Ron Johnson’s departure from J.C. Penney last week can be attributed to his low CQ, that is, Customer Quotient. Just as some leaders have been accused of low EQ, emotional quotient (defined as the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself and of others), Johnson lacked the ability to identify, assess, and […]
brand-as-business bit: For quite awhile now, I’ve been wanting to write a bit with this title, “What Got You There Won’t Get You Here.” It’s a twist on the title of Marshall Goldsmith‘s best selling book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.” Goldsmith’s premise is that our previous successes often prevent us from achieving more […]
brand-as-business bit: The news that emerged a few weeks ago about Apple getting approval from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for aspects of its store design got me thinking. On the one hand the application seemed somewhat excessive — that a single brand could lay claim to a glass storefront and oblong tables with stools […]
2012 did not disappoint in terms of exciting brand developments. (I wrote about the seven fast food chains making headlines in my latest QSR Magazine column. Check out my recap of the news at Burger King and Pie Five among others.) Among the brands in a range of categories making bold moves in 2012 were […]
brand-as-business bit: Much has already been said about the letter that JC Penney‘s CEO Ron Johnson recently sent to customers (see below), but I wanted to shine a spotlight on the closing line where he asks for feedback. See my latest OPEN Forum column on why I think this was only a goodwill gesture, not a […]
New York Times’ Stephanie Clifford asked me for reactions to J. C. Penney’s recent presentation about the vision and path forward for the venerable chain. […]
2012, according to the Chinese calendar, is the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese tradition, each year is dedicated to a specific animal and predictions for 2012 are for a dragon-like year of excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration, and intensity. With this expectation in mind, I’ve selected several brands to keep my eye on. They’re likely to […]