Most Trusted Advanced Market Analytics Solution Provider Platforms

Rocco Pellegrinelli CEO

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From Editor’s Desk

Trendrating

Onthecoverofthemagazine,wehavefeatured ,atrustedplatform bringingadvancedsolutionstosucceedinthenewmarketcycle.ASwiss-based,global leaderinthefieldofadvancedanalyticsandleading-edgetechnology,itisproviding advancedpricetrendanalyticsolutionsforprofessionalinvestors.Trendrating'steamhas25+ yearsofexperiencedevelopingmodelsandsystemsforportfoliomanagement.Overtheyears,it hasdevelopedaproprietarymodelandafunctionality-richtechnologythatistodayusedby 200+institutionalcustomersaspartoftheirinvestmentdecisionprocess.

Themodelworksondecipheringtheaggregatedinvestors'moneyflowinandoutofstocksto discoveractualbullandbeartrendsearly Theresultisaratingmethodologythatmakesa valuablecomplementtotheinformationstructure,where(A)and(B)ratingsidentifybulltrends and(C)and(D)ratingssignalbearphases.Themodel'saccuracyisextensivelydocumentedand provedparticularlyeffectiveinidentifyingthecurrentbearmarketbackinJanuary.Trendrating solutioncombinesratinganalyticsandarichsetoffundamentaldatawithabroadrangeoftools supportingseveralmarketanalysisandportfoliomanagementtasks.

Wehavealsofeaturedaspecialprofile— ,acompanykeepingpace TrueNorthMarketInsights withthedigitalworldwithinsightsintohowhumansmakedecisions.TrueNorthMarket Insightsisamarketresearchcompany.Itconductsstudiestoidentifywhatitscustomerswant,if theymightlikeanewproductidea,andhowtoimprovetheirexperiencewiththefirm.Ittests communicationstoensurethatthecompaniescanconnectwiththeiraudience.

Withthededicatedeffortsoftheteam,thisactsasamotivatingfactorandarewardingfeeling, becausehelpingothersconnectwiththeaudienceisattheverycoreofthesuccessofthe company.Acompanywillnotsurviveifitdoesnotunderstanditscustomers,knowwhatthey want,andbeabletodeliverwhattheywantinthewaytheywantit.Andthatishowfirmssuch asTrueNorthserve.

Utkarsh D.

Leaders in Spotlight

Inthismagazineissue,youwill readaboutthefollowing clients.

Gracingthecoverstoryoftheissue, MarcA.Sweeneyisredefining pharmacybenefitmanagementwith hisastuteleadershipskills.Hehas beeninpharmacyforapproximately 30yearswithexperienceinretail pharmacy,hospitalpharmacy, homecare,hospice,andfamily medicine.Dr.Sweeneyiscurrently servingastheCEOandPrincipalof ProferoTeam.Hetakesprideinthe greatsuccessofProferoteamand buildinganationalandinternational networkofcolleagues.Thankstohis uniqueskillsetandapproach,Dr. Sweeneyhasbeenlaurelledwith over30awardsthroughouthis illustriouscareer

AccordingtoDr.Sweeney,itis necessaryforentrepreneurstoselfidentifystrengthsandweaknesses andsurroundthemselveswithteam membersthatcomplementtheirskill sets(andnotduplicate).Successis multipliedthroughateamapproach ratherthananindividualapproach.

Oneofhisfavoritequotesis:

“Successisnotfinal,failureisnot fatal,itisthecouragetocontinue thatcounts”-WinstonChurchill

IdaniaSamudio,ontheotherhand, isfeaturedasaspecialprofile.She isafearlessleadermakingwavesin thedigitalworld.Askilledexecutive withexpertiseinmanaging challengingprojectsandinitiatives, herworkhasbeencharacterizedby intenseinvolvementincreatingand implementingnewsystemsand procedures.

Theprecisedefinitionofan entrepreneurmayvary,butwhenit comestobeinganambitiousone, IdaniaSamudioisaclearportraitof it.Thesimplestwaytothinkofitis someonewhotakesonrisksin business.

Idania'sstoryisavisionforagreater futurewiththetenacitytogetthe jobdone.Thestrengthsliein breakingdownwalls,reframingthe issueforfreshthinking,and bringingpeopletogethertocreate long-lastingsolutions.

C O N T

T R E N D

COVER STORY

Advanced Solutions to Succeed In The New Market Cycle

Manyexpertssayweenteredanew

marketregimeofhighvolatilityand lowerreturns.Inthisnewmarket cycle,itisessentialtohavetherighttechnology topromptlyspotemergingrisksand opportunitiesacrossstocks.

Toexplorehowtorespondtothischanging investmentcycle,wewenttoRoccoPellegrinelli, CEOofTrendrating–aSwiss-based,global leaderinthefieldofadvancedanalyticsand leading-edgetechnology,providingadvanced pricetrendanalyticsolutionsforprofessional investors.Hehasstatedthat“manyanalytical toolsmakesense,butdotheyalsomakemoney?

Itistimetobringrealvaluetofundmanagers.”

HelaunchedTrendratingwiththemissionto provideinnovativetechnologythatcandeliver alphainameasurable,actionable,andrepeatable way.Hestronglybelievesthatadopting sophisticatedanalyticaltoolsisthekeysolution forthisnewmarketregime.

Rocco Pellegrinelli CEO

Ourteamhas25+yearsofexperiencedevelopingmodels andsystemsforportfoliomanagement.Overtheyears,we developedaproprietarymodelandafunctionality-rich technologythatistodayusedby200+institutional customersaspartoftheirinvestmentdecisionprocess.The modelisamulti-factoralgorithmlivesince2013.Itwas massivelytestedon20,000stocksacrosstheprevious20 yearsofhistoryandnevermodified.

Themodelworksondecipheringtheaggregatedinvestors' moneyflowinandoutofstockstodiscoveractualbulland beartrendsearly Theresultisaratingmethodologythat makesavaluablecomplementtotheinformationstructure, where(A)and(B)ratingsidentifybulltrendsand(C)and (D)ratingssignalbearphases.Themodel'saccuracyis extensivelydocumentedandprovedparticularlyeffectivein identifyingthecurrentbearmarketbackinJanuary. Trendratingsolutioncombinesratinganalyticsandarich setoffundamentaldatawithabroadrangeoftools

WhatisthereasonbehindTrendrating'slong-standing success?

supportingseveralmarketanalysisandportfolio managementtasks.

Whatdoexpertsmeanbysayingweentereda“regime change”andwhataresomeoftheconsequencesofthis changeforinvestors?

Ifhistoryisofguidance,wecanseethatequitymarkets enterlongperiodsofhighreturns,followedbylengthy periodsoflowerreturns.Theseperiodsarecalledsecular trends.Itisimportanttoacknowledgethatinvestment strategiesthatworkinbullmarkets,maynotbeaseffective

inflatorbearmarketsandinvestmentmanagersmust prepareanactionplantohandlethis.

Indexreturnscanstayvolatileanderraticforafewyearsas themarketwillfluctuatewithsizeablewavesupanddown acrossdifferentinvestmentquarters.Passivestrategiesafter adecadeofspectaculargrowthmayprovetobe unprofitableintheabsenceofasustainedbullmarket. Thoseinvestorsthatcontinuetousetheexactsame strategiesthatworkedfortheminthebullmarketwillbe exposedtodisappointmentandhighbusinessrisks.

Thebiggestconsequenceofthisnewregimeisthatactive managementwillbebackindemandwithperformance dispersionacrossstocksprovidingtheopportunityto outperform.Forexample,duringthelast12months endingonNovember28,2022,theS&P500indexwas downaround14%,butthetop25%performersinthe indexwereuponaverage33%andthebottom25%were down62%.Profitingfromthisnewmarketregimeand performancedispersionrequirescarefullydesignedand well-testedstrategiestoselectthewinnersandavoidthe losersthatexistinanymarketwave.

Howcanadvancedanalyticshelpprofessional investorsinthisnewmarketcycle?

