Fortune
Asia Grows as a Leader in Culture and Innovation
In Fortune, BCG’s Asia-Pacific chair, Neeraj Aggarwal, reflects on Asia’s evolution as a global exporter of culture, technology, and leadership. “Never in the history of humankind have we had so many revolutions happening together,” he notes, adding that this upheaval energizes leaders as change creates not just stress but also opportunity.
Business Day
Global E-Commerce Giants Transform South Africa’s Retail Landscape
In Business Day, BCG’s Thomas Kingombe Kock and Vishakha Chopra highlight the rapidly evolving e-commerce sector in South Africa, which has grown over 30% annually since 2019. They emphasize the need for local e-commerce players to focus on providing fast, reliable delivery and a great customer experience to stay competitive. Chopra notes, “The ability to deliver efficiently to remote areas, where 75% of consumers live outside formal address systems, is crucial.”
Fortune
The Future 50: The Companies Most Likely to Adapt, Thrive, and Grow
Writing in Fortune, BCG’s Ketil Gjerstad and Johann Harnoss highlight the 2024 Future 50, BCG and Fortune’s latest annual ranking of companies with the greatest potential for sustainable growth. “The global economy in 2024 is a tale of two forces: optimism sparked by falling interest rates and the uncertainty caused by geopolitical unrest,” they write. The Future 50 companies are best positioned to withstand such global volatility. Tech firms dominate this year’s ranking, with software providers accounting for over half of the Future 50.
The Globe and Mail
A Call for an Artificial Intelligence Alliance Among Friendly Nations
In an opinion piece for The Globe and Mail, BCG’s Tawfik Hammoud and Terence Smith call for a global AI alliance to responsibly advance AI development. They stress that such an alliance would promote collaboration on funding, resource allocation, and regulation. Highlighting AI’s potential to generate $19.9 trillion globally by 2030, Hammoud and Smith urge Canada to act swiftly to align with allies and shape the AI landscape. “The stakes are too high for isolation,” they write.
Business Mirror
Filipinos’ Rising Concerns About Health Care Accessibility
In Business Mirror, BCG’s Julian Cua and Lance Katigbak highlight Filipinos’—particularly Gen Z’s—growing concerns over health care costs and access. According to a new BCG survey of nearly 1,500 Filipinos, 58% rank financial security for health emergencies as a top priority. The report, entitled “The Filipino Dream,” underscores the population’s resilience despite obstacles such as the rising cost-of-living and distrust of public institutions. Cua notes, “The Filipino Dream is not just an individual goal; it’s a collective vision for progress.”
Fortune
Personalization Done Right
In Fortune and Harvard Business Review, BCG’s Mark Abraham and David C. Edelman discuss how AI-empowered personalization enhances customer experiences and could drive almost $2 trillion in incremental growth over the next decade. Based on their bestselling book, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, they explain how to measure a company’s ability to deliver personalization at scale. “Across industries, we find that personalization leaders consistently grow top-line revenues 10 points faster per year than laggards,” they write.
Forbes
Why Your Operating Model Matters More Than Your Strategy and Structure
In her column for Forbes, BCG’s Julia Dhar highlights the importance of an organization’s operating model to achieving its goals. She calls on leaders to clarify decision rights, align incentives with strategy, and regularly reassess their models. A dynamic operating model bridges strategy and execution, enabling organizations to adapt and excel. “An operating model is a living thing; it evolves with the needs of the organization and the requirements of its strategy,” she writes.
CNBC
Optimism Around Emerging Climate Tech
In an interview with CNBC at COP29, BCG’s Global Chair, Rich Lesser, discusses US leadership in the development of emerging technologies to mitigate climate change. “The US plays a really critical role as an engine for the global economy, a driver of new technology, a source of finance,” he states. In particular, Lesser highlights the potential of carbon capture technology and nuclear energy.
Fortune
How Your Business Can Make the Most of Abundant Computing Power in the Age of AI
In Fortune, BCG’s Riccarda Joas and David Zuluaga Martínez write about the vast potential for innovation when unconstrained computing power is combined with AI. They encourage business leaders to embrace change as exponential rather than incremental: “If imagination is the ability to create a mental model of something that doesn’t exist yet, then nothing will be more important than imagination itself to success in an economy increasingly driven by the reality-expanding power of computing and AI.”
Forbes
Productive Disagreement: Getting Beyond “Agree to Disagree”
In her column for Forbes, BCG’s Julia Dhar highlights strategies to foster productive workplace disagreement. By encouraging a sense of understanding and common ground, teams can turn conflicts into constructive, outcome-focused discussions. Dhar explains that “curiosity conversations” open perspectives. She writes, “The real trick is that you must really be curious—and open-minded—about what you might hear in return, not merely waiting for your turn to persuade them of your worldview.”
Forbes
How a Shorter 2024 Holiday Season Impacts Retailers
In Forbes, BCG’s Mrin Nayak highlights the complex challenges facing retailers this holiday season, including the US election and five fewer prime shopping days compared to last year. Nayak emphasizes that “timing matters, though—direct, social media, and emerging marketplace channels see the most strength early in the holiday shopping season.” Retailers must focus on speed and agility to meet rising demand for fast fulfillment and competitive prices as consumers navigate a shortened and uncertain holiday shopping period.
CFO Dive
Maximizing the Value of AI
In CFO Dive, BCG’s Amanda Luther and Vladimir Lukic highlight that only 4% of companies fully capture the value of AI, with their biggest gains coming from business process upgrades. “When companies undertake digital or AI transformations, they need to focus two-thirds of their effort and resources on people-related capabilities, and the other third or so split between technology and algorithms,” says Luther. AI leaders anticipate 60% higher AI-driven revenue growth and 50% more cost reductions by 2027 compared to companies that are less focused on the technology.
Forbes
Generative AI: What Happens in HR Won’t Stay in HR
In her column for Forbes, BCG’s Julia Dhar highlights how generative AI could reshape pathways to the C-suite, particularly for human resources leaders. Dhar notes that HR teams are “leading the charge to integrate AI into corporate decision-making and operations,” with 70% to 80% of early AI adopters coming from HR. As these teams take the lead in AI integration, their roles may expand, creating more opportunities for leadership positions within organizations.
The Wall Street Journal
AI’s Role in Transforming Workflows
In The Wall Street Journal, BCG’s Sylvain Duranton highlights how many companies are embracing AI beyond chatbots by using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to connect internal data with large language models, transforming operations and workflows. “It’s massive. Most of what we do is RAG-based,” says Duranton. “Because AI requires constant access to all of the company’s data, it must be interconnected to the entire architecture. It’s a way to protect yourself.”
Mint
Driving Premiumization Through Innovation in India
In Mint, BCG’s Jean-Manuel Izaret and Nimisha Jain stress that businesses must align pricing with value, particularly in price-sensitive markets like India. With premiumization growing in sectors like skincare and automobiles, innovation and clear communication are crucial for justifying price increases and meeting consumers’ needs. As Jain says, “Brands need to deliver superior value—whether through innovation, better features, or enhanced performance—and India’s diverse market requires tailored strategies."