Is McDonalds really repositioning itself successfully? The textbook says no. The figures say yes. Designer chairs, better coffee than Starbucks, ethical focus, environmental packagin, sales up.... According to the todays FT McDonalds are succeeding in the mother of all repositioning jobs.... I still...
There are always those strategic roles and consulting jobs that appear to be beyond the skills of even the greatest marketing mind. Cue music from Mission Impossible. Teletext joins the list.... There have always been impossible jobs in marketing. The head of corporate social responsibility for Exxon...
Rumours abound that Tesco are undergoing a major brand review. What? Why? Who? When? Eh? All the questions and none of the answers... Its always been one of the hardest moments in my MBA course on Brand Management. We bow down and worship at the altar of Tesco's marketing, research, segmentation...
Tiffany are doubly rare. An American luxury brand. And one that knows what it is doing. A great illustration of why marketing and sales are often very different things. Tiffany launched the 'Return to Tiffany' collection in 1997. The accessibly priced silver jewellery was so named because every...
With The Gap in brand freefall it is ironic that the reasons for its current problems are related to the original reasons for its success in the 70's. First comes the Christmas shopping. Then the January sales. And now we get excuses from all the brands that underperformed during this all-important...
Ultimate exclusivity means customers no even knowing that you exist. Amex gets it wrong. British Airways gets it right. Can you name the iconic luxury brand that began life as an urban legend and only later became a reality? The answer is the American Express Centurion card or, to use its more colloquial...
Ryanair might be the most hated airline - but that does not mean they are not a strong brand or that they will not be successful. Well, it's official: Ryanair is the world's most-disliked airline. Online travel guide TripAdvisor recently polled 4000 of its members and the Irish discount carrier...
The Golden Turnips are awarded each year for the worst brand positioning efforts...this year's results are just out Yet again, it's time to teach another MBA class on brand management. I like to look at as many applied examples as possible during these sessions and, in particular, focus not only...
Research firm PQ Media recently estimated that of the $7.45bn global product-placement value that will be generated this year, only 35% will originate from a paid incentive. The challenge comes in working out which third are paying for placements, and which are genuine recipients of free publicity. A...
Can Tommy bring its brand back to life? It has been quite a decade for Tommy Hilfiger. During the 90s, it seemed his brand could do no wrong. The business experienced meteoric growth and, by 2000, was generating $2bn in worldwide sales. But then came the new century, and Hilfiger struggled to maintain...
