Having spent some time observing the rise and fall of brands across many different categories and countries, I have come to the conclusion that brands fail not because they lose market share, but because they lose pricing power. Through the company’s own inaction or competitive action, the brand fails to…
We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom that has driven social media practice over the last several years: Content is king, and in the social media era, almost anyone can be a content producer. Therefore, anyone who wants to compete must start a blog, produce his own material, and market it…
On a recent trip to another part of the country, driving through a residential area, my 12-year-old daughter asked me, “Why do all of the neighborhoods here have gates?” Her words, clear and inquisitive from the back seat, hung in the air for a few moments before I was able…
With much of the business world abuzz about content marketing, smart marketers are taking stock of opportunities for their clients to use the power of story to convey a message and build stronger brands. Conspicuously absent from most content strategies, however, is the granddaddy of all content marketing: writing a…