Comments

Best international jerkweed: Kofi Annan
Best media spin meister of falsehoods: Dan Rather
Best corporate felon to be: Franklin Raines
Best customer service: Nordstrom - new $5 only shipping
Best customer care: Starbucks
Best software in mass: Microsoft
Best Amazon-like online store: Amazon
Best Emerald City: Seattle

Posted by Sean at March 1, 2005 5:59 PM

I heard Kevin Roberts on BBC Radio, two nights ago.... I was very impressed by his ideas and his enthusisam. I can see why you include him as one of your "cool friends". That great combination of passion and lucidity that you also possess in spades.

Though I don't agree with everything he says (I find the 'Lovemark' idea a tad too rooted in the 'object' metaphor, as opposed to the 'place' or 'event' metaphor, for my tastes), I see him as a man determined to dedicate his life to fighting the good fight, against the right foe, and for the right reasons. Rock on.

Posted by hugh macleod at March 1, 2005 8:17 PM

Best leader in sport - Sir Alex Ferguson - Manager of my beloved Manchester United Football club!

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 2, 2005 6:04 AM

Hey John, but Chris was soooooo censored, good as he was.

Posted by tom peters at March 2, 2005 7:50 AM

Tom . . . what did you think of the Federated buyout of May. Another combination of two bigs. Does this one make any sense?

Posted by Dale Peterson at March 2, 2005 9:46 AM

Best at dominating an international sport: Ferrari's Formula 1 team
In a high-tech sport with massive budgets these guys have kicked everyones butts for years. Amazing!

Posted by Andrew Hayden at March 2, 2005 11:49 AM

Best Oscar Host: Chris Rock was much better than David Letterman - USA Today had a critical review of Chris though and the fact he didn't deliver the ratings. Best = Johnny Carson perhaps.

Posted by John at March 2, 2005 12:36 PM

Regarding Martha Stewart; Who do you know, in their right mind would not want to know when their money was going down the drain? and; knowing it was about to be flushed, would not try to stop the loss? What would you have done, quietly (and ethically) taken the loss? Please-e-e-e!

Posted by Edward Post at March 2, 2005 3:27 PM

Edward I agree - big government running wild somehow snagged Martha - like Tom, I worked in D.C. so I know how the federal government loves to prove itself right even when wrong about her "guilt".

Posted by Brad at March 2, 2005 6:38 PM

BEST COMEBACK: Martha is the FABULOUS NEW USA COMEBACK STORY - and I predict she'll win on appeal.

To me the real story was her SPONGEBOB FREELOADING "FRIEND" WHO ratted her out - a Scorcese film in and of itself.

Posted by Ashton at March 2, 2005 8:07 PM

OH AND BEST SEINFELDIAN MAKING A $100M career out of nothing: Dr. Tom Peters - soon to be knighted with Bill Gates.

Posted by Ashton at March 2, 2005 8:09 PM

Oh dear, Ashton. I'm sorry about the "nothing"--and I do dearly wish it were even close to $100M.

Posted by tom peters at March 3, 2005 2:41 AM

$50M then - the empire of the Sun real estate awaits us in the promised land of China.

Posted by Ashton at March 3, 2005 8:55 AM

Best airline customer treatment: Singapore Air
Best airport: Amsterdam Schiphol, Portland (Ore.) International
Best CEO we haven't seen for a while: Peter Ueberroth
Best at letting his work do all the talking: Jack Nicklaus
Best PR job in crisis: Tylenol in 1982
Worst: Far too many to mention. No one seems to learn.
Best product catalog no longer around: Banana Republic (when it was travel and adventure clothing)

Posted by Mason at March 3, 2005 1:12 PM

Best, marketing to women: Actually, I'd pick Oprah's magazine. As a guy, I can't stand what's in her mag, and why does she have to be on every cover??? So she must be doing something right, seeing how much $$$ she's worth - is it $1B yet? - undoubtedly all in female dollars.

And let's not forget best airline, performance and customer focus: Southwest. Gotta love their sense of humor.

And Ashton, please don't insult Tom Peters by linking him positively with Bill Gates. Please.

Posted by Ron at March 3, 2005 2:14 PM

BEST RUNNING SHOE: NIKE SHOX TL2 $150

BEST SPORTS CLOTHES BARGAIN: WAL*MART, Starter Brand

BEST USA SKIING: TAOS, NEW MEXICO

BEST 62 YEAR OLD REBIRTH: DR. THOMAS

BEST NEW MOTTO: LESS IS MORE

BEST NORDSTROM SUIT: HICKEY FREEMAN

BEST BALLOON FIESTA: ALBUQUERQUE

Posted by Jack at March 3, 2005 9:13 PM

Ah, Mason, I used to shop the first B Republic in Mill Valley CA. And, oh, those early catalogues!

Posted by tom peters at March 4, 2005 7:26 AM

Tom - Best record store: Village Music, one block from the first B Republic in Mill Valley CA.

Posted by Ron at March 4, 2005 11:03 AM

I am very intrigued by your "Best" list and want to know which companies fit this category: Best at creating an environment where all employees feel free to ask good questions about philosophy, policy, practice and performance.

I've been doing research for a book calling for major educational reformation that would place a priority on children/students/employees and military (like Specialist Wilson and "hillbilly armor") asking good questions and being able to search for answers.

Unfortunately, schools do not, in general, foster inquisitiveness amongst all students K-12 for a wide variety of reasons. I tend to think the same is true for some in the world of business and government (Witness the 9/11 Commission's conclusion: "We lacked imagination" and their solution--to institutionalize, routinize imagination (the asking of "What if?" kinds of questions)

I have been an educator for many years and not a business person but my research has taken me to Jack Welch, Lou Gerstner, Steve Miller (Shell) and the US Army's practice of AARs: After Action Reviews.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on CEOs who really place a premium on educating their work force to become very inquisitive about the nature of their work, productivity, how to solve problems and promote the business. I imagine that Apple would be high on the list.

Thanks,

John Barell

Posted by John Barell at March 4, 2005 12:59 PM pfizer viagra india

Best CEO, Retail...A tie... Allen Questrom, late of JCPenney, and Michael Gould of Bloomingdales.
Best, Retail Concept and Store...Build-A-Bear.
Best Most Comfortable Shoes...Mephisto.
Tied for worst with Martha...Steve Madden.

Posted by lem at March 5, 2005 4:00 PM

Re: Martha Stewart. Her crime (that which she was prosecuted and convicted of) wasn't insider trading but lying. She and her broker conconcted a cover story about a stop-loss order that didn't exist. She falsified a document, lied to investigators, and obstructed justice, not only in her own case but in the broader case. The government didn't charge her with insider trading. That turned out to be a brilliant move: the defense was not allowed to argue that no insider trading had taken place, as the government didn't contend that it had. Her moral crime was hubris, pure and simple.

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