Like Apple, ING gets that the “store” environment isn’t just about pushing product. It’s about letting you browse, connect, get conformable with who they are.

Although most people think of an Apple Store as being part of an upscale mall or some other a high-end retail location, Grand Central Station really is the perfect location, and it shows that the Apple real estate group really “gets it” about retail. It’s about nurturing the ecology that brings together consumers, location and buying opportunity.

So, ultimately, the best thing for the shopper and the brand is understanding and using customer reviews, comments, and ratings as you beging to learn what a brand is about, who they are really making this product for, and what you need to know to discover the brand that will fill your needs.

Back in May of this year Overstock.com, the well known — did I say well recognized and branded leader in online discount sales, changed it’s self-descriptive name to a meaningless wonder O.co. This brilliant move lead by the president and CEO Jonathan Johnson ignored all the rules about branding, brand value and building the position [...]

Only a month ago Qwikster was launched to repair the damage of mid July’s disasters announcement of the take-it-or-leave-it strategy of doubling the price of both DVD deliveries and streaming movies. After two ridiculous moves, resulting in tons of nasty comments and thousands of lost customers and a stock drop from $245 a share to [...]

Okay, tell your super-loyal customers that you are giving them two months notice, then you are doubling the price of the products they know and love. You get a choice to get streaming movies, which have a limited number of titles, or continue your DVD deliveries, which have just about everything

It’s easy to pick a brand color, right? Not as easy as you think. Depending on your industry, the message and focus of your brand everything can change. The color look and feel not only establishes what you are but who you are. This is why trade dress is so important. It’ happened several times [...]

Cisco, like many technology companies, thinks only linearly. What they do is in the context of their technological hold in the market, but the Flip does not fit this model

This focus on the customer built incredible loyalty and connection. They educated every customer, they increased their level of awareness and in the end they became the preferred choice in the category.

Target’s entry with P-Fresh will add substantially to the already glutted grocery store square-footage in the United States where more and more retailers are competing for the same number of consumer dollars.