Our thinking appears in marketing articles and publications around the world

Recent advertising spending data has lessons that should make large and small advertisers distinctly uncomfortable, and beg the question: Do they understand their spending well enough to ensure they've shifted to the best vehicles for their business?

David Aaker discusses how brand and marketing strategists can avoid the functional benefit trap.

In his inaugural column for Marketing News, David Aaker discusses when it pays to market aggressively during tough times.

Successful companies get it: they report to the customer. But how do you effect a shift away from an out-dated operational focus to one that truly puts the customer front and center? Scott Davis explains that it doesn’t require a re-organization so much as a mind-set shift (plus visionary leadership).

Scott Davis blogs about concepts from his latest book, The Shift, and discusses the shifts marketers must undergo to become Visionary Marketers.

The pressure on marketers increases in a downturn. Michael Dunn provides insights on what needs to be done to drive superior marketing investments. Doing analytical homework before starting a marketing campaign, talking the same internal language, and understanding relevant customer segments, are a few. It sounds like basic marketing, but is still a struggle for many marketers. *Please note this article is in German.

Retailers have always been driven by the seasons. The holidays, of course, and particularly Christmas. Fall and back to school. The ushering-in of spring and summer, with promotions around fun and leisurely pursuits. Since the recession officially reared its head in January of 2008, retailing has added a new season to its lineup: The “season of discontent.”

We have to admit: as marketers we can be good at many things; but marketing ourselves is not one of them. Time and time again in the race to occupy the CEO seat, CFOs win. CFOs are increasingly becoming the CEO’s right hand, and we are watching the CMOs struggle to get a seat at the table.

According to David Aaker, today's CMO may wear up to five potential hats: facilitator, consultant, service provider, strategic partner, strategic captain.  In this excerpt from David's new book Spanning Silos, he discusses the five roles and what impact they potentially can make in an organization.

David Aaker sits down with Brilliant Results to discuss concepts from his book, Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative. 

Spanish Cajas have a strong emotional connection with their regional roots, and hence, when considering M&A activities among these, it is critical to be very cautious and careful. However, these processes also generate the opportunity to provide the new company – the one combining 2 or more Cajas- with a powerful and differentiated brand identity; something that currently none of the Cajas have. *Please note this article is in Spanish.

Restrictions on how the tobacco industry can market their product is a reflection of how the Spanish government feels, which can be summarized as “You must not smoke in Spain.” In this regard, people's right to buy a legal product is being threatened, and even worse, a double standard is being used on the industry, especially considering that ultimately the government is the biggest beneficiary in the commercialization of these products. *Please note, this article is in Spanish.

If the marketing budget — which always ranks very high on the schedule of costs on the income statement — was viewed more like the investment in assets, more marketers would sit on the board and have the ability to explain and report on the crucial assets within their purview.

Joseph Gelman discusses why some brands may not be relevant to consumers anymore and how this trend could be avoided. Through several examples of “old” brands, such as Telefónica, Ford, and Burger King, which managed to renew their image, Gelman studies different formula to make a brand become young again. *Please note, this article is in Spanish.

In this article Scott Davis outlines a marketer's 5-step plan to becoming a growth catalyst.

This article suggests a way forward for the Swiss financial market center and its international banks. It argues that while loosening the secrecy law will take away one USP and cause uncertainty among clients, it will be beneficial in the mid term. The opportunity lies in a key pillar of Swiss banking: integrity. By aligning business practices and behaviour to the desired brand identities, the Swiss banking brands are likely to recover and regain strength by delivering a relevant promise in a credible way. *Please note this article is in German.

Our second report in the series examines the customer experience in the UK’s supermarkets. The phenomenal change in the food retailing landscape over the last ten years clearly shows that consumers are more than happy to change brands. That change is not just based on price, but price combined with customer experience.

Michael Dunn recently spoke to Consulting about The Marketing Accountability Imperative. This interview reviews the book's tools, metrics, and anecdotes designed to help marketers navigate through this new landscape by proving ROI and communicating their mission and results more effectively with the executives in the corner offices. 

Walmart’s Stephen Quinn has it. Steve Meyer of Dell services and Cammie Dunaway of Nintendo have it, too. “It” is a P&L mind-set.  It’s a mind-set critical for senior marketers to develop or sharpen if they expect to advance from being order takers or sales supporters to enterprise-wide, visionary leaders.

What is a brand and when does it become an asset? In this article, we discuss the history of brand valuation.