Advancedanalyticsisamust-haveformanyportfolio managers,whomtodaycannotleveragetheirfullpotential duetothelackofaccesstoleading-edgetechnologythat largerinstitutionalinvestorshaveaccessto,which providesmoremarketintelligence,insights,risk management,anddiscoveryopportunities.

Analyticslikeoursofferaccesstoawholeworldof marketintelligenceandinsightsthatcansupportactive managerstobuild,test,fine-tuneandexecutetheirown

winningstrategiesforthecurrentchallengingmarket environment.Theabilitytotestandcomparedifferent strategiesacrossyearsprovidesevidenceofvalueand confidence.

Inthecurrentchallengingmarketenvironment, advancedanalyticstelluswhatinvestment fundamentalsworkbest.

TheTrendratingStrategyManagementSolution,asan example,wasdevelopedtosupportthedesign,historical test,optimization,documentationandexecutionof investmentstrategiesusingarichdatasetandanalytics. Professionalinvestorscanselecttheirpreferred fundamentalmetrics,toevaluateresults,thenexplore othercombinationsofvalueandgrowthmetricsand discoverthemosteffectivecombinationsofrulesand parametersproducingthebestinvestmentstrategiesforthe currentinvestmentenvironment.

Theabilitytoselectandcombinedifferentrulesand parametersempowersinvestmentmanagerstocreate, validate,anddocumentthebestinvestmentstrategies.Our solutionoffersanewparadigmtoleveragetheinvestment manager'sskillsandknowledgebase.

Canyouwalkusthroughanexampleofhow professionalinvestorscanutilizeTrendrating advancedanalytictools,tofine-tunetheir investmentframeworktobetterhandlethe currentchallengingmarketenvironment?

Hereisalogicalsequencesupportedbythe Trendratingsystem:

Step1:youcanrunacomparativeanalysisof differentfundamentalmetricstolearntheactual contribution,anddiscoverwhatfundamentals bettercapturetheoutperformers.Itisinteresting toseethedifferenceinperformanceacross singlemetrics.

Step2:youcanthenexploreafew combinationswithtwofundamentalparameters todiscoverifandhowitispossibletoimprove returns.Exploringalternativecombinationsof fundamentalrulescanleadtodiscovering superiorstrategiestoselectstocks.Itispossible tomaximizetheperformanceusinga combinationoffundamentalmetricsthat enablesabetterselectionandhigherreturns.

Step3:Afterselectingthebestcombinationsin step2,youcanaddaleveloftrendriskcontrol tovalidatepositivetrendsandavoidstocksina bearphase.Asoundplanshouldincorporatethis typeofpricetrendsvaluationelementtobetter assessrisksandopportunitiesacrosssectorsand stocks.Whenconsistentsellingpressure overwhelmsgoodfundamentals,abeartrend takesplace,irrespectiveofanyreasonable assumption.Acknowledgingandrespecting trendsisasoundpractice.Capturingtrendsis theessenceofsuccessfulinvesting.Ignoring trendsisnegligentandunsafeinthismarket environment.

AnyFinalthoughts?

TheYTDperformanceofseveralinvestment strategiesandproductsproveshowineffective theyareinmanagingthenewmarketcycle.

Notsurprisinglymanyofthosestrategiesneeda bullmarkettowork.Itisnowimperativeto reassessthefoundationsoftheinvestment decisionprocessandevolvetowardframeworks thatcanprofitfromtheperformancedispersion acrossstocksandprosperinalowtonegative returnsscenariothatcanlastyears.

Thenewmarketregimeisforcingtheevolution oftheportfoliomanagementindustry,andthe goodnewsisthatadvancedtoolsandanalytics areavailabletosupportit.

Trendratingdeliveringleading-edge technologyworldwide.

Fromstartingasaportfoliomanagerto foundingTrendrating,RoccoPellegrinelli, FounderandCEO,hascomealongway.He launchedBrainpowerin1996andestablishedit asoneofthetopportfoliomanagementsystems globally.Aftertakingthecompanypubliconthe FrankfurtStockExchangein2000,Brainpower wasacquiredbyBloombergin2006.

Then,hestartedaresearchanddevelopment projecttodesignasuperiormodeltocapture pricetrendsinlistedequities.Afterafewyears ofmassivetestingof350indicatorsand thousandsofcombinationsacross25yearsof historyfor20,000securitieshegotwhathe wanted.Ithelpedtohavethesupportofa fantasticteamofexperts,nowpartof Trendrating,aleadingproviderofadvanced analyticsandleading-edgetechnologyfor equityinvesting,servingmorethan200 institutionalcustomersonaglobalscale.

In2020,Roccowasnominatedasoneofthe“10 MostInspiringCEOstoWatch”byIndustry TechOutlookandoneofthe“10Best InnovativeLeaders”byDigiTechInsight.Rocco isalsoaNasdaqcontributortotheiradvisor portal.

BER BERL

RLIN LIN

BerlinisthelargestcityinGermany.NamedastheCityofDesignbyUNESCOitselfearnsgreat importanceinworldhistory,aswellasthebeautyofthecity,completingthevoidofbeautywith authenticity AsizableportionofthelowplateausoneithersideoftheSpreeValleyarenowcovered bythesprawlingcityofBerlin.Berlinhasanoceanicclimate,withalimitedamountofcontinentalinfluence ontheeasternsideofthecity.Onechangeistheannualrainfall,whichdependsontheairmassesandismore abundantatcertaintimesoftheyear

Berlinisahubforjournalism,politics,culture,andscience.Itseconomyisbuiltonhigh-techbusinessesand theserviceindustry,whichincludesavarietyofcreativeindustries,start-upbusinesses,researchcenters, mediaconglomerates,andconventioncenters.Inadditiontohavingaveryintricatepublictransitsystem, Berlinactsasacontinentalhubforaviationandtraintraffic.Thecityisawell-likedtraveldestination.IT, healthcare,biomedicalengineering,biotechnology,automotive,construction,electronics,socialeconomy, andcleantecharefurthersignificantindustries.Berlininallissaidtobemoreoveraversatilecitywithmost ofitseconomydependingonitsartandculture,tourism,andmediasector

GeographicalImportance

AsapartofthehugeNorthernEuropeanPlain,whichspansfromnorthernFrancetowesternRussia,Berlin islocatedinnortheasternGermanyinaregionoflow-lyingmarshyforestswithaprimarilyflattopography BetweenthelowBarnimPlateautothenorthandtheTeltowplateautothesouth,theBerlinerUrstromtalan iceageglacialvalleywascreatedbymeltwaterflowingfromicesheetstowardstheconclusionofthelast Weichselianglaciation.TheSpreeispresentlyfollowingthisvalley TheSpreedrainsintotheHavel,ariver thatrunsthroughwesternBerlinfromnorthtosouth,neartheboroughofSpandau.

Today'sBerlinsprawlsacrosssizableportionsofthelowplateausoneithersideoftheSpreeValley.The majorityoftheboroughsofCharlottenburg-Wilmersdorf,Steglitz-Zehlendorf,Tempelhof-Schöneberg,and NeuköllnarelocatedontheTeltowPlateau,whilesignificantportionsoftheboroughsofReinickendorfand PankowarelocatedontheBarnimPlateau.

TheNauenPlain,whichspanstothewestofBerlin,andtheBerlinGlacialValleybothcontainportionsofthe SpandauBorough.Berlin'shighestpointhasbeentheArkenbergeHillsnearPankow,whichrisetoaheight of122meterswhichis400feet,since2015.TheyoutdidTeufelsbergwhichisapproximately120.1mor394 ft,whichwasalsoconstructedofSecondWorldWarruins,bydisposingofconstructionwaste.Thehighest naturalpointistheMüggelbergeat114.7meters,andthelowestistheSpekteseeinSpandauat28.1meters.

