We are born into story. From the moment we dive headfirst into the world we are anointed with a name, then told that we are a son, daughter, sister, cousin, grandchild, here’s your bed, here’s your room, this your house. You are part of a family, home, building, street, camp, neighborhood, town, city, metropolis, state, region, country, homeland, continent, on a planet circling a sun that swirls through a sprawling Universe.
In October of 1980, The Conference Board (the business and economics organization focused on corporate governance, HR, business ethics, global corporate citizenship, and corporate performance) held a conference titled “Marketing Under Economic Adversity.” The title is apt for today as we are experiencing the highest inflation inn 41 years, at 9.1% in June 2022. We are also experiencing product shortages, population declines, declining consumer sentiment and are expecting recession. Google is limiting hiring. Microsoft is...
I once sat in an auditorium with a group of marketers to hear Jack Trout and Al Ries talk about their new book, “Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind.” They handed out a narrow orange (orange!) pamphlet that highlighted their ideas — I still have it somewhere.
As anyone managing or advising startups knows, it’s not easy to step back from the daily fires that need to be put out to focus on the longer-term goals of building the business and going to market. Yet stepping back is often exactly what the doctor orders. So let’s step way back and see what we see.
When times are tough, people look for brands upon which they can rely. People look for brands they can trust. This is why now is an excellent time to aim for brand greatness.
