Maker’s Mark teaches us how not to “dilute” our brand

Maker’s Mark. This bourbon has been sold in a very distinctive bottle sealed with red wax since 1954.  In addition to great packaging and taste, you can count on its 45% alcohol by volume / 90 proof the same way you can count on the annual Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Or can you? In…

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Procter & Gamble and a focused job search: Don’t be willing to “do anything”

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is a consumer goods powerhouse that touts more “billion dollar” brands than any other.  Legendary brand names like Bounty, Crest, Olay, Pantene and Tide have filled America’s homes since 1837.  P&G fundamentally understands the American consumer and has based its success on targeting “the middle class.” The economic conditions of recent…

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Oreo? Mac & Cheese? Which one are you?

Today, Kraft announced that it will be splitting into two separate publicly traded companies.  One organization will focus on snacks (Oreo Cookies, Cadbury Chocolate), and the other organization will focus on grocery items (Kraft Mac N Cheese, Oscar Meyer Lunch Meat).  Essentially, this split was done so that each organization could focus on its strengths. 2011 has…

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MillerCoors MGD 64 Lemonade – A valid innovation effort

Having worked in new product development, I know how challenging it is to launch either a new brand or a line extension on a current brand.  The Chicago Tribune on July 26th, 2011, reported, “Miller Coors drops MGD 64 Lemonade.”  With MGD 64, MillerCoors had been doing some great work in getting females interested in its low calorie beer. …

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Have some chocolate before that interview…

We have all heard “you are what you eat.”  Well, there is now research that actually draws the correlation between your food and your mood. In “Study offers clues to emotional eating” on July 25, 2011, CNN.com and health.com reported that “the study is among the first to show that the effect of food on mood is biologically based.”  Participants given…

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