In all cases, brands need to be really clear and careful with their cause marketing efforts, but perhaps especially if yours is but one of many brands under a single multi-national corporate umbrella that might present conflicting messages.  Then you’ve really got your work cut out for you.  If that … Read on >

It is that month again.  The one where you suddenly see pink shoes, M&M’s, vacuum cleaners (?) and, well.. probably lawn mowers.  This just makes me wonder if a cause can be harmed more than helped when a brand attaches itself in this way, going to extreme lengths for some … Read on >

Both men and women, according to a recent Nielsen study, feel pressure to look good.  But, the more interesting finding therein is that women are not the only ones considering their looks these days.  According to the Nielsen press release: "84% of Americans believe that men are more interested … Read on >

It has been roughly a decade since the concept of “marketing to women” first got some attention, and a lot more brands are considering the importance of the women in their markets. (A round of applause goes here.) But, do I still detect a pink tinge in a lot … Read on >

Why does my mom’s 2003 Subaru gleam so bright in my eyes and why do I drool over a friend’s new mountain bike or cashmere sweater?  They may all be shinier and spiffier than what I own, but the reality is my almost 10-year old car works just great, I … Read on >

It isn’t easy being green, especially if you are a retailer conflicted between growing your physical space (in terms of square footage or number of stores) and inefficient use of environmental resources.  There are several ways to go about it.  You can certainly follow the traditional path and grow stores … Read on >

It turns out that plenty of consumers will take advantage of "special" promotions and discounts, and then go back to favored brands – even at likely higher prices – when the deals are done.  IRI just released a new study (specifically focused on consumer packaged goods) that seems to … Read on >

Who talks more?  There is the gender stereotyped answer, and there is the research – which still doesn’t seem to add up.   Case in point: Either women talk way more than men (20,000 words to 7,000 words – as cited in The Female Brain) or they don’t (16,125 to … Read on >

How to market a product that people buy furtively, at best?  1) use humor, and 2) reflect your core market’s reality.  Trojan’s new ad campaign, "Evolve," is doing that, and doing it well, to inspire sexually active young men and women toward more responsible behavior.  Some networks don’t approve … Read on >

If we re-package marketing to women a bit (new look/feel/name), will more businesspeople pay attention to the opportunity therein? I think Daniel Pink may have been onto something with his description (in A Whole New Mind) of R-directed thinking and the “conceptual age.” I explore this a … Read on >