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A writer's writer
My connection to Elmore Leonard, though tenuous, goes way back to the late '60s. He lived near us in Birmingham, Michigan when I was seven or eight. Later when I was working at Campbell-Ewald...
View ArticleIt's not me, it's you
What Nike understands so well that few other brands understand is that it's not about them. It's about you. Their brand and this campaign is relevant after 25 years because it's not about their...
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Dear Charter:
We've been together for more than seven years now and for the most part I have been very happy. My cable, internet and phone all work as expected a majority of the time and even when I've had problems...
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A teaching moment
I can only imagine how unhappy executives at Mercedes Benz were when they first saw this spec ad made by German film school students. While this ad is clearly disruptive, memorable and demonstrates a...
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Ignore your brand at your own peril
Hyundai has hit a speed bump on its way to what it had hoped would be a sales leadership position in the United States auto market. While Hyudai's sales were up 8.2% over the previous year last month,...
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CEO No!
I wasn't going to comment on the new Yahoo! logo until I read this headline in Ad Age. Wow, she worked a whole weekend on it! No wonder it looks like it came right out of the 1980s. Ms. Mayer, you are...
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A moment of silence
Twelve years is a long time. But when you're dealing with an event where thousands lost their lives and was the impetus for a war that cost thousands more, it might as well be twelve seconds. Like the...
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How ESPN anchors its network
ESPN is clearly holding its own in the new battle over 24-hour sports television. They have the NFL, MLB, NBA and other important live sports properties. But they have something else. An incredibly...
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Who are you for?
Back in 1969 John Lennon and Paul McCartney penned the lyric, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." I doubt they were thinking about branding when they they sang it on...
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Moving forward
As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging for nearly two weeks. This break was unplanned, and not the result of anything other than the fact that I really needed a break. I will be back next...
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What's in a brand name?
This is a caterpillar. So is this. This is an apple. So is this. Brand names become brand names when they are given context in the form of products, features, benefits and values. Until then, they are...
View ArticleEveryone has a brand
I spend a lot of my time talking about branding and its impact on a business. Invariably, someone will say, "My business is too small. I don't have a brand." To which I reply: If you're in business,...
View ArticleThe future is here
Samsung has hit its stride. This spot for the new Galaxy Gear wrist computer hits just the right balance between intrigue and information, tone and truth. It works hard without trying too hard. Maybe...
View ArticleOrdinary isn't extraordinary
Yesterday evening, after a crowded but uneventful flight from Nashville to Newark, I grabbed my bag, got on the bus that took me from terminal A to terminal C and then hoofed it a few hundred feet to a...
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A campaign I hate (and love)
Personally, I hate the new Dodge Durango campaign featuring Will Ferrell. It feels gimmicky, forced and just doesn't speak to me. But I'm a also big fan of this campaign. What? How can I hate it and...
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Is your brand fireproof?
On June 2, 2011, a full three weeks after it was crash tested in a controlled environment by the NHTSA, a Chevy Volt caught fire because the battery was improperly handled after the crash. You'd have...
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A marketing miracle
By now, we've all seen this video of the amazing stunt marketing event from the Canadian Airline, WestJet. Actually 19 million people have viewed it directly on Youtube, more on social media channels...
View ArticleGot milk? Not anymore.
Okay, I don't want to come across as one of those old farts who decries every change, so I'll state for the record that I believe as good as it has been, after 20 years the "Got Milk" campaign has...
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Walmart takes back America after wrecking it
Walmart was founded by Sam Walton, a smart, hard-working former Ben Franklin store franchisee who knew that through superior logistics, he could drive cost out of the system and offer goods a lower...
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Jack and Frank
Celebrity endorsements are often forced and feel disingenuous, like when Tiger Woods was a spokesperson for Buick. Did anyone believe he really drove one? This, however, is the kind of endorsement, I...
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