Berlinhasanoceanicclimate;theeasternhalfofthecityhasasmallcontinentalinfluence,withoneshift beingtheannualrainfalldependingontheairmassesandthegreateravailabilityduringaparticulartimeof theyear.Becauseitissemi-continental,thissortofclimatehasmildsummersthatcangethotattimesand frigidwintersthataregenerallynotharsh.Duetoitstransitionalclimatezones,frostsoccurfrequentlyinthe winter,andthetemperaturevariationsbetweentheseasonsaregreaterthaninmanyoceanicclimates. Furthermore,despitetheKöppensystemplacingtheminseparatekinds,BerlinandthesuburbsofNewYork CityarebothcategorizedashavingatemperatecontinentalclimateundertheTrewarthaclimatescheme.The summersarehotandoccasionallyhumid,withtypicalhighsof22to25°C andlowsof12to14°C.Winters arechilly,with3°Conaverageforhighsand2to0°Cforlows.Ingeneral,springandautumnarecoolto mild.

BERLIN

EtymologyofBerlin

BerlinisthelargestcityofGermanyinbothaspectsofarea andpopulation.Also,itkeepsanancientsiderichinculture andtraditions.Withthoseoftherichculture,berlinenjoys everyfestivalandtraditionwithaneye-mesmerizingsite onceayear ThenameBerlinalsohasaninterestingstory behindit.ThenameBerlinisderivedfromtheroot languageoftheWestSlavicpopulatedareaofcurrent Berlin.AsstartingofBerlinstartswithBerreferredtoas Bar(Beer)inGermanythebeverageistheheartof GermanyhenceBerlingetsitsname.

Inaroundthe12thto16thcentury,theoldestsignsof humanhabitationinthevicinityofmodern-dayBerlin includetheremainsofahousefoundationfrom1174that werediscoveredinexcavationsinBerlinMitteanda woodenbeamthatdatestoroughly1192.Theterritorythat isnowhometoBerlinwasfirstmentionedinwritinginthe late12thcentury AlthoughSpandauandKöpenickwere notincludedinBerlinuntil1920,theiroldestmentionsdate backto1197and1209,respectively Twotownscanbe

foundinBerlin'scentralregion.Documentsfrom1237and 1244relatetoCöllnontheFischerinselandBerlin,whichis locatedacrosstheSpreeinwhatistodaytheNikolaiviertel. Theyear1237isregardedasthecity'sfoundingyear

In1470,Berlin-Collnbecamethenewroyalresidence.With AlbrechtIIIAchillesasanewelector.From1486,when JohnCicerocametopower,theBerlin-Cöllnpalace officiallybecamethepermanentresidenceofthe BrandenburgelectorsoftheHohenzollerns.However, Berlin-Cöllnwasforcedtorenounceitspositionasafree Hanseaticcity Thecityanditselectorsformallyconverted toLutheranismin1539.Between1618and1648,theThirty Years'WarwreakedhavoconBerlin.Halfofthecity's residentsweredisplaced,andone-thirdofitshomeswere destroyedordamaged.The"GreatElector,"Frederick William,whotookoverforhisfatherGeorgeWilliamas rulerin1640,startedaprogramthatencouraged immigrationandreligioustolerance.FrederickWilliam grantedtheFrenchHuguenotsshelterwiththeEdictof Potsdamin1685.

Berlinunderwentaradicaltransformationduringthe IndustrialRevolution;thecity'seconomyandpopulation bothgrewsignificantly,anditrosetobecomeGermany's principalrailhubandcommercialcenter.Soonafter,more suburbsgrew,expandingBerlin'sareaandpopulace.Berlin incorporatedanumberofnearbysuburbs,including Wedding,Moabit,andothers,in1861.Berlinbecamethe leaderofthenewlyestablishedGermanEmpirein1871.It becameanindependentcitydistrictfromBrandenburg.

CultureofBerlin

Berlinisrenownedforitsvastcultureandcultural institutions.Theresemblanceofculturewithancienttimes makesberlinoneoftheworldheritagesitestotravelto.The versatilityofberlininperformingarts,music,andculture makesthemetropolisdiversifiedwithdifferentshadesof culture.Thecity'svibrancyanddiversitycreatedatrendsettingatmosphere.Inthetwenty-firstcentury,cutting-edge music,dance,andartscenehaveemerged.Berlinbecamea well-knownglobalentertainmenthubthankstotheinfluxof youngpeople.TherelocationoftheUniversalMusic Group'sheadquarterstothebanksoftheRiverSpreeserved asamarkerforthecity'sexpandingculturalofferings. BerlinjoinedtheCreativeCitiesNetworkafterbeing dubbedthe"CityofDesign"byUNESCOin2005.

Berlinisnativetoaround40theatersandstages.From 1849-50TheDeutschesTheaterinMittewasbuiltandis continuouslyoperatingsincethen.Thereareseveral universitiesinBerlin,includingthe33,000-student-strong FreieUniversitätBerlin,theHumboldtDespitethefactthat thecompanyhadbeencreatedin1890,theVolksbühneat Rosa-Luxemburg-Platzwasconstructedin1913–1914.The BerlinEnsemblewasfoundedin1949andiswellknown forperformingBertoltBrecht'sworks.TheSchaubühnewas establishedin1962andrelocatedtothenow-vacant UniversumCinemabuildingonKurfürstendammin1981. TheFriedrichstadt-PalastinBerlinMitteisthebiggest showpalaceinEurope,with1,895seatsandastagefloor

ThenightlifeinBerlinhasbeenpraisedasbeingamongthe mostactiveanddiversifiedofitskind.TheSO36in Kreuzbergwasahubforpunkmusicandcultureinthe 1970sand1980s.BoththeSOUNDandtheDschungel becamewell-known.Inthe1990s,youngadultsfromall overtheworldespeciallythosefromWesternandCentral EuropemadeBerlin'sclubsceneapremierdestinationfor nightlife.NumeroushistoricstructuresinMitte,theformer cityheartofEastBerlin,wereillegallytakenandrebuiltby youngsquattersafterthecollapseoftheBerlinWallin 1989.Asaresult,Mittebecameapopularlocationfor undergroundandcountercultureevents.

TheimmenselyhugefestivalofBerlinisBerlin InternationalFilmFestival.It'srecordedtobethelargest publiclyattendedfilmfestivalintheworldwithacountof 500,000admissions.EveryPentecostweekend,amultiethnicstreetparadecalledtheKarnevalderKulturenalso knownasCarnivalofCulturesisheld.Berlinisparticularly well-knownfortheinternationalyouthorchestrafestival YoungEuroClassicandtheculturaleventBerliner Festspiele,whichincludethejazzfestivalJazzFestBerlin. Thecityhostsanumberoftechnologyandmediaartevents andconferences,suchasTransmedialeandChaos CommunicationCongress.TheInternationalBerlinMusic WeekincludestheannualBerlinFestival,which emphasizessynthpop,electronicmusic,andindependent rock.Overamillionpeopleattendoneoftheworld'slargest NewYear'swithaglassofwine.

TasteofBerlin

Berlinoffersawidevarietyoffoodsandgourmet experiences.TheMichelinGuidefor2021lists23 restaurantsinBerlinashavingreceivedoneormorestars, placingthecityfirstamongGermancitiesforthis distinction.Berliniswell-knownforitsvegetarianand veganfoodoptionsandisthesiteofanentrepreneurial, innovativefoodscenethatchampionsglobalflavors, regional,andsustainableingredients.Thisscenealso supportspop-upstreetfoodmarkets,supperclubs,andfood festivalslikeBerlinFoodWeek.Manyregionaldelicacies, suchasrobustandrusticdisheswithpig,geese,fish,peas, beans,cucumbers,orpotatoes,aredescendedfromnorth Germanculinarytraditions.Popularstreetfoodslike Currywurst,Buletten,andtheBerlinerdonut,knownin BerlinasPfannkuchen,areexamplesoftypicalBerliner fare.ThereareseveralbakeriesinGermanythatsella varietyofbreadandpastries.TheKaDeWeishometoone ofEurope'sbiggestdelicatessenmarkets,andFassbender& Rauschisoneofthebiggestchocolateshopsintheworld. Berlinalsohasavibrantculinaryscenethatreflectsthe city'shistoryofimmigration.ImmigrantsfromTurkeyand theArabworldintroducedtheirculinarycustomstothecity, includingthelahmajounandfalafel,whicharenow widespreadfastfoodmainstays.Themodernfast-food donerkebabsandwich,whichoriginatedinBerlininthe 1970s,hassubsequentlygainedpopularitythroughoutthe world,includinginGermany.Manyareasofthecityare hometoeateriesservingAsiancuisine,includingChinese, Vietnamese,Thai,Indian,Korean,andJapaneserestaurants, aswellasSpanishtapasbars,Italian,andGreekrestaurants.

