Highlights A.T. Kearney

The intellectual capital publishing program showcases A.T. Kearney's thought-leadership and case work. The firm publishes a journal, Executive Agenda, and issue/insight papers and monographs that detail today's most compelling business issues, from growth strategies to foreign investment patterns. Bylines of A.T. Kearney consultants also appear on books on a variety of topics published by major trade publishers. In 2003, books by A.T. Kearney authors included Stretch! How Great Companies Grow In Good Times and Bad (John Wiley & Sons) and Winning the Profit Game (McGraw-Hill). The wealth of information, unique analyses and breadth of topics in the A.T. Kearney intellectual capital program are sure to appeal to executives in all functions and in virtually any industry.

Here are some examples of recent A.T. Kearney publishing:

Improving the bottom line
Growth strategy
Operations expertise
Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index
Breakaway Speed!

Improving the bottom line

Winning the Profit Game is not the same old discourse on improving profits. Instead, it offers a fresh approach by explaining that before a business can affect the bottom line it must first grow the top line. There are two fundamental tools for doing so: price and brand.

The authors make a compelling case for the link between price and brand, showing a linear relationship to revenue growth. Their innovative approach turns pricing into a logical, high-return activity that is integral to developing new products and services. And in putting brand at the center of their framework, they challenge the misconception of branding as the fuzzy, mysterious concept that some experts persist in making it. Rather, it is absolutely linked to price, so much so that a superior price strategy cannot exist without a detailed brand strategy.

To learn more about Winning the Profit Game, including how to order copies, visit http://www.profitgame.atkearney.com .

Growth strategy

In Stretch!, the authors show business leaders how to build their businesses even in tough times. CEOs worldwide confess that they achieve, on average, just 50 percent of their growth targets. It's not because they can't grow, it's because they've forgotten how. Based on in-depth case studies and analysis of some 29,000 global companies over 14 years, Stretch! combines hard data, fresh ideas and practical guidance on achieving real growth in any economy. As Deans and Kroeger discuss, the lessons learned are many. But the overarching message is that extraordinary growth is achievable by all companies, in all industries, in any phase of the market cycle.

To learn more about Stretch!, including how to order copies, visit
http://www.stretchbook.atkearney.com.

Operations expertise

This 4th quarter 2003 issue of Executive Agenda is dedicated to operations as today's generation knows it. The lead article, "Supply Chains in a Vulnerable, Volatile World," discusses how executives are adapting their operations strategies in today's turbulent environment. Other articles look at innovation, e-supply management, outsourcing and a variety of supply chain issues.

Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index

According to A.T. Kearney's annual survey of executives from the world's largest companies, China has widened its lead over the U.S. and other investment destinations worldwide as the most preferred location for foreign direct investment.

The FDI Confidence Index is produced by A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council. The Global Business Policy Council is a strategic service of A.T. Kearney that helps chief executives monitor and capitalize on geopolitical, economic, regulatory, technological and social change worldwide.

Breakaway Speed!

There is an old African proverb: When the sun comes up, the gazelle wakes up knowing that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. The lion knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. So it doesn't matter if you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up, you had better be running.

Today, this proverb might be used to describe the corporate jungle. From office cubicles to factory floors, companies must be quicker than their competitors. Those that deliver results faster than others in the marketplace will not only survive another day, they will thrive well into the future.