It was an important meeting for the key members of the steering committee at SlipperiLubeInc. The company had taken great pride in its long history of supplying all kinds of specialist lubricants to the markets -whether heavy machinery, automotive or just local mechanics.
But the lubrication market was changing; it was becoming dominated by faceless multinationals who, with their massive resources, were squeezing the smaller independents out of the way
It was time for some radical thinking
Olive called the meeting to order. She apprised them all of the bad news: despite a new advertising campaign aimed at forcefully ramming the company into hitherto unexplored regions, results were disappointing. Sales were limp overall and some departments seemed particularly flaccid.
“We need new energy and new ideas” she told them “or else we are on a slippery slope”. No-one chuckled: the phrase was not being used lightly
Kevin from Automotives was downcast. He had not been able to open any new avenues for months, despite the thrusting new AutoLube advertising campaign. Eric from EngiLube felt the same. They all knew that because Kevin had checked
Clarke from DomestiLube was a little more positive; he’d experienced some upsurges recently which he’d found quite exciting and was eager to respond to.
But it was Hans from PersonaLube who was the most upbeat. He had only recently joined the company, taking over a small sub-department of the business which has been largely unconsidered by the rest. But he had created his own fiefdom, taking a close personal interest in all of its products, and conducting some thorough and imaginative research into the applications. He applied both science and enthusiasm, as well as a good smear of SupremeComfort Slipritin, to a variety of befleshed surfaces in his quest for the ultimate moist and slippery experience.
Olive was thrilled to find that, whilst most of the committee members were somewhat lacklustre in their attitudes, in Hans she could feel an exciting new surge of possibilities, and the relief which this promised to bring her after the anxieties of watching the bottom slip (effortlessly) out of the lubrication market brought a flush to her cheeks. This pinkification was enhanced by the heaving of her bosomities as she considered the prospects which were now afforded her.
Kevin (Automotives) suddenly began to take notice. He had previously been sunk in gloom at his own performance, and no awareness of the charms of Olive, let alone her astute business head, had penetrated his mood. But the atmosphere of fevered excitement at the table stirred even him. Suddenly it seemed, as Hans explained his ideas and experimental results, presenting charts and diagrams the like of which SlipperiLube employees had never before seen in a meeting, that a world of possibilities was opening up, fresh, exciting and frictionlessly accessible to them all.
Eric, previously committed to his large plant outlets, realised he had been beating against a wall until that moment. All of a sudden, a much more satisfying prospect opened up.
And Clarke, who had been trying to think of ways of getting easier access into the domestic field, but had failed to rise up and seize the opportunities, suddenly felt a wave of enthusiasm about his chances of opening up the market. For him, “domestic” had always encompassed just the appliances: anyone wanting to free up parts of their white goods were his target customers. It now occurred to him that cream, and pink, even red and black, might also benefit from loosening, and that he did not need to restrict himself to service in the kitchen. All rooms in the house were within his remit in future. He felt such stirrings of anticipation that he excused himself before they reached Any Other Business because he had an urgent item of his own.
Olive was delighted with the outcome; it was undoubtedly the most highly charged meeting of the steering committee she had ever chaired. She left the room feeling that if she gripped the helm firmly she could rely on the men, with Hans out in front, to get behind her and give her powerful support to push things through – aided by SupremeComfort Slipritin.
She asked Hans to join her for a special meeting afterwards, to firm things up. Together they laid down some ideas on a rug, and tweaked some earlier suggestions. In the end it was decided that they should collaborate fully in thrusting ahead to redirect all their efforts into the wholehearted promotion of the PersonaLube department. Olive could see it all now: the new slogans-
Use a little dollop before you give it a wallop
SupremeComfort Slipritin – you can’t put it any better
And their own internet channel for promotional videos – LubeTube
Olive felt it wouldn’t have gone nearly so smoothly with Hans being all over it
