Category: Strategic Thinking

GooGLE Divides to Conquer.

8/13/2015

The news that Google was creating a new entity to contain itself plus the company’s more speculative ventures came as welcome news to the investment community today -- and to armchair business strategists, as well. Google will become a subsidiary of Alphabet (www.abc.xyz), which also will hold (and develop) a portfolio of products aimed squarely at the future.

As the illustration shows, Google's vision allows it to continue marketing and growing its search business, YouTube, Google AdSense and other endeavors while Alphabet concentrates on creating leading edge opportunities, thus giving the company a mix of separately managed business units in different stages of development. It's all very much in keeping with what Peter Drucker declared some time ago:

“Business has only two functions: marketing and innovation.”

Google’s move is not surprising given a 30-something friend’s recent hiring by Google after an exhaustive assessment process to determine whether he’d be a good cultural fit. Apparently he is, because three weeks into the new job he’s off and running, although I don’t know exactly what he’s doing. It wouldn’t surprise me to discover that he’s working on some high-potential Alphabet project given his unusual mix of talents and experience: a coder who can discern and dissect client problems with an eye toward solving them in a practical, profitable way. He's also a talented graphic artist and has a mind that allows him to imagine products into being and help make them successful.

I am reminded, in thinking about Google’s fascinating strategic move, of a quote by Bob Waterman in the landmark 1980s book In Search of Excellence -- something like “The best businesses are always in the process of becoming something new.” I may not be remembering the quote precisely, but you get the idea. It’s a perfect description of what Google is up to.

“As Sergey (Brin) and I wrote in the original founders letter 11 years ago,” says Google co-founder Larry Page in his introduction to Alphabet’s new Web site, ‘Google is not a conventional company’ … we did a lot of things that seemed crazy at the time. Many of those crazy things now have over a billion users, like Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome, and Android. And we haven’t stopped there. We are still trying to do things other people think are crazy but we are super excited about … (because) in the technology industry, where revolutionary ideas drive the next big growth areas, you need to be a bit uncomfortable to stay relevant ..."

Of course, the wags on Twitter are all about making fun of the novel company name, such as calling the new campus “Alphabet City”. Or check out this would-be headline: “Google restructures under ‘Alphabet.’ - Corp headquarters to move to Sesame Street. Bert & Ernie to be co-COOs.”

Yuk it up all you want. To my way of thinking, Google has scored big with its new structure, and at the end of market trading today, investors appear to have agreed -- on an otherwise down day for stocks. With the Dow having fallen more than 200 points on China’s currency revaluation, GOOG was up, somewhere north of 4%.

Somebody in Mountain View must have been reading Drucker.

TakeAway: Build on your present successes while investing in imaginative new opportunities that your future customers don’t even know they need yet.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

sources: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/10/google-announces-plans-for-new-operating-structure.html http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/11/why-investors-like-googles-alphabet-news-analyst.html

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Pricing Prestidigitation: One Nissan, Two Prices.

6/5/2015

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- Nissan image -

Tags: Nissan Rogue, Rogue Select, Infiniti G37, Q40, Q50, Acura Integra
I thought what I was reading was possibly ... bogus. If it had been April 3rd instead of June 3rd, I’d have been pretty certain somebody was attempting to snooker me. The article was published on Jalopnik.com, a site for fans of high-performance automobiles with occasional pieces about mainstream auto marketing, fast fighter planes, dumb drivers and generally hoonish fun with cars.

Since the article’s author, Doug DeMuro, has been known to add a dash of silliness to his writing (he's a former manager with Porsche Cars North America), I thought it likely that his claim of Nissan selling two versions of its popular Rogue SUV at the same time might have been written with a sly wink.

DeMuro cited a press briefing in Nashville some two years ago during which a Nissan exec casually mentioned that “Oh by the way, we’re not cancelling the old Rogue. We’re just going to keep it around and sell it to people on a tighter budget.”

He’d never heard of anything like that. Nor had I, which is why his Jalopnik article at first seemed like a put-on.

So I called an old friend at the local Nissan store, who confirmed that it was indeed true that Nissan had two different Rogues for sale. I checked out the dealer’s web site to see this new car novelty for myself. And there they were, the current Rouge and the previous model (now called Rogue Select) offered side by side. And both were selling quite briskly, thank you!   In fact, Rogue was the 14th best-selling vehicle in the country during May (presumably both models together).