ExploringthestreetsofBerlin

In2011,therewere138museumsandmorethan400art galleriesinBerlin.LocatedinthenorthernportionofSpree IslandbetweentheSpreeandtheKupfergraben,the ensembleonMuseumIslandisaUNESCOWorldHeritage Site.Itwasdeclaredan"areadedicatedtoartand antiquities"bytheroyalorderasearlyas1841.TheAltes MuseumwasafterwardconstructedintheLustgarten.There werefourmuseumsbuilt:theBodeMuseum,thePergamon Museum,andtheNeuesMuseum,whichhousesthebustof QueenNefertiti.

Museums

ThereareothermuseumsinthecityinadditiontoMuseum Island.Paintingsofthe"oldmasters"fromthe13thtothe 18thcenturiesarethefocusoftheGemäldegalerie,while 20th-centuryEuropeanpaintingsarethecenteroftheNeue Nationalgalerie,whichwasdesignedbyLudwigMiesvan derRohe.InMoabit,asizablecollectionofmodernand contemporaryartisondisplayintheHamburgerBahnhof. WithanoverviewofGermanhistoryspanningmorethan twothousandyears,theexpandedDeutschesHistorisches MuseumreopenedintheZeughaus.TherenownedBauhaus school'sarchiveisamuseumof20th-centurydesign.The renowned20th-centurycollectorHeinzBerggruen's collectionishousedattheMuseumBerggruen,andit includesawiderangeofpiecesbyartistslikePicasso, Matisse,Cézanne,andGiacometti,amongothers.

BrandenburgGate

ThereareothermuseumsinthecityinadditiontoMuseum Island.WhiletheNeueSuchisatimewarp,the Gemäldegaleriefocusesonworksbythe"oldmasters"who livedfromthe13ththroughthe18thcenturies.Theformer emblemofthedividedcitynowstandsasatestamentto peaceandunity.TheIronCurtain,whicharbitrarilydivided EastandWestBerlinduringthecoldwar,isanothersymbol oftheseverepoliticalmandatesthatwereimposedonthe inhabitantsofBerlin.FollowingthefallofBerlinin November1989,themonumentroseagainasasignof peacethatunitedthetwohalvesofthecity

Mauerpark

Mauerpark,aformersectionoftheBerlinWall,isoneof thebesttouristdestinationsinBerlin.Itislocatedinthe PrenzlauerBergneighborhood.Itiswell-likedbypeopleof allages,makingitagreatdestinationforafamily

adventure.Italsotransformsintoafleamarketandkaraoke venueontheweekends.ThesectionoftheformerBerlin Wallhasbeentransformedintoablankcanvasforgraffiti artists.Itisawholepackage:anopenspacebeneaththe sky,aspottounwindandhavefun.

EconomyandadministrationofBerlin

TheeconomyofBerlinmainlystrivesonthetourismand educationsectorofGermany.Berlin'sGDPreached€147 billionin2018,anincreaseof3.1%overthepreviousyear. Around84%ofallbusinessesinBerlinoperateinthe servicesector,whichdominatesthecity'seconomy.There were1.85millionpeopleworkinginBerlinoverallin2015. InNovember2015,theunemploymentratedroppedtoits lowestlevelin24years,whichwas10.0%.Berlin,a Germanstate,hasthegreatestyearlyjobgrowthratefrom 2012to2015.Duringthistime,130,000additional employeeswerecreated.

Lifesciences,transportation,ICT,mediaandmusic,media andmusic,advertisinganddesign,biotechnology, environmentalservices,construction,e-commerce,retail, hotelbusiness,andmedicalengineeringareimportant economicsectorsinBerlin.

Thecityishometothebusinessorservicecentersof numerousGermanandforeigncorporations.Berlinhas beenacknowledgedasasignificanthubforbusiness foundersforanumberofyears.In2015,Berlinwasthe Europeancitythatraisedthemostventuremoneyfor emergingstartups.TheCity-StateofBerlin,Deutsche Bahn,thehospitalsCharitéandVivantes,theFederal GovernmentofGermany,thelocalpublictransportation companyBVG,Siemens,andDeutscheTelekom

In2014,therewere134,399bedsin788hotelsinBerlin.In 2014,thecitysaw11.9millionvisitorsand28.7million overnighthotelstays.Inthepasttenyears,tourismfigures havemorethandoubled,makingBerlinthethird-mostpopulartraveldestinationinEurope.PotsdamerPlatz, BrandenburgerTor,theBerlinWall,Alexanderplatz, Museumsinsel,Fernsehturm,theEast-SideGallery, Schloss-Charlottenburg,ZoologischerGarten,Siegessäule, GedenkstätteBerlinerMauer,Mauerpark,Botanical Garden,FranzösischerDom,DeutscherDom,and Holocaust-Mahnmalareafewofthemostpopulartourist destinationsinBerlin.Germany,theUnitedKingdom,the Netherlands,Italy,Spain,andtheUnitedStatesarethe countrieswiththelargestvisitorpopulations.Hence,the economyofBerlinismostlyseenrisingonthebasisofits artandculturewithtourismasahelpinghand.

Sports&EducationofBerlin

Berlinhasasolidreputationasavenueforimportant internationalsportingevents.Inadditiontohostingthe 2006FIFAWorldCupfinal,thecityalsoplayedhometo the1936SummerOlympics.In2009,theOlympiastadion hostedtheIAAFWorldChampionshipsinAthletics.In 2009and2016,thecityservedasthehostofthe BasketballEuroleagueFinalFourandservedasoneofthe 2015FIBAEuroBaskethosts.The2015UEFA ChampionsLeagueFinalwasheldinBerlin.The2023 SpecialOlympicsWorldSummerGameswilltakeplace inBerlin.GermanywillbehostingtheSpecialOlympics WorldGames.

TheBerlinMarathonisaninternationallyrenownedgame heldannuallyinBerlin.Thegameholdstheworldrecord amongthe10worldrecordruns.Also,withthisrecord, BerlinhostsAFanFestatBrandenburgGate,which attractsmanyspectatorscountingaroundseveralhundred andthousands,andhasbecomemorepopularduring internationalfootballcompetitionslikelyUEFAEuropean Championship.

Education

Berlinhad878schoolsasof2014,instructing340,658 studentsin13,727classroomsand56,787traineesin companiesandothersettings.Thecity'selementaryeducation programlastssixyears.Studentsproceedtothe Sekundarschule(acomprehensiveschool)orGymnasium afterfinishingprimaryschool.TheEuropaschule,aunique bilingualeducationprograminBerlin,offersprimarythrough highschoolinstructiontostudentsinbothGermananda foreignlanguage.

Together,thethreemaincollegeshaveabout103,000students enrolled.TheHumboldtUniversitätZuBerlin(HUBerlin), with35,000students,theTechnischeUniversitätBerlin(TU Berlin),with35,000students,andtheFreieUniversitätBerlin (FUBerlin)eachhasaround33,000students.Thereareabout 8,000studentsenrolledintheCharitéMedicalSchool.The BerlinUniversityAlliance,whichobtainssupportfromthe Germangovernment'sExcellenceStrategyprogram,ismade upoftheFU,theHU,theTU,andtheCharité.Thereare approximately4,000studentsenrolledatUniversitätder Künste(UdK),andESMTBerlinisoneofonlyfourtripleaccreditedbusinessschoolsinGermany.Therearemorethan 900undergraduatesandPh.D.studentsenrolledinMitte's privateHertieSchool,whichteachespublicpolicy.

