Wallenda, Chicago and Branding
Chicago built its brand this week by hosting Nik Wallenda’s high-wire walk across the city. The event attracted attention around the world. It was a terrific moment for Chicago; the event highlighted Chicago’s remarkable urban center. While people were watching Wallenda they were also watching Chicago. This is how great brands are built in the […]
Four Scary Spots
It is Halloween, a day for frights and spooky scenes. So here are four exceptionally scary ads to consider. Dale Carnegie This is truly a frightening ad. The setting is all too familiar: someone with a gun and a mask. While the setting is a bank robbery, it feels like a school shooting. This is any […]
Pharmaceutical Pricing, Markets and Ebola
People love to attack pharmaceutical companies for setting high prices. Dr. Sharon Levine, for example, an executive from Kaiser, recently criticized the $84,000 price of Solvadi, Gilead’s new hepatitis C drug, noting, “It’s an outrageous price.” The problem is that the reason firms invest in developing new drugs is that there is an opportunity to set a […]
Rebranding India
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrapped up a triumphant visit to the United States He joined Barack Obama for dinner at the While House. More than 18,000 people filled Madison Square Garden to see him speak. He appeared with Jay Z, Beyonce and No Doubt at the Global Citizen Festival. Top executives form PepsiCo, […]
Defending Air France
Air France, one of the world’s great airlines, is under attack. The recent two-week pilot strike was a financial and customer service disaster. The bigger problem is that Air France appears to be unable to defend its business; new competitors are stealing customers at an alarming pace. The financial results for Air France – KLM […]
The NFL Stumbles
The NFL is dealing with a significant brand crisis. How is the league doing at managing it? To evaluate the situation, I turned to Daniel Diermeier, dean of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and until recently a colleague of mine at the Kellogg School of Management. Daniel studies how companies […]
Brands in the News, Defensive Strategy
Apple’s Competitive Challenge
Last week Apple rolled out a trio of new product platforms: iPhones with larger screens, a watch and a payment system. The new phones are not dramatic innovations; they build on existing technology and will help Apple keep pace with competitive offerings. The watch and payment systems are bigger innovations. They are both trying to change the rules. […]
Debating the CVS Tobacco Decision
CVS was in the news last week for its decision to drop all tobacco products and rebrand itself CVS Health. The company actually announced the tobacco move earlier this year. Last week it celebrated that it was officially tobacco free. The company is making a big deal of the tobacco decision, rolling out a fully integrated […]
Rebranding the Tata Nano
The Times of India reported this month that Tata will soon phase out the Nano and relaunch the vehicle as the Tata Smart City Car. The move makes a lot of sense. The Nano was a bold new product. Tata launched the car in 2009 in India and positioned it for lower-income families. It was, and remains, the […]
Irrational Optimism and CMOs
The Chief Marketing Officer Council is out today with the results of its annual survey of marketing leaders. I was struck by two figures: – 81% of marketing leaders believe that share growth is likely and attainable this year. – 10% of CMOs are worried about their jobs. These figures suggest that marketing executives are an […]
P&G’s Risky Brand Strategy
P&G announced this week that it was dramatically shrinking its brand portfolio. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the company will drop almost 100 brands, focusing on just its top 70 to 80. This is a huge strategic move for the company and a significant change. It is also very risky. On […]
Will Malaysia Airlines Survive?
The Malaysia Airlines crash was a terrible disaster. Rescue teams are sifting through the wreckage today as families grieve. I suspect the Malaysia Airlines brand won’t survive this latest tragedy. The company is facing two significant problems: financials and branding. The financial issues are substantial. Even before the two disasters, Malaysia Airlines was struggling. The growth of […]