Last Friday Samsung launched a new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, its first product launch following last year’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle. It’s loaded with ground-breaking features and functionality and has been called an “early favorite for the best phone of 2017,” but it’s probably not enough to re-galvanize the brand. Samsung needs more than […]
customer relationships
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 […]
(“brand book bites” are book reviews that highlight the most interesting brand stories in the latest best-selling books. Subscribe to my feed so you don’t miss these regular bulleted briefings on the books I recommend.) – the book: Can’t Buy Me Like: How Authentic Customer Connections Drive Superior Results – a salty read about marketing […]
brand-as-business bit: Hindsight is 20/20. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the history books of failed brands. Julian Day, RadioShack’s former Chairman-CEO, probably has a few regrets. Although Day has been out of RadioShack’s hot seat for a year, his leadership marked the beginning of the brand’s demise. With Best Buy fighting for its […]
Four successful leaders in the restaurant business shared wise advice and juicy tidbits at the California Restaurant Association Orange County Chapter‘s CEO/President’s Panel last week. Panelists included: Skip Fox — President, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Doug Cavanaugh — Chairman, CEO & Founder, Ruby’s Diner Joe Manzella — Proprietor & Founder, TAPS Fish House […]
lessons from lady gaga
In a recent post, I described a meeting I led for one of my clients that needed to engage its senior leadership with its brand. And I mentioned that I had started the meeting with a cheeky “What Can Brands Learn from Lady Gaga?” video. Although I can’t show the video here, I did want […]
free to be free
Chris Anderson’s new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, is on the top of my to-read list. Based on BusinessWeek’s review, it sounds like a provocative read about the how economy and technology have evolved the concept of Free. […]
a brand loyalty 180
The branded vs. private label product debates of late had got me thinking about brand loyalty recently and then I came across a great post by a former colleague, David Murphy […]
birthdays and brands
My birthday was last week (I turned 21 again! 😉 ) Included in the birthday greetings I received were messages from four brands. Of all the brands […]
With its latest business news (acquiring Napster), Best Buy continues pursuing its brand mission, “to make technology deliver on its promises.” Depending on your perspective, […]