Why LaCroix Fell Flat with Consumers
LaCroix’s recent dip in sales offers lessons in maintaining a brand after making a marketing splash.
Behind The Grateful Dead’s Marketing Know-how
A tight marketing strategy isn’t the first thing people think of when it comes to the Grateful Dead. Maybe it should be.
The Game of Thrones Newsjacking Battle
All hail Air New Zealand. Jacker of News, Master of Stock Footage, Promoter of Brand Message.
The Marketing Behind Minty Toothpaste
There’s a reason most toothpaste is mint-flavored – and it has almost nothing to do with keeping your mouth clean.
Why HBO Lets Viewers Share Passwords to Watch Game of Thrones
HBO knows you’re using your cousin’s roommate’s sister-in-law’s log-in to watch Game of Thrones. It doesn’t really care.
How the ‘Plop Plop Fizz Fizz’ Marketing Campaign Doubled Alka Seltzer Sales
Buyers are often looking for a little guidance on how to use your product or service. Sometimes you just have to give them an extra “plop.”
The Marketing Legend Behind Those ‘I Hate Steven Singer’ Billboards
You may recognize the “I Hate Steven Singer” billboards and might know what they’re selling. But you probably don’t know the marketing story behind them.
Why is the Financial Times Pink?
In 1893, The Financial Times started printing on light salmon-pink paper. It was the most significant branding step the company would ever take.
The Maxwell House Haggadah — How Content Marketing Made Coffee Kosher for Passover
The Maxwell House Haggadah is synonymous with Passover celebrations in America thanks to a clever bit of content marketing dating back nearly 90 years.
Marketing The Buck Club – A Golf Course that Doesn’t Exist
The Buck Club, with no members and no course, is one of the most talked about locations in the entire golfing community.
Taco Bell Bought the Liberty Bell in a Genius April Fools’ Joke
How an April Fool’s Joke can increase sales and reignite a buzz in an audience.
Spotify Microsite Calls Out Apple in a Communications Win
While battles between competitors are typically best avoided entirely, Spotify’s microsite calling out Apple highlights the power of positioning and controlling the narrative.
How Octavius Updated His Brand After the Ides of March
When Octavius changed his name to Augustus, the rebrand sent a powerful message about how he planned to rule the Roman Empire.
Retiring the Opportunity Rover Reveals the Genius of NASA’s Marketing Strategy
The worldwide show of love and support for the Mars Opportunity Rover highlights the benefits of hte long-term approach to NASA’s marketing strategy.
Why Netflix Spent $25 million on its Roma Oscars Campaign
Netflix’s $25 million Oscar campaign for its film Roma shows how even great brands have to work to stand out for industry awards.
The Marketing Lesson Behind ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’
The “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline is perhaps the most well-known newspaper screw up of all time. But its real marketing lesson is about how (and when) brands talk to their audiences.
Tide Washed Away a Crisis Thanks to a House of Brands Marketing Structure
You don’t have to be a multi-industry conglomerate to benefit from building a game plan for how your products and services interact.
What Would You Do With a Super Bowl Ad?
What if you had a Super Bowl commercial? If you had one minute in front of millions of potential customers and prospects, how would you spend it? What would you say about your offering? What would you focus on?
New Gillette Ad Invites Controversy While Elevating Brand Purpose
When Gillette released a new ad condemning toxic masculinity, the brand knew it was igniting controversy. But it’s ultimate goal is something deeper.
How Mastercard Keeps Its Brand Fresh and Current
With a loyal customer base and a global name, Mastercard’s choice to update its logo keeps it fresh and relevant for the digital age.
How Pedialyte’s Marketing Grew Up
What was every parent’s favorite electrolyte drink has now become every college student’s savior – Pedialyte began marketing at an older generation when they noticed a gap in the market.
How Sears Stole Christmas With Its Content Marketing
Families across the U.S. waited all year for catalogs to arrive in the mail to start their holiday-season shopping, Sears banked on their Christmas Wish Book.
Remember Book It!? Behind Pizza Hut’s Campaign Focused on Kids and Reading
The story behind Pizza Hut’s Book It! campaign and how the brand used one executive’s passion to create a lasting marketing tool rooted in nostalgia.
Everybody Knows ‘Got Milk?’ — Does that Make it Successful?
The Got Milk? campaign was a runaway success by every measure – except the one that actually matters. It didn’t drive people to drink more milk.
