Brands

Multi-disciplinary industrial designer, Brian Ling, has five wishes for 2010. One of them is "Brands realize that people are not stupid." Businesses have always known this but somehow live in denial. They continue to deliver product propositions that don't make sense. With the Internet allowing both wide and in depth access to information; brands and businesses have to realize that you can no longer expect to "sell …

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I can't recall the last time I ordered a Domino's pizza. But I do recall the feeling it left me with. Namely, that it was adequate. Of course, adequate isn't exactly what a food company wants to hear about its signature product. And Domino's has been hearing a lot of like sentiments from its customers, which has led the Ann Arbor-based company to make some not insignificant changes to its core pizza recipe. Domino's …

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Today, Adweek reported that the AFLAC account, long held at Kaplan Thaler Group, would be going into review. Of course, there's all sorts of reader comments on the site about KTG's campaign, pro and con. While I can't say I was a big fan of the duck campaign, it put AFLAC on the map. And it was a lesson in big broadcast marketing, old-school critter advertising, and "spend money to make money" theory. When you crank …

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According to TheNextWeb.com, Google is taking out full-page newspaper ads in the UK to advertise Chrome, its new browser. The ad's front page, continuing the theme of the video ad Google launched last week, describes Chrome as "A fast, new browser. Made for everyone". Inside, the ad explains why Google made the browser and details its features such as the unique way it handles tabs and its Incognito mode (often …

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If you own a photo or other type of inkjet printer, then you know that it's a lot like the Gillette razor and blade business model -- you can get a printer for practically nothing but the ink is crazy expensive. Kodak is turning that upside down -- and going head on against HP and Canon with People Against Big Ink. The site taps into customer frustrations by mixing user reviews, news articles, and other content, …

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Last month, when Bob Garfield said Miracle Whip's new attitude was "Che Guevara in a Jar," no one really noticed. But Stephen Colbert is another story. Colbert took Miracle Whip to task and even made a competitive commercial on behalf of real mayonnaise just to rub condiment in Miracle Whip's eye. The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c …

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Here's a story that illuminates how deep a brand goes. It's not just the logo or other trappings, a brand is a promise. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Holiday Inn brand promise isn't being kept by as many as 300 independent owners. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is ready to strip the brand next year from as many as 300 of the 2,700 Holiday Inn hotels owned by franchisees in North America if those …

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