Dunkin' 'on the Offensive' in Coffee War†

New Marketing Chief Aims to Establish Chain as Beverage Leader

Advertising Age, January 24, 2008 — America may run on Dunkin', but Dunkin' runs on Will Kussell.

As the coffee war with McDonald's heats up this year, the $4.7 billion, privately held doughnut chain has tapped Mr. Kussell, 49, as president-chief brand officer. Mr. Kussell has held a variety of marketing jobs, including senior VP-marketing and retail concept officer, during his 13-year tenure with Dunkin' Donuts, which has 5,300 U.S. locations. He was most recently chief operating officer of parent company Dunkin' Brands.

McDonald's Takes On a Weakened Starbucks†

Food Giant to Install Specialty Coffee Bars, Sees $1 Billion Business

Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2008 — This fall, a McDonald's here added a position to its crew: barista.

McDonald's is setting out to poach Starbucks customers with the biggest addition to its menu in 30 years. Starting this year, the company's nearly 14,000 U.S. locations will install coffee bars with "baristas" serving cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and the Frappe, similar to Starbucks' ice-blended Frappuccino.

Internal documents from 2007 say the program, which also will add smoothies and bottled beverages, will add $1 billion to McDonald's annual sales of $21.6 billion.

A Look Back: Line Extensions That Crossed the Line in '07†

Brandweek, December 10, 2007 — Three words: Precious Moments coffins. The keepsake-maker was one of many brands this year that didn’t know where to draw the line when it came to line extensions, according to the TippingSprung Brand Extension Survey.

Disney Reaches to the Crib to Extend Princess Magic†

Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2007 — At the recently opened Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Cinderella's castle in Walt Disney World, hordes of young girls in ball gowns jostle every day to get their hair coiffed, their nails painted and their faces plastered with make-up to imitate their favorite princess. It's an image that's become classic of the Walt Disney Co. Princess revolution. What started out in 2001 as a few princess outfits became an overnight sensation as Disney enchanted 3- to 6-year-old girls throughout America with everything from princess comforters and princess backpacks to princess-emblazoned sneakers. Smartly-packaged releases of classic princess movies have helped bring girls back for more each year.

Mini-Branded Eatery Is a Big Deal in Paris†

Restaurant Named After BMW Model Wins Over Upscale Diners by Finding Unique Location and Limiting References to the Car

Advertising Age, November 19, 2007 — Once you accept that star chefs are brands in their own right, it follows that many of the best restaurants in Paris are heavily branded. Gourmets flock to establishments such as Guy Savoy, La Table de Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée and Senderens (named after another Alain)...But an upscale restaurant named after an automobile?

Like Our Sunglasses? Try Our Vodka!†

Brand Extensions Get Weirder, Risking Customer Confusion; Armani TVs, Prada Cellphones

Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2007 — Beginning today at the Salvatore Ferragamo showroom on New York's Fifth Avenue, the famed leather-goods company is displaying a new sort of product: wristwatches.

Since the timepieces, called the Salvatore and the Tempo, come out of a licensing deal with Timex, they'll undoubtedly keep fine time. What's more, Ferragamo's excellence in footwear and handbags is notable — the company is even credited with inventing the wedge heel in the 1920s. But does the Ferragamo label make consumers want to pay $7,300 for a watch, even if it is 18-karat gold?

Give the Chauffeur The Day Off

Rolls Royce readies a smaller, but still very upscale, model for buyers who want to drive themselves

BusinessWeek, November 5, 2007 — Rolls Royce is about nothing if not extravagance. Its Phantom sedan, after all, is 19 feet long, sells for more than most houses, and includes a 420-watt sound system with 15 speakers, plush sheepskin carpets, and a 12-cylinder engine. So what to make of a downsized model that the company plans to introduce in 2009—a Rolls that you might, say, take to the bakery to pick up some bread for cucumber sandwiches? "This is your everyday Rolls," says Chris Bangle, design chief at German automaker BMW, which bought the Rolls name in 1998.

Chip Shot†

Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2007 — Is there any food more perfect than the potato chip? A single thin slice contains the three primary food groups: salt, fat and crunchiness. Its very simplicity makes it irresistible. Since its humble origins in 1853, the potato chip has exploded in popularity, becoming America's favorite salty snack, with more than $6 billion in annual sales and 40% of the market. But not content to leave well-enough alone, America's snack mavens have broken out their spice racks, unsheathed their vegetable peelers, and fired up their deep-fryers in a desperate race to increase sales and be the last chip standing.

After the Virgin Birth

Fred Reid, CEO of the fledgling carrier Virgin America, talks management strategy and explains his beef with airline food

Fast Company, November 1, 2007 — Fred Reid looks as if he could have played John Glenn in The Right Stuff. But the CEO of Virgin America--the new low-cost airline partly backed (but fully branded) by British entrepreneur Richard Branson--is a character all his own. As the president of Delta (NYSE:DAL), he launched the ill-fated, low-cost Song. (What did he learn from the experience? "Damn little," he says.) As the president and COO of Lufthansa (OTC:DLAKY), he was the first American to lead a major non-U.S. carrier. We caught up with the razor-tongued Reid, 57, in New York, one of the five cities his airline currently serves.

The International Bank of Branson

Virgin's rescue bid for Northern Rock could position it as a global player

BusinessWeek, October 29, 2007 — Where most see turmoil, some see opportunity. And few are more opportunistic than Sir Richard Branson, the swashbuckling founder of everything from airlines to health clubs and—soon—an outfit offering space travel, all under the Virgin Group brand. So when a liquidity crisis sent British mortgage lender Northern Rock's share price plummeting, Branson was ready to come to the rescue—and add the bank to his growing roster of Virgin companies.