DeMuro further piqued my curiosity by mentioning a similar marketing strategy over at Nissan’s high-line Infiniti brand. Sure enough, the strong selling, long running G37 four-door has been renamed the Q40 and is being offered for less money (with attractive lease terms) alongside its eventual replacement, the Q50, a kissin’-cousin of a car outfitted with more advanced cabin style and electronics as well as a small increase in horsepower .

During our conversation, my friend and I swapped stories about times when arrival of the new models used to be a big deal. My dad worked at a Dodge-Plymouth dealership, and we got to see the new cars before the public did, which was a great coup for us kids. Nowadays, however, the new models arrive largely without fanfare – so much so, apparently, that Nissan has slipped two new cars into the marketplace while keeping the old model around for a while and giving it a nameplate switcheroo – with a similar strategy at Infiniti.

There have been other examples of car companies selling last year’s model after the new ones have been launched. The 2013 Chevy Impala remains available to fleet buyers through this year, apparently to keep Chevrolet’s sales to rental car companies cranked without diminishing appeal (or resale value) of the much improved 2014-15 Impala.

I can see the sense in what Chevy is doing, but I truly must admire Nissan’s play!   Not only does the company save money, because much of the Rogue Select tooling has long been paid for, but car buyers get more choice.   People who don’t want to pay something like $3,000 more for the “regular” Rogue – and would prefer not to buy used – now have another option.

Will this less-is-more strategy migrate to other car brands?   I hope so, because it makes good marketing sense from the perspective of both buyer and seller.

Perhaps some day in the not too distant future we’ll be able to purchase not only last year’s car brand new but also models from two or three iterations back – improved in performance and safety but looking essentially the same. DeMuro suggests bringing back an Acura favorite, the Integra coupe, discontinued in 2006.   My son certainly would agree after driving one quite enthusiastically until a new baby in the family dictated not only their move to a roomier (and considerably older and safer) four-door Mercedes.

Should the marketing savvy Nissan is exhibiting today spread to other auto brands, perhaps not too far down the road we’ll find ourselves having taken a much-needed stop toward eliminating planned obsolescence altogether.

-O-

TakeAway: What's old can also be new in today's marketing world.

(To see a “new” old Mustang, see my post, Experience Mustang -- All Over Again: http://www.brianefaulkner.com/blog/experience-mustang-all-over-again

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

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TaglineS 101: Nobody Says It Better Than Dr. Hansen.

6/1/2015

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- Image © by Brian E. Faulkner -

Tags: Carolina Men's Clinic, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Camel cigarettes.
Driving north from Charlotte on 1-77 last week my ear caught a radio commercial for The Carolina Men’s Clinic, which is said to be unusually effective at helping men overcome their E.D. issues. I listened all the way through the spot because I was too tired to reach over and change the station -- stuck in the predictable afternoon clot of traffic where lanes constrict from three to two, an event so normal that the traffic reporters pretty much ignore it.

I find E.D. commercials particularly irksome, whether on radio or TV, especially since I’m not in the market for release from this particular misery. But what grabbed my attention this time was the clinic’s claim that “even urologists trust Dr. Hansen to fix their E.D.”

What a great line, akin to a shoe store bragging about how many podiatrists shop there.   I liked the line so much that I laughed out loud and began listening for the clinic’s spot during subsequent trips to Charlotte.

I have no idea how well the good doc’s treatment works (they claim a 92% success rate vs. a substantial failure rate for the branded pills hawked on TV) and remain mystified how a board certified family practice physician with a background in osteopathy established a clinic to treat men with sexual dysfunction in the first place.   It may be as simple as finding a need and filling it; the need certainly seems to be there.

Another thing I liked about his spot was the promise of a non-intimidating experience -- plus proof in the pudding: treatment guaranteed to work or you get your $199 fee back. Dr. Hansen may be effective (or not), but either way there’s a lesson here to learn about communicating competitive advantage:

     (1) Understand what sets your product or service apart from everybody else’s.

     (2) State your difference in a few compelling, memorable, authentic words.

     (3) If possible, have your tagline tell a story.

When I was a young teen being led astray by the tobacco industry, an R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company ad claimed that doctors preferred smoking Camel cigarettes.   I ended up smoking them, too, lured in part by my parents’ example and by RJR's compelling ad, even though their proposition made no sense. But lots of people smoked in those days; it was socially acceptable – even expected.   So how bad could it be if More Doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette (according to a nationwide survey)?   The toughest guys and most elegant women in the movies all smoked ...

