brand-as-business bit: Nielsen recently released its “2012 Breakthrough Innovation Awards” in which it recognized new CPG product introductions that met its criteria for innovative-ness. The winners are an interesting mix (Glaceau vitaminwater zero, Chobani, and Zyrtec top the list) and the report is an informative read about the CPG industry and instructive about innovation in […]
You know that feeling you get when watching that show, What Not to Wear? Cringing and squirming, you watch as delusional people show off some of the most hideous outfits – they think they actually look good when it is so clear they don’t. That they would be so self-unaware is unbelievable. Well, that’s how […]
One of the things I love to do when traveling on business is checking out new restaurant concepts. On a recent visit to Chicago, I visited Protein Bar and I haven’t stopped thinking about the brand since. […]
CNN Money recently featured a list of 14 “brand name companies” that are going bankrupt. Among them were Crunch (the chain of fitness clubs), Tribune Co. (owners of the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune), and Hartmarx (the maker of mens’ suits). […]
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. […]
Jonathan Salem Baskin recently posted an “open memo to Blockbuster’s agency” (DDB Entertainment) congratulating them on their recent win of the account — and warning them that their client’s CEO plan to “transform the Blockbuster brand into an entertainment provider” is doomed. […]
I’m posting live from the CMO Council Summit in Monterey, CA — it’s a membership-only gathering of approx. 100 CMOs from a range of industries (everything from Ciao Bella gelato to SAP) and the theme of the conference is “Routes to Revenue.” […]