The Four Warning Signs Of A Declining Brand
Jack Welch, renowned CEO of General Electric, used to say that your business should be #1 or #2 in your market. If not, get out. This belief was derived from the famous PIMS work begun ...
The Decisions That Make A Brand Coherent
Some of the most consequential decisions a brand makes never arrive looking consequential. They appear as cost decisions. Growth plans. New operating models. Policy changes. Shifts in KPIs. Over time, these choices accumulate into patterns ...
Brand Positioning That Improves The Economics Of Growth
Most leaders understand positioning. They know their brand needs to stand for something clear, relevant, and defensible in the minds of the people most important to its future. That is clear. However, problems arise when ...
Why Brand Strategy Needs A Simulator Now
Most mid-market leaders are not short on ideas. They are short on confidence. They are being asked to move faster with less certainty, make bigger bets with less room for error, and separate useful AI-enabled ...
How Financial Engineering Destroys Brand Value
Claire’s, the tween accessory retailer, is in turnaround mode. Again. Claire’s is hoping to pierce the boredom barrier among its target audience of not-yet-teenage girls. The Wall Street Journal wrote a glowing review of Claire’s ...
How Under Armour Forgot The First Rule Of Brand Strategy
Never confuse the customer. Once, at an advertising agency meeting with our IHG client, one of the agencies admitted that their commercials for Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express were confusing. The stated benefits for ...
Harley-Davidson’s Brand Problem Is Bigger Than Its Bikes
Financial geniuses on Wall Street appear to be happy that there is new leadership at Harley-Davidson, Artie Starrs as CEO. As with the appointment of the previous CEO, Jochen Zeitz, analysts and those with significant ...
Marketing Rarely Fails On Its Own
Marketing rarely fails on its own. It reveals where purpose is being treated as language, and where it’s being treated as a discipline. When a campaign underperforms, most brand leaders look to adjust the marketing ...
Why Clarity Isn’t A Communication Problem
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 ...
The Link Between Brand Vision And Enduring Profitable Growth
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 ...