• About John

    Formerlife: CEO of Jacobs Suchard (Nabob, Kraft), Strategy/Branding Consultant. Afterlife: Online Fortune & Forbes Contributor, Wannabe Novelist.

    Beer Branding: Image is Still Everything

    by  • June 4, 2013 • Branding, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy • 0 Comments

    Labatt50

    Many years ago, I had the opportunity to work for InterBrew (now AB-InBev) in a strategic consulting capacity. Locally and globally, maintaining resiliency of a beer brand is as exciting as it is challenging. But once your brand is on the outs with the prime target group, cardiac arrest sets in. Oh sure, everyone tries to resuscitate their beloved brand with scads of Hail Mary endeavors ranging from “cool” package design to “cutting edge” advertising.

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    Great CEOs Roll With the Punches

    by  • May 22, 2013 • Human Resources, Leadership, Strategy • 0 Comments

    boxing

    Every day we see or read about superb acts of leadership. The ones that occupy an indelible place in our minds are often characterized by unexpected high-pressure, traumatic conditions and courageous acts taken within a very limited amount of time – a cabbie delivering a baby, a mayor calming a city after one of the worst terrorist attack in the history of mankind, a pilot making the call to land a powerless 65 ton piece of steel on a river in the middle of a major metropolis, a primary school teacher protecting her class from a gun-wielding madman.

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    Marissa Mayer’s Big Play for Good Reason

    by  • March 5, 2013 • Human Resources, Leadership, Strategy • 0 Comments

    Team Of 8 Blue People Holding Up Connected Pieces To A Colorful Puzzle That Spells Out "Team," Symbolizing Excellent Teamwork, Success And Link Exchanging Clipart Illustration GraphicAt the risk of adding to my reputation as yesterday’s man, I’m fully supporting Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s ban on working from home. Frankly, there aren’t many of us out there applauding this controversial big play. Several journalists, tech pundits, and business leaders have called her gambit regressive, old-school thinking, anti-family, and a giant step backward. However, none of the naysayers seem to realize that she is faced with a turnaround situation. Ms. Mayer was hired away from Google to reverse 4 years of eroding revenue. Radical change is required. To fulfill any turnaround mandate, a leader has no choice but to initiate substantial cultural and strategic change with a firm hand, not a weak wrist.

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    The Beer formerly known as Albino Rhino

    by  • February 25, 2013 • Branding, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    ARLast week I wrote about a complaint to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal by a person with albinism – Is Political Correctness Coming to a Brand Near You? This person was offended by the brand name of a whimsical beer marketed by the Earls Restaurants chain. The powerful tribunal ruled in favor of the complainant, and after several months of dealing with the aggravation, Earls finally threw in the towel, accepting responsibility for their insensitivity and agreeing to change the name of the 25 year old beer brand, Albino Rhino. Political correctness had run amok.

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    Is Political Correctness Coming to a Brand near You?

    by  • February 17, 2013 • Branding, Leadership, Life, Marketing, Strategy • 0 Comments

    rhinoEarls Restaurants is a very popular casual dining chain with 64 outlets in Canada, Arizona, Washington and Colorado. Twenty-five years ago, they launched a whimsical brand of beer called Albino Rhino. I don’t know why they chose that name – maybe it had something to do with the white rhino’s keen sense of smell or the fact that the species is endangered. One thing’s for sure; Earls didn’t intend to demean or humiliate people with albinism. Yet, someone with albinism launched a human-rights complaint. Now Earl’s is pulling the Albino Rhino brand and considering a new name.

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    Blonde Joke on Starbucks

    by  • February 4, 2013 • Branding, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy • 0 Comments

    blonde3Last week I slammed Kellogg’s for maligning the good reputation of their Special K brand. Special K has always stood for a nutritious breakfast. This brand name is now on a new flatbread sandwich of egg, cheese and sausage that contains fewer calories than fast food restaurant versions. The entry isn’t my idea of a nutritious breakfast.

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    A Canadian’s Tribute to US Thanksgiving

    by  • November 20, 2012 • Leadership, Life

    State-of-America1-150x150Last year, I came out of retirement to take a temporary assignment in southern California. This meant moving to Ventura from British Columbia for the better part of a year. I happened to be there for the third Thursday of November. Thanksgiving in America is a much bigger deal than it is above the 49th parallel. The days surrounding the holiday are the most travelled of the year. Families and friends come together to give thanks. Strangers wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Americans believe no one should be alone on this important day. I’m certain that’s the reason my wife and I were invited to Thanksgiving dinner by people we barely knew. 

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