STRONGBRANDS    Professor Tim Calkins, Kellogg School of Management

Tonight is the first presidential debate. It is an important moment for both candidates; the debate will attract a vast audience. This makes it a key branding opportunity. There are only a few changes to reshape your brand over the course of a campaign. Most people don’t go to rallies or events. Despite all the media […]

Every once in a while, you come across a truly lackluster bit of advertising, the kind of marketing that makes you wonder who signed off on it. The new campaign from American Airlines falls into this unfortunate category. The New Campaign American’s new advertising effort kicked off this week. The core message: “The world’s greatest […]

Last weekend my son Charlie and I spent a day in Wisconsin at the Racine County Fair. One of the highlights was watching the market pig auction. Every summer dozens of young people raise pigs for the auction. They buy piglets in the spring and then spend months feeding and caring for the animals. At […]

Government leaders in Chicago are considering rebranding some public schools to increase their appeal. The idea is interesting, but it isn’t likely to work on its own. Rebranding is more difficult than it seems. Some public schools in Chicago have very negative perceptions. People associate them with poor teaching and disappointing academic achievement. There is a […]

Last week I was in Hong Kong teaching a branding and marketing strategy program for global executives. It was a treat to be back in such a vibrant and colorful international city. On an open day, I headed over to Macau, just an hour away by high-speed ferry. I was astonished by my visit. Macau is […]

Last week, I provided some branding advice for Donald Trump. This week, I have some advice for Hillary Clinton. At this point, Hillary certainly needs some assistance. Bernie Sanders continues to do well in the primaries, and Hillary’s all but certain nomination now seems in question. With Trump gaining in the polls, some people are […]

Many people think Donald Trump has no chance of winning the upcoming presidential election. For example, the topic came up at a party I was at last weekend, and the consensus was that Trump has no chance. Polls certainly suggest this is the case. At the moment, they show that he will lose against either […]

On Tuesday, Hamdi Ulukaya–founder and CEO of Chobani, the Greek yogurt giant–gave his employees 10% of the company. Each worker received a packet with a share grant commensurate with their tenure with the company. The gift came directly from the CEO. This is quite a gift. A private equity firm recently valued Chobani between $3 […]

Two weeks ago I wrote on this blog about a new fee from Homeaway, a vacation home rental giant. I noted that the pricing move made good sense for a number of reasons. The post generated quite a response. I’ve received a series of comments, many of them thoughtful, from Homeaway and VRBO customers. The […]

One of the big issues in the U.S. today is student loans. People are astonished at the debt young people are dealing with, and presidential candidates are proposing various solutions that range from lower interest rates to debt forgiveness. This all makes sense. Student loan debt is increasing at a dramatic pace because colleges are […]

Home rental giant Homeaway recently began charging a new fee to travelers. This has caused an uproar in the rental world. Despite the initial adverse reaction, the fee is a smart idea. Homeaway is the largest home rental website in the world. It owns a range of sites including VRBO.com, homeaway.com, and vacationrentals.com. Collectively, there […]

Last October Playboy announced a dramatic and surprising change – the brand would no longer publish pictures of nude women. It was a shocking announcement. Playboy, after all, was a pioneer among adult magazines. When Hugh Hefner launched the magazine in 1953, its defining characteristic was racy photography. Many people wondered where Playboy was heading with […]