For Wellness & Better-for-you Brands, Gen X Spends the Most
Generation X: What a boring title for a group that ushered in the use of cell phones, home video games, microwaves, and cable TV. Gen X is that “old generation” now, creeping up into their 50’s, and uncool (clearly) to the younger generations. And in many marketers’ eyes, Gen X is even less relevant. In fact, […]
Your Better-For-You Brand is Not a Commodity
Commodity (n.) — A reasonably interchangeable good or material, bought and sold freely as an article of commerce. Commodities include agricultural products, fuels, and metals, and are traded in bulk on a commodity exchange or spot market. Is your brand a commodity? “Of course not,” you think. “Lots of people buy our product because they love […]
Transforming Your Brand into a Beloved Icon and Category Leader
When companies come to us seeking help, it’s often because they’re stuck in neutral. Their innovative initial product hooked fans, but then that popularity led to trouble as retailers and other companies introduced cheap knockoffs. Better-for-you brand owners and marketers (and their investors) want to return to glory — what we’ve dubbed “Beloved & Dominant” […]
Essentia Water Brand Strategy Case Study: When the Revolution is an Evolution
The natural channel of better-for-you beverage brands is exploding. But it’s important to note that being the best-selling brand at Whole Foods in this category doesn’t necessarily equate to profit and meaningful growth. So how do you increase market share and grow your brand while keeping your loyalists (both internally and externally) and invite the […]
Food Trends & Innovation: Branding Will Decide the Winners at Expo West
Trends. Are you tired of following the whiplash of what’s next in food? No? Me neither. My favorite trade show of the year, Expo West (or better known as the Natural Foods Expo), is just around the corner. This show touts itself on being “the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event,” and it is frankly […]
The Recipe Disney, Whole Foods & Adidas Use to Transform Employees into Brand Ambassadors
Good employees are hard to find. It’s an adage that seems to prove true with every generation. But as with all generalizations, there are caveats. As employers, we need to be aware of the influences that contribute to the success and failure of an employee. In today’s economy, simply offering a job and paycheck isn’t […]
Diet Coke’s Rebrand: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Article after article has praised Diet Coke for making this “bold” move. However, most fail to recognize the flawed strategy behind the design and potential dangers in some of their design and messaging decisions. Diet Coke’s new look aims to attract health-conscious millennials by adding four new flavors, modernizing the typography of the Coke logo, […]
How and Why You Should Target Generation Z Through Branding
Predicting market trends and anticipating consumer shifts can make or break your company. However, we’re so often hyper-focused on what’s happening right in front of us, we forget to look ahead. Don’t let Gen Z sneak up on you – arm yourself early with data and resources to engage this consumer base effectively and powerfully. […]
How Brands Use Rituals to Meaningfully Engage Their Customers
If your target audience lacks engagement or community, ritual can answer that need by fulfilling your customers’ natural desire for routine and belonging. Embracing this type of behavior modification will allow you to not only capture their attention but retain it as well. Ritual comes from an inherent human desire; we’re creatures of habit. We […]
How to Use Form Factor to Powerfully Transform Your Brand and Disrupt Your Industry
Form factor can either be part of your brand’s selling mechanism or integral to the functionality of the products. In either case, it dramatically impacts how customers are attracted to and interact with your brand. We can all recognize Coca-Cola’s signature glass bottle silhouette anywhere and can spot a Pringles can from a mile away. […]
