Month: March 2015

Selling your (brand) soul

Selling your (brand) soul

Recently, the messaging app LINE caught my eye – primarily based on the fact that it was featured as the number 14 company in Fast Company’s “World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” issue. On the surface, it seems to offer the same messaging benefit as many other apps, but with a differentiating functionality in the form […]

Budweiser: This Bud’s for Who?

Budweiser: This Bud’s for Who?

One of my favorite commercials from this year’s Super Bowl was Budweiser’s “Brewed the Hard Way.” This was not Budweiser’s feel-good ad with the lost puppy and protective Clydesdales. This was Budweiser’s unapologetically proud “macro beer” ad, complete with a thunderous soundtrack, craft beer stereotypes, and all-caps declarations like, “Brewed for drinking not dissecting.” I […]

Coca-Cola has a new portfolio branding strategy. Will it work?

Coca-Cola has a new portfolio branding strategy. Will it work?

Citing the goal to have more than 50% of sales eventually coming from their lower and no calorie versions, Coca-Cola Great Britain recently announced that they are rebranding their portfolio to better unify the Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Life, Coca-Cola Zero, and Diet Coke brands.  In an effort to help consumers choose the right Coke for them, […]

A Marketer’s view of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle

A Marketer’s view of Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle

Simon Sinek, the Rand Corporation consultant and leadership guru, gave his original Golden Circle Ted Talk in 2009, and it continues to be one of the most viewed over the past 5+ years. I like it and yet am somewhat skeptical about whether The Golden Circle tells us anything new. Sinek’s Golden Circle is simply […]