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Brand power comes from keeping – not only making – promises.  And to keep your brand promises, your brand and culture must be aligned and integrated.   In other words, brand-building requires brand-culture fusion. But a recent HBR article by Roger L. Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management, and a couple of LinkedIn […]

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Facebook’s rebrand to Meta an ill-timed moved – but not for the reason you might think. Critics say the company is trying to create a distraction from the recent criticism waged against it, but the bigger problem is that Facebook is re-branding before its vision is a reality.  “Meta” refers to the metaverse, which, CEO […]

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Accelerated agility, enriched engagement, and definitive differentiation — these are the top priorities brand builders need to achieve brand leadership today. The roles that brands play and the expectations people have of them today requires new brand-building mindsets and skillsets. My new post in my LinkedIn Brand+Culture Series explains the what, why, and how of […]

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Innovation is supposed to drive growth and increase competitiveness, but if your innovation efforts aren’t producing the results they used to, it’s probably because product innovation is losing its power to produce sustainable growth.  Broader, more pervasive innovations are needed today.  Specifically innovations in business model — new operating models that deliver different value propositions […]

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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 […]

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Over 15 years have passed since Harvard Business School professor and innovation expert Clay Christensen introduced the “jobs to be done” theory of innovation but his insights remain timely, relevant, and instructive.  By seeking to understand what customers are trying to do in a given circumstance — what they hope to accomplish — companies can […]

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What brands should you pay attention to in the coming year?  I’ve just published my list of Brands To Watch In 2020.  Naming one brand per letter of the alphabet, the list includes Amazon and Facebook of course, as well as non-tech sector newsmakers such as Nike and LVMH — and even some unconventional takes […]

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As 2019 begins, it’s time to reclaim marketing as a key driver of business.  Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two — and only these two — basic functions: marketing and innovation.” Clearly most business leaders embrace innovation as the lifeblood of their […]

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How are brands such as Amazon, Facebook, Tesla, and Salesforce doing?  These brands were among those I had flagged last December as “Brands to Watch in 2018,” my most popular post of last year.  Given that a very eventful six months have passed, it seems appropriate to provide updates on how these “brands to watch” […]