tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246Sat, 07 Sep 2024 03:58:36 +0000BRANDom Thoughts...provides readers with insights into the relationship of positioning and messaging to business issues and current events.http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)Blogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-2886252578522135370Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:11:00 +00002008-03-21T08:16:01.621-07:00Happy Easter everyone. Here are a few great quotes to send you on your weekend. The first has guided my approach both professionally and personally. One the eve of Easter, I thought the second was particularly appropriate.Check back next week for more insights..."Luck is the residue of desire and design" - Rene Descartes"The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/friday-quotes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-8787226155454772140Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:53:00 +00002008-03-17T15:15:37.332-07:00The sale of Bear Stearns for $2 per share to JPMorgan Chase is another example of greed run amok. Bear’s exposure to subprime investments spelled its doom. The interesting question is whether this most recent collapse irreparably damages the Wall St. brand. London, fueled by its every powerful British Pound, is increasingly being seen as the new global financial capital. And the Middle http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/death-of-bear-and-brand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-4716526564118455455Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:53:00 +00002008-03-14T06:57:06.700-07:00I am starting a Friday tradition today. By now you have read the commentary and advice in Monday – Thursday columns. I hope you have found them insightful. Of course, your comments are always welcome. Friday will conclude with the weekly “Brand Quote” and “Personal Relationship Quote”. After all, business is about relationships – relationships with customers, colleagues, and constituents.http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-friday-tradition-brand-and-personal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-3538327533963622647Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:29:00 +00002008-03-13T07:39:52.217-07:00First it was JetBlue. Now Southwest. Two of the most successful airlines in recent years are losing altitude. Why? They’ve broken one of the most fundamental rules of successful brands – trust. JetBlue's ill planned expansion and rerouting plans stranded passengers over the summer during a series of weather “events”. Passengers were stranded in airports for days. They missed business http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/airlines-break-trust-and-lose-altitude.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-2529962630473127334Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:33:00 +00002008-03-12T12:35:20.995-07:00Sustainability is pervasive in global business. And its implications are tremendous. Leading brand owners and their retail partners are making sustainability a key factor in their purchasing decisions. Of course, Wal-Mart has been the leader in the field. What surprises me is that many companies don’t equate sustainability with innovation. Sure innovation is an overused buzz word. But it http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/sustainability-of-sustainability.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-1635034855659477367Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:12:00 +00002008-03-11T11:13:44.237-07:00From advanced telecommunications gear to raw chemicals, the “commoditization” of products continues unabated. Two factors have contributed to this trend. Fierce competition has led many companies to compete only on price. Economic conditions are also enabling buyers to extract even greater concessions from sellers. How can companies differentiate themselves? Unfortunately, many companies have http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/avoid-commoditization-by-leveraging.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-7509080796698027551Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:08:00 +00002008-03-10T15:10:47.158-07:00Beyond the immorality (and potentially illegal) issue of Eliot Spitzer’s involvement in a prostitution ring, there are lessons in the branding and positioning of “Eliot Spitzer”. He was the new sheriff of Wall Street. He was the antidote for the backdoor operations of New York government. There was no middle ground with Spitzer. He was the solution to all problems because he ran on a platformhttp://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/spitzers-positioning-problem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-1586841767672382004Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:42:00 +00002008-03-10T08:46:39.544-07:00To Aim Ads, Web Is Keeping Closer Eye on You, NY Times, March 10http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/technology/10privacy.html?hp Does this really surprise anyone? Any person with more than 6 months of internet experience knows that data is being collected. They just don’t know how. What surprises me is that many business-to-business companies still don’t have a reasonable web strategy. Inhttp://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/web-is-watching.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236689786047530246.post-4024231481523559135Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:40:00 +00002008-03-09T17:25:15.792-07:00Capital budgets are shrinking. Projections for growth remain conservative. Even the cheerleaders on “The Street” are not able to boost optimism as they once could. Instead of adapting to change and seizing opportunities to strengthen market position, many businesses are committing one critical error – slashing marketing budgets. Sure marketing is an easy target. Quick savings can be http://kelly-howard.blogspot.com/2008/03/darwinian-marketing-in-todays-economy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kelly M. Howard)0