The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Category Benchmark
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 ...
Leading Brands Win On Consumer-Perceived Value
Recent brand news is full of brand value chatter. Chatter, not serious discussions. Why? Brand executives still seem disconnected from how customers perceive brand value. Consumers understand that value, not price alone, is the priority. ...
The Future Of Brand Creativity Belongs To The Small And Reckless
Let’s stop pretending this AI rush is brave. It isn’t. It’s terrified. Across marketing holding companies, executives are racing to adopt AI not because they understand it, but because they’re scared of being the last ...
How To Restore An Iconic Brand
When an iconic brand begins to fade, the decline is rarely dramatic. In iconic brands, financial performance often lags changes in cultural relevance and brand meaning. Revenue may hold steady. Market share may appear stable. ...
Failure To Relevantly Differentiate: Amazon’s Grocery Blind Spot
Last week, I discussed the new brick-and-mortar Amazon entry: a big box store with a large helping of Amazon logistics, data mining, and merchandise expertise. As part of that Amazon discussion, two brand stumbling blocks ...
Lessons From An Unexpected Disruptor: Urgent Care
My mentor Clayton Christensen taught us that disruptors win by being cheaper. They enter the market at the bottom with “good enough” alternatives that cost less, then gradually move upmarket, as Toyota’s economy cars eventually ...
Brand Positioning Is A Leadership Decision, Not A Marketing Exercise
Brands that lead today do three things exceptionally well. They create an emotional advantage that customers cannot get elsewhere. They establish a distinctive advantage that customers recognize as meaningfully different. They build a connective advantage ...
The Future Belongs To Talent-First Brands
The most important component of long-term sustainable advantage for any firm, regardless of its size, is its ability to attract, retain, inspire, and grow talent. Talent is the sustainable advantage. It is talent and only ...
Why Marketing Is The Conscience Of Business
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. ...
Can Amazon Differentiate As A Big-Box Retailer?
Once again, Amazon is startling the retail landscape. Now, it is the arrival of a big brick-and-mortar store: 230,000 square feet. The reporters say this square footage is about the size of two Target stores ...