GM’s Branding Disaster
General Motors is in the headlines today. Both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are reporting that a House committee is investigating how the company responded to issues with faulty ignition switches. The story is astonishing. Apparently in 2004 GM learned that several of its car models had a faulty ignition switch that […]
An Odd Move by CVS
Pharmacy giant CVS recently announced that it would no longer sell tobacco products. CEO Larry Merlo explained the decision in a statement, noting “Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is the right thing for us to do for our customers and our company to help people on their path to better […]
Sochi’s Olympic Surprise
The Sochi Winter Olympic Games wrapped up yesterday. Overall it was a surprising win for Russia and Sochi. It was not a flawless event. Going into the Sochi Games the discussion focused on Russia’s approach to human rights, especially the LGBT community. The event kicked off with reports of unfinished hotel rooms and amusement parks. […]
Six Brands to Watch in 2014
This will be a critical year for many brands. Here are six that I will be watching with particular interest in 2014. -Russia There is intense focus on the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the event a top priority and invested billions in constructing the facilities. One […]
Lands’ End and Sears
Sears today announced that it had filed paperwork with the SEC to spin-off Lands’ End. This is very good news for the Lands’ End brand. Lands’ End is a retailer based on Janesville, Wisconsin. Chicagoan Gary Comer started the company in 1963. It began selling equipment for boaters. By 2000, Lands’ End was a thriving […]
Volvo, Van Damme and the Future of Marketing
The world of marketing is changing. Traditional media vehicles are losing effectiveness as people communicate in new and different ways. Mass audiences are fragmenting into small segments. Developing a point of difference is harder than ever. Many business leaders are uncertain about the future. What will great marketing look like in the years ahead? Volvo’s […]
India: Six Surprising Things
I am just back from a three-day trip to India; I was in Kolkata to speak at the 2013 Brand Conclave. It was a terrific event. Here are a few things that surprised me: – Low income consumers in India generally buy the most expensive cement. I had an interesting conversation with a marketing executive from one […]
Brands in the News, Career Advice
Branding Lessons from Jay Z
This week rapper Jay Z is dealing with some difficult branding challenges. Later this month Barneys will start selling a new line of products designed by Jay Z. The collection includes a watch, raincoat, shirts and other expensive items. Last week, however, two people accused Barneys of racial profiling. The stories hit the front page and received a […]
Brands in the News, Defensive Strategy
A Bad Day for the Boy Scouts
The rise of digital media is only making it harder to build a great brand. The problem is that a single person can do something inappropriate that damages an enormous brand. This has always been an issue, of course, but digital technology has increased the risk because information can now travel faster and farther than ever before. This week […]
United’s Good Start
It is hard to miss United’s new branding campaign. It is everywhere. Last night I watched a United spot on TV, this morning I saw about 15 United ads on the train and this afternoon I found all sorts of United digital advertising as I surfed the web. You can learn more about the campaign […]
Frontier Changes Strategy
Frontier Airlines, the Denver-based regional carrier, is about to become very cheap. This week Bill Franke secured an agreement to acquire the carrier. Franke is a seasoned airline leader. Most recently he revived Spirit Airlines, turning it into an ultralow-cost carrier with exceptionally low fares, relatively poor customer service and lots of fees. The strategy […]
Hope for J.C. Penney
Things are looking grim for J.C. Penney. The company’s stock began the year at a price of about $20 per share and recently traded around $13. Earlier this month J.C. Penney reported that it lost $586 million in its fiscal second quarter with sales falling a disconcerting 12%. And hedge fund manager Bill Ackman dumped his […]