Exclusivity has always been the currency of luxury. Scarcity, discretion, and control are what transform an object into a symbol of status. From the earliest maisons to today’s most ambitious startups, prestige has been built on what is withheld as much as what is revealed.
Early in my marketing career, I kept running into the same paradox: the marketing campaigns that actually moved the needle led with emotion, yet most clients insisted on leading with facts—bullet points, technical specs, rational arguments.
There is some reporting that Beyond Meat, the meat-alternative parent of Beyond Burgers and more, is headed for Chapter 11. Apparently, the brand’s last quarter was an even bigger disappointment than previous quarters.
A recent study by McKinsey & Company documents the continuing decline in the influence of the marketing function and the growing frustration of CEOs with the contribution of marketing. Much of this frustration stems from marketers’ inability to clearly explain how marketing activities contribute to the firm’s financial performance and the continued use of metrics like brand awareness and brand equity as evidence of performance. There is, of course, nothing wrong with measures of brand health,...
With the advent of online shopping, the idea of a physical place – you know, the bricks-and-mortar establishment – took a hit. The business press, pundits, observers, and others lamented the death of physical retail. It appeared as if no physical store could compete with the choice and convenience of online shopping. Even fast food establishments elected to use more technology, less personalization, and fewer crew.
