Brands Addressing Global Issues – Part 1

As I’d written in my Owleye column this month, there are plenty of global summits and conferences this summer and all the way up to the new year. It makes sense at a time of heightened conflicts and geopolitical tensions, not to mention wars. In a year where my blog is celebrating 25 years of… Continue reading Brands Addressing Global Issues – Part 1

When Brands Can Guide Strategy and Execution

Having just read the book, HBR’s 10 Must-Reads on Strategy, that I ordered from Amazon India, I am once again reminded of how central brands are to strategy. Not merely product brand strategy, but to corporate strategy. It’s something I have been thinking about for the past couple of decades that I have been unemployed,… Continue reading When Brands Can Guide Strategy and Execution

Hardwiring Brands into Products and Services

Time to turn my attention to brands once again, after all the chaos and confusion that Trump’s tariffs have caused from the start of this year. I must say, though, that if companies have to raise prices of their goods in the US and elsewhere, it ought to be because of a superior dimension to… Continue reading Hardwiring Brands into Products and Services

Creating a Climate Change Brand for UNFCCC – Part II

Last month, I shared my thoughts on how UNFCCC could leverage the power of a brand in its fundraising activity from the private sector for climate change. In that blog post, I shared my idea for a new product concept, its brand identity, as well as the brand strategy for building the new climate change… Continue reading Creating a Climate Change Brand for UNFCCC – Part II

Creating a Climate Change Brand for the UNFCCC – Part I

I have begun the year by saying that 2025 ought to be the year for innovations, and my blog is celebrating 25 years of the 21st century which have really been all about innovations. So, how about I start with some innovations of my own? I had written at the end of last year a… Continue reading Creating a Climate Change Brand for the UNFCCC – Part I

Is Being a Pioneer Brand Good Enough?

The history of advertising and marketing is probably littered with scores of cases of companies and brands that began with a brilliant invention, but then petered out somewhere along the way. I have myself written about brands like Kodak, Nokia and Philips CDs in my older blog posts, and I am sure there are many… Continue reading Is Being a Pioneer Brand Good Enough?

Reviving Hundred-Year-Old Brands and Making Them Relevant

Even in today’s fast-changing, tech driven world, we have several brands that are over a hundred years old in our midst. Often, we may not even realise they are that old. Brands age just like we do. Some manage to stay up-to-date and relevant to today’s consumers, while many others fade away or disappear from… Continue reading Reviving Hundred-Year-Old Brands and Making Them Relevant

How Popular Car Brands Can Maintain Their Edge

Since I have written about luxury car brands – Jaguar, Land Rover, JLR corporate brand and Porsche - on my blog before, I thought I’d turn my attention to mass-market popular car brands this time. Mass market and premium cars ought to constitute the most crowded of car segments in any country, I would reckon.… Continue reading How Popular Car Brands Can Maintain Their Edge

Have Consumers Changed the Way They Make Brand Decisions?

In the old days when I was still a cub copywriter in the advertising industry in India – which is around 35-40 years ago – the prevailing marketing wisdom was that the consumer or customer is the one who makes the biggest decisions on brands. “Customer is King” was always heard at meetings, in conference… Continue reading Have Consumers Changed the Way They Make Brand Decisions?

Airlines as Image-Builders of Countries

In my previous blog post, I had written about airlines as world connectors, providing an important economic and cultural link between countries and their people. And in it, I tried to create and recommend a new brand strategy for British Airways, already an image-builder for Britain as well as a world connector. I had envisaged… Continue reading Airlines as Image-Builders of Countries