Thinking different

In 1997—before the iPhone, iPad, iPod, MacBook or Apple Watch—the company then known as Apple Computer Inc. unveiled a new advertising slogan: “Think different.” Founder Steve Jobs had recently returned to Apple after an 11-year absence following his forced resignation from the company, which was struggling to regain its prestige. The tag line signaled that Apple had recovered its creative mojo. Many observers interpreted it as a salvo against IBM's slogan, “Think.”

In this issue, we shine the spotlight on two families who are thinking different. Internationally recognized golfer Greg Norman could have sat at home and waited for his agent to call with celebrity endorsement offers. Instead, Norman thought outside the Wheaties box. His Great White Shark Enterprises, where his son, daughter and son-in-law now work alongside him, has blossomed into a global holding company with interests in a variety of industries. As reporter Dave Donelson notes in his profile of Great White Shark, Norman receives equity stakes in companies whose products he endorses rather than just accepting a check in return for the use of his name. The golfer has a long-term vision for his family enterprise—he is talking about a 200-year plan—and is taking steps to build a company that won't fizzle out after his name recognition has faded.

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About the Author(s)

Barbara Spector

Barbara Spector is Family Business Magazine's editor-at-large.


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