Power Points

BlackBerryed, proud of it

Karen Dillon, deputy editor of the Harvard Business Review, confesses that she likes using her BlackBerry to check work e-mail from home or read about work when she is supposed to be decompressing on vacation. She even was in constant contact while on maternity leave. "It comforts me somehow. I know what's happening," she says. "Work is stimulating."

Harvard Business School Hot List

Thinking too much

Marketing consultant Drew McLellan says many companies suffer from "overthinkitis." "By the time they have vetted, committeed and white-papered an idea ... it's not new any more. In fact, someone launched it six months ago."

The Marketing Minute

What women want

Toronto model agent Ben Barry's global survey of female consumers finds that they respond more favourably to a brand if the models it uses correspond to them in age, physical size and background. That contradicts the fashion industry's obsession with young, thin models. And it's not sufficient to just pick one of those attributes: Consumers want to see themselves represented on all three factors.

The Guardian Weekly

M&As and IT

In mergers and acquisitions, IT departments come under scrutiny. Remember that you are joining not just two tech systems but two groups of people. You need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your staff, and be able to communicate it to the other party.

CIO magazine

Brand extensions

Research has found the most popular brand extension with consumers is one that completes a set, such as a digital photo printer offered as a brand extension to a digital camera, completing a set of tools for photographers.

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Harvey's handy tech tip

Switching the Windows Sidebar off in Microsoft Vista can give your machine a significant speed boost, especially at startup, without losing anything important. To remove the Sidebar, right click anywhere on it and select Close Sidebar. Uncheck Start Sidebar when Windows starts and then click OK.

PC World