Blackberry’s Astonishing Fall
27 Sep 2012
Classes started this week at Kellogg; Northwestern is on the quarter system so things get going rather slowly in the fall. I began my two marketing strategy classes with a round of introductions: I had each student go through their background and then mention one of their favorite brands. This is always an interesting exercise; […]
A Remarkable Political Ad
20 Sep 2012
The 2012 presidential campaign is in full swing as Mitt Romney and Barack Obama battle for voters. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see much of it since Obama will almost certainly win Illinois. Romney is fighting elsewhere. Political campaigns are marketing battles; the candidates are fighting for votes, not sales. The challenge is to win […]
Calling Your Customer an Idiot
9 Sep 2012
Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, is in a bit of hot water. According to the Irish Independent, O’Leary recently called Ryanair passenger Suzy McLeod an “idiot” and “stupid.” When asked about this odd approach to customer service, O’Leary did not back down. He explained, “I had not been intemperate, I had not lost my temper […]
Spirit Attacks United
30 Aug 2012
Spirit Airlines this week announced plans to attack United on one of its core routes: Chicago O’Hare to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental. Spirit will begin service on October 4. On the surface this seems like a very bad idea. Directly attacking a strong established player is likely to spark a rather powerful defensive effort. The […]
Can Anything Save Best Buy?
22 Aug 2012
This week brought more bad news from Best Buy. Profits fell 91% in the latest quarter, same store sales dropped and the company’s stock continued to decline. It now trades at about $17 per share, down from almost $45 in 2010. Best Buy’s slide raises interesting business questions: can anything stop the fall? Is Best […]
Something Different from Apple
17 Aug 2012
Apple is a remarkable business success story; through creativity, strategic thinking and almost flawless execution it has become the dominant technology firm in the world and made many people wealthy in the process. The key question now: can Apple keep it up? It is certainly possible; Apple has motivated and talented employees, wonderful products, a […]
Olympics Advertising: Gold for Omega
8 Aug 2012
If you’ve been watching the Olympics you’ve seen a lot of swimming and gymnastics. You’ve also seen a lot of Omega. The Olympic Games is a core part of Omega’s global marketing effort. This year Omega invested a small fortune creating a rather striking spot featuring the Rolling Stones song, “Start Me Up.” Licensing for the song alone […]
Olympics Advertising: Building the P&G Brand
6 Aug 2012
The Olympics is entering its second week, so it is a good time to take a look at the advertising. I’ll post my thoughts on a few of the spots this week. First up: P&G P&G became an Olympic sponsor in 2010. This year we are seeing the company’s first big campaign. The overall message […]
Chick-fil-A’s Branding Fiasco
27 Jul 2012
Chick-fil-A has a significant and growing branding problem. The company has long been grounded in religious beliefs. It is owned by a Baptist family and embraces traditional ideals. The company donates to conservative causes. The restaurants are closed on Sunday. Recently, however, Dan Cathy, the company’s president, gave a series of interviews where he strongly […]
A Tough Branding Question for McDonald’s
24 Jul 2012
I suspect executives at McDonald’s are wrestling with a key branding question facing the company: should McDonald’s Corporation continue to focus all its efforts on the McDonald’s brand or is it time to broaden the brand portfolio and invest in a second brand? This isn’t an easy question. McDonald’s has been one of the great business success […]
PepsiCo’s Yogurt Challenge
15 Jul 2012
PepsiCo is entering the yogurt category. Last week a number of news outlets reported that the company will soon start selling yogurt in several cities in the Northeast. PepsiCo has formed a partnership with German dairy company Theo Muller and will sell yogurt under the Muller brand. This isn’t a small introduction; the two companies […]
The Bing Puzzle
3 Jul 2012
Microsoft is in the news this week with more bad news about its online division and its struggling search engine, Bing. Recent results have been just terrible; in the 9 months ending March 31 the division lost $1.45 billion on revenue of $2.1 billion. Microsoft this week announced a $6.2 billion write-off related to the […]