Whirlpool, the global appliance behemoth, recently reported less-than-healthy results. To summarize Whirlpool’s performance, The Wall Street Journal titled its brief recap “Whirlpool Heading for Full-Year Loss as Costs Mount and Sales Fall.” Whirlpool’s sagging performance has resulted in a cost-cutting, price-raising strategy.
The high rate of failure among artificial intelligence (AI) implementations in marketing and sales reveals a fundamental organizational problem that extends beyond the technology itself. Although AI offers substantial opportunities to improve marketing productivity, enhance customer understanding, personalize customer experiences, and increase revenue, many implementations fail to deliver their anticipated benefits. These failures are often attributed to inadequate data, immature technology, insufficient employee skills, unrealistic expectations, or difficulties integrating AI into existing systems and processes....
Relying on deal after deal to attract customers is death-wish marketing. The more often a brand announces, “This is a great deal,” the more customers come to believe that the deal price is the real price. The regular price begins to look inflated. The brand’s perceived value declines. What appears to be a short-term sales success can become a long-term problem for revenue quality and profitability.
Mattel, the owner of Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, UNO, Thomas & Friends, MEGA, Polly Pocket, Masters of the Universe, Monster High and Matchbox, may be up for sale. Or, some of Mattel’s individual brands may be sold off. There is a difference between selling a brand and understanding what makes that brand valuable.
Brand A.I. is having an uncertain month. Yes, A.I. has become a brand, although there seem to be discrepancies about just what Brand A.I.’s brand purpose and brand promise are. Current Brand A.I. debates have cast uncertainty over our collective future and human health. In some ways, it’s reminiscent of Brand Smoking.
