The Climate Change Brand Is Running For President
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER
Here in California we face unprecedented drought. In the east, it is unprecedented cold. Increasing super storms and weather anomalies abound worldwide. More than half of all Americans are worried about climate change according to the study released last week from Yale on “Climate Change Communication.”...
Food Scores, a Game Changing App for Grocery Shoppers
THE GENIE IS OUT OF THE BOTTLE!
A non-profit called Environmental Working Group (EWG) has recently unveiled “Food Scores,” a soon-to-be-released app consumers can use to scan bar codes on packaged food items with their smart phones. Beyond the mandatory labeling on the package, consumers can, for the first time, have an easily...
The Mob Museum Adds History, Color, and Character to the Las Vegas Brand
PROHIBITION GAVE PERMISSION
It's ironic that the same former federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas that was the site of hearings and criminal proceedings against so many mob members wound up being a tourist attraction in the very town that was, in large part, originally built up by the...
Rebranding a Commercial Neighborhood with Paint and Sensibility
BARIO TO BRAVO
We all have them in our towns: 50s-era strip malls with parking in front, originally designed to be convenient to an automobile-oriented society. Simply drive in, get your products and services, and drive out. Not much walking, not much community feeling, and not much fun. These...
Facebook Reneges on Its Brand Promise
“YOU REACHED 9 PEOPLE”
Without notice to its subscribers, Facebook suddenly changed its algorithms, essentially reneging on its basic brand promise. Remember, the brand promise is not so much what is made by the brand owners as it is the expectations of the brand’s customers, what they have come to...
Electric Cars Gain Traction as Local Governments Cut Costs
LARGE PURCHACES LOWER PRICES
Sonoma County, California is making the nation’s largest single government purchase of electric vehicles. This is just the beginning of a trend that seeks to save taxpayers from the high cost of gasoline- powered vehicles. Over a five-year period, the County’s purchase of 31 all-electric Ford...
The Anti-Discrimination Brand
DISCRIMINATION IS BAD FOR BUSINESS
Arizona tried it and Mississippi passed it - laws that give permission to businesses to discriminate based on strongly held religious beliefs. Businesses that feared a big drop in revenue pressured the Arizona governor so much that she vetoed a bill that would have allowed businesses...
Palcohol Learns an Important Brand Lesson – the Hard Way
PLEASE UNRING THAT BELL
Palcohol, a new brand of beverage alcohol, attempted an introduction into the U.S. market. What makes this brand different is that unlike its competition, it’s dry - really dry. It’s so dry, in fact, that it’s powder! Just add water or basically any liquid and voila,...
Starbucks’ Decision to Scrap Cup Recycling Tarnishes a Progressive Brand Image
IS IT TOO COSTLY TO BE THE GOOD GUY?
Succumbing to the Economic Challenges of Recycling Starbucks serves 4 billion disposable cups a year to eco-conscious patrons. So in 2008, to improve their brand image, they announced that all company-operated stores would offer recycling by 2015. But in its 2013 Global Responsibility Report (out just...
GM Brand Hurt by Violating the Public Trust
STOOPING OVER DOLLARS TO PICK UP DIMES
The general public believes that General Motors (GM), or for that matter any automaker, would not knowingly allow an unsafe product on the market. They know that honest mistakes happen from time to time. But they also expect that once discovered, the automaker will deal with...
Putin Breaks the “New Russia” Brand Promise
THE ECONOMY IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
Military Might vs Economic Influence Today’s interdependent economy trumps nationalism. Military might takes a back seat to economic well-being. The recent land grab by Vladimir Putin is reminiscent of old-school thinking about military solutions without regard for the economic and political consequences. Sure, Crimea was once...
Condoning Discriminatory Legislation Hurts the Corporate Brand Image
CUSTOMERS ARE MINORITIES
Because corporations must protect their corporate brand image, they had to object to recent Arizona legislation that would have allowed discriminatory practices. The law would have allowed merchants to refuse service to members of the LGBT community based on “the business owner’s deeply held religious beliefs.”...