The latest Bloomberg Businessweek has its annual “How To” section with a little bit of everything squeezed in.  Included is a paragraph by Lew Frankfort,  the CEO of Coach, on how to “Reinvent A Brand”.  It talks about how they are transforming Coach into a women’s lifestyle brand.  He offers the following headlines:…

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Throughout life, there are many instances where a balance of two factors is required for something to be its best.  Think about it, the heart and head, Yin and Yang, male and female, positive and negative polarities, etc.  In advertising, it's really no different.  For an ad to be its best,…

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There’s been an interesting dialog created about the very presence and power of consumer brands.  It was originally sparked by a talk given by Jeremy Bullmore in 2001 - apparently a long time WPP ad man.  In it he posits a number of provocative suppositions about the brand that, to me, are actually quite fascinating coming from someone - seemingly - in…

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Sometimes it takes more than just a great image to make a great print ad.  

Let me first acknowledge my biases…

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A brand is frequently characterized as a "promise".  On a  superficial level that may be the case, but the day-to-day reality is much more complex and nuanced.  To me, the word "promise" speaks of a singular, narrow agreement that is unbending.…

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It's a marketers dream to have the chance to remake a classic.  I've often romantically pondered resuscitating fallen brand powerhouses, re-igniting dormant consumer equity to create new found financial gains.  There's just something about looking at a fallen great brand and thinking that you could do better.  I'm guessing I'm not the only marketer to do that!…

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This is a great print ad.  No, its not the sexiest, most beautiful image, nor the most compelling or world changing product.  But unlike…

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It is clear by looking at the wide variety of advertising produced that there are some who really "get" it, and others, well, who . . . have other thoughts. There is so much that can be said about creating good advertising that, often, someone looking for guidance can be overwhelmed by it all and not know where to start. I've simplified 20+ years of experience, both from the client side and as an adviser to companies, down to the five most… Continue

One of my home town baseball teams, the Chicago White Sox, was described during the 1983 season by Doug Rader, manager of the Texas Rangers, as "Winning Ugly". He was trying to dismiss the White Sox style of play which emphasized a kind of scrappiness and bull headed determination rather than consistently good hitting or pitching.



Although I am not, strictly speaking, a White Sox fan, (I live on the north side of the city) I have always appreciated the way this phrase, "winning… Continue