Sports

SPECIAL PROFILE

TRUE NORTH MARKET INSIGHTS

President, Founder

David Santee

Howdoesacompanyknowwheretoinvest? What newproductstocreate? Whattosayintheirads? Howtoimprovetheircustomerexperience? Theseareallfoundationalquestions. Andtheanswerto thesequestionscanmakeorbreakacompany Thisiswhere marketresearchcomesin. AndthisiswhereTrueNorth MarketInsightsexcells.

FeaturingforTheEnterpriseWorld'sthisissueofTheMost InnovativeMarketResearchSolutionProvidersin2022is TrueNorthMarketInsights,acompanythathelpsothers growwiththerightkindofinsights. TheCompanyTrueNorthMarketInsightsisamarketresearchcompany.

“We act as the eyes and ears for corporations.”

Thefirmconductsstudiestoidentifywhattheircustomers want,iftheymightlikeanewproductidea,andhowto

improvetheirexperiencewiththefirm. Theytest communicationstoensurethatthecompaniescanconnect withtheiraudience.

Withthededicatedeffortsoftheteam,thisactsasa motivatingfactorandarewardingfeeling,becausehelping othersconnectwiththeaudienceisattheverycoreofthe successofthecompany.Acompanywillnotsurviveifit doesnotunderstanditscustomers,knowwhattheywant, andbeabletodeliverwhattheywantinthewaytheywant it. AndthatishowfirmssuchasTrueNorthserve.

Nowalotofcompaniesmaydothis. WhatseperatesTrue Northfromothersisthattheyarealwayssearchingfor bettermethods. Theyconsistentlyconducttheirown research-on-researchsothattheycanbetterservcetheir clients. Thishasledtomorepredictivesolutionsthatoffer moreinsights. Butbeinginnnovativeisnottheendinitself.

TheKeyToSuccess

“Therehavebeenmanylikemewholeftthecorporateside (orwereletgo)andtriedtostarttheirownmarketresearch consultinggig.”,saysDavidSantee,FounderofTrueNorth MarketInsights.

Butonlyafewofthembecomeanongoingfirm.Someof thebiggestchallengesforthecompanywerethesameasthe othershavefaced.Theonlydifferencewas,TrueNorthwas abletoovercomethosewithDave'sclient-sidereputation.

Thefirstchallengewassimplytogetafewclientssothat youcanpayyourbills.

“I believe what got us there was a good reputation and trust.”

Whileonthecorporateside,Daviddidallhecouldinhis pursuittonotgetcaughtupintheofficepoliticsandserve everyonewell.Thismadeiteasyforthefirmtogetholdof thosefirstfewclients.

TrueNorth'sfirstsetofclientscamefromthosewhoknew Davidonthecorporateside.Sometimeswhenhavingcoffee withthenewentrepreneurs,orthoseexploringthesuppliersideofinsights,Davidmakesitapointtorecommend avoidingofficepoliticsandtoserveeveryonewell. Becauseyoumightneverknowwhatrolesomeonewill haveinthefuture.Onemantrainsistson-

“When

doing a project for someone, do the best

you are

you can. It doesn't matter who they are.”

“We search for better ways of doing things so that we can better serve our clients and make them successful.”

“When you are doing a project for someone, do the best you can. It doesn't matter who they are.”

TheGrowthQuotientTrueNorth'slong-termsuccesshasbeenduetostayingtrue towhotheyare.Sincethefirmhasgrownupontheclient side,understandingwhattheclientswantisatthecoreof theirservices.Theteamstrivestobetheirlong-termpartner andnotjustatransactionalvendor.Andtoachievethis,the teamalwayslooksatthelifetimevalueoftheclient.

AkeycomponentofTrueNorth'ssuccess,andwhytheycan establishpartnerships,isthattheyarealwaysthinkingabout theclient,andwhatisbestforthem. Thatincludesthe team'sprimarycontact.

“We want them to be successful.”

Thosewhohavenotbeenontheclientsidedonot understandthisperson'sroleandthepressuresand expectationstheyface.ThatiswheretrueNorthmakesthe difference. Forexample,iftheteamknowstowhomthe

reportisgoingandtheyunderstandthatperson's perspective,theycraftthereportforthatperson.

“WhenIwasontheclientside,Ifrequentlyaskedmy vendorsforupdatesonnewtrends,methodologies,andnew thinking. ButIrarelygotit. IwantTrueNorthtobethe firmthatunderstandsthetrends,whichisworthyof exploring,andwhichismerelyafad.

Toomanyfirmssimplydoresearchthesamewayithas beendonefordecades. Forexample,thewaywemeasure brandshasnotchangedsincethe30yearswhenIwasa junioranalystatHallmarkCards. Ok,thedatacollection haschangedfrommallintercepts,telephone,andnow online,buthowwestructurethequestionnairehasnot changed.Thatwouldbeokifthemethodwasgood–butit's not.”,saysDavid.

TheSearchForSolutionsThatBetterReflectReal HumanBehavior

Somuchhasbeendiscoveredinthelastdecadeorsoabout howhumanstrulymakechoicesanddecisions. Weusedto believethateverythingwasrational. Whatwearelearning isthat95%ofourthoughtprocessisunconscious. We makedecisionsunconsciouslyandemotionallyandjustify themrationally ThisiswhatNobelPrize-winning psychologistsandeconomistssay(i.e.,DanielKahneman andRichardThaler),aswellasmanymore. Yetour researchmethodshavenotchangedindecades. Westillact asifeverythingisrational. Buttheyarenot. Thereisnow anentiredisciplinethatstudiesthiscalledBehavioural Economics.

WhenDavidfirstbeganstudyingthistopic,hewasabit defensive. Itwasclearthatifthisweretrue,howwedo muchofourresearchiswrong. Butasmoreandmorecame out,hereachedthepointwhereitneededtobeaddressed. Asaresult,David,withhisteambegandesigningstudies thatfitwithinthesenewinsights.

Unfortunately,thebiggestresearchfirmsaremanytimesthe slowesttolearn. Theirdatanormsandinternalprocedures arebasedontheresearchmethodsfromthepastdecades. It takesalotoftimetotest,makethedecisiontotryother approaches,andthentrainthroughouttheirorganization. Theyhaveafinancialincentivetokeepdoingthesame thing.FirmssuchasTrueNorthcanmakethatadjustment muchmorequickly.

“Wehaveconductedsomeofourownresearch-on-research

“We are not content standing still. We are always testing, growing, and doing our own research on research.”

onthesemethods. Wehavefoundthatfollowingthe principlesofBehaviouralEconomicsandhowhumanstruly makedecisions,ourmethodscanbemorepredictive.”, David

Inshort,humansdon'tmakedecisionson5-pointscales. Theymakechoices. Yetmostresearchersarereluctantto giveupthedecades-oldapproachofusingscalessuchasthe Likertscale. Bytheway,theLikertscaleisalmost90years old. It'snotourfather'sscale–it'sourgrandfather'sscale. Anditisnotconsistentwithhowhumansmakedecisionsin therealworld.

Solution#1–BrandInsights–

Onethingwenowknowisthateverythingisrelative.We don'thaveanabsolutevalueinourmindsforabrand.

“Our industry's research methods have not changed in decades. We still act as if everything is rational. But they are not. ”

Humanscomparealternativesandmakechoices. Noscales andrelativetoeachother. Yettraditionalbrandstudieshave youevaluateabrandonlotsofattributesallonscales. In otherwords,inisolation. Notrelativetoanythingelse.And that'saproblem.

Thetraditionalstudiesarelonganddifficultforrespondents.

TrueNorth'ssolutionfollowsaverydifferentapproach. Theyasktherespondenttoevaluatetheclientbrandandits relevantcompetitorstogetherandchoosewhichtheylike thebest. Theywillchoosewhichoffersthemostvalue, whichhasthehighestquality,whichbestdeliversonany numberofdimensions.

