MARKETING MATTERS

    Last week I mused about the closings of Treasure Island Foods and Dominick’s in the Chicago area. But a mighty giant of yore is seeking bankruptcy, Sears. This would have been unimaginable in its hey-day (it’s been around for 132-years surviving WW I & II, and the Great Depression) as it would be […]

The interview process can be quite trying. There are those interviewers whose questions are directed to find out what is wrong with the candidate. These are the half-empty managers. They have limited vision and poor managerial skills. Then there are those managers who want to find out what the candidate has going for her/him and […]

There is a belief among many marketers and agency account managers that the creative brief needs to inspire the creative team. Poppycock (a much more reserved expression than how I really feel about it)! The creative team should be inspired by the challenge of the work and the leadership of the client. The client’s job […]

President Trump has been levying and threatening tariffs on select countries and industries. Steel and aluminum are two such industries to be targeted. Harley-Davidson, expecting a decline in profits due to the increased cost of steel and aluminum needed to manufacture their choppers has been exploring making parts overseas to scooter around the tariffs. In […]

Senior managers will claim that their company, brand or new marketplace entry is “competitive.” Yet so very often their products are “me-too,” further contributing to the “age of sameness” in an era characterized by a proliferation of products (i.e., an “age of abundance”) in virtually every market. Additionally, they’re under-funded and/or their organization is not […]