Branding Advice for Fifty Fifty
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 […]
Brands in the News: Bud Light and Max
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. […]
A Ski Crash and Some Savvy Branding
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 […]
Managing Expectations and Google’s Bard
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 […]
A Good Reminder from Goldman Sachs
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 […]
2023 Super Bowl Advertising
The cost of a Super Bowl spot keeps increasing—with prices this year in the neighborhood of $7million for 30-seconds! With ever-increasing stakes, Super Bowl advertisers are investing more time and attention on the ads. The 2023 Super Bowl featured upbeat, safe advertising. The number of celebrities seemed to hit a new high, with many advertisers […]
Are Super Bowl Ads Worth the Price?
The Kellogg Super Bowl Ad Review is just a few days away. Once again, a panel of Kellogg MBA students will evaluate all the spots to determine which ones worked and which ones didn’t. I do a host of talks and interviews before and after the Super Bowl. The question I get most often: Is […]
A Debatable Move from M&Ms
It is Super Bowl ad season, a time when marketers work to create excitement and interest heading into the big game. One of the brands that has received a lot of attention this year is M&Ms. The brand is apparently in the middle of an elaborate stunt designed to create interest and excitement. It is […]
It Is Time to Drop the Zoom Events
The Super Bowl is coming up, and the Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review along with it. For me, it is a particularly busy and fun time of year. There are campaigns to study and brands to analyze. I speak at a lot of seminars and programs before and after the Super Bowl, discussing advertising trends, the […]
2023 Brands to Watch
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 […]
Looking Back at my 2022 Brands to Watch
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 […]
Learning from a German Protest March
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 […]