Target customers’ big similarities, not their little differences
JP CastlinAll too often brands are obsessed with what makes people different rather than looking for traits and behaviours they share.
Post-Covid innovation needs to be radical, not marginal
Helena RubinsteinWhile there are multiple different ideological and behavioural scenarios for how society will evolve post-Covid, in order to keep pace innovation must adopt a breakthrough mindset.
The wrong and the real of marketing effectiveness
Grace KitePeter Field and Les Binet have shown us a model for how short- and long-term marketing work together but the reality is achieving this in practice is hard.
Treat Covid-19 as your chance to ‘pivot’
Harry LangLockdown has been the mother of invention for those wanting to shift their marketing careers – or themselves.
Customers’ benevolence won’t keep brands alive – we serve them, not the other way round
Mark RitsonBrands can’t expect customers to behave generously, or even reasonably, to save them from the Covid crisis. They must accept their situation with humility and find new ways to offer value to their markets.
Racism is not just a news story, it’s a disease all marketers should fight
Tanya JosephThe media frenzy around Black Lives Matter might have subsided but the issue has not – racism is still prevalent and we must all use whatever influence we have to remove it from our workplaces and our society.
Three steps to creating consumer habits
Richard ShottonBuying habits aren’t formed overnight, but they can be created through systematic application of cues, rewards and repeat behaviour.
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In a virtual marketplace, only the strongest brands will survive
Mark RitsonGoing online not only cuts costs, but also lowers competitive barriers and removes physical distance from the purchase decision, playing to the strengths of the biggest, strongest brands.
Don’t expect a slogan to make your brand famous
Helen EdwardsIt’s true that a strapline can give a brand fame and mental availability, but only if it’s a great one, which gets harder to achieve as time goes by.
Will brands boycotting social media be less effective?
Grace KiteThe brand boycott is about more than media effectiveness, but it is a good opportunity for marketers to work if they should be in the ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ camp on social media.
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Seven tried and tested strategies for getting back into work
Colin LewisThe consequences of the pandemic are now being felt in redundancies, and if you’re in this position, a structured approach is your best bet for finding the next opportunity.
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Take Tesco’s lead, prepare for a recession that will dwarf the financial crash
Mark RitsonForget ‘U’s and ‘V’s, this recession will be F-shaped, and Tesco knows from the financial crash that all most brands and retailers can do is minimise their losses.
The power of social proof is that thousands of people can’t be wrong
Richard ShottonSocial proof is one of the most robustly researched behavioural biases, and marketers can use it even more effectively when they have a distinctive product.
Localism’s potential is limited by the scale needed to innovate
Helen EdwardsThe pandemic has accentuated consumers’ already strong affinity for local brands, but innovation budgets remain big brands’ advantage.
User experience alone doesn’t make a brand
Ben DavisImproving digital business models is an imperative, but multichannel retailers should recognise that good user experience alone is not a marketing strategy.
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Don Schultz may be gone but we can’t let integrated marketing die with him
Mark RitsonMarketers must heed the great Northwestern University professor’s principles of integrated marketing communications, or risk the loss of effectiveness that comes with focusing on individual channels.
Should brands go dark during the coronavirus recession? It depends
Grace KiteBusinesses may be looking for clear signs about when and where to invest their marketing budgets as lockdowns ease but with every category impacted differently, each must take their own course.
While technology connects us, it can never bring us truly together
Jerry DaykinTechnology such as Zoom and Teams may make connecting during lockdown – whether for a funeral, Pride or work – easier but we are all missing real human interaction, something bosses should bear in mind when thinking about the future of work.