Abraham Maslow postulated that humans have an ascending order of needs and used a hierarchal pyramid to prioritize them. At the bottom levels of the pyramid are our physiological needs—like food, shelter, and clothing—that we need to survive. As these needs are met, progressively higher needs...
Tobacco is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. It was way back in 1987—a quarter century ago—that smokers were first told that it was easier to give up heroin than cigarettes. Today, the CDC reports that 19.3% of American adults smoke. That's nearly...
We're starting to hear the rumbles, here and there, from businesses of every type and every size. Social media, the marketing tool that was supposed to deliver amazing results, doesn't seem to work very well for some companies. They say effort invested isn't providing anything...
What do you call a brand that has enjoyed long-term success, remaining profitable and vibrant for over 30 years, while the vast majority of their early competition struggles for relevancy? In the music world, you'd call that brand Duran Duran. Get ready for your 80's flashback!...
In Customers First, we talk about Starbucks and some of the ways that the brand appeared to be heading off track. It's only right and fair that we should raise our coffee mugs and salute Starbucks when they get it right. Check out this NY Times...
It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye! It was almost a year ago when we wrote this post, highlighting an innovative, effective emergency preparedness educational campaign from the Center for Disease Control. In an effort to get people to stock up on bottled water,...
The news that GM has decided to stop using paid Facebook advertising has created a big buzz. If the nation's third largest advertiser isn't getting enough bang for their buck from Facebook ads, the conversation goes, what does that mean for the rest of us? GM...
Social media is a powerful tool you can leverage to build your brand, but it can also leave you vulnerable to the the cruel contempt of the masses who think nothing of trashing your brand equity one "Like" at a time. That's the thrust of...
The contemporary art world is buzzing about a newly announced collaboration between UBS Wealth Management and the Guggenheim Museum. It's easy to see what the excitement is about, especially from a creative perspective. The five year initiative is going to chart creative activity and contemporary...
Starbucks, it turns out, is not synonymous with seamless, stress-free success. Embracing a global strategy is an integral part of the coffee retailer's much-talked about turnaround strategy, but after ten years of effort, things still aren't great in Europe. Particularly not in France, according to...