• Branding

    The Power of Strategic Sacrifice in a Complex World

    by  • January 14, 2015 • Branding, Human Resources, Leadership, Life, Marketing, Strategy • 1 Comment

    LargeDo Less Better isn’t the first book on focus, nor will it be the last. But the element that separates this book from the others is the “how” – how one finds focus in a business world that is more complex than ever. All the way from the C-suite’s choice of markets in which to compete to a person’s daily “to do” list, the “how” is the capacity to make tough strategic choices and tough strategic sacrifices.

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    Charismatic Leadership: Style or Substance?

    by  • November 2, 2014 • Branding, Human Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy • 0 Comments

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    Have you ever watched a charismatic person “work” a room? At the outset, they assess the collective mood. Then they advance to the gathering with a demeanor that suits the environment and their desired role within it. Moving from one person to the next, they engage each individual, albeit briefly, as though that person was a VIP. Regardless of authenticity, personality can be an irresistible force.

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    Brand NBA: A Sterling Silver Case of Crisis Management

    by  • April 30, 2014 • Branding, Leadership, Life, Marketing, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    clippersCall it a hiccup or a long-term slump; large or small, every business faces a crisis. The crisis can be brought on by a direct competitor (Blockbuster trumped by Netflix), a sudden shift in consumer habits (The Beatles haircuts on Brylcreem Hairdressing), a product recall (GM’s ignition switches), the mishandling of an environmental disaster (BP‘s oil spill), or the personal misbehavior of an executive.

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    Why HR Needs to Be a Marketer

    by  • December 29, 2013 • Branding, Human Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy • 0 Comments

    MrktgHRGreat marketing begins with great strategy. Great strategy seldom happens without sacrifice. Sacrifice is the natural path to differentiation. The best brand custodians know that you never promise a smorgasbord of benefits; trying to be all things to all people is a recipe for disaster. There’s more: a marketer’s product or service better deliver on the promise. If it doesn’t, great marketing cannot exist. What does this have to do with HR? Everything.

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    Why Great Brands Lose Their Way

    by  • August 6, 2013 • Branding, Human Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy • 5 Comments

    SonyNever in the history of marketing has there been so much talk about branding. The conversation in the world of branding is well beyond product and service brand discussion by marketers and ad agencies. Branding has proliferated big time – we now have personal brands, country brands, political brands, cause-related brands, even cultural brands. The ramification is clutter, the arch enemy of brand identity.

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    Beer Branding: Image is Still Everything

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

    Labatt50Locally 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 and “fun-loving” promotions.

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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 • 1 Comment

    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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