Branding
The Missing Middle
In 1980, George W.S. Trow said television had destroyed the middle distance. The Creator Economy may now be bridging it. Brands should pay attention.
Friday, April 17, 2026
Branding
Branding
The Grey Line
A fair game and a good outcome are not the same thing. But brands have been betting on the confusion.
Friday, March 13, 2026
Branding
Life, Liberty, and the Promise of the American Brand
Ken Burns and the White House both released landmark narratives this fall; together, they offer an unintentional lesson in how brand mythologies are made and unmade.
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Larry Vincent/generated in Midjourney
Branding
Smile Policies and Other Ways to Trash a Brand
Target’s new smile policy tries to fix the brand from the outside in but real change starts with product culture and giving people a reason to smile.
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Larry Vincent/Midjourney
Branding
Pride and Principle
Aligning a brand with a cause requires a lot more than rainbows and media buys.
Friday, June 23, 2023
Branding
Safety Brands
Preference is an important measure of brand strength, yet it has many dimensions. One of those relates to safety.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Branding
Managing Human Brands
When managing a human brand (including your own), there is one metric that matters most
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Alex Wong/Getty
Branding
When Donald Met Chuck
One of the biggest political headlines this week offered a case study in a frequent brand challenge
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Branding
Marketing in the Time of Snapchat
Branding relies upon a story that lives inside the consumer's brain. But that story is changing in an era when stories appear and evaporate in a fraction of a second.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Helen H. Richardson/Getty Images
Branding
Symbols and Stereotypes
What happens when your brand symbolizes something offensive to others? How much do logos incite bad behavior? The case of the Washington Redskins.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Branding
From Badging to Hacking
Being t-shirt worthy was once the imperative for brand managers. But consumers have drifted away from badging brands to confer status. Instead, they seek ways to hack the brand's cultural currency to satisfy their social media reach.
Sunday, June 25, 2017