Marketers Seek To Score In Tough Times By Playing At The U.S. Open

The U.S. Open is the perfect venue for watching the branding game.

Forbes, September 8, 2009 — For those of us in marketing there's a competition at the U.S. Open that's equal to the exciting Melanie Oudin when it comes to the potential for big bucks. It's the competition among corporate sponsors of the tournament for consumer attention. While the tennis balls are certainly interesting to tennis buffs like me, as a branding professional it's the match for eyeballs that really peaks my interest.

WaMu's Branches Lose the Smiles†

Wall Street Journal, April 7, 2009 — Before it collapsed last September, Washington Mutual Inc. spent roughly $1 billion on a branch-building binge that replaced bank-teller windows with free-standing counters and cash-dispensing machines.

New owner J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is now dismantling it all, right down to the signs that promise "free checking, free smiles," and basically dragging the former WaMu branches back to the past.

Restore Confidence With Decisive Action

By Andrew Pierce

Prophet, December 15, 2008 — Repairing the damage done to consumer confidence is not going to be easy, and many of the sector’s brands that were once pillars of the community (Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns, and others) are beyond the task. But the work starts now, and falls to marketing leaders to draw on all the best thinking and resources at their disposal to get the job done. (Marketing News)

How Financial Services Marketers Should Deal with the Crisis of Confidence

Prophet, October 1, 2008 — 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.

Marketing to Kids Where They Live

BusinessWeek, September 11, 2006 — Companies hoping to attract young customers are building whole marketing campaigns around social network sites such as Facebook and MySpace