Presenting and Teaching

Learning from a Free Walking Tour in Milan

17 Sep 2024  

I’m teaching in Europe this month; I was in Copenhagen last week and will be in Italy for the next few days. I had some open time in Milan, so I signed up for a free walking tour. I always love these because they attract an interesting group of people, and the guides have a […]

Brands in the News

The Future of the GE Brand

19 Aug 2024  

Anyone interested in branding should pay attention to GE. What will happen to the GE brand over the next decade? My prediction: it will start to fade away. A Glorious Past GE is perhaps the most famous corporate brand. Under CEO Jack Welch, GE was the envy of the business world and regarded as the […]

Brands in the News

A Troubling Trend in Not-For-Profit Branding

22 Jul 2024  

There seems to be a trend developing in the world of not-for-profits: rebranding. Many organizations are moving from descriptive brands to broad, general brands. In most cases, this is well-intentioned but a bad move. The Trend In recent years, a series of not-for-profits have rebranded to general, inspirational names. Here are a few examples: -The […]

Politics

Three Branding Observations on the Debate

1 Jul 2024  

It is the week after the debate. People are still digesting exactly what happened and the implications. Here are three observations on the campaign. Biden Shouldn’t Run For Joe Biden, the debate was a branding disaster. Heading into the event, his brand was tarnished by perceptions of age and cognitive decline. The debate reinforced these perceptions; […]

Career Advice

Career Advice for Graduates

9 Jun 2024  

It is Commencement Day at Kellogg. This afternoon, hundreds of students will gather in Evanston to receive their degrees. I’ll be there for the procession and ceremony. For the faculty, attendance is optional, but I love the energy and seeing my students on such a notable day. If you follow this blog, you know I […]

Brands in the News

Presenting Tip: Don’t Use PowerPoint Notes

20 May 2024  

I teach marketing strategy, branding, and biomedical marketing at Kellogg. One of my core beliefs is that it isn’t enough to develop smart strategies; you also have to communicate them persuasively to get people on board. A few years back I wrote my book on the topic, How to Wash a Chicken: Mastering the Business […]

Brands in the News

A New Stadium for the Chicago Bears

30 Apr 2024  

The Chicago Bears last week unveiled plans for a new lakefront stadium. It is a spectacular proposal: a gorgeous stadium with views of the downtown skyline. The cost? More than $4.5 billion. All this raises four questions. Is a new stadium necessary? Sports teams thrive in glorious venues. The better the fan experience, the more […]

Brands in the News

Rethinking College Tuition

11 Apr 2024  

Colleges are announcing tuition and other costs for the 2024-25 academic year. Washington University in St. Louis is increasing tuition and fees by 4.5%, bringing the cost of attending to $87,644 (including tuition, housing, meals, student health, and activity fee). Yale is increasing tuition and fees by 3.9% to $87,150. Bucknell’s is up 4.75% to […]

Brands in the News

Brand Portfolio Questions for Tesla

29 Mar 2024  

The golden company Tesla is in the news for disappointing results. The stock price is down, and people are wondering about the company’s prospects. Tesla is facing many different issues, ranging from competition to the erratic behavior of Elon Musk. One of the most interesting problems is Tesla’s brand. The Tesla Brand Tesla has soared […]

Brands in the News

Chicago’s Misguided Attack on Dollar Stores

14 Mar 2024  

To make good strategic decisions, it is important to identify the potential options and then think deeply about which one is best. Not thinking through the implications can lead to bad choices. The simple, obvious answers that seem right often aren’t. Chicago’s City Council provides a good example. The group recently passed a series of rules […]

Super Bowl

Evaluating the 2024 Super Bowl Ads

14 Feb 2024  

The Super Bowl remains the most expensive, the most watched, and the most important marketing event of the year. For the 20th year, students at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management gathered to review the advertising. The focus: business impact. Will the ads succeed in building the brand and the business? Using ADPLAN, a framework […]

Super Bowl

The Top Super Bowl Advertisers #1 – 3

5 Feb 2024  

For the past 20 years, students at Kellogg have been evaluating all the Super Bowl ads to determine which were most effective. Which ads did the best job building the business and the brand? I am counting down the top advertisers, the brands that received the most grades of A and B. Below you can […]