What'snoteworthyinthisprocessisthattheyputthebrands togetherandnotinanisolation.Presentingthesereportsto theclients,theyarethenaskedtomakechoicesastheydo intherealworld,andnotevaluateonascale.

Fromapracticalstandpoint,thishelpsthemcapturemuch moredataonmorebrandsusingthisapproach. Anditis muchmoreengagingfortherespondentssotheyaremore likelytostayengagedthroughouttheentiresurvey.

Solution#2–RapidReview:

AclientincludedTrueNorthinanRFP(requestfor proposal)todevelopasystemtoevaluatemanynewideas. Now,asapartoftheproductdevelopment,theteamwas quicktoscreenoutideasthathavealowprobabilityof successsothatmoretimeandresourcescanbeinvestedin theideasthattrulyhaveanopportunity.

Thetraditionalapproachwouldbetoaskrespondentsto evaluateeachoftheideasona5-pointpurchaselikelihood scale.

Theteamsatbackandwatchedthepurchaseprocessand mimickedthatprocessintheirapproach. Whenshopping foralmostanything,shopperswillidentifyasub-setof productsthattheywouldconsider. Second,amongthose thattheymightconsider,theywillchoosetheirfavorite. Finally,theycheckout. Notice,noscales,justchoices.

TrueNorth'sprocessgoesthroughthesameprocess.The teamasksrespondentsiftheywouldconsiderthe alternatives–aquickthumbsupordown–justliketheydo intherealworld. Thenofthosetheywouldconsider,the teamwouldaskthemtocomebackandtellwhichthey wouldpurchase;again,yesorno. Finally,dependingonthe product,wetakethemtocheckouttoconfirmtheir “purchase.”

Sodoesitwork? TrueNorthdidtheirowntest-control studytovalidatethefindings. Theyhadacellwherethey askedtheinterestof10fastfoodrestaurantsusingthe traditionalpurchaselikelihoodscale. Thentheyhadacell usingtheirchoiceapproach. Andtheresult–noteven close.

BothWendy'sandMcDonald'sreceivedaverysimilar score. Notsurprising. Buthere'stheproblem. McDonald's shareisverydifferent. Infact,McDonald'sshareisalmost 3timesthatofWendy's–buttheyreceivedthesamescore. What'sgoingon?Thatshouldgiveanyresearcher heartburn.

ButTrueNorth'schoiceresultswereamazingclosetothe actualmarketshare.

Now,thereareothergoodchoice-basedmethods,suchas MaxDiff. ButbyusingtheRapidReviewapproach,the firmhasbeenabletotestover200ideaswithinonestudy. SomethingMaxDiffcouldneverdo.

Besidesbeingmorepredictive,sincethequestionnaireis straightforward,theycanhaveresultsfast–typicallyina week.

Andthepriceistypicallylower,too,becausethefirmdoesn't needabigPowerPointdeckandhoursofanalysis. The metricsareverystraightforward.

Somecompaniesmayforgotestingproductsaheadoftime duetothetimeittakesorthecost,butmakeiteasytobring thevoiceofthecustomerintotheirdecision-makingprocess.

Solution#3–DefectionDetection

Understandingwhycustomersleaveisimportantto understand. Somebelievecustomersleavedueto dissatisfaction. Thatmightbetrue. Butthefactisthateven satisfiedcustomerswillleave. Thereasonsforattribution cangofarbeyonddissatisfaction.

BehaviouralEconomicsstatesthat95%ofthedecisionmakinghappensinthesubconscious. So,whenthequestion isputforward,“whydidyouleave,”thereislessprobability ofgettingtherealreasons.Therecouldbeanyreasonfor this.Perhapsthebranddoesnotfitthemanymore;perhaps theyhaveoutgrowntheproductastheyhaveenteredanew lifestage,andperhapstheirfriendsarenowusing somethingdifferent.Perhapsthebrandpersonalitydoesfit them.

DefectionDetectionisanapproachthatgetspastthe logical,surfacereasonsforattritionanddiscoversthereal reasons.

President/Founder

Forthemostofhiscareer,Davidhasworkedontheclient sideofthebusinesses.Hisstellarprofessionaljourney includesthenamesofsomeofthebiggestorganizations likethatofHallmark,Colgate(Hill'sPetNutrition),and H&RBlock.Eventhoughmostassignmentshehas workedonhavebeeninmarketresearch,hehasalsohad rolesinProductManagement,NewProduct Development,andKeyAccountManagement.

David'slastcorporaterolewasastheDirectorof WorldwideMarketResearchatH&RBlock.Thisrole helpedhimlearnalotofnewthings.Thingslike,itisnot justaboutresearch.HegottoworkwiththeC-Suiteand otherleaderstobringtheminsightsintohowandwhen theyneededthem.Thejobbecameoneofcommunication andinfluenceratherthanprovidingdata. Mostofthoseat thetopdonotreadmarketresearchreports. Theyget theirinformationotherways.

David'sMessagetotheNewEntrepreneurs“Unfortunately,thereisaratherlargemisconception aboutatypicalentrepreneur. Wehavethisimageof

someonelikeMarkZuckerberg,ayoungguywithanew-tothe-worldtechproduct. Butthatisnottheprofileofmost successfulentrepreneurs.

Theprofileofasuccessfulentrepreneurissomeonewhohas workedforothersforyears,andisinhisorher40sor50s. Thistypeofpersonhasabetterideaofhowbusinessesrun, whatmightbeagoodidea,andhasbusinessconnections thatcanhelphim. Thus,ifsomeonewantstobean entrepreneur,themostsuccessfulpathistoworkfor someoneelseandlearn.”

DavidSantee-LeadingtheWay-

“I believe these non-research positions have made me a better researcher.”

“When you are doing a project for someone, do the best you can. It doesn't matter who they are.”

“If we want customers to have a real voice, we need to be prepared to have their voices heard through these other channels.”

EMPOWERING

EMPOWERING EVERYONE ON PLANET TO ACHIEVE MORE

Formorethanadecade,

Microsofthasbeenthemarket leaderinoperatingsystems.It wasestablishedbyBillGatesandPaul AlleninAlbuquerque,NewMexico,in 1975,46yearsago,andiscurrently flourishingallovertheworld.Inthe 2020Fortune500listofthemost significantUScompanies,Microsoft cameinatnumber21.Itisvaluedas thethird-highestglobalbrand.The businessisadigitaloperatingsystems leader

OnApril4,1975,BillGatesandPaul AllenestablishedMicrosoftinorderto createandmarketBASICinterpreters fortheAltair8800.Inthemiddleofthe 1980s,MS-DOSandthenWindows propelledittothetopofthemarketfor personalcomputeroperatingsystems. Threepeoplebecamebillionaires thankstoMicrosoft's1986initialpublic offering(IPO)andsubsequentincrease inshareprice,whileanestimated

12,000Microsoftemployeesbecame millionaires.Sincethe1990s,ithas movedfromtheoperatingsystem industryandacquiredanumberof businesses.Theirgreatestacquisition wasLinkedInfor$26.2billionin December2016,whichwasfollowed bySkypeTechnologiesfor$8.5billion inMay2011.

In2018,Microsoftrecaptureditstitleas themostvaluablepubliclytraded businessintheworldafterbeing dethronedbyApplein2010.After AppleandAmazon,Microsoftbecame thethirdAmericanpublicfirmtohavea marketcapof$1trillionormorewhen itdidsoinApril2019.Microsoftwill havethefourth-highestworldwide brandvaluationasof2022. Microsoftisadailyandregularword usedineverycorporatesector The

JourneyofMicrosoft-

globalproductisownedbyMicrosoft CorporationbasedinAmericaisa multinationaltechnologycorporation. Theassociatedservicesheadquarters aresituatedatMicrosoftRedmond campusinRedmond,Washington, UnitedStates.Thebestproductsof MicrosoftaretheWindowsseriesof operatingsystems,themicrosoft officesuiteandinternetexplorer,etc. TheXboxvideogamingconsolesand theMicrosoftSurfacerangeof touchscreenpersonalPCsareitstwo mainhardwareofferings.Microsoft wastheworld'slargestsoftware companybyrevenueasof2019;it wasplacedNo.21intheFortune500 rankingsofthelargestAmerican firmsbytotalrevenuein2020.Along withAlphabet,Amazon,Apple,and Meta,itisoneoftheBigFive Americantechnologicalfirms.The journeyofMicrosoftkickstartedwith abasicsetup.

