Random bits and pieces of perceived marketing- and brand building wisdom, collected over a number of years in CPG and tech industries, Europe and America, operational and strategic roles. Mostly fun. Ask me anything.
Many executives are quick to claim their organizations are customer-centric, but often fail to demonstrate how it translates into business practice. These three steps (and three skills) can help them walk the talk.
COVID-19 is rapidly accelerating behavioral shift and cultural trends. This is the moment for CMOs to make sure their organizations are keeping up with time. If they observe the following outdated ideas, it’s time to modernize.
Talk about ‘a new normal’ is cheap. Nobody has a recipe, yet, for how marketing needs to change because of COVID-19. In order to identify what needs to change in marketing, we must understand what doesn’t…
Behavioral consumer data is hugely valuable for brands. It enables them to see what their customers are doing, and helps improve the brand’s experience. But behavioral data is inadequate, because an observation is not an insight…
This may be hard to digest for a brand manager, but for everyone with an iota of customer centricity, it should be intuitive. Of all the things people care about, including family, health, money, shelter, food, music, politics…
I haven’t bought a different brand of Milk in two years, and I bet the brand manager thinks I’m an ‘Uber Loyal’. In reality, I just think it’s a good product, and I can’t be bothered to invest time trying to find a different brand…
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but brands can’t be friends with people. A brand desperately trying to be a ‘lovemark’ is like a distant acquaintance desperately trying to be your BFF. It’s pathetic, at best…
If you think T-Mobile is differentiated from AT&T, Airstream is differentiated from Winnebago, Apple from Dell, Volvo from Lexus, or Progressive from State Farm, think again. Yes, T-Mobile is pink, Airstream is vintage, Apple sleek…
This will be an even more acceptable thought, after we’ve agreed that even ‘small data’ can be a d***. Let’s look at a classic RFM (recency, frequency, monetary) segmentation. Any brand with a sizeable customer base…
Content is good, too, but context is what really matters, when trying to get a consumer to act favorably for your bottom line. Anyone feel like a Phaal Curry on a humid, 98F summer night out in New York? Anyone think Starbucks…
Anyone who ever stood in a physical checkout line and made an impulse purchase, because something was right under their nose, will understand that there is no customer journey. Not even in the 1970’s would consumers go…
We all have that one friend who just can’t stop talking, ever. It’s somewhat endearing, and sometimes entertaining, but it can turn into an endurance test, even for the most patient of humans. And we’re talking about a friend…
