Risk Ventures

So, Tiger Woods as been the centerpiece of Accenture’s advertising since 2003, but, as someone relatively new to the game of golf, and with relatively new relationships with colleagues from Accenture, here’s a overview:  

“Our print advertising features Tiger Woods in golfing situations that illustrate the tenets of our high-performance business approach. High performers prepare for the unpredictability of competition. They focus on their most crucial tasks. And when faced with adversity, high performers find ways to innovate and prevail.” 

See the following print ads for visuals: 

Focus 110% 

Attitude 50%; Aptitude 50% 

Insight 30%; Foresight 70%; Hindsight 0%

Outperforms Competitors: 49%; Outperforms Self: 51%

Stick-to-itiveness: Stick-to-itiveness 90%; Intuitiveness: 10%

Flexible 70%; Unbending 30%

Relentless Consistency 50%; Willingness to Change 50%

Classical 75%; Jazz 25%

Another clever ad from Zurich Insurance: “What if the rules of the game suddenly aren’t so clear?”  The print ad shows a picture of 2 golf balls stacked on top of each other, just outside the putting green, perhaps the 18th hole.  For a full feature of Zurich’s ad campaign, “Because Changze Happenz”.

On May 14, Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) announced it would release a second wave of its media campaign in Europe and the U.S. The new series of print advertisements and TV commercials can be viewed on Zurich’s website.

According to Aon’s Aril 25 Risk Management Survey, “reputational risk” (i.e., damange to reputation) comes on top. “More than half of the survey’s respondents said they weren’t prepared for the risk they rated as most worrisome.” 

Among the top ten risk concerns rated by survey respondents:  Ranking Risk/description: 

1 - Damage to reputation 2 - Business interruption 3 - Third party liability 4 - Distribution or supply chain failure 5 - Market environment 6 - Regulatory/legislative changes 7 - Failure to attract or retain staff 8 - Market risk (financial) 9 - Physical damage 10 - Merger/acquisition/restructing 11 - Failure of disaster recovery plan.

Another interesting finding: “The survey also indicates that corporate boards recognize the criticality of risk management and are engaged in the review of risk issues. Respondents reported identifying and understanding their risks is a top priority and many planned to take a more enterprise-wide approach to risk within the next two years.”

A note on methodology: “Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey 2007 was conducted in late 2006 and early 2007 by Aon Global Risk Consulting, and is based on responses from 320 organizations in 29 countries. The web-based survey, aimed at risk managers, CFOs, treasurers.

According to the April 25, 2007 Chubb International Risk Survey, C-Suite Executives and Risk Managers don’t see eye-to-eye on top threats to multinational business.

The survey’s findings illustrate the importance of an emerging trend toward closer collaboration between an organization’s risk manager and its most senior executives. Could this trend illustrate the growing importance, and rise of, the Chief Risk Officer (CRO)?

For example, “More C-level executives (43%) noted that international risks pose a greater threat to their companies than domestic risks, compared to only 16 percent of risk manager respondents. There are also differences in the types of risks that C-level executives and risk managers are most concerned about when it comes to the companies’ multinational exposures. Twenty-four percent of risk managers cited natural catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes as the top threat posed by a company’s overseas business operations or the business it conducts abroad, and 24 percent of C-level executives found terrorism to be the top threat.”

“The findings illustrate the importance of an emerging trend toward closer collaboration between an organization’s risk manager and its most senior executives. To effectively allocate resources, organizations need a clear, agreed-upon big picture of global risk-one that’s built on many perspectives.”

Marsh has unveiled a clever “Upside” Risk Campaign, with a dedicated “Find the Upside” website:

Here’s one example of many: “Navigating China: What’s Your Upside”: 

“More than 90 percent of multinational companies say that China is important to their global strategies. With its astounding economic growth, its large and well-educated workforce, and its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, China is an undeniably attractive opportunity. But doing business in China presents unique risks. Supply chain interruptions. Intellectual property concerns. Talent shortages. Conducting due diligence on Chinese partnerships, mergers and acquisitions is paramount.  Marsh has been managing risks for clients in China for 25 years. We were recently awarded a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise insurance broking license, the first ever in China. To help you open doors even wider.”

“The campaign, created by the New York office of Ogilvy, seeks to disrupt the traditional view of risk as a liability to be avoided by asking the reader to also consider finding opportunities in risk. The central element of the campaign is the print component, which focuses on specific areas like climate change regulations, supply chain disruptions and expansion into China, then outlines the risk-reward paradigm. Immediately intriguing, the ads question the “risk is negative” belief and literally turn the concept of risk on its head.”