STRONGBRANDS    Professor Tim Calkins, Kellogg School of Management

The main reason to study marketing efforts is to learn. If we can understand what is happening, we can identify things that seem to work and capitalize on those. We can also see mistakes and try to avoid making the same ones again. All of this brings us to two brands in the news: Bud […]

I write about different companies in my blog and newsletter, and it is always interesting to watch how things develop. This week is a good time to check in on Tyson. Tyson’s Big Move In early October, Tyson announced that it was closing its Chicago office and consolidating operations in Springdale, Arkansas. This was a […]

If you spend time on Tik Tok, you’ve probably heard the new song Cupid from K-Pop group Fifty Fifty. The new group is rocketing, climbing the charts and becoming a global brand in a stunningly short amount of time. With success comes challenges, so here is some branding advice for the group. The Fifty Fifty […]

Two brands are getting a lot of attention this week: Bud Light and HBO Max. Here is my take on what’s happening. Bud Light You’ve probably read about the Bud Light situation. The brand sent custom cans to Dylan Mulvaney an outspoken trans influencer. This resulted in backlash from Kid Rock, Travis Tritt and others. […]

There were big legal stories last week featuring two celebrities: Donald Trump and Gwyneth Paltrow. Both stories are a curious mix of legal issues and branding. Today I am going to focus on the Paltrow trial and highlight why it was such a branding triumph. Gwyneth Paltrow walks away from the case the victor with a […]

This week Google released a new A.I. chat bot called Bard. The move is part of an epic competitive battle between technology giants. There seems to be a general consensus that A.I. will be a major part of life going forward, and the big players are fighting for leadership in the space. My friend and […]

Last week in my Marketing Strategy course we discussed new business strategy. There are different strategies for entering an established category. Perhaps the most difficult one is the attack the core. This approach rarely works but that doesn’t stop people from giving it a try, as Goldman Sachs reminded us last week. Attack the Core An attack […]

Happy New Year! Each year I pick a few brands to watch. These are brands that I think are heading into a particularly interesting year. Some have opportunities to break out, and some are likely to struggle. Here is my 2023 list. In a somewhat risky move, I’ll also include my stock market forecast at […]

There are just a few days left in 2022 so it is time to look back at my 2022 brands to watch. Each year I identify a few brands that are worth following as they head into particularly interesting situations. I’ll publish my 2023 list next week. Here is review of my 2022 picks, with some […]

Last week I taught Marketing Strategy in the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA program in Koblenz. It was great fun; the students were bright, diverse, and engaged. One evening, after a day of teaching, I was wandering through the charming city of Koblenz and came across a protest march. There were banners, drums, horns and all the […]

Twitter is in complete disarray. Elon Musk, since purchasing the company for $44 billion, has made a series of moves ranging from strange to bizarre. Will all this work out for Twitter and Elon? Perhaps. Twitter had been a somewhat stagnant brand for many years. Today, it is anything but. The company is making big […]

The midterm elections are behind us, and the expected red wave fizzled out as voters punished the Republicans for limiting a woman’s right to choose. Conservatives hoping to get elected in many parts of the country need to figure out how to communicate a reasonable approach on that issue. The focus now shifts to the […]