Entries by Jay York

Disney+ Is Raising Prices Believing Customers Will Not Care

In its most recent earnings report, Disney, one of America’s most beloved brands, changed its approach to its direct-to-consumer business, that is, its streaming business including Disney+, ESPN and Hulu. Disney+ has never been profitable. It lost $1.1 billion in its fiscal third quarter. In the previous quarter, the loss was $292 million. According to […]

Airbnb And The Power of Localization

In a recent Wall Street Journal interview with Brian Cheskey, CEO and a founder of Airbnb, reporter Preetika Rana discussed the way in which Airbnb survived during the pandemic and is now flourishing. Although there were several financial measures that Airbnb employed to sustain itself during the crisis of Covid lockdowns and quarantines, one of […]

Have you Noticed That Brands Are Here To Make Us Happy

In 2013, Pharrell Williams had a huge hit song called Happy. That song played everywhere. Happiness was all around us. Now, it appears as if we really need to be happy. Having been released from our Covid confinements, we are looking for ways to get happy again. Type in “happiness” for the last month on […]

The Phoenix Brand: Toys “R” Us

Guess what? The iconic world of Geoffrey the Giraffe, Toys “R” Us, is back.  Toys “R” Us is a Phoenix Brand.  A Phoenix Brand is a brand that has been burned to death yet attains new life and rises the next day. The mythology around the Phoenix is that it is a symbol of renewal.  […]

Marketing Under Economic Adversity

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 the highest inflation inn 41 years, at 9.1% in June 2022. We […]

Becoming a Great Brand

When times are tough, people look for brands upon which they can rely. People look for brands they can trust. This is why now is an excellent time to aim for brand greatness.  Grand greatness has several basic components. Without these, the brand cannot be on the road to greatness. First, be popular. Great brands […]

The Corporate Branded Portfolio And Purina

If you read or skimmed the recent issue of National Geographic, you saw throughout the magazine one of the best examples of a Corporate Branded Portfolio. The Corporate Brand is Purina, the pet nutrition and pet welfare company. The Branded Portfolio is some of our most well-known pet brands including Purina Alpo, Purina Bella, Purina […]

Brand Loyalty Is Not Dying

Brand loyalty is not dying. But, you would not know this if you are paying attention to the business press. Recently, there have been many articles describing the impact of higher prices and lack of product availability on brand loyalty. These articles and opinions state that when consumers do not see their favorite brand due […]

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 […]