Marketing

The Domino's Theory of Branding

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:36:00 GMT

In a marketing move that appears to be one part authenticity and two parts audacity, Domino's Pizza is baring its soul and showing us the inner workings of their marketing department. We see their executives dismayed by the consumer research. We see their product development personnel diligently testing new recipes. Heck, there's even a videotape of customers absolutely trashing their pizza in no uncertain terms: "Domino's pizza crust, to me, is like cardboard" and "The sauce tastes like ketchup."

Brand Winners and Losers in '09

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:56:00 GMT

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The CB radio craze from decades ago proved that people were so eager to communicate with other people that they would talk to just about anyone. Then cell phones allowed us to talk with whomever we wanted at almost any time. Now, with social networking, we can communicate with dozens, even hundreds, of friends at once.

To build a brand, one winery rethought the market

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:30:00 GMT

Double Dog Dare. The Monster. Argyle Nuthouse. Cleavage Creek. Fat Bastard. Yellow Tail.

These could be nicknames for your mother-in-law or the characters in a pirate movie. In reality, they are wine brands. The wide world of wine is a brand bazaar with literally thousands of labels looking to carve out a share of the market estimated at $25 billion a year in the United States.

Brand authenticity exists in the mind of the consumer beholder

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:21:00 GMT

What makes a brand real and resonant with its target audience? What makes one brand become part of a person's self-image while another has to discount to make its quarterly numbers? How real does a brand have to be - how "authentic" - to have selling power? And how does today's blog-posting, Facebook-empowered consumer change that equation?

Branding in the digital age: What's changing and what's not

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:16:00 GMT

Ross Perot, in his squeaky Texas twang, would have put it this way: "What you're gonna be hearing, folks, is a giant sucking sound." In the marketing world, that noise is now coming from a shift in media spending more dramatic than in any of the last 25 years.

Can ‘Made in America' mean something powerful for your brand?

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:35:00 GMT

You need only look at the success of Chinese-made merchandise to see that "Made in USA" does not carry the cache it once did. Although calls to "Buy American" arise during any economic downturn, American consumers vote otherwise every time they hop into their Japanese-made car, fill it up with gasoline refined from foreign oil and motor over to Wal-Mart for the sale on patio furniture that was made in Mexico.

It’s Time to Facebook the Facts

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:51:00 GMT

There is a plethora of disturbing news out there today. The economy, the bailout, the war on terror, you pick it. And if you’re still struggling with how to incorporate your traditional marketing with cost-effective, ROI-driven e-marketing, there’s even scarier news that came out recently.

In race to build brands, now could be time to make a move

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:20:00 GMT

Like a nimble professional driver navigating a multi-car crash on the racetrack, some brands are making slick moves through the troubled economy. And as they slip past the wreckage, they are hitting the branding accelerator hard to put distance between themselves and their rivals.

The Burger King --creative brand or just plain creepy?

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Simply put, Ronald McDonald is an American icon. He was created in 1963 and first portrayed by none other than (hang on to your McGriddle) the future Hailer of Centenarians himself, Willard Scott.

Ronald is a cheerful brand mascot known by 96 percent of all school kids in America, according to stunning-stuff.com. He is second only to Santa Claus. But other than the bizarre McFactoid of the link to the unbearably cheerful Mr. Scott, Ronald just isn’t that interesting to today’s adults.

When brand personality is defined by a person

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:27:00 GMT

In the 1970's, he took his industry by storm with a brash campaign featuring him, the chief executive officer, as chief spokesperson. In a squeaky voice and with quirky demeanor, he listed the reasons his product was superior and worth more than those from dozens of other companies in the category. His company soon grew to be the first real brand in the field and was far more profitable than any of his competitors.