or so says Maxwell Wessel of the Forum for Growth and Innovation at Harvard. As Wessel points out, some companies have been able to leverage scale rather than innovation as a point of sustainable competitive advantage. Advantages of scale, such as discounts through the buying muscle of retailers and the scale of distribution for packaged … Continue reading
Posted in March 2012 …
Brands that leverage the “sharing economy”
Sharing takes us back to the roots of economics where interdependencies with others, improves the quality of our life. Sharing and collaboration is an elementary part of herd culture, and humans are creatures of the herd. Sharing, or collaborative consumption, is part of a new trend that is powered by our ability to source our … Continue reading
Frugal brands – the advent of the $2,000 car and the $200 lap top
Reverse innovation is the term used to describe low costs products, often skimmed down versions of products we know, launched in developing countries with a view to a global play. Take for instance Tata motors, $2,000 Nano car, launched in India, with aspirations of the US market. Tata motors who own Rolls Royce and Land Rover, designed the minimalist Nano to … Continue reading
Invest in brands where CEO’s care for customers
Whenever I hear people talking about the dark side of capitalism, I turn to the principles of Warren Buffet, which remind me, that the best of human nature can bring immense success. In his letters to his investors, Buffet shares that he invests in companies where CEO’s care about customers. Buffet has found the genuine … Continue reading
Making your brand a winner in a down turn
The first response in an economic down turn is for business people to think discount, and for some, that type of market adjustment will allow them to ride out the wave of the down turn in anticipation of the return to good times. For many, the path of discounts is the path of no return, … Continue reading
Position your brand to join the conversation in the marketplace
Smart brands work with trend setters and opinion leaders to position their brand to become part of the conversation in the marketplace. While 70% of people trust what they hear from peers, only 15% trust advertisers. In fact Harvard Business Review cites, the net promoter score, that is the word of mouth measure, is the … Continue reading
First find your customers then land in their world
Talking to marketing virgins, one of their biggest challenges is to pick the right media and channels to promote their brand. Twenty years ago, mass media had a big footprint and you could confidently find your customers in a specific time and place. Today, media has fragmented greatly, and finding your customers is no walk … Continue reading
Why are branded concepts the pointy end of the brand?
One thing every good brand planner knows is, “we do not see with our eyes, we see with our heart”. Our heart and our unconscious mind first see concepts. Branded concepts, which some people call ads, are the nano second take, which draw the customer in. A strong concept is based on the emotional connections to … Continue reading
businesses often sell through logic, but ultimately every customer will buy through their emotions.
. are you looking for insights that strike at the very heart of why your customers will choose you over the competition? .cut through – your customers are in constant overwhelm at the number of offers and messages bombarding them each day. To cut through you have to strike right at their heart in nano … Continue reading
Making your customers co creators of your brand, check out Van shoes
Long before the crowd sourcers got their hairy paws upon this and tried to call it their own, many, many brands have their customers in the process of co creation. Good brand planning supported by qualitative brand research does just that. Last night as a stumbled home, I came across this poster, which led me … Continue reading
Thought Leaders Circle 