I don’t know how well Dr. Hansen’s bit of clever copywriting is working for him, but the lesson here is clear: his radio spot DID get my attention and DID make me remember what sets the Carolina Men’s Clinic apart, thanks to a handful of ear-catching, memorable words.

Dr. Hansen doesn’t use the “urologist” claim as a formal tagline, but dontcha think he should?

TakeAway: A tagline that tells a solid strategic story gathers ears and changes minds.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

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Airport Choice Revisited: Convenience & Experience vs. Price.

5/6/2015

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- Image © by Brian E. Faulkner -

In August of last year I suggested in this space that our local airport, Piedmont Triad International (PTI: airport code GSO) just might offer the world’s most satisfying airport experience. (http://tinyurl.com/ktd3wrz) It’s easy to get to, easy to go through and easy to leave when your flight returns.

While you’re there, it’s a pleasant, uncrowded, unhurried place; parking is plentiful and close by and rental cars can be had right next to the terminal. There’s even an electric car charging station. And free WiFi.

Given that kind of experience, I’d expect to pay a little more.

However, an article in the Winston-Salem Journal recently reported that people are willing to travel to two other, much larger airports to save a few buck on fares:

The article noted that “Unless they’re on business trips, many travelers from the Piedmont Triad are chasing airline discounts to Charlotte or Raleigh for their vacations and other trips.”

Dunno about you, but if I were planning a vacation – especially with family in tow – I’d opt for the closest, least crowded airport and invest the few extra bucks per ticket in a more relaxed, hassle-free airport experience.   That is, if I can get to my destination from there without changing planes too many times (even though I’ve noticed on occasion that it costs less to fly to my destination through Charlotte from PTI than to drive to Charlotte and depart from there. Go figure.)

The newspaper article focused on the price advantage of the two more distant airports vs. PTI, which serves the greater Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point area. It reported an average round trip fare of $10.66 less at Charlotte Douglas International Airport vs. PTI’s average fare, and a price difference between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and PTI of $53.02.   Of course, individual ticket prices may swing higher or lower. The article failed to point out how small the price difference actually is between PTI and the other two airports, especially considering the comfort and convenience of flying from PTI vs. driving to Raleigh-Durham or Charlotte. Each alternative is about an hour-and-a-half away (vs. half that or less for PTI), and you’d best add at least another hour to that or risk missing your flight.

There is a way to lower an airport’s average fare, notes PTI Executive Director Kevin Baker in the article: attract more budget airlines.

“We’re always talking to every low-cost carrier out there to try and lure them to come to our airport,” he told Journal reporter Richard M. Barron, although “there’s only so much we can do.”

Maybe so. But what about talking up the experiential advantages of his airport more effectively?   I would toss their current tagline (Fly Easy, Fly PTI) in favor of a variant with a bit more strategic muscle:

“It’s EASIER to FLY PTI!”

This tagline invites prospective flyers to compare PTI with its more distant alternatives in light of the good dose of extra travel time and hassle that people experience in exchange for the few bucks they save on the average Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham ticket.

Thinking Beyond Price:

It’s all too easy to sell your product or service on price – no matter what it is. However, there may be other, more strategic product benefits lurking on the sidelines that prospective customers will rise to even more than a lower price.

Let’s say you’re that airline passenger trying to decide whether to fly from the handy airport nearby or commute nearly two hours to a bigger one. What’s your choice? Convenience? Experience? Or price?

PTI marketing could ask:

Are you prepared to drive all the way to Charlotte to save $10.66 on your next airline ticket? With our easy-access, close-in parking, short lines and comfy terminal, it’s easier to fly PTI from anywhere in or around the Triad. Sure, you’ll spend an average of ten bucks more on your fare, but you’ll enjoy the experience a whole lot more … and get home faster, too.

I’d spend the ten bucks at PTI in a heartbeat if my other choice is to drive all the way to Raleigh, especially if I have to battle morning or evening drive time traffic on I-40 plus pay for gas each way.

Would I spend $100 more for my ticket? I’d sure think about it, although some would not. I’d also like to think that there’s enough people like me to make a difference for PTI. Because for us, an investment in avoiding the inevitability of parking hassles, long lines and general airport uncertainty is an easy choice, whether flying for business or pleasure.

TakeAway: Sometimes a higher price can be the better deal.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

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Don't Mess With Your Brand Story.

