STRONGBRANDS    Professor Tim Calkins, Kellogg School of Management

I just filmed my 2020 list of Brands to Watch. You can watch the video here or you can click below. A lot of intense competitive battles will play out this year – it will be an interesting time for marketers. Here is a review of my 2019 Brands to Watch.

As the year comes to a close, it seems like a logical time to look back at my 2019 Brands to Watch. You can see my assessment here. I’ll be out with my 2020 Brands to Watch in early January. Happy Holidays!

Recently I had the opportunity to teach a course over in Copenhagen. It was a fun few days with an engaged, remarkably sharp group. While I was there, I had a bit of free time so I signed up for a free walking tour. It was terrific. The Concept Free walking tours have become very […]

A customer is not just a customer. Some customers see the purchase experience as just a transaction. They may buy your product or service, but there is no loyalty, joy or affection. Perhaps you were the cheapest option that day, or the most convenient. Other customers are reluctant, begrudging buyers, who might even wish they […]

One of the keys to building a successful business is capturing value; you want to align your pricing with the value you provide to your customers. If you are giving customers something of great significance, you should price accordingly. Savvy brand managers understand this. Starbucks executives know that some customers love the special, custom drinks and set […]

Last week I wrote about UNC Health Care and the organization’s disappointing efforts to deal with a devastating article in the New York Times. This week, another brand, Fair Oaks Farm, is facing a brand crisis and making the right moves. Fair Oaks Farm As you drive from Chicago to Indianapolis, you pass a remarkable dairy operation: […]

UNC Health Care is a facing a devastating brand crisis today and doing a terrible job of managing the situation. This is a fascinating, tragic story about healthcare, brands and trust. The New York Times Report Yesterday, the New York Times ran a long, detailed article describing issues with cardiac pediatric surgery at UNC Children’s […]

This weekend, terrorist bombers struck churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, causing more than three hundred deaths and hundreds more injuries. The attacks, on Easter morning, shattered the peace in the tropical country. The bombings were devastating. The death toll is shocking, and the attack on religious sites on an important holiday makes it particularly […]

One of the few things that most politicians in this country seem to agree on is that generic drugs are terrific and we should have more of them. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb released a statement this week: “A robust pathway for generic competition is critical to expanding drug access and promoting public health.” Senator Elizabeth […]

KraftHeinz last week stunned the financial world with its announcement that earnings fell and the company was cutting its dividend. The company also wrote-down the value of some of its brands. The news was a big surprise. The stock price fell more than 25% on Friday and is continuing to fall. Investment managers are now […]

The 16th annual Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition is underway; the case went out last Friday, and on Saturday teams will compete for almost $10,000 in prize money. The Teams More than 50 groups applied for the event, and we selected twelve remarkable teams to compete in Evanston. Competitors are from eleven of the […]

Each year I highlight a few brands to watch. Here is my latest list of brands that will be in the news in 2019. 2019 Brands to Watch Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – The young and dynamic politician from NYC. Beto O’Rourke – The former Texas Congressman, likely to make a run for president. Alibaba – The […]