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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 […]

brand-as-business bit:  How did Get Lucky, the catchy pop single by Daft Punk, get to be considered the hit song of the summer?  According to a write-up by Eric Spitznagel in a recent Businessweek article, the group and its producers employed smart marketing strategies that provide inspiration for all marketers: media selection – Daft Punk […]

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(“brand book bites” are book write-ups 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:  Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help Not Hype – a helpful read about helpful marketing – […]

brand-as-business bit:  When the folks at HBR Blog asked me to write a piece about why are so many celebrities now ‘Creative Directors,’ I had a lot of ideas and insights about the changing nature of the brand/celebrity relationship to share.  But actually progressive companies have actually engaged this kind of celebrity partnership for years.  […]

cantbuymelike

(“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 […]

05.04.12

Brand Incentives

brand-as-business bit:  Last month we lost a great political thinker, James Q. Wilson.  In a tribute to “the pre-eminent political scientist of the last 50 years,” The New York Times described Wilson’s groundbreaking analyses of political behavior. His work on how organizations offer incentives for people to join and support them seemed an interesting way […]

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I may be dating myself with this headline, but I’m hoping at least a few of my readers remember those Silkience hair care commercials from the 70’s because it helps make an important point about targeting. […]

“Differentiation is really the best way for all businesses to address consumers’ new value mindset.” That is the key point of the article the folks at Franchise Update Media Group asked me to write.  Decrease Your Deal-Dependency with Differentiation is part of their latest newsletter (subscribe here). I’ve heard from so many business leaders who […]