4/29/2015

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Image © by Brian E. Faulkner

Tags: Microsoft, NPR, George Zimmer, Men’s Wearhouse, Joseph Abboud, Jos. A. Bank, Ford Motor Company, GM, Cadillac, Buick, Ford, Lincoln, Apple, Coca-Cola, New Coke
Every brand, company, product or service has a story – just like people. People’s stories are a combination of image and reputation, which can be anything from well focused to wildly irresponsible.   Some businesses may be well-positioned (in a controlled, strategic sense) while others cast their reputation to the wind, allowing the marketplace to define who they are and what they represent.   Call it default positioning.   The example that most often comes to my mind is Microsoft, which hasn’t done a great positioning job. There are many “Microsofts” out there, depending on who's doing the talking.

Heard an interview with George Zimmer on NPR this morning. His topic was paying people more, even at the expense of company profits. But what grabbed my attention was his distinctive gravelly voice, the one he used on television when he was boss of The Men’s Wearhouse – you know the one:

“You’re going to like the way you look. “I guarantee it!”

Every spot had a story, and as leader-spokesperson, Zimmer was deeply imbedded in the Men’s Wearhouse image -- along with that famous tagline. I can’t help but notice that the Men’s Wearhouse strategic positioning has become less distinctive since Zimmer was forced out, supposedly because of management disagreements. Something’s missing from their advertising, and it’s not just Zimmer. Despite the few recent Men’s Wearhouse spots featuring signature suit designer Joseph Abboud, their marketing seems focused more on price, like their long-time competitor, Jos. A. Bank, which Men’s Wearhouse purchased early in 2014 after a turbulent takeover battle.

The takeaway here is that a strong brand story should not be discarded so readily, although I’m sure the Men’s Warehouse board thought long and hard about the strategic consequences of dumping Zimmer. I find it discouraging, however, that they’ve fallen back on price advertising after such success with set-apart positioning, although it must be working or they wouldn’t do it. But I’ll bet their margins aren’t as good as when Zimmer was hawking the wares, because price was hardly mentioned in his spots and, as I recall, Wall Street liked the stock.

I have several friends and acquaintances, each with a business in the same retail category. Two of them ride a high-price wave supported by a brand story that's more than 150 years old. They don’t have to sell on price and, as a result, get high margins. Another friend sells the same type of high-end merchandise at market prices, although different brands. His business story has been established for well over 50 years; customers seek him out because of his quality reputation. Still others I know in that same business always seem to be wrestling with price. They don’t command the margins they could because their business stories are indistinct. They don’t have a Marketable Truth© to stand on.

Both Ford Motor Company and GM currently are wrestling with their image stories. GM is in the latter stages of rebooting its Cadillac brand to compete with the best German luxury performance sedans; they've had enough success that Cadillac is no longer seen as exclusively for oldsters seeking a luxury nameplate and plush ride.   Buick, another GM brand that used to have a fuddy-duddy image, is experiencing a surprising sales renaissance driven by rising demand in China, where the brand has become a status symbol. Different time, different story.

Ford also is into a bit of image retooling of late. Lincoln (finally!) is thinking about abandoning its confusing alphabet soup model designations in favor of real names like Continental and possibly even Zephyr.   All while Ford grapples with a negative quality blip brought about in recent years by a dashboard communication and entertainment system that has proven troublesome and hard to use – so much so that auto enthusiast Web sites are recommending that people wait ‘til a redesigned system comes out on the 2016 models later this year to purchase their new Fords and Lincolns.

When I think of brand image, however, I think most often about Apple. They were an upstart at first, but gradually built a business, operating system and reputation that out-shined the king of personal computers at that time, the venerable IBM. Will gutsy moves into new product categories like luxury watches and even automobiles sour Apple’s reputation? Not likely, because they’ve told and retold their brand story so well – and so long – that they’re as close to invincible as any business or brand out there.

Even so, in this day of social-driven media, there are new voices everywhere, and some percentage is quick to broadcast bad news. One exemplary misstep marketers are quick to recall is the New Coke debacle of 1985, when Coca-Cola almost lost its way -- and that was before the Internet became so widely available. This very day, April 29, 2015, online rumblings are afoot about a second brand of listeria-laden ice cream and a major beer maker’s label that seems to make light of rape.

Reputation or image -- call it what you will -- can bite you in the backside any minute … but also can help lead you to greatness. All the more reason to consider whether your brand, business, product or service is solidly positioned in today’s uber-competitive, uber-critical world.

TakeAway: Shape your strategic position carefully. And guard your brand story for dear life.

