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Focus on Design and Success will follow

By: Jake Solochek Here's a story that could have been described in Dan Pink's book A WHOLE NEW MIND. He's the author of the phrase, "The MFA is the new MBA." To respond to globalization, the initial response might be fear of change and the design to put up bariers to protect local businesses. Dan Pink suggests that we need to design "something different" to create something that the customer will desire.

This story started in 1999. Camilla Bradley was looking for a way to use her imagination and she made personalized gifts for her friends. Before long, many students were sporting her creations. Camilla let them pick their ribbon combinations. The belts were such a hit she expanded into totes, Bermuda bags and ribbon clutches -- then she included her color combinations in clothing. (This article is based on infomation found on www.ckbradley.com).

Today her clothing and accessory lines are carried in over 400 boutiques nationwide. Her imagination has directed In November 2001, Camilla opened her first signature store in New York City. And in February 2004, Newport, Rhode Island welcomed the second CK Bradley signature boutique.

The line's success is due in part to the lifestyle it highlights. Teenagers and 20-somethings made her line popular at trunk shows at their respective boarding schools and college campuses.

By tracking down the CK Bradley store in Rhode Island or Manhattan, you get an experience that most readers of Dan Pink have heard about: Design brings meaning into people's lives. In an era of abundance, where Asia and automation make high-quality goods availalble at low cost, why buy a $91 tote bag? Dan Pink asked, "Why pay $5 for a fly swatter or $9 for a toilet brush?"

The answer is: Design, story and four other features that Dan Pink addresses in his book. You can learn more at his web site www.danpink.com and by learning more about A Whole New Mind: .

Of course, the left-brain efficiencies that 20th century marketing has developed are at work with the CK Bradley team who organize many events, giving the brand broader coverage. Scavenger hunts and charity fundraisers bring attention to the preppy classics that are diverse. The CK Bradley line reinvents traditional staples, designing for the modern consumer who will not fall victim to trends.

To see how a company has responded to globalization, visit the CK Bradley store in Newport.

Other sources of information include Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat and Dan Pink's work Free Agent Nation.
For a more thorough look at why companies like CK Bradley should be studied and emulated, see the following text:

"Your brain is divided into two hemispheres. The left hemisphere is sequential, textual, and analytical. The right hemisphere is simultaneous, contextual, and synthetic. Of course, we enlist both halves of our brains for even the simplest tasks. And the respective traits of the two hemispheres have often been caricatured well beyond what the science actually reveals. But the legitimate scientific differences between the two hemispheres of the brain do yield a powerful metaphor for interpreting our present and guiding our future. Today, the defining skills of the previous era—the metaphorically “left brain” capabilities that powered the Information Age—are necessary but no longer sufficient. And the capabilities we once disdained or thought frivolous—the metaphorically “right brain” qualities of inventiveness, empathy, joyfulness, and meaning—increasingly will determine who flourishes and who flounders. For individuals, families, and organizations, professional success and personal fulfillment now require a whole new mind. ”
(From the Introduction to A WHOLE NEW MIND).

It's amazing that you can find the heart of the positive response to globalization in one store in Rhode Island... but it's there. So, travel and unravel the preconceptions you have about what it takes to compete. Travel to Rhode Island and see how a small team survives in the face of competition from Asia.

CK Bradley, New York City Flagship Store http://www.ckbradley.com
146 East 74th Street New York, NY 10021
CK Bradley - 28 Bellevue Ave, Newport, Rhode Island 02840
Steve McCrea, Editor
http://www.RoadLovers.com/