sloane

Amazon Buys Out Lexcycle to Defend Itself and the Kindle

I'm not an iPhone or a Kindle person--but even if the price were as high as $500, if I really felt like it was a device that I would want to read on (that makes use of Kindle's ink/lighting technology) and that would serve as a phone and give me internet access...I think I woud probably pay up.

Dr. Tantillo, a branding expert, has a marketing and branding blog on which he does a weekly brand winner/brand loser post. He has named Apple the 'brand winner' several times, including last week: "Bottom line: Apple understands that it is there to serve its customers; Microsoft (still) does not." blog.marketingdoctor.t...

And in a previous post on Amazon--just after post-xmas reports were published that Amazon sales were up while other retailers' sales were done, he attributed Amazon's success to the fact that Amazon has "built themselves around the consumers’ experience." blog.marketingdoctor.t...

In a post on the Kindle's success, he wrote "Real marketers must always assume that a better job of serving their customers’ needs is possible —and be actively figuring out how to do so, before a competitor steps in to fill unmet demands." blog.marketingdoctor.t...

It will be interesting to see if Amazon or Apple does a better job of meeting demands. My guess is that it will be Apple, because they're better positioned, I think, to work toward the sort of integration that would make the Kindle obsolete (like the Palm Pilot).

The Strategic Reason Behind Microsoft's Retail Push: Windows 7

In light of the criticisms of the Microsoft/Apple comparison based on cash flow, does anyone have at their fingertips better numbers with which to compare the two?

John Tantillo typically does winner/loser posts on his marketing blog and has featured Microsoft as the loser multiple times...Last week, with the announcement that Microsoft would be opening retail stores and that David Portner would be heading up the effort, he named Microsoft the winner...not for thinking that the retail stores will necessarily pan out, but because at least Microsoft is indicating that they know they need to be Something different. He suggests that constructive criticism may trickle up from the sales floor....although I don't think there's a lot of chance of that happening. blog.marketingdoctor.t...

Great Lessons from Big Scandals

The Marketing Doctor ( blog.marketingdoctor.t... ) actually did a short post on Madoff last week, explaining how his success can be attributed to knowing his Target Market (not that he condones his behavior).

"He knew not to promise sophisticated people unsophisticated (read “extravagant”) returns. In other words, he knew people would walk away if he promised them the sun and moon, but 10 to 15% seemed about right. He was also reportedly very selective —not everyone could become a client— and that kind of exclusivity, if exerted by a credible party (like Madoff seemed to be), can have real power."

Of course, in the end, he had no product to market at all, so ultimately a failure -

Tantillo's full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

Poor Strategy Is Costly

I've posted comments on here before linking back to posts on the Marketing Doctor's blog ( blog.marketingdoctor.t... ). He blogs from a branding perspective--a really simple concept, but one that is often lost sight of and which fits with the ideas in this article. The example of the drug companies, for instance--in marketing their products, they side-step the question of what their brand/s is/are supposed to be--what I think Dr. Tantillo refers to as their 'core essentials.'

Dr. Tantillo did a post on Citigroup last week, when its stock was down at $3.77. He argues that Citigroup strayed from its roots--lost sight of its brand:

"We don’t really call them conglomerates anymore, and we talked about “synergies,” but the basic idea was the same: create massive companies with hundreds of thousands of employees, which would supposedly save bottom-line costs and create one-stop shopping for consumers and companies."

"Leading with marketing rather than deal finance would have shown that the basic natures of a bank and an insurance company are very different, and combining them would only dilute both."
Citigroup post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

Twitter: Hunting for a Business Model

Didn't Google start with a business model, though, even if took them a while to begin generating revenue?

Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor') did a post on his
blog ( blog.marketingdoctor.t... ) last week on the success of Google's business model: "Google’s a powerhouse is because they have managed to do what no one else in the history of advertising has done before: connect the selling of goods and services directly with the people looking for those goods and services."

Full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

Twitter may be useful to a lot of people, but I don't think that it connects sellers to consumers.

GE: A Blue Chip Bargain

Dr. Tantillo, who has a marketing/brand blog ( blog.marketingdoctor.t...) did a post at the end of last week that expressed his confidence in GE and its brand, bringing up the fact that GE was able to weather the Depression and has proved adept at adapting to market conditions and meeting its Target Market's needs.

He does however, wonder whether GE Capital fits with the GE brand's 'core essentials' - "Should GE Capital ever have been part of this grand brand to begin with?  Is it 'Imagination at Work,' or the kind of brand extension that has little to do with a company’s core?"

Full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

GE: A Blue Chip Bargain

Dr. Tantillo, who has a marketing blog , did a post at the end of last week that expressed his confidence in GE and its brand, bringing up the fact that GE was able to weather the Depression and has proved adept at adapting to market conditions and meeting its Target Market's needs.

He does however, wonder whether GE Capital fits with the GE brand's 'core essentials' - "Should GE Capital ever have been part of this grand brand to begin with?  Is it 'Imagination at Work,' or the kind of brand extension that has little to do with a company’s core?"

Full post

Buffett Buys into Constellation: Watching a Master at Work

Dr. Tantillo did a post last week on the Warren Buffett Brand (in a winner/loser post that contrasted him with WaMu).

