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: Marketers are trend-followers, not trend-setters.
Years of reorganizations, restructuring, buying and selling assets, and accumulating enormous debt have finally led to the downfall of one of America’s oldest brands, Del Monte. This past week, Del Monte filed for Chapter 11. Founded in 1886, Del Monte’s history spanned the miracle of canning, the pineapple fields in Hawaii (before Hawaii was a US State), coffee, pet foods, and more. Just read the dizzying facts about all the assets and sales on Wikipedia....
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 enormous economic and fiscal uncertainty. There appears to be declining consumer sentiment. Consumers are changing shopping behaviors, cutting back on more conspicuous consumption products. Prices are on the rise to cover the...
