Career Advice

Financial Advice for Graduates – 2021

21 Jun 2021  

Last week I attended the Kellogg School of Management’s commencement ceremony. It was a spectacular event: a beautiful day with blue skies and pleasant temperatures, inspiring speeches and enthusiastic graduates. Simply being there in-person felt like a gift. Each year I provide some financial advice to graduates. I am a marketing professor, not a finance […]

Politics

Defining the Republican Brand

6 May 2021  

It is rare to see a brand face a clear positioning decision. In most situations, brands change gradually over time, with the brand leaders working to nudge perceptions one way or the other. A brand might want to seem a bit more inclusive or innovative or young. The Republican party is in a unique situation; […]

Brands in the News

Finally, Some Great Vaccine Marketing

13 Apr 2021  

The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by loss, lockdowns and a conspicuous, almost embarrassing lack of great marketing. In recent days, however, things are changing – some leading marketing companies are stepping up. It is not a minute too soon. The Need for Marketing Marketing shapes behavior. By identifying and tapping into needs and wants, […]

Presenting and Teaching

Learnings from Teaching a Hybrid Course

30 Mar 2021  

I recently wrapped up the winter quarter and this week I’ve been reflecting on what I learned. It was a new experience because I was teaching my Marketing Strategy course in a hybrid format, with some students in the room and some elsewhere. Back in the fall I had a mix of in-person and Zoom […]

Politics

The Problems with Student Debt Forgiveness

24 Mar 2021  

One of the most intriguing ideas floating around Washington these days is student debt forgiveness. Some politicians are arguing that the U.S. should forgive $50,000 of student debt per person. Other people think it would be better to forgive all the debt. It might be possible for Joe Biden to make such a move because […]

Politics

Joe Biden Embraces the Power of Marketing

12 Mar 2021  

Joe Biden last night delivered a sober, thoughtful address looking back on a difficult year and promising hope for the future. The speech was remarkable for its tone. There was no boasting, no declarations of victory, no personal attacks on his opponents. It was simply a credible review of where we are now in the […]

Super Bowl

The Kellogg Super Bowl Ad Review: 2021 Results

8 Feb 2021  

The 2021 Super Bowl was notable for some great football but, for advertisers, the more interesting challenge was the complex environment – a struggling economy, a raging pandemic, political conflict. Many of the core Super Bowl advertisers took a pass this year: Coke, Pepsi, Audi, Hyundai and others. One reason was likely the creative challenge; […]

Super Bowl

A Pandemic Super Bowl

4 Feb 2021  

We are days away from the Super Bowl, the biggest marketing event in the world. It will be a very different game this year, with few big parties, not many people in the stands and no vast fleet of corporate jets winging in with big spending executives. The advertising will also be different. Watch for […]

Presenting and Teaching

A Case Competition Adapts to a Zoom World

26 Jan 2021  

COVID19 has turned the world of education upside down. The classroom experience has changed in profound ways; some instructors are teaching completely on Zoom, others are wearing masks and speaking to small, distanced classes, others are working to figure out a hybrid system. Still others are experimenting with asynchronous content to complement synchronous classes. Of […]

Brands in the News

2021 Brands to Watch

11 Jan 2021  

The year ahead promises to be interesting for lots of brands. Politics will certainly dominate the headlines. Can Joe Biden unite the country? What will Donald Trump do next? What happens to the Republican party? Many other brands face an uncertain year, too. Here is my list of 2021 Brands to Watch.

Brands in the News

Looking Back at my 2020 Brands to Watch

8 Jan 2021  

Every year I identify some brands to watch. Here is a look back at my 2020 brands.

Presenting and Teaching

Learnings from the Kellogg Classroom – Fall 2020

29 Dec 2020  

This is an off week for teachers all around the world, and a great time to reflect. The few remaining Christmas festivities are largely behind us and classes have not yet started up. So I sat down with all the student feedback I received from the fall quarter to reflect on what I learned. The […]