Comments on: Branding the hard way (leave it to the MBAs)

By: steve

steve — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 18:41:51 +0000

I teach strategy, not marketing, but branding naturally comes up frequently. In my experience, students tend to overestimate the power of brands, thinking of them as magic talismans that mesemerise the customer. They aren’t real clear on how brands are generated or how they work. I smugly blame the marketing faculty, because we academics are good at passing the buck–also it kind of seems like their job.

Before I get into anything subtle, I always try to get them to distinguish different kinds of brands: quality assurance for experience and/or credence goods (e.g. Perdue chicken or Gold Medal flour), social identification (e.g., many apparel brands), individual identification (e.g. Motel 6′s “smart and thrifty” pitch), mental association with pleasant images/sensations (e.g, York Peppermint Patties) etc. These have different economic results and different cost structures. Until you get those basic distinctions down, it’s like trying to explain “illness” without distinguishing bacteria, viruses, and allergies.

By: Grant

Grant — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:34:33 +0000

Mary! I am setting aside a named chair (something like, the P&G chair for good marketing) aside for you on the new campus! See you in the fall. Thanks, Grant

By: Stoked Brands

Stoked Brands — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 12:01:05 +0000

Taking the Poker to MBAs (or How to Shoot Myself in the Foot)

Nope, I dont have an MBA – though I began the process about six years back at Johns Hopkins (a good program, but the way) for a few semesters of night classes. A move to the left coast cancelled that endeavor, and the degree was overcome by ev…

By: Mary's Blog

Mary's Blog — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:44:06 +0000

Ouch! Branding Hurts!

Amongst marketers, branding is one of those things that nobody seems to truly understand and seemingly everybody preaches about (endlessly). In fact, I just googled branding and got 113M hits, with tons selling logos and such. I even saw one for …

By: Mary Schmidt

Mary Schmidt — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 10:23:12 +0000

Ah yes. You’re speaking to one of my pet peeves. Somehow people think “MBA” automatically and instantly translates to “expert.” Which is why – when I’m a guest speaker at MBA classes – I hit them with the real world. Here’s what you’re reading. Here’s how it really works (or doesn’t in many cases.) If the students are older and already in the work force, they usually get it. If they’re college-age students, it’s very baffling to them.

As for all kanuffles around “branding” – well, I could go on for days!

By: Grant

Grant — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:45:17 +0000

Tom, so maybe its time to create a summer school program. The MBA was meant to cap an undergraduate degree. A branding program could cap the MBA. But your right, two weeks isn’t time enough. Good choice on the opera. Thanks, Grant

Adriano, McGill, what I could see of the MBA program, was especially, almost tragically clueless, when it came to branding. All they seem to do is to endow students with a sense of entitlement. A little like that FedEx commercial:

administrative assistant: courier this now!

new hire: but I have an MBA.

administrative assistant: You have an MBA? Oh, then I’ll have to show you how to do it.

Thanks, Grant

By: Adriano

Adriano — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:26:11 +0000

At my last job I worked with this woman who graduated from McGill University and she decribed her degree as half an MBA. Her job title was Brand Manager (aka resume superstar). It all made sense when she asked me how do you build brand and once stated if a logo isn’t a brand then what is it? I have this strange feeling she is now working at some giant company telling people to “make it so”. I need to get back to work now the slurpee machine is empty.

By: Tom Guarriello

Tom Guarriello — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:25:55 +0000

My guess: never. It’s too difficult for people with no experience to really learn in the time allotted. And, those with experience aren’t going to business school anymore.

Now, by contrast, on Saturday night at the Met, we saw the most sublime Marriage of Figaro we’ve ever seen. Every single detail came together to make it a beautiful musical and dramatic presentation of that wonderful opera. Also, the absolutely sexiest interpretation, with a very attractive cast, which didn’t hurt a bit. When it was done, two comments summed it up. My friend George, who’s probably seen Figaro at least as many times as I have said, “well, no need to see Marriage of Figaro again; that was the definitive performance.” And Karen, my wife, said, “that’s probably how Mozart imagined it when he wrote it.”