The current global venture was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on 4th April 1975 with the main motive to produce and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800.

As a result of an arrangement the company made with ASCII Magazine in Japan in August 1977, ASCII Microsoft opened its rst overseas ofce.

In the middle of the 1980s, MS-DOS and then Windows propelled it to the top of the market for personal computer operating systems.

Since the 1990s, it has moved from the operating system industry and acquired a number of businesses.

Microsoft started to reevaluate its products and broaden its product line into computer networking and the World Wide Web after Bill Gates' internal "Internet Tidal Wave letter" on May 26, 1995.

Microsoft released Windows XP on October 25, 2001, combining the NT codebase with the mainstream OS line. Later that year, the company introduced the Xbox, breaking into the Sony and Nintendodominated market for video game consoles.

Microsoft, which was becoming more active in the hardware market after the launching of Xbox, introduced the Zune line of digital media players in 2006 as the replacement to its earlier software platform Portable Media Center.

The Windows Vista released in 2007 featured the security and redesigned user interface dubbed Aero, following with the release of MS Ofce 2007 with the feature of Ribbon user interface.

Throughout the 2011-12 Microsoft restructured its identity with focusing on logo, products, services, etc.

Microsoft released a x for Windows 10 in January 2018 to address CPU issues brought on by Intel's Meltdown security aw. The patch caused problems with the virtual machines running on Microsoft Azure that use Intel's CPU architecture.

On June 24, 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11.

ThegrowthofMicrosoftandits productsandservicesiswitnessed bythewholeworld.Inaninterview withMr.BillGatesmentionedthe growthofMicrosoftcreditingitto theirteam.

ThesurveyofMicrosoft's StatisticalStudies-

Microsoftbeingaglobalventure todayhasnoneedofany recognitionstrategyormarketing strategy Thecorporationbeingan InformationandTechnologybased corporationworksmostlyonits productsandservicesrelatedto databasesandsoftwares.The4Ps fromthemarketingmixworkson pointformicrosoft.The4Ps includesProduct,Price,Place, Promotion.

Aproductissomethingthatsatisfiesthe needsanddesiresoftheconsumer, whereasaproductmixisthevarietyof thatproduct.Microsoftisaretailerof bothhardwareandsoftware.Computers, laptops,tablets,Xbox,andphonesare amongtheirhardwaregoods.Microsoft OfficeandWindowsOSareamongtheir softwareproducts.Microsofthasabroad rangeofproducts.Itisprimarily renownedforits

PenetrationPricing

PriceSkimming

PlaceMix

UnderPriceMix,Microsoftprovides thefollowingservicestoitsclients: Ÿ Microsoftoffersretaillocationsall overtheworldwherecustomers mayusetheguidanceoftechnical advisorstomakesmarterdecisions.

Twitter,Google,Instagram,etc. Microsoftemploysanumberof differentpromotionalstrategies, includingadvertising,directmarketing, andsalespromotion.Itreachesits intendedaudiencethroughastrategic channel.Microsoft'svarietyof promotionsincludes-

ofanentirelydigitalworkforce.

Ÿ

Customerscaneasilyselect productsandservicesfrom Microsoft'sofficialwebsitebased ontheirneeds. Ÿ

Additionally,Microsofthas approveddealersanddistributors. Microsoft'sstrategicallysound locationmixmakesitsproducts readilyavailabletocustomers worldwide.Nowlet'stalkabout Microsoft'spromotionalstrategyto discoverhowitkeepsitspositionat thetop.

PromotionalMix

Withtheaidofitspowerfulbrand image,Microsoft'spromotionalstrategy preciselyaddressesitstargetmarket.It advertisesitsproductsonanumberof

Advertising

SalesPromotion

DirectMarketing

PersonalSelling

PublicRelations

EffectofCOVID19onTheglobal enterprise-

Evenbeforethepandemic,scientists havelongponderedtheimplicationsof aworldinwhichreportingforworkno longermeantreportingforwork.Ifwe hadtheabilitytodisconnectfrom actuallocationsthankstocontemporary technology,howmightour employment,offices,andworkdays change?Whatwouldbethegenuine advantages?Whatwouldtheobstacles be?COVID-19thenstruck.Everything changedandbecameunpredictable fromabusinessstandpoint,butfroma researcher'spointofview,itoffereda hugeopportunity.Thiswastheperfect opportunityforsocialscientiststo

EarlyinMarch,justadayaftertheorder wasissuedforallemployeesat Microsoft'sRedmond,Washington headquarterstostayathome,scientistsat thecompanystartedthinkingaboutthe researchpossibilities.Thechiefscientist forMicrosoft'sExperiencesandDevices, JaimeTeevan,anddirectorofapplied scienceBrentHechtmetonlinewitha dozenothercolleaguestodiscusswhat hadjustoccurred,whatwasaboutto occur,andwhatitallmaysignify.Hecht assertsthatoneofMicrosoft'sadvantages isthestaffmembers'intensecuriosity.

Ofcourse,thebalancebetweenbenefits andlosseswasfarfromclear-cut.A significantminusforsomewasabonus forothers.Workingfromhomeandbeing freeofofficeinterruptionshadbeena blessingforsomepositions,butithad beendifficultformanagersand employeesinmorecollaborativefieldsto recreatethecreativefrenzyof brainstormingsessions.Nearlyevery benefit hasaconcomitantdrawback. However,acloserlookatthedatasofar offershelpfulinsightsthatmightnotonly guideusthroughthedifficultiesweare currentlyfacingbutalsoinfluencehow wemightthinkaboutmakingthings betteroncewearepermittedtoreturnto ourworkplaces.

ConclusionofTheCaseStudy-

Insummary,Microsoftisthemarket leaderbecauseofitsdominantworldwide presenceandleadership.Their welcoming“perfectcoffeeshop atmosphere”shouldbealong-term competitiveadvantage.Thecompany's retailoutletsandon-sitecollaborations haveearnedhigherresponserates, puttingtheminfrontofthepackinthe maturebusiness.Asaresultofitsallencompassingmarketingapproach, Microsoft enjoysastrongglobalmarket

3. About Microso

Gates planned to rename the original Windows operating system to "Interface Manager" when it was still being developed. The moniker was initially used exclusively internally, with intentions to continue using it when the OS was eventually made available to the general public.

Microsoft is among the most well-known brand brands in business. However, company cofounder Paul Allen originally gave the business the moniker Microsoft, which was a mix of the phrases ``microcomputer" and "software."

One of the company's most well-known software offerings is Microsoft Ofce, which includes favorites like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Despite the obvious connection to Microsoft, some people would be surprised to learn that Microsoft Ofce rst appeared on the Mac before moving to Windows.

Over the years, Microsoft has used a number of distinctive logos, all of which are instantly identiable. However, the original Microsoft logo was created in less than a day by co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

While the typical Microsoft employee may come to mind as a serious coder, they prefer the seriously adorable moniker "Softie." The average softie is a male American resident who works for a company with more than 180,000 people worldwide.

4. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 51

12 Best Business Communica

Communication Trends for 2023

1.Videoconferencing

Whilevideoconferencinghasbeenaroundsincethe1980s, newtechnologieshavechangedhowteamsworktogether Video-enabledphones,tablets,andappsallowemployees andmanagementtoscreen-share,conductpresentations,and communicateinrealtime.

Web-basedvideoconferencingserviceshavealsomadeit easierforteamstomeetinvirtualrooms,whichhasgreatly improvedcollaborationefforts.Mostvideoconferencing solutionsalsocomebundledwithonlinecollaborationtools suchasdocumentsharing,textchat,andscreensharingin BusinessCommunicationTrends.

