Values matter. That’s the message that comes through loud and clear in recent moves by Ford and Chipotle. In Ford’s case, they took on Cadillac by spoofing their ‘Poolside’ ad with an #Upside ad that calls attention to the values that Ford espouses, while mocking Cadillac’s blatant materialist bent. Meanwhile, over at Chipotle, they are […]
The chart above displays a shift in how human beings experience transactions, plotted over a period of time since the Industrial Revolution. With the rise of one-way mass messaging it’s no surprise that personal interaction and one-to-one dialogue took a nose dive while a faceless (and relatively powerless) consumer was encouraged by corporate sales strategies. […]
In recent weeks, the saga over the fate of JCPenney has been all over the media and advertising industry trade publications, most recently with a warranty spat involving a customer unhappy with a defective engagement ring. We’ve been tracking the situation and decided to dig into the history of the brand and its founder, James […]
Commercial brands are increasingly engaging with social movements in order to better ground and express their core values. Working out the ethical implications of this sort of approach can be tricky; they have to be considered carefully on a case-by-case basis. We know that brands capable of recognizing and aligning with social trends can attract attention through – and reciprocally reinforce awareness of – the causes they espouse. But this raises the question of distinguishing positive social trends from negative ones.
The US electorate has been locked into a bitter divide over the Presidential election for the past year and a half, and while voters can get caught up in issues of the moment, in some ways, it really doesn’t matter who wins. The basic realities of the global market will continue to come into sharper […]
We believe that “consumer” is a kind of four-letter word. When we hear it we can’t help but wonder if people are really thinking critically about what they’re saying.
Brands can realize dramatic short term improvements in profitability and long term improvements in brand health by focusing attention on their Most Valuable Customers.
We live in a time where a quick Twitter search can deliver the pulse of the global community on any topic imaginable in real-time, including a brand’s activities in the marketplace.
As customers gain access to more information about brands’ activities in the market and on the global stage, they naturally develop affinity with brands whose values align with their own.
Successful brands are associated with products, services or offerings that deliver on the brand promise. Brand claims and customer experience must demonstrably coincide.
