Apple is one the strongest brands on the planet. But over the past two years it has been increasingly tested by direct attacks from competitor advertising in its home market of the United States. This post outlines what’s been happening and Apple’s response to it. A (very) short history of Apple’s brand communications To put … Continue reading
Earlier this year, on a sweltering March day at Melbourne’s Moomba festival, I was intrigued to see every second person walking around with a curious looking hot snack. Not only did this choice seem incongruous with the temperature, but people were queuing for over 10 minutes in the mid-day heat to get one. What was … Continue reading
Almost every survey of the business factors that executives see as critical for growth lists innovation as a priority. Yet many companies struggle with innovation as exemplified by the consistently high rate of new product failure. Interestingly then, a new study has found that our basic instincts may be ‘programming’ managers to reject the level … Continue reading
A recent online group discussion I participated in posed the question “Which is the most important factor that makes an insight professional outstanding”? The responses to this – from various industry professionals – ranged from the obvious to the surprising; in particular what was concluded to be the most critical ability. Based on these responses, … Continue reading
Similar to the idea of dressing for the job you want rather than job you have, sometimes brands can accelerate their growth by signalling their ambition to their customers and business partners. This appears to the case with Glorious Foods!, a relatively small UK brand that has just launched (at least conceptually) a very impressive … Continue reading
Over the past decade businesses that compete in the mass middle market of their industries have seen increasing pressure on sales and margins. ‘Death in the middle’ as it has been called has been caused by competitors taking either value positions or premium positions. This has shrunk the space in the middle and made the … Continue reading
As part of what some commentators are calling the biggest reinvention in the history of US retailing, JC Penney – a century old US mid-market department store chain – is challenging some of the fundamentals of mass market retailing. A bold move that could ultimately change some of the basic rules of the industry. Targeting … Continue reading
Sir Ernest Rutherford famously said: “We haven’t got the money, so we’ve got to think”. It is a truism that has played out for many small budget advertisers who have had to break rules and take risks to get noticed. Which is why, not surprisingly, many the more innovative users of social media have come … Continue reading
Brand Truth - Brand Strategy Consulting, Melbourne 