DURHAM, NC - While most companies commit to succession planning, few follow through with the rigorous implementation necessary to build excellent leaders, according to a new report from business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information. For example, 45% of the largest companies’ boards have no meaningful CEO succession planning process.

“Succession Planning for Results” (FL52), available at http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/Reports/FL52_Succession_Planning.htm features practices and more than 70 metrics from top succession planning companies including General Electric, Boeing, AT&T, Pfizer and Bank of America. It shows how top companies marry sound planning with execution to forge their companies into leadership academies.

“If your company is among the more than 67% without a formal succession plan, our report is critical to your ongoing success,” says Cutting Edge Information CEO Jason Richardson. “If you have an existing plan, learning from the companies profiled in this report can make the difference between a well-designed but unimplementable plan and one that develops real leadership in your organization, department or workgroup.”

“Succession Planning for Results” showcases the following metrics and practices:

* Performance gaps between companies with strong and weak leadership development

* Detailed views of succession planning processes at top companies and government organizations

* Goals and performance of succession planning diversity programs

* Top reasons for implementing performance-based development programs

* Measurements used to track succession planning effectiveness

For example, several companies profiled in the report have proven their systems’ effectiveness by executing the plans through good and bad times. These companies have multiple stage plans that are rolled out on time across the company. The report also shows how other companies fail by focusing too much on short-term needs..

To view the online summary of this 76-page report and our Five Principles for Succession Planning, visit http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/Reports/FL52_Succession_Planning.htm. For more information on this report or to learn about other research being conducted by Cutting Edge Information, contact Adam Bianchi at adam_bianchi@cuttingedgeinfo.com or 919-403-6583.

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Brand Management Means More Than Marketing

DURHAM, NC – Companies that tie brand development to top-level corporate goals deliver greater shareholder value and build stronger brands. According to a new report from business intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information, brand management at leading companies looks beyond marketing to include functions such as product development, customer management and human resources administration.

None of the world’s top 10 brands is worth less than $20 billion, according to some estimates. The report reveals how companies such as Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines, Ford, IBM, Nokia, Wal-Mart and McDonald’s treat their brands as major corporate assets with influence beyond marketing-only concerns.

“Maximizing Your Brand Value,” available at http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/Reports/FL51_BrandMgmt.htm, features innovative practices from 45 companies across 14 industries. The recently released report contains more than 50 metrics that show how companies marry strong branding strategy with outstanding execution.

“Companies from every sector embrace the simple concept that their reputations for service and quality – a good approximation of brand – are critical for attracting and keeping customers,” said Cutting Edge Information CEO Jason Richardson. “Managing service and quality, as shown in this report, becomes the focus of all functions across the entire organization.”

One financial services company, for example, built its reputation for first-rate service to gain attention from suitors interested in a merger. A beverage manufacturer linked itself to civic branding efforts to improve both city and company brand value.

“Maximizing Your Brand Value” profiles brand management strategies in place at many of the world’s best known companies. This report will help you:

* Design a sound brand management plan

* Execute your brand management plan with discipline

* Incorporate brand management into all aspects of your business

* Build brand management into your corporate culture

* Use proven techniques to align your brand management with your strategy

To view the online summary of this report and our Five Principles for Brand Management Success, visit http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/Reports/FL51_BrandMgmt.htm. For more information on this report or to learn about other research being conducted by Cutting Edge Information, contact Eric Bolesh at eric_bolesh@cuttingedgeinfo.com or 919-433-0219.

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