Ten Commandments from Entrepreneurial 'Evangelist' Guy Kawasaki

Knowledge@Wharton, June 10, 2009 — When Guy Kawasaki talks about business innovation, as he did recently at a University of Pennsylvania technology conference, he brings more than 25 years of major-league experience to the conversation — a background that the good-humored investor and entrepreneur calls "my checkered past." After getting a psychology degree at Stanford and an MBA at UCLA, the Hawaii-born Kawasaki became the second software "evangelist" at Apple Computer, where his job from 1983 to 1987 was to convince people to create software for the Macintosh. Kawasaki fondly recalls his colleagues at Apple as visionary, driven and "arguably the greatest collection of egomaniacs in the history of California — though the record has subsequently been broken by Google."

In Mac vs. PC Battle, Microsoft Winning in Value Perception†

View Has Shifted Dramatically Among Young Demo Since 'Laptop Hunters' Campaign

Advertising Age, May 18, 2009 — NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Apple may have some of the most interesting online ads we've seen in a while, but Microsoft's recent push to paint the competitor as pricey is starting to work, according to data from BrandIndex.

Should Apple Be Arbiter of Taste for iPhone Apps?†

As Marketer Goes Mass, Issues Arise Around Third-Party Content

Advertising Age, May 11, 2009 — eah, they have an app for that. But should they?

That's a question beginning to seriously plague iTunes, which offers more than 35,000 mobile games, utilities and entertainment applications from third-party publishers that generate $1 million in average daily revenue for Apple.

“Cart Before the Horse” Marketing? Neigh!

By Fred Geyer

Prophet, May 1, 2009 — 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.

How Microsoft Is Fighting Back (Finally)

It's counterpunching Apple and Linux with a new, audacious pricing strategy and a canny ad campaign

BusinessWeek, April 9, 2009 — For 25 years, Microsoft (MSFT) held unquestioned dominance in the personal computer business. But last year the maker of the Windows operating system started to look like a weary, vulnerable champ. Fueled by iPhone-mania and the iconic "I'm a Mac" TV ads, Apple (AAPL) was nearing a double-digit share of the PC market. At the same time, a new generation of sub-$500 "netbooks" that ran on the free Linux operating system was taking off.

Coke Still No. 1, Starbucks Slips in Brand Index†

CoreBrand's Survey Also Finds Pepsi, Microsoft Sliding Down Standings While Apple Gains

Advertising Age, March 19, 2009 — Watch out, Starbucks, Pepsi and Microsoft: Your brand power is waning.

So concludes CoreBrand's Brand Power Index, which ranks 100 corporate brands in terms of market reputation and awareness. The annual ranking is conducted by surveying 400 corporate executives across 1,200 companies and 49 industries, with financial performance, perception of management and investment potential taken into account.

Circle of Saturn

Hub, March 2, 2009 — Jill Lajdziak says it’s the retail experience that makes the Saturn difference.

Between the time we spoke with Jill Lajdziak and the publication of this interview, General Motors announced plans to close Saturn. Well, here’s another news flash: This doesn’t necessarily mean the end for Saturn. And it certainly does not change the enlightened view Saturn brings to automotive retailing.

Why Emotional Messages Beat Rational Ones†

Settling the Debate: 'Soft Sell' Can Reduce Price Sensitivity, Create an Enduring Sense of Brand Differentiation

Advertising Age, March 2, 2009 — Ever since the DDB creative revolution in the 1960s, debate has raged about the best kind of messaging for building profitable brands. On the one hand, devotees of the "hard sell," or persuasion-based communications, argue that facts and rational arguments sell products and services best. On the other hand, devotees of the "soft sell" contend that brands that can inspire strong emotional responses in consumers and create true engagement can transform businesses, turning the tables even on bigger competitors. In recent times the tide has begun to turn in favor of emotional engagement, with some high-profile converts at Procter & Gamble, but the argument is far from over.

Why Sony Missed the iPod - The Curse of Silos

By David Aaker

Prophet, February 6, 2009 — Sony's three silos thwarted their efforts to create a new category and preempt Apple's iPod. It is likely that a product that combined the energies, resources, and customer insights of the three silos and was improved over time would have been successful and that the iPod opening would not have materialized. (Marketing Daily)

In Campaign Wars, Apple Still Has Microsoft’s Number

New York Times, February 3, 2009 — TWENTY-FIVE years ago, Apple hurled a legendary marketing sledgehammer at I.B.M. personal computers that ran Microsoft software. During the 1984 Super Bowl, Apple ran a television ad that depicted those machines as instruments of Big Brotherish conformity. The ad was shown just once, but people still talk about it. Today, Apple is still producing ads that hammer away at computers that run Microsoft’s software. But this time, Apple’s pounding is constant, even as Microsoft has been weakened by product stumbles and a series of ads that fell flat with the public.