Defensive Strategy, Super Bowl
The Super Bowl Detergent Battle
On Sunday, the Patriots and Falcons will take to the field in Super Bowl LI. Each team will be looking to pick up yardage and put points on the board in hope of emerging the victor. It should be a terrific battle. The football game isn’t the only competition we will see. This year’s Super […]
Five Remarkable Super Bowl Ads
The Super Bowl is approaching fast. Advertisers are putting the finishing touches on each spot and starting to roll out teaser campaigns. Some brands have already released their 2017 ads. This will be the 12th year of the Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review. On Super Bowl Sunday, a panel of about 60 Kellogg MBA students […]
Notes from the Kellogg Healthcare Case Competition
This weekend Kellogg hosted the 14th annual Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition. I help run the event. A total of sixty teams applied, and we selected eleven to compete. Representing ten different business schools, the list included Wharton, Chicago Booth, Tuck (Dartmouth), MIT Sloan, HEC Paris, Judge (Cambridge), Fuqua (Duke), Olin (Washington University), Berkeley […]
2017’s Brand to Watch: Donald Trump
Recently I posted my list of brands to watch in 2017. The list included Emirates, Tesla, GoPro, Wells Fargo, Amazon and P&G. I noted, however, that the most interesting and important brand to watch was clear: Donald Trump. Defining the Trump Brand I think everyone is confused about the Trump brand. What does it stand […]
Six Brands to Watch in 2017
With the holiday season in full swing, it is time to start thinking about the year ahead. Here are six brands to watch. Amazon Amazon is flying high, and the story is all about expansion and growth. The company is opening physical stores, getting into the shipping business and expanding private label options. It even […]
Being Great is Not Enough
Last week I helped pick teams to participate in the Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition. This is an annual event held at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in which eleven teams of business students from around the world gather to present their assessment of a business case and compete for a $5,000 cash […]
United’s Strategy: All Things to All People
One of the core concepts I teach in my Marketing Strategy course at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management is that no one company can be all things to all people. The problem is that people are different. Delighting one person might mean providing a top quality product at a very high price, but pleasing […]
Marketing Observations on the Trump Victory
Donald Trump stunned Hillary Clinton and the world by winning the election. Here are four observations on his victory and what it means for marketers. Don’t trust the research data Few people expected a Trump victory. The most sophisticated researchers, using the most advanced techniques, were quite confident in their projections. In recent days the […]
REI’s Brilliant Branding Move
Last year, outdoor retailer REI shut down the day after Thanksgiving. REI executives explained that they made the move in order to give its employees and customers an opportunity to enjoy time outside over the holiday. The company encouraged people to take a break from all the shopping chaos of Black Friday and explore trails and parks instead. […]
The Power of Comparisons
Last month, a new study came out that evaluated the impact of activity trackers such as Fitbit and Jawbone on weight loss. The conclusion was quite clear: the devices did not have a positive impact. If anything, they actually made things worse. According to the study, people lost more weight without them. You can read […]
The Great Brand Portfolio Debate: Unilever vs. P&G
It is always interesting when two firms in the same industry embrace completely different strategies. Both companies are presumably led by smart and savvy business leaders, both have the same overall goals of increasing profit, driving growth and building firm value, and yet they come to very different conclusions and take divergent strategic paths. A […]
Branding and the Trump – Clinton Debate
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 […]