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner         Marketable Truth © by Brian E. Faulkner

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Why Toyota's Camry Is Like The Velveteen Rabbit -- and Cadillac's CT6 Is Not.

4/6/2015

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- image courtesy of Toyota -

Tags: Toyota Camry, Cadillac CT6, Buick, Ford Fusion, The Velveteen Rabbit

Two creative approaches to automobile advertising have caught my eye of late: spots on TV and online for Cadillac’s revolutionary new CT6 luxury performance sedan and a television / online campaign for Toyota’s competent but non-revolutionary Camry. One campaign engages the mind, the other tugs at the heart. One campaign is daring, the other is bold. One is cool and self-centric, the other warm and other-centric. Both ads are effective.

Let’s start with Toyota, for whom Saatchi, LA has created a series of spots declaring the heretofore ordinary Camry now to be bold – at least by association, because the car only plays a bit part in the ads. The real drama happens in stories that wrap themselves around the car:

A young woman finds B.B. King’s guitar in a storage unit, and after “tracking down a legend” in her Camry, returns it to him.

Another young woman escapes from her wedding just in time, and the getaway car is … a Camry.

A man comes to realize that “being a dad is more than being a father” as he reflects on those growing-up moments with his daughter, intercut with scenes of them together in a Camry.

Then there’s Sochi medalist Amy Purdy’s paean to her dad, who not only encouraged her through her many physical trials but donated one of his kidneys to save her life.

Not to mention the spot featuring Amy competing, dancing and modeling as Mohammed Ali narrates.

- image courtesy of Cadillac -

This is heartfelt stuff. And although the Camry spots barely move the cool-meter, they do a good job of whacking you in your emotional center (especially if you’re a dad) – and millions of people seem to like them given the YouTube plays they’ve racked up. But bold?

Like Cadillac and other auto brands (Buick has been notably successful), Toyota has been trying to crank up their style to generate wider appeal. Will their “Bold” campaign help attract new buyers, as cars like Ford’s fast-selling Fusion (with a much cooler name) take a bead on Camry’s sales lead?

Marketing experts are divided. Some say Toyota is headed in the right direction with their Bold campaign but that turning around brand impression takes years, if not generations. Other say “not so fast,” a Camry is a Camry and no matter how good it may become, it was born to blend in.

Cadillac, too, is all about changing prospective buyers’ impression of their brand – and in recent years they appear to have been succeeding for the most part. In fact, they appear to have just about exorcised the image of the slab-sided, boat big ‘80s and ‘90s models from people’s minds. Short of buying up and crushing all the clunky old Caddys left on the road, about all Cadillac can do is (1) design cars that truly stand out in their market niche and (2) have something truly bold to say about them.

Thus, the CT6 “Dare Greatly” campaign, created by Publicis Worldwide, a low-key exercise in creative edginess that presents the car in SoHo, slo-mo style.

“How does a fashion intern (Jason Wu) become an arbiter of style?” the spot asks.
“How does a college dropout invent the personal computer?” it asks of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
“How does a director take 12 years to shoot a film?” the spot asks of “Boyhood” director Richard Linklater.
And in conclusion also asks, “How does a 112 year old carmaker reinvent itself?”

The CT6 launch ad, created by Publicis Worldwide and set to Edith Piaf singing Non, je ne regrettes rien (No, I regret nothing), presents thumbnail descriptions of “only those who dare” in a noir-like New York setting that evokes a sense of mystery and glamor as the newest Cadillac lurks in the background, almost as if an afterthought.

One does not so much “like” this ad as inhabit it – that is, if you’re in the demographic that GM hopes will lust after this car, which has been designed to raise the game against their European competitors, not so much by emulating them but by establishing a new standard of automotive performance and luxury.

The CT6 and Camry ads both wrap their product in an image they hope will attract buyers – Camry warms the heart and speaks of “love stuff” while Caddy quickens the pulse and addresses the “daring”.

Both carry off their creative well. But only Cadillac’s approach seems authentic.

Ironically, I prefer watching the Camry spots (which makes me older-than-cool and more in their target market). I like Camrys, which perform their middle-ground, mid-sized sedan function admirably and without pretending to be cool. When I rent one on an out-of-town trip, I am assured of enjoying a competent, quality, unpretentious ride. Which is what makes a Camry a Camry and part of the reason that nameplate remains the best-selling one in the U.S.

I think of Margary Williams’ story of The Velveteen Rabbit when considering whether Toyota may be missing the strategic mark with its otherwise well-executed Camry creative. You may recall the story, where a stuffed bunny yearns to become “Real”.

