My family is very aware of breast cancer, and not just because it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. And not just because of all the pink lids and ribbons donning the packages of groceries on every aisle. My mother has battled with this scary disease for more than a year now, and along with it...
When it comes to marketing premium brands, there’s usually no shortage of RTBs (Reasons To Believe) to choose from. Although brands in commodity categories are sometimes challenged to differentiate themselves, the premium brand(s) in any “vertical” should carefully choose which RTBs make it to the front lines of consumer messaging. Whether or not emotional...
Pepsi has gone and done it again. If their AMP iPhone App catastrophe wasn’t bad enough–where they completely alienated their entire female consumer population–they’ve gone and offended the public in yet another colossal blunder. Last Saturday, Pepsi sponsored a concert in Uganda featuring controversial murder performer Beenie Man. An account of just some of...
Extraordinary: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary. — Merriam-Webster Last night, while watching my recording of Wednesday’s So You Think You Can Dance (yes, I’m one of those people), the show’s host introduced me to a group called “The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.” While this seems like a fun name, I was...
Premium brands distinguish themselves from the competition not only in their products, but also in the way they communicate with their customers. One good example of this is in e-mail marketing. Although e-mail is growing and consumers are likely to opt-out if they feel the messages to be irrelevant or impersonal. There are more...
At the sake of being repetitive in my love for certain computer manufacturing branding and marketing efforts, and utter disappointment for others, I leave you with a simple video, which I think should speak for itself. I’m definitely not getting a holiday season job at a Microsoft store … To read more about why...
John Nese is a regular guy who has an irregular love–he adores soda pop. Having worked with his father since he was younger in their run-of-the-mill grocery store, his little establishment was given the opportunity to carry the big brand of soda, Pepsi. After feeling bullied into an agreement he didn't want, John decided...
What did we ever do without email and the Internet? All that info and content available instantly at our fingertips 24/7. It can almost make you forget other marketing media, like print. But we shouldn’t forget, and here’s why. The electronic blitzkrieg that new media delivers can overload a consumer’s already taxed attention span....
What is a premium brand? The definition we use here at the WD is that a premium brand is one that is recognized as being of greater value than its competition. In fact, when we have new clients take the WD Premium Brand Test we ask the question “does your brand have superior features...
In the last few months, there has been much ado about Starbucks’ rebranding some of its stores to strip away their corporate identity and revamp the locations with local character. According to an article in The Seattle Times, some stores—including the one featured in the article—will include alcohol, live music, and many other elements...
