The marketer who is bored with the world’s 4th largest retailer is bored with life. If you have been into a Tesco store recently, you will already have seen a new line gracing its aisles. The ‘discount brands at Tesco’ range has been hailed by chief executive Terry Leahy as the biggest change in the brand’s offering in more than a decade.
There was a fascinating moment of business drama last week in Washington, DC. Three of the most important chief executives on the planet met leaders from the US Senate and House to plead for extra public funds. General Motors’ chief executive Rick Wagoner, Chrysler’s Robert Nardelli and Ford’s Alan Mulally testified at a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing to ask for an additional $25bn handout to keep their brands alive.
It is extremely difficult to identify which companies are good at branding.
There are two kinds of brand management: intentional branding and holistic branding.
It has been a gloomy month for US retailers. Iconic brands such as Linens-n-Things and Mervyns are in liquidation, while former electrical retail powerhouse Circuit City filed for bankruptcy protection last week. Store sales are down at every major US retailer – except one.
