Entries by Jay York

The EV Challenge: Brand Loyalty Is More Than Trial

Let’s discuss brand loyalty. It used to be a principle of marketing that a brand needed trial and repeat before you had brand loyalty. In fact, at the haven of marketing, P&G, the concept was three tries before you could feel comfortable that a customer had become a loyal customer. And, this makes sense. Brand […]

Do’s and Don’ts for 2023

It has been a wild year for marketers. Based on events of 2022, here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind for 2023. Do’s Do know the business in which you do business. Please be specific. For example, you are not in the restaurant business; you are not in the fast food business; […]

Dollar General Chooses Market Segmentation

Market segmentation is fundamental to brand-business building. When creatively and intelligently managed, market segmentation can provide insight into: Dollar General applied market segmentation to generate its two-year-old pOpshelf brand-business. Without altering its brand promise, Dollar General is leveraging market segmentation to expand its footprint with pOpshelf. Dollar General is not alienating its core customer base […]

Beyond Meat: A Brand-Business Needs a Relevant Differentiated Brand Promise

In its latest earnings call, Beyond Meat articulated a three-step turnaround plan. Observers, investors and analysts agree that Beyond Meat is a troubled brand-business in need of a turnaround. In yet another analysis of Beyond Meat on CNN, there was the familiar litany of issues. As CNN points out, Beyond Meat is facing a “waning” […]

Macy’s: A Mall Within A Mall

Is the rejuvenation of retail going to be the idea of a mall within a mall?  While some retail establishments bit the dust after years of overwhelming debt and pressures from coronavirus, some surviving stores are giving up the old “department” store approach for the idea of a store within a store. And, logically, as […]

Sears: The Agonizing Attrition of An Icon

As we enter the holiday season, we learn from BusinessWeek that Sears, once America’s holiday shopping mecca, is barely alive, in the continuing agony of attrition. The sadness of Sears is palpable.  Let’s face the facts: Sears is no longer a living brand. Some refer to Sears as a zombie brand: no longer alive but […]

Twitter Is Torching Its Brand Power

A powerful brand is the consistent identity of a trusted source. A powerful brand reflects its trusted reputation for quality, leadership, and integrity, underpinning all stakeholder relationships. A powerful brand is not merely a marketing concept. It is not an academic theory. It is not a line in an advertising slogan. A powerful brand is […]

Amazon Prime: The Bundle Is Better

Which is better for the brand? Asking users to pay for individual services? Or asking users to buy a bundle of services? There is a lot behavioral psychology involved in this choice that affects brand perceptions. There are inherent risks whichever approach a brand employs.  Research shows that individual fees feel more personalized as a […]

Building Immersive Brand Experiences: American Girl and RH Restaurants

Prior to the pandemic, Starbucks’ founder, Howard Schultz, stated that the way forward for brands is making your branded space an “experiential destination.” At that time,   Starbucks’ CEO, Kevin Johnson said, “To survive, merchants need to create unique and immersive in-store experiences.” Covid-19 changed things for Starbucks as the company post-pandemic focuses more on […]