The recent news that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is handing over the reins of the company gives me pause. This the second time Schultz has left the brand’s top post. The last time was back in 2000 and the brand suffered so much in his absence, he ended up having to return in a dramatic […]
Thanks to everyone who participated in my recent survey to determine which brand should be named Great Brand of the Year. The results are in! You voted as follows: #3 — Amazon (which received 14% of the votes) #2 — Netflix (15%) #1 — drumroll please…Apple (16%) Although the survey is unscientific and Apple beat […]
As we approach the end of 2016 (yes, time flies!), I thought it would be fun and interesting to do a survey on the Great Brand of the Year. I want to hear which brand you think deserves the top honor. And if you vote, you’ll get entered to win an autographed copy of my […]
Many start-ups get derailed because they don’t get their brand right. To avoid this fate, you need to develop a Minimum Viable Brand (MVB). […]
– the book: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business is the 4th in a series of books, Zingerman’s Guides to Good Leading. If you’re not familiar with Zingerman’s, check out their online store (prepare to drool) and their training company, ZingTrain (prepare to be amazed). – the brains: Ari Weinzweig, […]
My blog series on “How to Scale-Up Your Brand” continues today with instructions on how to plot your brand positioning. A clear competitive brand positioning is essential to brand-building because it defines who you are selling to, what your business scope is, and how you create unique value for your customers. In this post, you’ll […]
This installment in my blog post series on how to scale-up your brand introduces two brand tools. Use them in your process of developing or refining the strategic platform of your brand. They will help you identify and clearly articulate your brand purpose, values, and attributes. […]
This retail customer experience video audit and analysis takes you inside H-E-B, named The Best Grocery Store in America by Epicurious Magazine and #2 retailer in the Temkin Group’s 2016 Experience Ratings (beating out Amazon and Chick-fil-A). related Brand Experience Briefs: Central Market Boston Marathon Adidas Runbase Whole Foods Detroit transcript: Which grocery store chain was named The […]
Good to Great, the bestselling book by Jim Collins, offers timeless insights into what it takes to become great. It applies not only to businesses, but also to brands, people, churches, non-profits, governments, communities, and more. I recently revisited the text, along with the monograph accompanying it, Good to Great and the Social Sector, and […]
Here’s an interview with Sally Smith, CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings, the casual dining restaurant chain. I spoke with Sally during the research for my new book, Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail &Restaurant Brands Do, and in the book I highlighted the Buffalo Wild Wings for ignoring trends because I was fascinated to learn about […]