“Real isn't how you are made,” the rabbit is told. “It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

Camry is already “real” in its market’s mind. So why go to such lengths to pretend it really is something else?

TakeAway: Don’t sell bold unless you’ve got bold to sell. Instead, communicate what’s really real. Be authentic!

Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

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MCdONALD'S & aPPLE uP tHEIR eXPERIENCE.

3/31/2015

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Years ago, when McDonald’s first started its march to fast food dominance, during the days when you could buy a burger, fries and a drink and still get change back from your quarter, consistency was the company’s stock in trade (yes, the price was under 25-cents, about the cost of a gallon of gas back then). Another plus – and a critical success cornerstone – was that you could get the same McDonald’s fare about anywhere. Eventually, the price of a Big Mac even became a statistical measure for global economic well being because of their international availability.

These days, Ray Kroc’s golden-arched vision has come up against a new reality. Fast food customers expect more in the way of service, décor and food quality. In short, the same old McDonald’s experience will no longer do, even though the neon glow red and yellow plastic has been gone for several years now after a major restaurant re-do. But more change is underway and down the road. Food quality is on the upswing, driven both by consumer demand for fare unsullied by artificial ingredients and by fast casual competitors like Chipotle Mexican Grill that are upping the dining experience, forcing change upon the entire quick serve category.

McDonalds’ new CEO, Steve Esterbrook, calls himself an “internal activist.” Which means he's all about the business of change. A Brit, he's known for simplifying the McDonald’s menu and turning the business around, in a world where the company’s business generally is declining.

“This is where McDonald’s is headed,” Esterbrook said, referring to their stylish new 500-seat restaurant at the Frankfurt airport, where you can order at the counter or use a number of kiosks that fall easily to hand as you enter the store. There’s even a sit-down ordering option, thanks to a waiter with a tablet – and your food is brought to you so you don’t have to waste time milling around the counter.

McDonald’s isn’t the only iconic business that sees change in its immediate future. Apple, too, is upping its customer experience to accommodate the more upscale presentation demanded by luxury watch buyers.   The Apple Watch hits stores in about three weeks and reportedly may be had for as little as $349 (with a sapphire crystal screen) or in 18k at upwards of $10,000 (as rumor has it). But some marketing mavens are cautioning caution as the brand evolves. Can Apple stretch itself into the luxury category without losing its everyman base? Probably not without this store redesign, which – Apple Watch aside -- can’t come too soon for those serious Apple technology buyers who have tired of having to cut through the gadget gawkers to get serious attention – even out here in the burbs.

Customer experience is inextricably entwined with brand. Brand impression, a critical strategic distinction not so readily established, can be sullied in an instant by a buying or service experience that doesn’t match.

As for me, I’d be more inclined to check out McDonald’s given the new décor and ordering options exhibited in their Frankfurt airport store.   However, I’m not in the market for a watch at any price (haven’t worn one in well over 30 years), although I have been conversing with myself about a MacBook Pro purchase for some time (not to mention the iPhone 6 my family keeps after me to buy) and would genuinely appreciate a less carnival-like, more “considerate” atmosphere in which to make up my mind.

TakeAway: Where does your product or service stand? Does your customer experience match the brand impression you’ve created?

Read about my iPhone 6 dilemma here: www.brianefaulkner.com/blog/you-gotta-get-an-iphone-dad
Content © by Brian E. Faulkner

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sample blog:

This is a sample blog for writer Brian E. Faulkner. It presents stories about brands that do an especially good job communicating competitive advantage. Stories are gleaned from the business press, personal experience and occasional interviews. Updates are made from time to time, and every so often there will be a post of general interest -- about things like success, passion, social trends, etc.

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Brian Faulkner is a writer and strategic communication consultant who helps business clients explain their competitive advantage in compelling and enduring ways.

He also is a five-time Emmy award winning Public Television writer & narrator for a highly-rated and well-loved magazine series.

GooGLE Divides to Conquer.

Pricing Prestidigitation: One Nissan, Two Prices.

TaglineS 101: Nobody Says It Better Than Dr. Hansen.

Airport Choice Revisited: Convenience & Experience vs. Price.

Don't Mess With Your Brand Story.

Why Toyota's Camry Is Like The Velveteen Rabbit -- and Cadillac's CT6 Is Not.

MCdONALD'S & aPPLE uP tHEIR eXPERIENCE.

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