Why America Is Addicted to Olive Garden

Fast Company, July 1, 2009 — On a Tuesday morning in April, the presidents of three of the largest restaurant chains in the country slip into an unmarked white van in Orlando, Florida, and embark on an unprecedented mission — sharing their latest trade secrets.

You know their brands: $3 billion — plus Olive Garden, with its heaping bowls of pasta and all-you-can-eat breadsticks; $2 billion — plus Red Lobster, which introduced middle America to the wonders of fried shrimp; and nearly $1 billion LongHorn Steakhouse, whose variations on a theme include steak stuffed with fontina cheese and wild mushrooms.

You probably don't know they're part of the same company, Darden Restaurants. It's the country's largest full-service restaurant operation, the 29th-largest employer in the United... continue reading

McDonald's Gets McBetter

For McDonald’s, McActions speak louder than McWords.

Hub, March 16, 2009 — Nearly six years ago, McDonald’s was vilified in the Fast Food Nation bestseller and in the documentary, Super-Size Me. And, it was held responsible — if not personally — for obesity in this country and globally by nearly every media commentator and activist group.

Today, McDonald’s is enjoying 55 months of global same store sales increases, stock value gains, and positive movement in the Reveries.com survey. What was essential to McDonald’s success was a rededication to its brand’s core values. The big turning point for McDonald’s came with a change in mission. It was no longer about being the best or biggest quick-serve restaurant.

Green Pragmatism

Eco-savvy consumers should be at the center of your brand strategy.

Hub, January 22, 2009 — Despite its Hollywood trendiness, the average person doesn’t go out and buy a Prius just to feel good about reducing his or her carbon footprint. Most people buy cars that meet their motoring needs and end up choosing a Prius because its environmental proof-points align with their personal requirements.

It’s the classic emotional/rational balance: a high-mileage vehicle from a respected, reliable manufacturer means lower consumption of greenhouse-gas producing (not to mention high price-volatility) fossil fuels.

The Prius appeal is a perfect example of green pragmatism, because the vehicle’s environmental benefits are used for more than just a “feel good” green spin — they are rational product proof-points. As a result, the consumers’... continue reading

Gatorade Quietly Aims to Revive Brand†

Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2009 — Gatorade is looking to jump-start sales by keeping its mouth shut.

For about a week, the PepsiCo sports drink has been running teaser television, print and online ads that ask: "What's G?"

The ads are part of a big rebranding effort for the Gatorade brand that includes a redesigned package and, according to a person familiar with the matter, a Super Bowl commercial. PepsiCo is trying to reach consumers beyond sports nuts to help reverse the brand's weak sales performance.

How Apple, Others Have Cultivated Religious Followings†

Nine Components That Powerfully Engaging Brands Share With Religion

Advertising Age, December 8, 2008 — Having spent years talking with brand fans — from obsessed Harley-Davidson riders to devoted Guinness drinkers to young Hello Kitty admirers (one of whom owns more than 12,000 pieces of Hello Kitty merchandise) — I've been struck by the power brands have over their followers. But can the apparent parallels between brands and religion possibly hold up? Have some brands actually managed to create their own religions by, coincidentally or deliberately, adopting triggers and tactics from the world of religion?

Three Marketing Initiatives Key to Breakout B2C Brand Growth

Marketing Charts, November 4, 2008 — Placing disciplined focus on three key business-to-consumer marketing initiatives and executing them properly helps top brands achieve “category killing” performance and can make a difference in market-share growth of up to 30%, according to research from the Marketing Leadership Council, a division of the Corporate Executive Board.

“Breakout Growth: Practical Lessons from Brands that Consistently Outperform Competitors,” sheds new light on how certain brands -despite fluctuations in economic and environmental conditions - are able to to exhibit breakout performance, growing at two to three times their category average.

Imax's Digital Pitch: It's Not All About Size†

Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2008 — Uneasy about the size of Imax Corp.'s new digital-theater screens, some of its longtime museum clients wish the company would stick to its "think big" corporate mantra.

Imax's co-chief executive, Richard Gelfond, raised eyebrows at a recent meeting of the Giant Screen Cinema Association when he declared that Imax wasn't just about giant screens, but all the parts that combine to make it "the best immersive experience."

Critics say that Imax, whose giant screens are a leading attraction at many museums and science centers that show vivid nature documentaries, should consider a slightly different branding strategy for its digital-projection system, which the company recently started to roll out.

CEO Says Victoria's Secret Brand Has Gone Too Far

Mediaweek, February 29, 2008 — IT'S NO SECRET THAT VICTORIA'S Secret is struggling. The division of Limited Brands, like so many other retailers, has been wrestling with declining foot traffic at malls, and an economy that isn't exactly sending women screaming for new dainties. This week, it announced that same-store sales in the fourth quarter fell an extremely unflattering 8%.

But for once, a retailer isn't blaming all its problems on high gas prices and a scary economy: During a conference call with investors, CEO Sharen Turney conceded that the brand has strayed too far from its roots, getting too young and too sexy, with a product assortment that just isn't tempting shoppers the way it used to.

Teaching an Old Greyhound New Tricks

New York Times, December 3, 2007 — A venerable bus line that once asked travelers to “leave the driving to us” is leaving nothing to chance in a campaign to promote an ambitious makeover.

The campaign, for Greyhound Lines, part of a British company named FirstGroup, takes an upbeat tone with an assertive theme, “We’re on our way.”

GM's New Spin: Buy a Hummer, Save Humanity†

New Campaign Aims to Rescue SUV's Image by Highlighting Its Exploits

Advertising Age, October 29, 2007 — DETROIT (AdAge.com) — Megan Stooke is a realist.

"Our brand has always been polarizing, and we've always said we are not for everybody," said the marketing director of General Motors Corp.'s Hummer macho SUV line, which has been swept up in almost a perfect storm of volatile gas prices, the war in Iraq and the rise in environmental consciousness.

'HUMMER HEROES': The campaign will show how rescue workers, among others, rely on the vehicle to help them help those in need.