Branding

Iconic American brands are under pressure. Some of our most beloved and well-known brands are facing uncertainty. There has been a Sotheby’s auction-like atmosphere surrounding the future of American main meal and snack food brands. Kellogg’s, a brand with a storied American history, is being sold off in two pieces: its snack food portfolio going to Mars for a reported $30 billion, while Kellogg’s main meal foods, cereals and such, are off to Italian confectioner,...

About a year ago, Leffe chose to refine its brand experience by adding a new sense to its…

From all my years in research and consulting, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing worth sharing. Enduring fundamentals, mostly yet often overlooked. So, this year, I’m sharing some for your consideration. I hope they’re helpful. This week’s thought: Convenience rules. Convenience trumps everything. No matter how innovative or cheap a brand may be, if it’s not easy to use, it will fail. I learned this early in my career. My second...

As a CMO or Marketing Director, you’ll know that companies tend to get more complicated as they grow. You may have inherited a chaotic brand portfolio, one that has grown arms and legs from multiple acquisitions, innovations, or the isolated actions of siloed business units. There may still be legacy names in use and parts of the business that have never been fully integrated. Now it’s your job to bring clarity, drive growth, and make...

WK Kellogg – inventor of cereal – is being bought by Italian candy maker Ferrero for the soggy-sounding price of $3 billion. Here are two big lessons from the end of a company that once dominated an entire aisle in grocery stores: 1. Businesses have a shelf life – All the preservatives in the world weren’t going to save Kellogg’s cereal, which tied itself too tightly to two very off-trend components: sugar and milk. To give...

Apparel resale is a robust category centered on the ability to sell and buy pre-worn clothing that is in good condition. Apparel resale is also the experience of seeking and finding unique items that make a personal statement.  Plus, there is the “hunt” for the unique gem. In certain stores, apparel retail is known as consignment. Consignment stores tend to pop up in affluent towns. Anyhow, the idea of shopping for your wardrobe at “resale”...

We all do the same thing before buying anything these days. We research, compare, and solicit primary reviews…

From all my years in research and consulting, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing worth sharing. Enduring fundamentals, mostly yet often overlooked. So, this year, I’m sharing some for your consideration. I hope they’re helpful. This week’s thought: Marketers are trend-followers, not trend-setters. Marketers like to celebrate creativity and innovation. But it is a curious kind of creativity and innovation. Because it’s never the breaking edge of the wave. It’s always...

Years of reorganizations, restructuring, buying and selling assets, and accumulating enormous debt have finally led to the downfall of one of America’s oldest brands, Del Monte. This past week, Del Monte filed for Chapter 11. Founded in 1886, Del Monte’s history spanned the miracle of canning, the pineapple fields in Hawaii (before Hawaii was a US State), coffee, pet foods, and more. Just read the dizzying facts about all the assets and sales on Wikipedia....

A few months ago, I attended a business conference for startups and was surprised that the main speakers…