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Unilever CEO Patrick Cescau describes how finding the 'sweet spot' between the needs of consumers, society and our planet is a complex task, but shows that it can be a significant source of competitive advantage for those who do it well. Cescau provides specific examples of how Unilever's presence in the emerging economies of Asia and Africa is contributing to the global development agenda, describing in detail the new business models his firm has created for products that meet social needs.

To maximize happiness, consumers must accurately predict the emotional consequences of their options and make product and service choices based on those predictions. The authors describe concepts including 'hedonic editing' and the role of multiple choice, and discuss eight common consumption biases that can decrease consumer happiness. In the end they show that 'hedonomics' challenges two commonly-held assumptions in economics: that maximizing a desired external stimuli equals maximizing consumer happiness; and that what consumers choose reflects what makes them happy.

If a brand is the relationship between a business and its customers, the retail space is its most visceral conversation. Considering a shopper's context is the key to understanding their motivations and making green products and services more relevant to them. By better understanding what shoppers desire from green offerings and what matters in the context of their shopping experience - i.e. time and convenience - products and services can connect with people in a more relevant way. The authors, from leading design firm IDEO, describe four strategies for engaging shoppers with products that encourage a sustainable lifestyle for all.

Cities have an unprecedented opportunity to change the way they supply and use energy. New eco-cities such as Dongtan in China are leading the way, even as existing cities turn to technologies rooted in the past - from adobe architecture to passive solar heating. When complemented by conservation, more-efficient technologies, and new decentralized, small-scale energy services, these efforts can help cities confidently navigate the challenges ahead while reducing the impact of climate change. The authors show that, done right, energy transformation in cities can be the doorway to security and vitality in urban life.

The time has come to develop new mental models that reflect the complex inter-linkages between modern consumers and business. The lines between consumer and industrial marketing are blurring in five important ways, including the blurring of B2B and B2C marketing and the blurring of value chains. The author describes each, along with the implications they contain for bridging disciplinary silos and rethinking our approach to the roles of market research, customer experiences, metrics and dashboards.

Canada's Outstanding CEO of the Year for 2007, Gord Nixon of RBC Financial Group, talks to Roger Martin about some of his biggest challenges and opportunities as chief executive of Canada's largest bank. The interview touches on the effects of global financial turmoil on the bank and the opportunities such turmoil presents; his predictions for global banking in the near term; and why Newsweek named RBC the top large company in the world at effectively managing environmental risks.

It's high time to shift our focus from the "avails" in media content to those in consumers' lives - that is, where, when, and how people might be receptive to relevant commercial messages.

Supervisors often turn a blind eye when employees use company resources and time to work on personal projects. They realize that stamping out such behavior may do more harm than good.

By engaging employees in the systematic, facilitated collection and circulation of organizational knowledge, you can make sure innovations reach those who need them. Intel Solution Services offers a case in point.

The president and CEO of Estee Lauder Companies learned the importance of time management back when he worked under U.S. treasury secretary Donald Regan. The lesson sounds simple, but it has shaped his approach to strategy and his philosophy on motivating people.

Most of the green buildings constructed over the past decade in the United States have been white-collar workplaces such as office buildings and schools. The greening of blue-collar workplaces, from warehouses to factories, has lagged far behind - but that's beginning to change.

After a merger, managers should strengthen sales and marketing before cutting costs. That's because revenue growth generates long-term shareholder value.

Though many multinationals see little business potential in serving the poorest people in developing countries, two innovative mobile phone companies are making profits and improving local economic conditions by doing exactly that.

The CEO of SpinVox, a start-up that provides voice-to-text service, says her relationships with her mentors have been the key to her entrepreneurial success.

A new study shows that downsizing often prompts demoralized survivors to quit, which hinders efficiency and costs companies money. To add insult to irony, career-development programs are associated with even higher turnover after the ax falls. The researchers say that certain types of HR practices may help.

Research by IBM's Visual Communication Lab shows that the sophisticated graphing of data generates impassioned conversations and collaboration. Executives seeking to engage employees in solving company problems should take note.

The number of international tourist visits will more than double in the next dozen years. As demand for access to hot spots outpaces capacity, some companies will profit by creating destinations. And all businesses will need to adopt strategies for claiming - or avoiding - prime turf.

Managers are less receptive to bad news and contrary viewpoints than they think they are, and they often send subtle signals that discourage frank input. The solution: 360-degree surveys of peers and subordinates that generate feedback specific to individual managers.

Change initiatives thrive in companies where the agents of reform are promoted and thereby retained, according to research from a change-leadership consultancy. Investors also notice and reward these businesses.

Coca-Cola developed a distribution model for emerging markets by learning how its Peruvian bottler succeeded in the mom-and-pop channel. The tenets: Turn wholesalers into distributors, use IT to link and control distributors, and employ simple technology. PepsiCo has taken a page from the same playbook; other multinationals can, too.