Entries by Jay York

Marketing’s Greatest Sin

Here is marketing’s greatest sin: there is no legal definition of a brand. Everyone speaks about protecting their brands. But, it is difficult to protect something when it is not a legal entity. Imagine you are embroiled in a legal case.  Your brand is under attack. Imagine that you invite a branding guru as an […]

The CMO Must Be The Voice Of The Customer

The primary role of the CMO is to be the voice of the customer for the brand-business. The CMO embodies the customer informing the organization. Customer understanding and insight generation are the CMO’s highest priorities. Sure, the CMO has numerous other functions these days. But, being the voice of the customer must be the number […]

Covid-19 Killed Either/Or

Demographers say that aside from an apocalyptic event, demography is destiny. A global pandemic can be considered an apocalyptic event. Covid-19 did not just eliminate the lives of millions worldwide. In developed nations, Covid-19 upended or fast-tracked existing trends that have now changed the landscape of dozens of categories. The effect on brand-businesses has been […]

Mercedes-Benz’ New Strategy May Be Flawed

There is angst in Stuttgart, Germany. The executives at Mercedes believe that Mercedes has lost its luxury caché. Part of this concern has to do with its brand image. And, part of this has to do with its valuation in the eyes of investors and analysts. It seems that Mercedes is troubled that it is […]

Streaming Brands Are Scavenger Brands

Streaming brands have become scavenger brands. Streaming brands are focused on scavenging for new subscribers with little focus on current customers. Scavenger brands survive by relentlessly seeking larger subscriber numbers to satisfy investors and analysts. Scavenger brands are the hunters and gatherers of the modern age. A streaming brand’s stock price and image are dependent […]

Peloton: Turnaround Plan or Growth Plan 

Peloton’s new CEO, Barry McCarthy, recently reported to analysts on his turnaround plan. He stated that a turnaround plan is hard work. He said that in turnaround situations there are always a lot of surprises. He said the turnaround would take a lot of time. If he was looking for support, he did not receive […]

Brand Leadership And The Courage To Commit

Many times, brand-businesses have insights about the future but do not find the courage to act on these insights. Lack of courage occurs for a number of reasons. Costs, fear of failure, complacency, the comfort of manufacturing what the business knows how to make rather than what solves customers’ problems, a chief of manufacturing who […]

Netflix Finally Stops Believing What Worked Yesterday Will Work Today

There is a brand-business truism that states: Believing That What Worked Yesterday Will Work Today is Brand-Business Destructive. At some point, top executives and Boards of Directors need to face the music in a changing brand-business landscape. They need to stop doing what worked in the past. Problems arise when the strategic plan is to […]

The Revitalization Of Barnes & Noble

Recently, The New York Times ran a lengthy story about the revitalization of Barnes & Noble, the last book megastore on the American retail landscape. Although some still question the future of the brand, there is no question that Barnes & Noble has come back from the brink.  In August of 2019, activist hedge fund […]

A Brand’s Frontline Is its Goldmine

Employees are the frontline when it comes to customer relationships and delivering the brand experience.  This is especially true in a service business. Investing in a brand’s people should always be a priority. In March 2022, Starbucks changed its CEO. Kevin Johnson who became CEO in 2017, announced that he was leaving. Mr. Johnson was […]