The Anti-Discrimination Brand

DISCRIMINATION IS BAD FOR BUSINESS

Arizona tried it and Mississippi passed it - laws that give permission to businesses to discriminate based on strongly held religious beliefs. Businesses that feared a big drop in revenue pressured the Arizona governor so much that she vetoed a bill that would have allowed businesses...

Beware of TMT (Too Much Trouble)

WORK-AROUNDS ARE JUST TOO MUCH WORK

When processes or products suffer from inefficiency, a too-limited focus, or become less relevant, their designers try to “fix” the situation by requiring some action from the users. These “fixes" are an afterthought that usually require the user to perform a series of onerous steps to...

CVS Caremark Honors its Brand Promise

“CIGARETTE SMOKING IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH” – The US Surgeon General

Being true to your brand promise can be expensive in the short run but profitable in the long run. CVS Caremark, the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States, has decided to forgo $1.5 billion in annual tobacco sales and an additional $.5 billion in...

New Year, New Brands

HAVE A POPSICLE!

Every new year we see new brands vying for attention, trying to get traction in the marketplace.  Some make it and some don't. We love the success stories of the ones that do because they inspire us with their often unlikely solutions to the barriers of...

Black Friday Exceeds its Brand Width

MORE IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER

This year, many people were shocked at the incursion of Black Friday sales into Thanksgiving Day itself. They thought the Thanksgiving holiday should remain a time for family and friends to gather together to share appreciation and gratitude. But not for shopping. Nevertheless, the big box...

Thanksgiving – The Brand

MADE IN AMERICA

Thanksgiving is a “brand” with all the essentials of any other brand. It has a compelling popular brand story (even if not entirely accurate). European Pilgrims are saved by Native Americans who provide a feast of turkey, corn, and vegetables, for which the pilgrims give thanks...