How Campbell’s Conquered Holiday Marketing with Green Bean Casserole
Campbell’s can attribute the staying power of green bean casserole at Thanksgiving to a few key holiday marketing ingredients: consistency, simplicity and just a dash of nostalgia.
MoviePass Marketing Tries to Win Back Customers with Cute Puppies
The MoviePass marketing team violated fundamental rules around delivering bad news to customers when it hid behind a cute puppy picture in a recent email.
Why Denver Airport’s Marketing Embraces Conspiracy Theories
How do you make an airport renovation announcement exciting and newsworthy? If you’re Denver International Airport, you start talking about lizard people and Illuminati overlords.
3 Ways Marketing Departments can Supercharge the Impact of their Interns
I’ve seen first-hand how a good internship can inspire students and kick-start a lifelong passion for marketing.
The Myth and the Marketing Lesson Behind The Infamous War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
Reports of mass panic in the streets following the 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast had more to do with warring media outlets than Martian invaders.
How Guinness Book of World Records Makes Other Brands More Newsworthy
When Guinness Book of World Records wanted to reach new customers, it stuck to its brand promise and helped other companies make their stories more newsworthy.
How PETA Used Newsjacking to Connect its Message to A Star is Born
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) awarded Bradley Cooper its prestigious Compassion in Film Award. If you haven’t heard of the award, there’s a good reason why – PETA just created it.
Dickies Went from Worksite to Runway by Staying True to its Brand
When industry trends offer opportunities to reach new customers, companies have to strike the right balance between updating their brand and retaining the fundamental values that helped them stand out in the first place.
How Crock-Pot Reclaimed its Brand after This is Us Created a Crisis
This is Us returns for season 3 on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. After fans blamed a character death in last season’s finale on Crock-Pot, the brand created a clever campaign to reclaim its story.
How Waffle House Embraces its Connection to Dangerous Weather Events
Weather officials work to predict and quantify the dangers of a hurricane based on wind speeds using the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. But media and citizens often turn to The Waffle House Index.
Why Nike’s Controversial New Ad Fits with its Brand
Nike is a company that’s never been afraid to ruffle a few feathers. Its most recent move seems to be paying off.
From Dilly Dilly to Philly Philly — How Bud Light Capitalized on an Epic Marketing Gift
What happens when your nonsensical ad slogan happens to rhyme with the city that just won the Super Bowl?
Knowing Your Audience Means Knowing Their Mindset
No target audience or client demographic is static. Understanding customers requires a steady stream of research and feedback into their mindset while keeping your own biases and assumptions in check.
Creating an App that’s Worth It
Simply chasing the latest trendy platform is an expensive and resource-intensive approach to finding new ways to reach customers.
Arm & Hammer Offers a Lesson in Making Boring Marketable
How do you keep a 170-year-old brand fresh?
How Docker’s Saved Casual Fridays
If you’re grateful for “Dress Down Fridays,” you have the overheated workers of an archipelago in the Pacific and a smart marketing team to thank.
Denny’s Nailed Media Relations with this Press Release
A Denny’s PR rep recently committed a major media relations faux pas – or so everyone thought.
Rebranding Alligator Pears
It’s hard to imagine today, but there was a time when people weren’t interested in buying avocados – let alone paying extra for them.
Marketing with the Mandela Effect
Brands don’t have total control over how their messages are perceived and remembered.
Marketing with a Flamethrower
When introducing a product or announcing a big new idea, most companies opt for a press release. Why not use a flamethrower instead?
Selling Pizza with Potholes
In setting yourself apart from the competition, it pays to look at the entire customer experience.
IHOP did what?
Why would a brand with 60 years of recognition suddenly change its name?
The Reason Crystal Pepsi Fell Flat with Consumers
Most brands need to innovate to stay competitive in their industry and relevant to their customers. But straying too far from what customers expect can clearly lead to trouble.
What Laurel vs. Yanny Means for Marketing Perception
Are you strongly #TeamLaurel? Or squarely #TeamYanny? No matter which you are, you’re wrong. Because both are right.
How Ikea Embraced Hackers
Marketing plays a big role in how customers perceive your brand, but it’s ultimately a two-way street. Find ways to embrace and leverage how customers use your products and services rather than fight against it.
When Murder Inspires Marketing
The best marketing campaigns don’t create something brand new. They capture a familiar feeling in a new or compelling way that your customers can relate to.