Brand Love That Works Today
On the latest episode of the Brand Builder’s Playbook, Molson Coors CMO Sophia Colucci shared how her team develops brands that people genuinely want to connect with and how those efforts translate into measurable business results. Her strategy combines curiosity, consistency, and creativity, ensuring that every initiative evokes real emotion. Alignment is always Colucci’s starting […]
Why Brand Still Wins
“Brand health today is top line tomorrow.” Chris Burggraeve opened the first episode of the Brand Builder’s Playbook podcast with that line, followed by Warren Buffett’s reminder that when the tide goes out, you see who has been swimming naked. Right now, a lot of companies are feeling that cold water. Costs are up, categories […]
FRMU Explained for Brand Builders
Quarter after quarter, the dashboard lights up with awareness, favorability, search, and social. You can point to movement, yet margins feel tighter, promo spend creeps up, and loyalty looks fragile. The funnel view explains episodes in the journey, but not the quiet moments between purchases when people decide whether your brand still matters. That gap […]
Brand is a Relationship, Not a Funnel
Funnel marketing vs brand relationships: what your metrics miss Awareness is rising, conversion is steady, yet price sensitivity is creeping up. The funnel view is not explaining why. Dashboards tell a familiar story with reach, clicks, and conversion, while classic models such as AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action), loyalty loops, and conversion ladders map […]
Why Co-locating IHOP and Applebee’s Will Work
Co-locating restaurant brands is easy to talk about and hard to pull off. Most examples create more confusion than clarity. But every so often, two brands become stronger by partnering with each other. This is exactly what’s happening with IHOP and Applebee’s. Dine Brands, the parent company of both IHOP and Applebee’s, is expanding its […]
Dell’s Brand is Losing Touch with Young Adults, and It’s Costing Them
Dell is in a bind. Its brand equity is slipping among younger adults, and the fallout is showing up on the balance sheet. Among this audience, Dell just doesn’t stand out. Compared to leaders like Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung, BERA’s data shows that Dell lags far behind on perceptions of what makes a brand feel […]
Rising Tariffs Threaten Margins, But Strong Brands Are Holding Their Ground
As policymakers weigh new rounds of tariffs on imported goods, business leaders are bracing for yet another hit to margins. From automobile makers to home goods retailers, many companies will soon face a familiar question: absorb the extra costs or pass them on? For some brands, that decision isn’t as painful as it sounds. According […]
Why Price Reductions Haven’t Stopped The Bleeding at Tesla
Over the past few years, Tesla has implemented several major price reductions in a bid to increase market share by making electric vehicles more accessible to a broader market. But the results have been underwhelming. Despite lower prices, Tesla’s share of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) market continues to shrink. The combination of reduced prices […]
How Netflix’s Drive to Survive Turbocharged Formula 1’s Brand Growth
Formula 1 was a niche sport in the U.S. in 2019, with limited awareness and an underdeveloped brand presence. Fast forward to today, and F1 has seen explosive growth in viewership, event attendance, and social media engagement. All of this has been largely fueled by the Netflix phenomenon Drive to Survive. But how has F1’s […]
Crisis, Recovery, and Resilience: How the McDonald’s Brand Weathered an E. Coli Outbreak
When the CDC issued a food safety alert on October 22, 2024, linking a multi-state E. coli outbreak to contaminated slivered onions in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, the fast-food giant faced a difficult challenge to its reputation. Consumers reacted swiftly, and the hit to McDonald’s perceived product quality and overall experience led to a two-percentile drop […]
