Our thinking is appearing in publications around the world

The existence of functional silos is a serious challenge for CMOs. This article, based on David Aaker's latest book, "Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative," discusses ways to combat silos to advance marketing and develop stronger offerings and brands.

For all the great marketers and great marketing, we still see too many instances of what I call “cart before the horse” marketing. The cart, of course, is marketing tactics, while the horse is the need to meet critical customer needs. The result is strategies and initiatives that falter before the finish line.

As the global financial meltdown spreads, it’s clear that financial brands have been profoundly damaged by a crisis of confidence among their stakeholders. Brands that until a few weeks ago were pillars of the community are today widely distrusted.  Marketing leaders didn’t get financial institutions into this mess. But they will be instrumental in repairing the damage.

The global financial services crisis raises issues for CMOs who now find themselves with new brands in their portfolios. Actions undertaken to protect brand equities of all the players — whether acquirers or acquired — must be carefully considered against a backdrop of customers, comparative health issues, and strategic compatibilities.

Individual brands, or even whole categories, that were once important for a particular consumer segment, become irrelevant as society evolves and tastes change. Should you completely lose your current brand equity association so you can become relevant to new consumers?

The U.S. automotive industry presents yet another cautionary tale of how myopic thinking can decimate, if not destroy, brand equity and financial performance, leaving an iconic sector of American business choking in competitors’ dust.

I’m as fond of Mrs. Butterworth and her syrup as the next person. Splashed on pancakes or waffles? Delicious. As a special sauce to make my insurance bills a bit more palatable? Maybe not so much.

David Aaker’s latest book discusses the prominence of silos within organizations and the disruption it causes to marketing efforts and overall company survival. He argues it’s up to Chief Marketing Officers to break down silo walls to foster cooperation and synergy.

Joseph Gelman argues that the concept of bank branches is still alive, despite claims to the contrary. Banks should therefore take advantage of this situation to transmit the essence of their brand to clients at all points of interaction, particularly in light of the current cash crisis.

CMOs can no longer invest in traditional marketing channels. They must focus their marketing dollars on customer touchpoints that create the greatest opportunity to generate sustainable brand value.  *Please note, this article is in German.

With the Hispanic population in the US expected to surpass white non-Hispanic inhabitants by 2030, marketers are scrambling for ways to tap into growing spending power while generating loyalty to their brands. Strong, enduring brand loyalty can be built among Hispanics, but not by using tactics that work for white, Middle America.

In this opinon piece, Joseph Gelman and Francisco Pinedo from Prophet's Madrid office, discuss the pitfalls of "green" branding in the car industry.

The growth in minority markets is substantial and their potential buying power is even greater. Marketers who map out the most customer-centric approaches to establish their relevance to these diverse populations will be rewarded with the kind of strong and enduring brand loyalty that drives sustainable business growth. 

This issue of Marketing y Ventas features a 6-page interview with Joseph Gelman.  In it, he discusses the notion of the empowered CMO, emotional branding, and challenges facing Spanish brands. *Please note, this article is in Spanish.

In an interview with the financial daily La Gaceta de los Negocios, Joseph Gelman, Prophet partner and director of the company's office in Spain, talks about the challenges facing green brands. *Please note this interview is in Spanish.

Your customers—current and intended—have certain expectations of both your brand and your category. There's a fine line between outrageous and offensive messaging, and the risk of crossing it and alienating more customers than you entice must be evaluated.

In this opinion article published by the financial daily Cinco Días, Joseph Gelman argues that the concept of bank branches is still alive, despite claims to the contrary. Banks should therefore take advantage of this situation to transmit the essence of their brand to clients at all points of interaction, particularly in light of the current cash crisis. *Please note this article is in Spanish.

Brand extensions are often seen as a silver bullet to all that ails maturing brands and business categories. Succeed and you may be on the path to substantial organic growth. Fail, and you join the ranks of some 90% of all new market entrants that prove irrelevant to customers.

Web 2.0 is doing a lot more than simply facilitating exciting new ways to establish a brand’s relevance with customers. On the marketing science side, it’s driving an equally exciting morphing of methodologies and the ways we use them. In short, we’re seeing a redefinition of the capabilities in the traditional analytics toolbox.

In this article, David Aaker argues that brand strategy is crucially important to an innovation. Without it, the strength of an innovation will be short-lived. 
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