If there is one company in the world that needs some compelling marketing it is General Motors. GM emerged from bankruptcy on July 10 and is now largely owned by its unions and the U.S. federal government. The company was able to cut costs through the bankruptcy process, but ultimately it will need to hold and […]
Saturday Night Live’s October 17 broadcast was a notable event. For the first time in the show’s 35 seasons, a single advertiser, Bud Light, bought all the national advertising time. Bud Light used the sponsorship to launch new Bud Light Golden Wheat, the latest addition to the Bud Light family. Golden Wheat follows the 2008 […]
Now here is a real marketing challenge: sell Michigan as a vacation destination. Yes, Michigan, the land of failing auto companies, the bumbling Lions and desolate Detroit. It isn’t the sort of place that stirs the soul. I suspect both Hammond and Newark both fall higher up the list of places to visit for most […]
There is broad agreement in the United States that healthcare reform is good concept. Indeed, it is very hard to oppose it. It is also hard to oppose the environment, human rights and world peace. But there is very little agreement about the plans being considered. From a marketing perspective, I think there are two obvious […]
Anyone who has run a business knows two things about short term discounts. First, big discounts feel great. Nothing buoys the spirits like a quick and dramatic jump in sales. Second, this happy feeling rarely lasts. Once the discount ends sales inevitably slump, often for a prolonged period of time. The only way to get […]
Let me start with a confession: I failed the Via challenge. This morning I stopped by my local Starbucks. I tried Via and then I tried the brewed coffee. And I couldn’t tell the difference. I was completely stumped. I find this rather astonishing. I am quite a coffee fan and I drink a lot of […]
There will be a lot of second guessing here in Chicago now that the city’s Olympic bid has failed. People will probably point to a weak final presentation, an over-reliance on celebrities and the geographic composition of the IOC. These are all fair points. One issue that certainly played a role was the lack of […]
This afternoon the Penske Automotive Group announced that its bid to acquire the Saturn brand had fallen through. As a result, General Motors will be discontinuing the brand. This is sad news. At one time Saturn was a wonderful brand. General Motors created Saturn in 1990 in a bold effort to compete with the imports. Saturn was […]
Southwest Airlines has once again taken a different path in the airline industry. While virtually every major carrier is now charging people to check bags, Southwest continues to offer free baggage checking. And Southwest is now promoting this fact with some bold, in your face advertising. The spot currently running features Southwest baggage handlers discussing baggage […]
Never underestimate the power of a simple, compelling idea. More than three years ago Apple rolled out a series of ads featuring the Apple and PC characters. The initial spots were terrific. They grabbed your attention and communicated a benefit. Perhaps more importantly, there was no confusion about who the ads were for: Apple. Since […]
The New York Times on September 21 featured an interesting article about branding tuna in Japan. It is a wonderful example of the power of branding. Sashimi is big business is Japan, with tuna attracting much of the attention. And the finest Pacific bluefin tuna in Japan supposedly comes from a small town called Oma. […]
The new brand rankings are out! This is big news for people interested in brands and branding, but the rankings should be taken with a very healthy dose of salt. Every year Business Week publishes a list of the world’s most valuable brands. The list is developed in conjunction with Interbrand, a large global branding […]