Thinking

In the late 1990s, when David Aaker and I worked on what became the foundations of modern brand architecture, companies faced a practical problem. Portfolios were expanding faster than anyone could manage them. New…

Why premium food is booming in times of crisis The economic situation is currently strained. Inflation, rising living costs, and an uncertain job market are forcing many consumers to rethink their spending. Big-ticket…

Digital Obsolescence and the Question of What Brands Must Stand for in the Transition to the Platform Economy It rarely begins with a big bang. Usually it’s an update. An app that changes. A function that disappears.…

A C For a comprehensive framework on translating strategy into market execution, see our guide on go-to-market strategy. FO once told me something brutally honest. “Erich, I like marketing. I just don’t trust…

For years, we’ve argued about the same question: Is growth about penetration and availability? Or about meaning and differentiation? It was the wrong argument. The real issue is not Sharp versus brand builders. The…

For the last decade marketers have been told to do something that sounds perfectly reasonable. Learn to speak the language of the CFO. Understand finance. Show ROI. Prove marketing’s value. There is a steady stream…

In flat categories, the old growth playbook runs into a wall. If total volume isn’t expanding, telling marketers to “increase penetration” is not a growth doctrine. It’s a share fight. Yes, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute…