Entries by Jay York

Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Taco Bell, McDonald’s Master The Forces of Alone-And-Together

We live in an uncertain world. We have become more skeptical and distrusting. Our environment seems unsettled, unpredictable and unstable. And, then, to magnify these feelings, we experienced Covid-19. During the coronavirus pandemic, many behaviors and attitudes changed. Our desires for satisfaction of contradictory needs and wants grew stronger. We simply do not want to […]

Kellogg’s: Institutionalize Change or Change Will Interfere With Success

Change happens all the time. Today, it is almost impossible to keep aware of everything that changes around your brand. Customer behaviors change. Attitudes change. Competition changes. Competitive strategies change. Technology changes. Devices change. Distribution channels change. To deal with change, some organizations implement change initiatives. A change initiative has a program, an HR course, […]

Food Halls Satisfy Our Need For Safely-Adventurous Self-Expression

There are many reasons for why we eat. Knowing what food-consumption needs your brand-business satisfies is critical. Needs-based occasion-driven segmentation is fundamental to brand-business success. The latest example – phenomenon – derived from needs-based occasion-driven segmentation is the Food Hall. Some may say that a Food Hall is a channel, not a need. In a […]

Barnes & Noble: Navigating At The Intersection of Global, Local And Personal

One of the most important issues for brand-business leadership today is navigating the intersection of global, local and personal. One brand-business that has found its way in this marketing landscape is Barnes & Noble. For a long time, being locally relevant was not considered necessary for brand-businesses, except for language and monetary currencies. Ubiquitous, uniform, […]

Seven Must-dos For Creating A Brand Value Strategy In the Age of Adjustment

Here is a marketing truth: it does not matter if there is a recession or inflation: the best value wins. Value is a virtue.  But, brand-businesses do not just wake up one day and have value. Brand-businesses must develop and implement a brand-business value strategy. Value is everything. What is value? Value is customer-perceived. Value […]

Levi Strauss & Co. Has An Opportunity To Break Its Brand-Business Behaviors

It is always distressing when an iconic, cultural brand-business declines. It is especially distressing when the brand-business is an ingrained part of American history. But, this seems to be the case with Levi’s.  Levi Strauss & Co.’s latest earnings call is depressing. Yes, the brand is globally recognized as an authority in jeans. But, the […]

Selling The Category And Not The Brand

Selling the category rather than selling your brand is brand-business mismanagement. Selling the category means the brand-business leadership does not know what is relevant and differentiated about its brand. Selling the category when your brand does not know what is its relevant differentiation plays into competitors’ hands. From 1981 to 1983, Campbell Soup’s advertising campaign […]

The Resurgence of Brand Equity: It May Be 1988 All Over Again

Something interesting is happening in brand management. Increasingly, we read about brand-businesses that are focusing on Brand Equity. It has been decades since the topic of Brand Equity was mentioned in press releases and earnings calls. Brand Equity is more than a phrase; it is an investment in enduring profitable growth of the brand-business. That […]

Cracker Barrel And Making Demographics Matter

Not even COVID-19 changed the trajectory of demographics. And, although data in The New York Times indicates that global population growth may end in 2080’s, we are currently living in a world that is getting older and younger at the same time. Demographics are a marketing reality. And, brands, such as iconic Southern fare restaurant […]

Smucker, Hostess And Occasion Segmentation

Market segmentation is fundamental to marketing. Segmentation is evergreen when it comes to building and managing brands. J.M. Smucker, purveyor of jams, jellies, Jif peanut butter, Folgers coffee, Uncrustables, Carnation evaporated milk and pet food items including Milk Bone dog biscuits and Meow Mix, has just purchase Hostess brand snack foods. Hostess makes Twinkies, Ding […]