2.Cloud-basedapps

Bystoringcompanydatainthecloud,yourorganizationcan accessanything,anywhere.Cloud-basedservicesandapps arealsoaccessibleonmobiledevices—makingithighly convenientwhencollaboratingonprojectsand communicatingwithyourteam.Withreal-timeediting capabilitiesandotheradvancedsharingoptions,many BusinessCommunicationTrendsareoptingforcloud intranetsoftwareduetoitsflexibility.

3.ChatServices

Chatservicesareanimmediateanddirectwaytocollaborate withteammemberswithoutthecomplicatedemailthreads. Younotonlygettheinformationyouneedfasterbutcanalso usearangeofmediatypesincludingvideoandvideo conferencing.Withtherightintranetplatform,youcanalso integratechatintoyourdigitalworkplaceorinBusiness CommunicationTrends.(Forinstance,here’showAxero’s Slackintranetintegrationworks.Manymodernintranet solutionsalsocomewiththeirbuilt-inchatfeatures—like Axero—soyoucaneliminateonelessplatform.Intranetchat isreal-timewhileremainingunobtrusive.

4.InfographicsandImages

It’snosecret:contentwithinfographicsandimagesreceives higherengagementthanplaintext.Withthisrealization, BusinessCommunicationTrendsareequippedwithasuiteof WYSIWYGpublishingtoolstomakecontentengaging, beautiful,andstandouttoyouremployees.

Thesetoolsempoweryoutoincludeinfographics,bright images,andvisualsthatconveyyourmessageina compellingandengagingway Theyarealsoveryeffectivein

explainingaprocesstoemployees,andtherearemanytools andappsavailablethatcanhelpyoudesignandcreatethem foralowcost. Ÿ

BusinessCommunicationTrends

OnlineCollaborationTools

Cloud-BasedApps

PhonesWillContinueToBeTheMainBusiness CommunicationToolGoingInto2023.

Thevastmajorityofbusinessesarenowusingpersonalcell phonesastheirprimarytoolsforcommunicationwithboth co-workersandclients.EvenBusinessCommunication Trendsthatdon’tnecessarilyusephonesastheirprimary channelarestillgoingtocontinuetousecellphonesasan importanttool.

Althoughmostpeoplestillpreferin-personconversationsas opposedtophonecalls,there’snodenyingthatphone conversationsaregoingtocontinuetocompetewithinpersontalksastheprimarymodeofcommunicationbetween consumersandBusinessCommunicationTrendsintheyears ahead.

5.CompanySizeIsn’tAFactorWhenItComesToPhone UsagePercentage

Nomatterhowmanyemployeesworkatanyparticular BusinessCommunicationTrends,theoverallusageof phonesisrelativelythesameregardlessofacompany’ssize. Thisessentiallymeansthatphonesarestillprimarybusiness communicationtools,nomatterhowbigorsmallan organizationis.

6.

EmployeesAreIncreasinglyPreferringPhoneCalls ForInternal&ExternalCommunications

AnothergrowingBusinessCommunicationTrends,going into2023involvestheproclivityofprofessionalstoward phoneconversations.Thisisdirectlyrelatedtotheboomof remoteworkersinrecentyears,butnextyearwillprove oncemorethatpeopleareexcitedbytheideaofliving wherevertheywantandbeingabletoeasilycommunicate withco-workersandclientsviatheirpersonaldevices.

However,it’sstilllikelythatinternalgroupconversations willcontinuetobeonZoomorothervideo-conferencing softwareprograms.Thisisbecausemostemployersand businessleadersprefertobeinpersonwhenspeakingwith groups,butevenbusinessleadersarebeginningtoprefer

phonecallswhenspeakingwithindividualemployees.

7.Cloud-BasedPhoneSystemsWillContinueToClose TheGapWithTraditionalSystems

Althoughtraditionalbusinessphonesystemsstillholdthe majoritywhenitcomestowhatbusinessesareutilizingthese days,there’sagrowingnumberofcompaniesthataremaking theswitchtointermediacloudsolutions.

Asmorecompaniesmaketheswitchtoremoteworkingvia theCloud,themorelikelywe’llseeanadoptiongapbeclosed betweentheseinnovativecommunicationsolutionsandwhat businesseshaverelieduponfordecades.

8.OverallBusinessPhoneSystemUsageIsExpectedTo ExponentiallyIncrease

Mostcompaniesareexpectingtousetheirphonesevenmore in2023thantheydidin2022,aswellasoverthenextseveral yearsintothefuture.Prettymuchnooneexpectstobeusing theirphoneslessinthefuture,soitgoestoshowthatBusiness CommunicationTrendsareonlygoingtogetmoreexciting andtech-savvy!

9.MostBusinessesWillPreferMulti-DevicePhone SolutionsWithFlexibility

Oneofthebiggestthingsthatbusinessleadersandemployees wantfromtheirBusinessCommunicationTrendsphone systemisflexibility,whichdirectlycorrelatestomost businesseswantingtobeabletoutilizemultipledevicesper person.Oneofthefeaturesthataregoingtogrowalotin 2023isbeingabletoreceiveandsendSMSmessagesand businesscallsviaapersonalcomputer,becausethisismaking everydayworklifealotmoreconvenientformillionsof people.Andasbusinesscommunicationsolutionscontinueto becomemorestreamlined,morecompanieswillincorporate thesefeatures.

10.TheVastMajorityofBusinessesPlanOnIncreasing TheirSMSUsage

Whetherit’sforcommunicatingmarketingmessageswith customersorspeakingwithco-workers,SMStextmessages arenowthego-tooptionforalotofbusinesses.Most BusinessCommunicationTrendsstillutilizedifferent strategiesmoreoftenthantext,butthetrendtowardSMSis onlygoingtocontinuetogrowin2023.

SMShasalsobecomemorepopularamongstlargerbusinesses

whentheywanttosendoutcompany-widemessages,and thisisbecomingamoreeffectivecommunicationstrategy ascomparedtocompanye-mailsandnewsletters.

DataTalkIsHereToHelpBringYourCompanySuccess Into2023!

DataTalkhasbeenaroundsince1963,sowe’veseen countlessBusinessCommunicationTrendscomeandgo overthedecades.Butwe’vealsoneverseensuchrapid changesinourindustryaswehaveinrecentyears,andour expertsareheretohelpensurethatyourcompanyremains onthecuttingedge.

11.Accelerateddigitaltransformation

In2023,weseethecontinuationofinnovationsand developmentsintransformativetechnologiessuchas artificialintelligence(AI),theinternetofthings(IoT), virtualandaugmentedreality(VR/AR),cloudcomputing, blockchain,andsuper-fastnetworkprotocolslike5G. What’smore,thesetransformationaldigitaltechnologiesdo notexistinisolationfromeachother,andwewillseethe boundariesbetweenthemblurring.Newsolutionsfor augmentedworking,hybridandremoteworking,Business CommunicationTrendsdecision-making,andautomationof manual,routine,andcreativeworkloadscombinethese technologiesinwaysthatenablethemtoenhanceeach other

Thisbringsuscloserthanevertothepointwhereweare abletocreate“intelligententerprises”wheresystemsand processessupporteachothertocompletemenialand mundanetasksinthemostefficientwaypossible.

12.Immersivecustomerexperience

In2023,customerscraveexperienceaboveallelse.That doesn’tnecessarilymeanthatpricepointandqualitytakea backseat,though.Bothplayapart,tosomeextent,inthe wayweexperiencetheprocessofchoosing,purchasing, andenjoyingthegoodsandserviceswespendourmoney on.

Therolethattechnologyplayshere,traditionally,hasbeen tostreamlineprocessesandremovethehasslefromthelife oftheconsumer.Thinkrecommendationenginesthathelp uschoosewhattobuyoronlinecustomerserviceportals thatdealwithproblemsandafter-salessupport.Thesewill stillplayakeyrolein2023,butthegamehasevolved,with thisyear’skeywordsbeingimmersionandinteractivity