International Branding Blog – Conneting brands to the universe
Most firms, and the managers who operate them, seek to grow. Indeed, a review of most CEO letters associated with annual reports, finds growth to be one of the two most frequently identified objectives (the other is cash flow). Growth, or at least well-managed, profitable growth, is important for many reasons. It makes the firm…
Dwight D. Eisenhower reportedly prioritized his work life by classifying tasks as important or not important, and urgent or not urgent. The resulting two-by-two graph became known as The Eisenhower Matrix and it influenced a lot of thinking in work productivity. We generally spend far too much on work that is urgent but not important….
Recently, Ian Schrager, entrepreneur, hotelier and co-founder of famed Studio 54, decided to create hotels that are luxury but without the services and amenities. Mr. Schrager’s hotel vision is luxurious experiences that do not depend on multiple on-site staffers and niceties. His vision is a segment he calls Economy Luxury. According to Mr. Schrager, the…
In 1994, when Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras wrote Built to Last, they were referring to Visionary Habits of Successful Companies. Their highly influential book focused on the results of a six-year research project into what makes enduringly great companies. Their stated goals were: “to identify underlying characteristics that are common to highly visionary companies” and…
Do people line up for LEGO events for blocks? Would a ‘World Origami Championship’ be aired on Paperview? I’ll speak to that below, and as a spectator and ‘puntestant’ (my stage name is Kenny Dewitt – ‘Can-He-Do-It’) I can tell you Punderdome is amazing and a shining example of a successful event brand. Since 2011…
In 1970, a Japanese roboticist named Masahiro Mori introduced the concept of the “uncanny valley.” In designing robots to be more human-like, he observed that people respond positively only up to a point. Then there’s an “uncanny valley” where the “almost-human” design seems creepy and people experience “revulsion.” If you watched the 2004 movie…
This is based purely on my observations and personal experiences. I believe the way marketing works today is different from the past, and not just in strategies and tactics, but fundamentally. Yes, one must still start with an understanding of the customer and one must still deliver a unique value proposition to that customer. But…
What are Your Business Aspirations (and How Will You Get There)? Before you answer, know this: A robust brand foundation is needed for marketing to work. Strategically build your unmistakable brand to stand out, attract ideal customers, power a successful marketing strategy, and boom, your business thrives. But where do you start? What is step…
This is a brand-business truth. To be considered fair value and not be perceived as cheap, brands must avoid excessive marketing communications that emphasize price as the reason to buy. Excessive emphasis on price builds deal loyalty. Building deal loyalty does not build brand loyalty. Deal loyalty is not real loyalty. True brand loyalty cannot…
Small brands are back in the hunt. Kantar Worldpanel’s tracking of brands around the world that are growing finds a big jump year-over-year in the percentage of growing brands accounted for by small brands. If big brands were growing in equivalent relative numbers, we wouldn’t see a shift in percentages, so this tells us that,…
