How Dumb Some Ads Must Look To Cash Poor Households

Ed Cotton of Butler Shine and Stern says it’s a challenging, but exciting time to solve marketing problems.

Brands needs to understand that the world has changed and the hopes and dreams they promised to consumers might ring rather hollow today.
Brands need to get practical. They need to be smarter. They need to get the current mindset and tailor their offerings to meet current needs. Obviously, value takes on new meaning, but its going to be imperative that brands find a way to demonstrate and explain their value in the light of these changes.

This seems especially true for premium brands. I know why I should buy Miller High Life, for instance, but what about Heineken? Is it worth the bump in price?