quality and service, once [...]


April 22nd, 2010

Who Is Goldman Sachs’ Customer?

A new Schwab advertising campaign states, “Ask not what you should do for your broker.” What a great way to successfully communicate Schwab ‘s value promise given what’s happened with the “too big to fail” banks – Schwab will always act to benefit its clients. The company has built it’s business model around this value [...]


February 4th, 2010

Market disruptions demand business model innovation

The 2008-2009 economic recession changed customer and business behaviors, not unlike how a hurricane reshapes the built and natural environment. If you are not incorporating recession-induced changes into your business model strategy, your market position will weaken. The Recession Has Changed Consumer Behavior – Forever A recent in-depth study of consumer attitudes and behaviors by [...]


October 13th, 2009

How Does Gourmet Magazine Reach Its Demise as Julia Child’s Cookbook Reaches #1 on the NYT Best Seller List?

Conde Naste is rebalancing its portfolio, with consulting firm McKinsey & Company at its side. The global strategy-guru firms (McKinsey, Bain & Company, etc.) are like the Big 8 (now 4 and counting) accounting firms that bring “credibility” to management’s decisions. If the esteemed McKinsey & Company said to get rid of Gourmet Magazine, it [...]


August 27th, 2009

What’s Your Version of Out-of-the-Box?

What do J&J, Fed Ex, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, GE, HP, Hyatt, Trader Joe’s, SW Airlines, MTV, and CNN have in common? A recent Newsweek article identifies these 11 great icon brands as US companies that started in a recession. A recent Wall Street Journal article contains market share data for different markets showing how leadership [...]


July 30th, 2009

Four Seasons Is Down But Not Out if They Adopt a Business Model Innovation Lens

One window into the nature of the current recession and the uncertainty that it’s causing is through the fancy curtains at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The revenue per available room (the hospitality industry’s key financial measure) is down 25% year-to-date and for the first time in its history, the hotel management company has [...]