ISLEM CHARGUI

Just notice something. Think of a team you’ve been part of. Or maybe the one you’re in right now. And ask yourself, honestly: does it feel clear? Not organized. Not busy. But clear. Many of us were originally taught to treat clarity as a communication \u{2026}

Entertainment and brand architecture are now front and center as the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger unfolds. New York Magazine has a story about David Ellison and what Mr. Ellison may or may not do with Paramount and Warner Bros. once the Warner Bros. purchase finalizes. If \u{2026}

Entertainment and brand architecture are now front and center as the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger unfolds. New York Magazine has a story about David Ellison and what Mr. Ellison may or may not do with Paramount and Warner Bros. once the Warner Bros. purchase finalizes. If \u{2026}

There is much angst about the state of advertising. Various commentators in the industry and in the general media have bemoaned a creativity crisis, which is attributed to everything from short-termism to artificial intelligence to the fragmentation of media. There is some evidence that advertising’s \u{2026}

Peloton, Kohl’s, Target, General Mills, Macy’s have something in common. These brands are engaged in brand turnarounds. Some of these brand turnarounds are brand turnaround-turnarounds, led by smart executive teams, some with new CEOs who offer new strategic approaches. These teams appear to be diligent \u{2026}

Bain publishes a good analysis every year of so-called insurgent brands in the U(fast-moving consumer goods) market. For the past few years, these small brands have captured a disproportionate share of annual growth. This year’s analysis reports that in 2025 insurgent brands accounted for 36% \u{2026}

For C-suite leaders facing massive disruption whether from AI, tariffs, or global realignment the question of brand positioning is no longer just a marketing issue. It falls on the shoulders of senior leaders to guide the brand, like raising a child new to the world. \u{2026}

A brand needs a vision. A brand vision is not just an idea. A brand vision is a determined goal. A brand vision is your definition of a future world in which your brand will win. Without a brand vision, your brand is aimless. The \u{2026}

Amazing about face. In a world where deals and promotions abound, where “conquesting and conquering” customers has become the modus operandi (viz, the streaming brands, the automotive industry) and where value continues to be equated with price alone, Barron’s, the financial newspaper, tells us brand \u{2026}

Consumers are using AI as a brand hack. Which says as much about consumers as AI. None of which is good for brands absent significant innovation. In the past, there has been an inherent — and exhaustively studied — asymmetry of information, access, and accountability \u{2026}

Marketing teams have become exceptionally sophisticated at acquiring traffic. Media efficiency improves each year. Creative testing is constant. Audience targeting continues to evolve. But an overlooked constraint often sits immediately after the click. When website performance deteriorates, it quietly becomes the weakest link in marketing. \u{2026}

Kraft Heinz is having another “brand-wagon moment.” Its new CEO, Steve Cahillane, announced that the organization would be postponing the previously announced split into two separate companies. This was a split that Wall Street hailed as marvelous. CEO Cahillane believes that a resource-funded focus on \u{2026}

I have a special spot in my heart for Memory Brands, because I have worked on so many of them and found them to be rather misunderstood. Memory brands are not smaller benchmark brands. They have high awareness. They have distribution. They often have decades \u{2026}

I have a special spot in my heart for Memory Brands, because I have worked on so many of them and found them to be rather misunderstood. Memory brands are not smaller benchmark brands. They have high awareness. They have distribution. They often have decades \u{2026}

I have a special spot in my heart for Memory Brands, because I have worked on so many of them and found them to be rather misunderstood. Memory brands are not smaller benchmark brands. They have high awareness. They have distribution. They often have decades \u{2026}

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, as we all know. Numerous video recaps of the game, a wide variety of articles, and a lot of insights from observers, sports analysts, and Monday-morning quarterbacks focused on the Seahawks formidable on-field strengths. So, let’s segue to \u{2026}

Decades ago, in the annals of advertising agency history, BBDO had an approach to creating winning communications. It was called The Four Point Process. The Four Point Process was a really big deal because, at the time, ad agencies had the best, most innovatively profitable \u{2026}

Today, heritage brands occupy a difficult position. Squeezed between private label that sets value and insurgent brands that speak to values. Having worked on several, I have found that they often take the same approach of maximizing margins, targeting younger consumers, and launching line extensions \u{2026}

In 1968, computer scientist Melvin Conway made an observation that’s been shaping how we understand teams and technology ever since: Any system’s design will reflect the communication structure of the organization that created it. Engineers call this Conway’s Law. This article is part of Branding \u{2026}

Category Benchmarks are the reference point for the category. They define quality expectations. They anchor price ladders. They shape what “normal” looks like. They are widely distributed, culturally familiar, and top-of-mind. Their risk is gradual dilution of differentiation. This paradox is structural because the systems \u{2026}