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Emotion has always been critical component for brands to connect with customers and business leaders to connect with employees.  But today, when the coronavirus has unleashed anxiety and decreased physical interaction, an emotional connection is more important than ever.  If you are able to make an emotional connection virtually, you will stand out, win people’s […]

When some people hear me say “Great brands cultivate emotional connections with their customers,” they think this principle doesn’t apply to them. They think their product or service is in a “boring” category — or their customers only make rational purchase decisions — or they’re in a low-cost, transactional business that doesn’t operate on brand appeal.  Check […]

V13 personal dialogue

From What Great Brands Do:  Emotional brand-building requires you to develop a personal dialogue with your customers on the issues that are most meaningful to them. Remember, when connecting with customers, it’s WIFM — what’s in it for me (the customer)?! other #WGBD quotes: you have nothing worth communicating what business are we really in? […]

find your greatness

Earlier this year, I was interviewed about what women want from digital technology.  (Thanks to Robin Raskin, Maria Bailey, and the team at MommyTech TV for the interview!)   I’ve studied the topic ever since my years heading up brand and strategy at Sony Electronics.  More recently, women’s needs have come to the forefront of […]

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My latest Forbes CMO Network column is based on the basic idea that once customers feel a personal and meaningful bond with your brand, they’re more likely to stick with you. The point seems so fundamental that I almost hesitated to write a piece about it, but as I read about the latest coffee chain […]

Whaddya miss this month?  Among my pieces that generated the most conversation and shares were: innovation or core? try both — My latest QSR Magazine column about how start-ups and established brands alike must balance their focus on their core brand, while also pushing the innovation envelope. brand romney — A post explaining what Presidential […]

brand-as-business bit:  Stephen Denny and I have just done a blog-exchange on retail and small business.  Check out his post on Killing Retail Giants, and mine on new retail opportunities.  Both pieces speak to the unique advantage small businesses have in winning at retail, in part because they are more likely to make the retail […]

concert

In recent weeks, both the New York Times and Bloomberg Businessweek ran stories on the booming music concert business.  The Times piece, A Front-Row Seat, to Go? Rock Fans Pay for Perks relayed the success of VIP packages which give concert goers special perks like face time with the artists at thousands of dollars a […]