sloane's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/232658/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/134177-amazon-buys-out-lexcycle-to-defend-itself-and-the-kindle?source=feed#comment-484661 484661
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).]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:51:56 -0400
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).]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/120871-the-strategic-reason-behind-microsoft-s-retail-push-windows-7?source=feed#comment-394278 394278
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...
]]> Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:14:33 -0500
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...
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/112083-great-lessons-from-big-scandals?source=feed#comment-337082 337082 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...]]> Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:18:49 -0500 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...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/108945-poor-strategy-is-costly?source=feed#comment-321028 321028 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...
]]> Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:46:43 -0500 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...
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/100669-twitter-hunting-for-a-business-model?source=feed#comment-290026 290026
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.]]> Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:56:39 -0400
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.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/99768-ge-a-blue-chip-bargain?source=feed#comment-283347 283347 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...]]> Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:46:39 -0400 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...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/99768-ge-a-blue-chip-bargain?source=feed#comment-283346 283346
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 ]]> Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:45:38 -0400
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 ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/98527-buffett-buys-into-constellation-watching-a-master-at-work?source=feed#comment-274100 274100
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...]]> Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:43:54 -0400
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...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/98527-buffett-buys-into-constellation-watching-a-master-at-work?source=feed#comment-274099 274099
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
]]> Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:43:09 -0400
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
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/97569-wamu-shows-again-smart-money-can-be-wrong?source=feed#comment-268389 268389 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...]]> Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:32:03 -0400 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...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/97569-wamu-shows-again-smart-money-can-be-wrong?source=feed#comment-268388 268388
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
]]> Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:30:30 -0400
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
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/97569-wamu-shows-again-smart-money-can-be-wrong?source=feed#comment-268387 268387
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
]]> Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:30:30 -0400
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
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/95436-the-u-s-on-the-precipice?source=feed#comment-254811 254811 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...]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:44:22 -0400 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...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/95436-the-u-s-on-the-precipice?source=feed#comment-254808 254808
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 ]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:42:47 -0400
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 ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/95436-the-u-s-on-the-precipice?source=feed#comment-254807 254807
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 ]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:42:47 -0400
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 ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/87326-how-steve-jobs-leaked-that-he-doesn-t-have-cancer?source=feed#comment-216396 216396
Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor') did a recent post on his branding blog (blog.marketingdoctor.... asserting that Jobs and Apple are two separate brands--Jobs one that is irreplaceable but that can, at this juncture, help ensure Apple's longevity--and that, with the question of Jobs' health at least being raised, this is definitely the time to do so.

Full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:56:54 -0400
Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor') did a recent post on his branding blog (blog.marketingdoctor.... asserting that Jobs and Apple are two separate brands--Jobs one that is irreplaceable but that can, at this juncture, help ensure Apple's longevity--and that, with the question of Jobs' health at least being raised, this is definitely the time to do so.

Full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/86446-us-banks-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly?source=feed#comment-214506 214506
"I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my bank to be wild and crazy or warm and fuzzy, I want it to keep my money safe. The Wamu advertisements –you know the ones, where the enlightened Wamu guy tries to turn the old guard bankers into “new” bankers— are funny and clever, but they project exactly the wrong image for a bank. Wamu’s not the only one…most banks have been bending over backwards to show just how approachable and fun they are over the last few years."

Here's a link to the full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:05:16 -0400
"I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my bank to be wild and crazy or warm and fuzzy, I want it to keep my money safe. The Wamu advertisements –you know the ones, where the enlightened Wamu guy tries to turn the old guard bankers into “new” bankers— are funny and clever, but they project exactly the wrong image for a bank. Wamu’s not the only one…most banks have been bending over backwards to show just how approachable and fun they are over the last few years."

Here's a link to the full post: blog.marketingdoctor.t...]]>