Dr. Tantillo blogs from a branding perspective, and posits that any company must stay true to its brand's 'core features' to succeed--and that Buffett has done just that, in his personal as well as his professional life (i.e., still lives in a modest home in NE).

"A successful brand 'discovers' and refines its core features until they hum and are reflected perfectly in its actions and marketing."

Full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

Buffett Buys into Constellation: Watching a Master at Work

Dr. Tantillo did a post last week on the Warren Buffett brand (in a winner/loser post that contrasted him with WaMu).

Dr. Tantillo blogs from a branding perspective, and posits that any company must stay true to its brand's 'core features' to succeed--and that Buffett has done just that, in his personal as well as his professional life (i.e., still lives in a modest home in NE).

"A successful brand 'discovers' and refines its core features until they hum and are reflected perfectly in its actions and marketing."

Here's a link to the full post

WaMu Shows, Again, Smart Money Can Be Wrong

Dr. Tantillo, who has a marketing blog ( blog.marketingdoctor.t... ), did a post a few days ago on WaMu, saying that their marketing campaign (i.e., goofy commercials ridiculing old-style bankers and trying to give the bank a supposedly hipper image - ) was at the least a sign that their company was headed the wrong direction.

Dr. Tantillo blogs from a branding perspective, and posits that any company must stay true to its brand's 'core features' to succeed.

"As with most of the marketing losers of the past, WaMu put 'image' marketing first and let rapid growth eclipse brand and marketing fundamentals."

"One clear takeaway from the WaMu debacle is this: any advertising you do should reflect what your company, brand or service is all about and, in doing so, reinforce for you what your brand essentials are and who your Target Market is."

Full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

WaMu Shows, Again, Smart Money Can Be Wrong

Dr. Tantillo, who has a marketing blog , did a post a few days ago on WaMu, saying that their marketing campaign (i.e., goofy commercials ridiculing old-style bankers and trying to give the bank a supposedly hipper image - ) was at the least a sign that their company was headed the wrong direction.

Dr. Tantillo blogs from a branding perspective, and posits that any company must stay true to its brand's 'core features' to succeed.

"As with most of the marketing losers of the past, WaMu put 'image' marketing first and let rapid growth eclipse brand and marketing fundamentals."

"One clear takeaway from the WaMu debacle is this: any advertising you do should reflect what your company, brand or service is all about and, in doing so, reinforce for you what your brand essentials are and who your Target Market is."

Here's a link to the full post

WaMu Shows, Again, Smart Money Can Be Wrong

Dr. Tantillo, who has a marketing blog , did a post a few days ago on WaMu, saying that their marketing campaign (i.e., goofy commercials ridiculing old-style bankers and trying to give the bank a supposedly hipper image - ) was at the least a sign that their company was headed the wrong direction.

Dr. Tantillo blogs from a branding perspective, and posits that any company must stay true to its brand's 'core features' to succeed.

"As with most of the marketing losers of the past, WaMu put 'image' marketing first and let rapid growth eclipse brand and marketing fundamentals."

"One clear takeaway from the WaMu debacle is this: any advertising you do should reflect what your company, brand or service is all about and, in doing so, reinforce for you what your brand essentials are and who your Target Market is."

Here's a link to the full post

The U.S. on the Precipice

I feel like I don't have enough background in economics to have a sense of what sort of disaster might ensue if a bailout didn't happen....(Maybe a similar crisis, but sooner?) Trickle down economics are in play, unfortunately, when things are going badly. James Surowiecki wrote a piece in the New Yorker back in March, questioning the high value that Americans place on home ownership. www.newyorker.com/talk...

Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor - blog.marketingdoctor.t... ) did a post naming Freddie & Frannie this week's 'brand loser(s)' and calling for what he terms a "brandover," arguing that marketing will need to play a key role if F&F are too be successful in the future--and that they'll need a new name.

Tanillo's full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...

The U.S. on the Precipice

I feel like I don't have enough background in economics to have a sense of what sort of disaster might ensue if a bailout didn't happen....(Maybe a similar crisis, but sooner?) Trickle down economics are in play, unfortunately, when things are going badly. James Surowiecki wrote a piece in the New Yorker back in March, questioning the high value that Americans place on home ownership.

Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor - <a href="blog.marketingdoctor.t...") did a post naming Freddie & Frannie this week's 'brand loser(s)' and calling for what he terms a "brandover," arguing that marketing will need to play a key role if F&F are too be successful in the future--and that they'll need a new name.

Here's a link to Tanillo's full post

The U.S. on the Precipice

I feel like I don't have enough background in economics to have a sense of what sort of disaster might ensue if a bailout didn't happen....(Maybe a similar crisis, but sooner?) Trickle down economics are in play, unfortunately, when things are going badly. James Surowiecki wrote a piece in the New Yorker back in March, questioning the high value that Americans place on home ownership.

Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor - <a href="blog.marketingdoctor.t...") did a post naming Freddie & Frannie this week's 'brand loser(s)' and calling for what he terms a "brandover," arguing that marketing will need to play a key role if F&F are too be successful in the future--and that they'll need a new name.

Here's a link to Tanillo's full post