It seems like Groupon has really changed, doesn’t it?! Today’s interview includes some of the back story behind the company’s evolution from a social deal-of-the-day offering to an engine of local commerce. I talk with Suneel Gupta, Groupon’s first ever product leader. Suneel helps us understand what Groupon is trying to become, why, and how. Check […]
(Three hundred industry leaders gathered at the Women’s Foodservice Forum Executive Summit last week in Phoenix. The conference featured educational content from industry leaders and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management faculty. The caliber of the presentations was so high, I wanted to pass along some of the key learnings. So beginning today and for […]
In a piece on Mashable called The Value of a Happiness Economy, John C. Havens wrote about companies “learning to leverage well-being in the form of corporate social responsibility known as shared value.” It was such a compelling vision that I asked John to share more with us. So today he joins us to talk […]
If you’re looking for hot topics and insights on brands, businesses, and the people who work on them, here’s a digest of my content from the past month: brand experience: McDonald’s Metro: Lipstick on a Pig – a post about how McDonald’s new Metro concept only looks better, when it needs to actually be better […]
For me, Tiffany Shlain is a source of great insight and hope on culture, communication, technology, and life, so I’m pleased to share my recent interview with her: Honored by Newsweek as one of the “Women Shaping the 21st Century,” Tiffany is a filmmaker, founder of the Webby Awards, and co-founder of The International Academy of Digital […]
brand as business bit: “A strong concept that has the potential to evolve into a brand” is among the five criteria for a successful fast casual restaurant concept, according to Don Fox, CEO of Firehouse Subs. Speaking at an education session at the National Restaurant Show earlier this week, Don shared his insights about growth. […]
When a B-school professor starts a talk by saying he doesn’t have answers, only opinions, that’s certain to raise a few eyebrows. But then, Harry Kraemer is not your average B-school prof — and his approach isn’t standard B-school proclamations from on high nor are his teachings your average B-school material. […]
brand-as-business bit: In my inaugural piece as a regular contributor on OPEN Forum, I talk about how attempts to define a brand make me think of the elephant parable. You know the one in which different blind men describe an elephant based on what different body parts feel like. I referenced a few brand definitions […]
brand-as-business bit: I’m interested in the Komen/Planned Parenthood situation from a brand point of view, not a political or moral one. That’s why a piece by James Gregory, CEO of Core Brand, a brand valuation consultancy, piqued my interest. He says the Komen organization should have done things differently by focusing on: “basic ‘brand alignment.’ […]
(The following is the first in a two-part blog-exchange I’m doing with Stephen Denny, author of Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry. Because Steve and I are among those teaching the upcoming Marketing Profs University course, Marketing Your Small Business, we decided to address retailers’ issues and opportunities in these […]