The tale of two food companies shows that big consumer goods brands are NOT doomed to decline, despite the negative predictions to this effect in many newspapers and consultancy reports. “Food…
This week Australian retailer Wesfarmers offloaded Homebase for a nominal £1 and took a whacking £1.1 billion write-down, just two years after paying £340 million for the the British DIY chain. “Homebase is undoubtedly…
There's a lot of doom and gloom about the fate of big brands these days and specifically the threat of smaller, 'insurgent brands'. So, I was interested to read The…
The great Stephen Hawking defined intelligence as ‘the ability to adapt to change’. And change dominates the landscape of any marketer today. Brands are re-defining their role in society, seeking…
“Too often, investors, entrepreneurs and established companies ignore old brands capable of being reborn,” rightly points out Luke Johnson in one of his excellent Sunday Times columns (1). As he…
The story of the Mr Kipling brand has some great learning about the dangers of ditching distinctive assets. Back in 2014 in a post on the cake brand I warned…
I read over breakfast today how giant retailer Toys R Us will will close or sell all 885 US stores in the coming months, putting 33,000 jobs at risk (1).…
Can a 418 year old play about a story that happened over 2,000 years ago provide any inspiration for your brand? The answer is a resounding “Yes”, based on my…
I came across an interesting inside view of Airbnb whilst researching the brand for our new book - the brandgym: Rebooted for a Digital Age (out in September). The article…
The Taylor family are in the process of buying a new Mini. And the searching/buying experience has reminded me about just how brilliant a brand rejuvenation case this is. Here…