Back in the days of the Beatles and Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones, there appeared a new group who called themselves Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Was this a cop out on naming their band, or was it a strategic decision?
It was actually strategic. David Crosby was already a singer with The [...]

Seems to me that the new Remington Clean X-Change electric razor is failing to take advantage of its genuine differentiation as the first electric razor with a disposable, replaceable head. I just literally saw the commercial for the third time tonight and could barely remember the name long enough to write this post.
I am [...]

The new Rubbermaid FastTrack organizing system is a great example of making a new item in a branded line of products behave like a brand itself.  The advertising shows a man with everything in his garage organized on the walls with the FastTrack system.  You immediately sense the benefit of organization and that you too [...]

My book, KILLER BRANDS, makes the point over and over that you do not have to be blessed with a massive budget or dominant resources to compellingly differentiate your brand.
You just need to choose a focus that creates a differentiated and compelling expectation for your brand, align everything to deliver that focus, and make sure [...]

I know that you have seen the new small watermelons, seedless, etc.
Today I saw even smaller ones, labeled Personal Size watermelons.  I bought one just as a reward for their ingenuity.
If we can have Personal Pan Pizzas, why not Personal Size watermelons?  Not arranged as a brand, but would have been a good idea if [...]

I discovered STOK today in a service station on Cobb Mountain in California north of the Napa Valley.  The merchandising on the gas pump alerted me to it.  “After long nights or even longer days.”  Since I was awakened last night in my cabin by an earthquake, I was a sitting duck target for this [...]

Just saw a Pamper’s line extension called Cruisers, developed to give extra room for learning to walk without leeking.  Just great.  Pamper’s Cruisers.  Does that set up a compelling expectation?
At the same time, consider Rubbermaid’s new line with bottoms designed to stack into both tops and bottoms for easier storage.  Could they have chosen a [...]

I passed a store rather quickly the other day, but the whole concept and name stuck with me.
KaBloom, The Power of Fresh Flowers.
Several things about this new flower shop appealed to me as a brand. The premise of power in fresh flowers is an interesting way to think about sending flowers, and of [...]

I am writing this post now because there is another new product along the vein of Fizzy Fruit.  I have seen the advertising at least six times.  But I cannot remember the name.
The concept seems promising, hiding vegetable juice in fruit juice so children will drink it.  Why can’t I remember the name?  You tell [...]

The cool waterproof shoes, Crocs are an excellent example of getting Focus, Alignment and Linkage right all from the very beginning.
I don’t know how many pairs of Crocs they have sold, but it looks like every child and teenager has at least one pair.  I am neither a child nor a teenager and I finally [...]