STRONGBRANDS    Professor Tim Calkins, Kellogg School of Management

This week Bloomberg is running an interesting article about college tuition, reporting that a number of universities are now cutting their prices, and financial aid, in an effort to attract students and make college seem more affordable. The reductions make a lot of sense. The Problem College tuition is a problem. For many years, schools have […]

It has been a lively time in the world of branding! It seems like every day there is a new, debatable branding story. Here is my take on a few of the recent stories. Novig and Sydney Sweeney The biggest story in the world of marketing last week was Sydney Sweeney’s new campaign for prediction […]

This week we lost Dolly Parton. The country music star and business leader passed away on Tuesday in Nashville, surrounded by family. Dolly Parton had an amazing life. From a two-room Tennessee cabin with no running water, she eventually became one of the most wealthy and powerful individuals in the country. I teach branding, and for […]

We are nearing the 2026 World Cup finals. The month-long event has been a remarkable sporting extravaganza, with 104 matches and more than 11.5 billion cumulative viewers. Here are six marketing observations. The Hydration Break Miracle Soccer has always suffered from a marketing problem: there were limited opportunities for advertisements. Structurally, the NFL is a […]

One of the best ways to learn is to look back at your mistakes. We all make them, and in each mistake, there are things to be learned. It is much more fun to look at your successes. Considering why things have gone well in your life is a fun exercise. Most of us chalk […]

Last week I took United flight 2092 from Chicago to LaGuardia for a family event in New York. It turned out to be an eventful trip. The Evacuation About 45 minutes into the flight to New York, the pilot announced that we were doing an emergency diversion. The plane turned sharply to the right and […]

I am a big fan of coffee and drink it throughout the day. Some people suggest that I drink too much coffee, but I am comforted by the latest research that suggests coffee reduces the risk of dementia. We have a Nespresso machine here in the marketing department here at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of […]

Happy New Year! Each year I highlight a few brands that are worth following. These are brands poised for interesting years. Some are positioned to do well, and others are likely to struggle. You can see my 2025 post here. Tylenol Talk about a bad year! Tylenol, a long-trusted brand, suffered a massive hit when the […]

Happy New Year! I hope your 2026 is off to a good start and you haven’t abandoned your resolutions yet. Each year I identify a few brands to watch; these are brands that are heading into interesting years. Some seem poised to do well and others face challenges. Let’s see how I did on my […]

This fall I’ve been teaching the Influencer Marketing course at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management for the first time. It has been terrific fun, from preparing to teach the material to assembling the slides, to working the students and welcoming some amazing guest speakers. One of the big takeaways from the class is that […]

How do you build a city’s brand? Here’s one idea: swim. Last weekend, Chicago hosted an open water swim in the Chicago River. Organized by the non-profit A Long Swim, the one and two-mile swims raised money for ALS. The event was successful at raising funds. It also did remarkable things for the City of […]

This weekend the NYT ran an opinion piece by FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary attacking direct to consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals. I teach healthcare marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and can’t resist responding. In his article, Makary presents the usual attacks on pharma ads: they promise too much, disclose too little and […]