A couple of days ago I came across a great anecdote. It concerned the skirmish that broke out in the early 1750s between an Englishman called Jonas Hanway, and the hansom cab drivers of...
Read moreSomething is wrong with marketing. Looking back across my clients, I struggle to think of any that have a wholly positive relationship with it. For example: For those who invest heavily...
Read moreOccasionally I’ve seen it noted that the more normal, safe, and suburban someone’s life, the more gruesome and unpleasant the novels they like to read. There’s a great line in the sitcom...
Read moreA rotting lion carcass, being devoured by bees. I was surprised to learn the other day that this is what is depicted on the logo of Lyle’s Golden Syrup. Not exactly what most would...
Read moreWhy most brands fail to get brand positioning right If I was going to recommend just one piece of research to my clients - or indeed any business - without hesitation, it would be this: Find...
Read moreWe live under the illusion of control. We believe that we design our lives, we design our companies, we design culture, and we design human civilisation itself. The way we do this, according...
Read moreThe brand positioning power of contrarian value Thanks to the new Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit (and the fact that new TV shows are starting to slow to a bit of a trickle), there’s been a...
Read moreWhat is strategy, and why are so many businesses missing the boat on it? All businesses have a brand. All have a product. All have people, sales, marketing, and various other building blocks...
Read moreA couple of years ago I heard an executive from Quorn speak at a conference. Normally talks like these are just boring propaganda pieces, but his was usually thoughtful and candid. One point...
Read moreWhat we can learn from Nike's product strategy When I want to make a point about strategy, I often refer to a famous brand in order to do it. So does everyone of course, and because there are so...
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