Ron Johnson is out at JC Penney. His seventeen month stint at the retail giant will go down in history as one of the great leadership fiascos of the decade. We can learn a lot from Ron Johnson’s tenure at JC Penney. Here are three of the key lessons. – It is easier to […]
In late March I spent several days over in Zurich leading a program for a global pharmaceutical company. I found Switzerland to be a surprising place. The first surprise was that the prices are remarkably high in Switzerland. I had perhaps the most expensive cup of coffee of my life at Starbucks across from the central train station in […]
I suppose this isn’t the moment to be thinking about Kevin Ware’s personal brand. After his spectacular and horrifying injury at yesterday’s NCAA game, the Louisville basketball player should focus on his recovery. I’ve had a little experience with orthopedic injuries myself and can only imagine the road ahead. Physical therapy, it turns out, is […]
On Monday I flew back to the U.S. from Germany. On the Lufthansa flight I watched a short video called “World’s Best Commercials, 2012.” It featured winners of the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards. Apparently 430 senior advertising executives cast 430,000 votes and selected the finest advertising spots in the world. My observation: heaven […]
Launching a new product isn’t easy. You have to come up with an idea, validate the concept, assemble a business model, develop a supply chain, create or break into a channel of distribution, begin production and get customers to notice you. The most important thing, however, is creating a positive trial experience. Trial is the […]
Struggling companies often do better when they focus on their core brand. There are good reasons to have many different brands. A broad portfolio lets you target different customers with unique brands. It also reduces risk; if one brand gets into trouble the other brands can help offset the declines. The problem is that managing a big brand […]
There is a terrific article in The Wall Street Journal today about J.C. Penney. It is worth reading. Here are four noteworthy quotes from the story. “We didn’t test at Apple.” Apparently this was CEO Ron Johnson’s response when asked if he would consider testing a radical pricing change at J.C. Penney before rolling […]
News outlets are reporting today that OfficeMax and Office Depot are apparently considering a merger. The move makes sense for many reasons. The combination will result in significant cost reductions. The new entity will have a stronger negotiating position with suppliers. And competition in the brutal office-products industry will decrease at least a bit. The […]
It is clear that advertisers know everyone is watching the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLVII featured ads that were broadly appealing, safe, and focused on delivering a brand message. The tradeoff, of course, is that it is hard to be distinctive and safe at the same time. This year we saw a lot of ads […]
There is a lot to see on Sunday’s Super Bowl: more than 50 commercials, each one costing well over $3 million and a big half time show featuring Beyonce. Oh yes, and there will be a football game. With all this advertising excitement it is easy to forget that part. Every commercial provides an interesting […]
Coca-Cola has a Super Bowl problem. The iconic brand’s Super Bowl campaign is coming under fire from people who claim it reflects negative stereotypes of Arabs. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, for example, is calling on Coke to change course. Coke has to be concerned; you never want your brand to be accused of discrimination. Back […]
The Super Bowl is always important for marketers; people scrutinize every spot. If all goes well, senior executives will shower the brand manager with praise, hand out a big bonus and offer up a promotion. If things go poorly, however, he will be criticized and, in some cases, fired. For two brands this year, however, the Super Bowl […]