I gave a speech on the principles of KILLER BRANDING a few years ago at the William Mason business school at William & Mary college, and one of the students whose name escapes me now, immediately branded himself as “the Generator,” someone who generates change, who makes things happen.  He put it on his letters, [...]

I discovered Ira Koretsky today, not a very compelling or memorable name is it?  How about if I said that I discovered The Chief Story Teller™ today?  That is how Ira brands himself. In fact, if  you go to the website of The Chief Story Teller, you will note that he does not use his [...]

A few years ago, certain bakeries started selling the top of muffins because so may people prefer them.  Problem was, no one could own the idea. That brings me to the Edge™ brownie pan, where an entrepreneur figured out how to make a pan that would bake brownies all of which had at least two [...]

A young mother in Atlanta, Britt Menzies started a company based on her children, which she called Stinky Kids.  She created the characters and gave them a Mom-desired reason-for-being.  The focus of her brand is “teaching good.” Stinky Kids always make the right choice.  Stinky Kids do the good thing. Britt was wearing a Stinky [...]

In one of my favorite all-time marketing books, Macy’s, Gimbles and Me, Bernice Fitzgibbons (“It’s Smart to be Thrifty” for Macy’s, and “Nobody, But Nobody Undersells Gimble’s”) is interviewing a new writer for one of her copy departments, probably back in the 40′s or 50′s, at least during the heyday of Department Store advertising before [...]

I  love this business.  Yes, I must suffer through the Gatorade fiascos, and the Tropicana near disasters, but every now and then, you stumble across something wonderful,  Today, I discovered Whistle Creek walking sticks and canes out in Estes Park, Colorado. I have a heath nuisance that might force me use a cane, and I [...]

I ate the other night at the Montgomery Inn in a surburb northeast of Cincinnati. The Montgomery Inn is actually a KILLER BRAND. People from all over come there just to have their barbecued ribs. This is a great example of focus.  The Montgomery Inn is a full-service full-menu restaurant.  Very upscale, in a very [...]

Animal crackers with which we are all familiar were not a brand.  Animal crackers are a commodity with many different manufacturers over the years, even a few now, but the niche category has been all but owned since 1902 by Nabisco with its Barnum Animal crackers.  WHY?? In 1902, Nabisco created a special package of [...]

There is a TV campaign on at the moment for either Direct TV or for Cable TV.   Takes place around a conference table.  Ed Bagley Jr. plays the chairman of the company.   One guy takes the lead telling about what the competition is doing.  Then they joke into “Let’s Raise Our Prices” in some spots, [...]

The American Dream may be born in the fact that to create a Killer Brand here does not require the resources of a giant, just the talent of a giant. Consider.  Delta with giant resources starts a new airline named Song.  Millions later Song is gone. While during the same years, in the very toughest [...]