A few weeks back, The New York Times reported on the 2012 Vehicle Dependability Study released by J.D. Power & Associates. For me, the matter-of-factness of the findings was the most stunning feature: “Of the 32 brands in the survey, 25 improved from 2011, one remained stable and only six declined. . . . [N]o [...]

Tags: Brand Management.

So many companies think narrowly about the brand game universe. Should I be a virtual-whatever in CityVille? That question may have clout in its own right, but don’t overlook the deeper challenge. Gaming is all about the search for “Good-Life Moments” – the quest for surprise and satisfaction in everyday life. That’s THE GAME – [...]

Tags: Brand Management, Gaming.

Not long ago, the BBC reported Russian scientists have been able to grow plants from seeds that have been frozen for 30,000 years. The seeds were packed away by ancient squirrels. Their larder was struck by a sudden temperature crash. The seeds chilled out in the deepest of deep-freezes ever since . . . until [...]

Tags: Brand Management.

Again and again it’s stressed: “Today’s brand managers must be outstanding curators of brand values and identity.” So: What exactly does being a brand curator entail? More often than not, the answer you get is: “Beats me.” As I see it, here are imperatives that guide a consummate brand curator: Know the DNA of the [...]

Tags: Brand Curator, Brand DNA, Brand Management, Thomas Hoving.

  Body language is a listening skill. Samuel Goldwyn – the centerpiece initial in MGM – was an unrivaled connoisseur of talent, writers in particular. He lassoed aces like Ben Hecht and Lillian Hellman. He also once launched a meeting with an admonition: “Gentlemen, listen to me slowly.” Smart advice. We all race to get [...]

Tags: Body Language, Brand Experience, Brand Retailing, Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman.

So often, brands are considered the outcomes – the finished products of a business. For the inventive, brands can crawl inside the business. They are revealing research probes. The results learned can be stunning. Traditional logic: Any badly managed company will almost certainly manage its brands poorly. Maverick logic: Use the brand itself as a [...]

Tags: Brand Management, Social Media.

Docking? Most of us do it every day as we launch or switch systems or transfer interfaces on our PCs or tablet computers. Of course, the term has nautical roots. Our use of it in computing is more strongly tied to the latter-day docking achieved between craft launched into space. Docking in outer space has [...]

Tags: Brand Licensing, Brand Management, Docking, Technology, Warren Buffett.

In 2008, Howard Schultz added back his roles of president and CEO of Starbucks to that of chairman. He has been determined to recapture the “distinctive Starbucks experience” after the company’s performance and share price had sagged. All eyes are on Tim Cook in Cupertino to see how he will steer the vision for a [...]

Tags: Apple, Brand Managment, Brand Ownership, Howard Schultz, Starbucks, Tim Cook.

Ralph Lauren’s Polo neckties debuted at his Manhattan tie shop in the late 1960s. In short order thereafter, came men’s and women’s fashion breakthroughs. The pivotal short-sleeve, Polo-logo mesh shirt arrived in 1972. The momentum was unstoppable. Today Polo Ralph Lauren’s volume is well over $5 billion. Polo Ralph Lauren is not just a classic [...]

Tags: Brand Management, L'Oreal, Luxottica, Peter Drucker, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren.

On the train home each evening, I gaze over the seats. What do I see? A sea of gaming. Solitaire. Scrabble. Everyone needs a little break. We live in an overwhelmingly intricate world. Every direct step we take gets deflected or postponed. We yearn to take slam-dunk actions, but direct hits are rare. Each score [...]

Tags: Brand, FarmVille, Virtual Reality, Virtual World.