Google Is On a Mission
Despite appearances to the contrary, Google isn’t out to dominate the world – it only seeks to organize it. Actually, the company states its mission is “to organize the world's information and make it...
View ArticleGoPro Shows How to Win by Losing Control
The days when companies could tightly control what’s said about them are long gone (if they ever really existed.) Social networks and new technologies now produce brand conversations and brand...
View ArticleBarnes & Noble Should Rally Around, Not Retreat From, Retail Stores
Liberty Media’s sell-off of its stake in Barnes & Noble last month might have seemed like one more nail in the bookseller’s coffin. The company has been struggling for years and most recently...
View ArticleIs This the End of the Apple Brand As We Know It?
Apple’s recent acquisition of Beats has gotten many people wondering if the Apple brand is as strong as it once was. Some see the surprising move as a significant departure from the strategy that has...
View ArticleLady Gaga Is Still Schooling Marketers
Lady Gaga might not be dominating the headlines and airwaves as she has in years past, but she still has plenty of marketing smarts for marketers to learn from. Lady Gaga presents her current "artRave:...
View ArticleTarget And Walmart Should Seduce Customers Back Into Their Stores
What should be on the top of priority lists for Target’s and Wal-Mart’s new leaders? Each of them -- Brian Cornell, Target’s new CEO, and Wal-Mart’s new head of U.S. operations, Greg Foran -- inherits...
View ArticleSouthwest's Rebranding May Be Well-Designed, But It's Poorly Timed
Southwest’s recent re-branding effort may have gotten the thumbs up from branding gurus, but it’s the timing of the rebranding -- not the design -- that’s problematic. The new logo, plane paint scheme,...
View ArticleSo Amazon Thinks It Can Do Retail
Amazon is no longer satisfied with dominating the e-commerce world. Reports are circulating of its plans to open a brick-and-mortar store in New York City in time for the holiday shopping season; and...
View ArticleThis Holiday Season Reveals Big Changes in Retail
A lot about holiday shopping has changed. Black Friday now starts on Thursday. Phones are now wallets. And free shipping is now a cost of entry. These changes only scratch the surface of the new retail...
View ArticleThe Consumer Electronics Show Needs A Rebrand
What were the most exciting developments at International CES this year? It wasn't the wafer thin TVs from Sony. Nor the curved ones from Samsung. Not even the augmented reality glasses from Osterhout...
View ArticleWhat To Expect From The 2015 Super Bowl Ads
Peoplemay not be sure how the game will play out on the field during Super Bowl XLIX -- but it's becoming quite clear what we can expect from 2015 Super Bowl ads: 1. Same old brands doing the same old...
View ArticleThis Is the NFL Brand's Real Problem
The NFL brand's real problem can be easily summed up by two ads. During Super Bowl XLIX, the NFL ran two spots. The first depicts a 911 call from a woman pretending to order a pizza while trying to get...
View ArticleUse Hashtags to Generate Greater Brand Engagement
The hashtag has become the new "like" -- and that's not a good thing. Just as marketers used to (and some sorry folks still do) obsess over how many Facebook likes they accumulate, many are now...
View ArticleWhat You Can Learn About Customer Experience From Sharing Economy Companies
A couple weeks ago, San Francisco-based taxi company DeSoto announced a rebranding effort to try to reclaim market share lost to ride-sharing service Uber. The company adopted the name of a mobile app,...
View ArticleHow To Give A Rock Star Sales Pitch:Sales Strategies From The Voice Coaches
The coaches on The Voice, NBC's singing competition television show, may teach contestants how to become hit vocalists -- but they also show you how to give a rock star sales pitch. When Blake Shelton,...
View ArticleWhat Happens When You Try To Fool Customers
If past years provide any indication, many companies will try to generate some buzz this April Fool's Day with pranks, gags, and stunts. But some companies actually try to fool customers all year long....
View ArticleThe One Innovation Taco Bell Still Needs To Master
Lately Taco Bell has been on a tear with some really bold breakthroughs -- and it's flexing its innovation muscle in all areas of the business, not simply new products. It's impressive -- but it's also...
View ArticleThe End Of Etsy?IPO May Lead To Downfall
Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY), the online marketplace for handcrafted and vintage goods, sold more than 13 million shares on its first day of trading as a public company, raising $267 million and enjoying a...
View ArticleWhy Delta Hired Zac Posen
Photo: John Minchillo/AP Photo On the surface the announcement that fashion designer Zac Posen will design new employee uniforms for Delta Airlines (NYSE: DAL) seems a extravagant diversion. "Delta...
View ArticleWhole Foods Is Innovating in the Wrong Direction
Whole Foods Market(NASDAQ: WFM)plans to start a new store format to appeal to the "millennial generation." Co-CEO John Mackey describes the yet-to-be-named concept as a "streamlined, hip, cool,...
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