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Brand + Strategy Archives
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What the Comanches Teach Us about Strategy1.17.2011
Every American Indian tribe (and every Texan and Mexican) feared the Comanches in the 1800s. Their rise to dominance is in part a story of positioning strategy. I'm just finishing Sam Gwynne's recent book, Empire of the Summer Moon - a riveting narrative on the rise and fall of one of the most feared tribes in American history. Only the Sioux on the northern plains … » more The Visiting Vet11.21.2010
CZ Marketing spends a lot of time helping clients discern and shape their unique brand position in the minds of their customers and prospects. Recently, I was struck with a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious): I know a service provider who has staked a unique position among his competitors. My veterinarian, Dr. Aaron Vigil, bills himself as “The Visiting Vet.” He only makes … » more Starbucks and McDonald’s Square Off11.4.2010
I like coffee, and I'm not a snob. I enjoy Starbucks, but I'll drink almost any other brand, including drip from a greasy spoon. In recent years, I've stopped dreading our stops at McDonald's for our kids while traveling to and from our vacations. When McDonald's got serious about coffee a few years ago, it put Starbucks on notice. I read the recent Harvard Business Review interview … » more Brand Search, Brand PowerWinning the search on the World Wide Web.
10.15.2010
In the wide world of the web, how do you ensure that when a consumer hops on a search engine they find you first? Bruce Philp, branding guru to ING Direct and co-author of The Orange Code says that the answer is differentiation. Here in the third of three interviews, Philp talks about how the Internet has changed brand management--and relinquished control to the consumer. Is the … » more Messaging for the Homeless8.10.2010
Several weeks back my family and I attended a Chicago Cubs baseball game. Yes, they lost. In the 12th inning. As we walked out of Wrigley, a middle-aged homeless-looking guy stood in the middle of the sidewalk with a cardboard sign: "Why Lie? I need money for cold beer." Gutsy, I thought. But I didn't reach for my spare change. Three other stories of need: The other day as … » more Story Behind the Store Front7.27.2010
In April I spent a week fly fishing in Montana with a friend of thirty years. It's our annual trek to Bozeman to fish the lower Madison and the Yellowstone in Paradise Valley. I'm always puzzled by large number of fly fishing shops near Bozeman, Montana. How do they all survive? Every fly shop looks to be the same. Each carries rods, flies, waders and boots, … » more Let Us Bore and Ignore You on Your Campus Visit5.17.2010
It is that time again: college visit season. This spring my daughter, who is a junior, and I made it to five colleges for overnight campus visits. A campus visit is no small thing. It involves time off school (and work for mom and dad), travel, and the expense of accommodations. You don’t do them on a whim. And you certainly don’t visit schools … » more I Just Want to Deposit a Check, That’s All10.19.2009
A man walks into a bank. All he wants to do is deposit a check. He should have trusted his instincts and used the ATM. He is greeted by the sentinel guarding the door at the customer service desk, "Hello, welcome to Chase Bank. How may I help you?" He averts his eyes: "I just want to deposit a check." The sentinel persists: "We can have one of our … » more They Are Laughing at You9.3.2009
A neighbor is working on a post-graduate degree. His days in class are in chunks: Several times a year, he spends four days at eight hours a day sitting in a classroom. Listening to lectures. There are eight experienced folks in the class. From around the globe. The professor who is nearing retirement reads his lectures. He puts a slide up on the screen, reads it, and then moves … » more The Filters of Your Prospects8.11.2009
There's the joyous message that you plan to communicate. And then there's the message that your audience (or prospects) receive and internalize. My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently, and we five kids put together an open house that included a short program. Of the kids, I've orbited the farthest from my home state of North Dakota, where we held the reception for my parents. I had … |