A recent article in The Wall Street Journal reminds us that understanding value is critical for brand viability. The story focuses on McDonald’s. According to the reporters, the V (Value) in Ray Kroc’s QSC and V (Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value) has vanished. McDonald’s is struggling to recapture its customer-perceived value positioning.
In my Marketing Strategy class at Kellogg, I spend a significant amount of time exploring the critical link between finance and marketing. It is impossible to be an effective marketer and business builder without a deep understanding of financial considerations. United’s Plus Points program is a perfect example of why this link is so critical.
When rapid and disruptive change occurs, marketers are handed an extraordinary moment to align themselves with percolating consumer needs when the openness to engagement is fresh. This relevance breakthrough is happening right now — and is unleashed when brands work to fill the fractures in consumer confidence with empathetic support.
Iconic American brands are under pressure. Some of our most beloved and well-known brands are facing uncertainty. There has been a Sotheby’s auction-like atmosphere surrounding the future of American main meal and snack food brands. Kellogg’s, a brand with a storied American history, is being sold off in two pieces: its snack food portfolio going to Mars for a reported $30 billion, while Kellogg’s main meal foods, cereals and such, are off to Italian confectioner,...
From all my years in research and consulting, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing worth sharing. Enduring fundamentals, mostly yet often overlooked. So, this year, I’m sharing some for your consideration. I hope they’re helpful. This week’s thought: Convenience rules. Convenience trumps everything. No matter how innovative or cheap a brand may be, if it’s not easy to use, it will fail.
