Zombies in the movies are, we must admit, terrifying, but mostly for their apparent lack of personal hygiene. You do not want to sit next to one on the bus. They’re also famous for staggering clumsily out of the graveyard toward the screaming ingenue and her pretty-much-doomed boyfriend. It is quite apparent that these stiffs are stiff: they have not been doing yoga while buried.

So, as long as you don’t panic, escape seems relatively simple. Walk briskly.

It doesn’t even rise to the stress level of “I don’t have to out-run the bear. I just have to out-run you.” A steady 4 mph should leave the undead in the dust.

Likewise with your business competitors. Many brand stakeholders regard their competitors with exaggerated respect, and this can lead to bad decisions that leave you frozen in place. We’ve often said you don’t need to outspend people you can outsmart. In times of great change, if you can adapt your strategies and tactics to the changes in consumer decision making, your brand will be walking briskly away, taking market share from the zombies.

What do you think?