Tattoos. Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Dubstep. Kim Kardashian. CrossFit. What do they all share in common? They’re not for everyone. Why am I telling you this? Because neither is your brand. But before you give up on what likely just came off as a harsh or negative point of view, hear me out. Your brand can’t be […]
American cheese Bars of soap Applebee’s Top sheets Mayonnaise Straws CDs Shopping malls Network TV Gillette razors Phone conversations Hooters Diamonds Napkins What do all of these things have in common? According to various media reports over the past few years, they’re all being killed by Millennials. The audacity! The gall! How could this generation […]
I recently read an article about America’s most hated companies. Every year, 24/7 Wall Street publishes a list that invariably includes companies from the pharma, communications, travel, banking and retail sectors. Companies know a good reputation is vital to a company’s health and success. And yet they often overlook one of the simplest tools to […]
Last week Toys R Us closed their remaining stores, bringing a sad end to a 70-year old brand. In the final days of the store closings, for a brief time the top link on Reddit was a strangely poignant image of Geoffrey the Giraffe standing next to empty store shelves, waving goodbye. In the comments […]
Millennial Schmillennial! Why is everyone rushing to grab this elusive customer group when we are about to experience the largest wave of spending power to ever hit the market? I’m talking about the aging Baby Boomers who have become empty nesters, are retiring and are more mobile than ever. Consider the silver lining: There are […]
Marketers are accustomed to thinking of their customers in terms of “generations.” Based on when you were born, you may be a Baby Boomer or a member of Generation X, Y or Z. These categorizations help us understand the consumer behaviors that ultimately drive everything from the products marketers sell to the way they “talk” […]
Does your brand stand for something? Is it more than just products and services? Does your brand have a cause greater than commerce? More and more, brands are aligning themselves with charitable causes. And customers are taking notice. Last year, Ad Age published a study by the research firm Toluna about the impact of brands […]
As consumers, we typically look for value – that perfect combination of quality and price – when we make a purchase. Most of us have a favorite retailer or group of retailers, and today’s hyper-competitive, information-driven marketplace allows us to easily compare prices across multiple retailers and channels. A recent study by Bain & Company […]
And be disruptive. Yes, that was a disruptive headline and most likely got your attention. Now, I’m really not suggesting you get naked, but I do promise naked people will come in later in this post. But first, let’s talk about how hard marketing has become. Marketing is tough. It’s just plain hard, and there are […]
