Learnings from the Kellogg Classroom – Fall 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 […]
Three Learnings from Election 2020
Donald Trump seems reluctant to believe it, but we are now well past the election. It is a good time to consider what we learned. I think three things stand out. The Democrats Need Better Marketing If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I’ve been unimpressed with the marketing efforts coming from Joe […]
Political Ad Review: The Final Spots
We are heading to the finish – people are voting, Trump and Biden are crossing the country to rally support, and the final ads of the season are coming out. Today I want to look at two of these spots, ads that could not be more different in tone and style and effectiveness. Trump’s Law […]
Political Ad Review: Biden and Dogs – The Election’s Defining Ad
Every once in a while you come across a piece of advertising that somehow perfectly fits the moment. These usually aren’t the most rational ads, or the most entertaining. For George Bush, it was Ashley’s Story, a simple yet remarkable spot that somehow made sense of an entire election. Why vote for George Bush? Because […]
Political Ad Review: Ford’s Built for America
It is a chaotic time in the presidential race, so in this ad review I will shift my focus from the candidates to Ford’s new patriotic spot, Built for America. You can watch it here. A Lot to Like There is a lot to like in this new spot and campaign. It is beautiful. It […]
Kicking Off the Fall Quarter: Four Teaching Observations
This week I kicked off my fall quarter – three courses and over two hundred students. I have two classes that are largely in-person, socially distanced and masked, and one class that is on Zoom. Here are four learning points from the first classes. In-Person Still Works I wondered if an in-person class would work […]
Ad Review: Biden Ups His Game
Joe Biden is out with a new spot, and if it is any indication, he might make this a competitive election after all. The Biden Struggle Those of you that have been following these political ad reviews know that I think Joe Biden has been struggling to find a strategic focus. He has run ads […]
Ad Review: Trump Embraces the Police
There is nothing like a crisp strategy. I love seeing great marketing, and effective campaigns are grounded in strategic thinking. Donald Trump has a tight strategy heading into the election, and he is executing on it in a new ad out this week. Like the last Trump spot I reviewed, this one works pretty well. […]
Ad Review: A Weak Effort from Joe Biden
Last week I reviewed one of Donald Trump’s recent ads. I thought it was a pretty effective attack on Joe Biden with a clear message and benefit. You can read my review here. This week, I am looking at a recent spot from Joe Biden. A COVID-19 Plan This new spot, called Real Plans, is […]
Trump’s Powerful Attack Ad
We are heading into election season! This means there will be a lot of political advertising to look at. Over the next several months I will be reviewing the spots. My focus will be effectiveness: will the ad actually work? Will it sway voters? I will keep my political views out of the analysis. I […]
How Biden Can Win: Learn from Reagan
I recently posted an article explaining how Trump might win in November. The key move would be to portray Joe Biden as sympathetic to rioters and looters and hostile to the police. A law and order campaign would likely resonate with voters and give Trump critical momentum. Joe Biden needs to take a different approach. […]
How COVID is Sparking Innovation in Kellogg’s Branding Program
COVID 19 is causing disruption for brands all over the world. It is also sparking innovation. Recently I’ve seen this happen with the executive education branding program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Disruption and Innovation Perhaps my favorite topic to teach is defensive strategy. When competitors attack, brands have to defend aggressively. Failing […]