If we all don’t die falling off the fiscal cliff, 2013 will prove to be an interesting year for brands and businesses. The following are five (well, actually six) brands I’ll be keeping my eye on next year. Importantly, these are not necessarily brands that I think will fare well (predicting the future is not […]
2012 did not disappoint in terms of exciting brand developments. (I wrote about the seven fast food chains making headlines in my latest QSR Magazine column. Check out my recap of the news at Burger King and Pie Five among others.) Among the brands in a range of categories making bold moves in 2012 were […]
While Microsoft’s new Windows 8 has received an unexpected share of positive press, many skeptics aren’t convinced that the new operating system has been designed or is being launched properly. Of all the criticisms leveraged against Windows 8, the one that resonates most strongly with me was a comment in a recent Bloomberg Businessweek piece: […]
Does social media have value beyond a communications channel? An emphatic “yes” is the answer from today’s guest, Erich Joachimsthaler, Founder and CEO of brand consultancy Vivaldi Partners Group. Drawing from findings from his firm’s Social Currency 2012 report, Erich discusses how leading companies are using social media to impact their bottom line. He describes […]
“Emotion is the bridge to take to cross the chasm from the early market to the mainstream market.” That was one of the points from my address at a Women in Technology International luncheon last week. The topic of my talk was “Crossing the Digital Health & Fitness Chasm.” I outlined practices that enable technology […]
brand-as-business bit: In response to my post last week about how Mitt Romney needs to adopt a challenger brand strategy, David Morey, author of The Underdog Advantage: Using the Power of Insurgent Strategy to Put Your Business on Top, shared with me his piece, What’s an Underdog? In it he makes the point that being an […]
On the day of the first Presidential debate, I thought it might be helpful to look at the Presidential contest through a brand lens. […]
brand-as-business bit: Have you seen the latest TV commercial for Amazon? It’s terrific! Why? It talks about what Amazon has already done. Unlike many technology ads that make promises about great things companies are working to make possible, this ad is basically a review of all the great things Amazon has already done. It conveys […]
Some business leaders manage to become talent magnets. Not only are they followed by loyal employees and pursued by prospective ones, but they also attract the best agencies, consulting firms, and freelancers. […]
brand-as-business bit: Much has already been said about the letter that JC Penney‘s CEO Ron Johnson recently sent to customers (see below), but I wanted to shine a spotlight on the closing line where he asks for feedback. See my latest OPEN Forum column on why I think this was only a goodwill gesture, not a […]