Thoughts from Sterling Brands It's a mental expedition that leads to some interesting destinations. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/ Copyright Sterling Brands. All Rights Reserved. Content Strategy: Feeding the Beast recent post (that began with our anticipation for the start of Mad Men season 6, which by the way, was as good as we wanted it to be), we talked about the importance of going beyond the “click” (or...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=91 April 17, 2013 A Brand On A Mission http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=92 April 24, 2013 Brand is a Four Letter Word http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=81 March 30, 2012 Why it’s Important to Understand the Difference Between Jeff Spicoli and Snooki: Gen Y vs. Gen X I was recently at a happy hour with some clients, and somehow the topic of pizza came up, which led to "isn’t it ok to have a little food on our time…it is our time,...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=82 May 9, 2012 The Difference Between Research for Strategy and Research for Research 1. Moderators moderate a discussion;...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=83 May 2, 2012 Forget Me, I'm 50. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=84 June 27, 2012 Bringing Real Brand Value to the World At the center of the strategic debate...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=85 June 12, 2012 Thinking Outside the Box is a Lousy Brand Strategy http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=86 July 27, 2012 The Extraordinary Economics of Sharing http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=87 February 25, 2013 Beyond First Clicks http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=88 March 27, 2013 Is Paint the New Lipstick? http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=89 March 19, 2013 The Shock and Awe of Reality http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=90 April 2, 2013 Who Will Be Our Source of Inspiration, Now? http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=76 October 25, 2011 Finally- Some Good CEO Behavior to Report Hewlett Packard President & CEO Leo Apotheker in late September was hardly a surprise given that his policies and strategies had become more and more unpredictable and perplexing. But what was surprising was that his severance package was somehow valued, by...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=77 November 28, 2011 Our Big Brand Questions for 2012 http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=78 January 6, 2012 The Modern Merchants of Misery http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=79 February 9, 2012 Thank Goodness For Our Clients Greg Smith:Goldman Sachs saga. Now right up front, I have to say that I have no special inside knowledge to assess whether Mr Smith was right or wrong in his allegations toward his now ex-employer Goldman Sachs. However,...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=80 March 15, 2012 An Update on Personal Branding, Courtesy of Donald. Donald Trump make an initial foray into the political mainstream brought into sharp focus for me the factors involved in building a credible and successful personal brand. Now let me state up front that this is not a political article…I have...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=73 May 11, 2011 Apple: Where Success Breeds Success http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=74 July 26, 2011 Chobani: A Superb Example of Branding at Its Best For those of us close to the food and grocery business, there was little evidence in 2006 in the yogurt category of the massive disruption that was about to take place: -The sector was growing consistently in line with other mature food categories -The big players such as General...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=75 September 16, 2011 The World’s Most Admired Companies – Really? Fortune’s Most Admired Companies. It was credible, it was influential and it translated positively into building corporate reputation. But that was in simpler times when it was possible to dominate the media with a single study and...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=69 April 6, 2011 The Oscars: Time To Change… Please! http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=70 February 28, 2011 Brand Positioning- Time to Turn Up the Volume http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=71 February 11, 2011 Emotions on the Rise http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=72 November 10, 2010 Brand is a Four Letter Word If you’re a marketer, you’re dealing with a noun – not a verb. You can’t...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=68 September 23, 2010 The Magic of Momentum So with this said, I would like to add my congratulations to Apple. I know, I know....]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=65 June 25, 2010 Devices: The New Identity Statement http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=66 July 23, 2010 Google: All You Need is Love... Love is All You Need http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=67 August 11, 2010 United… By Committee http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=63 June 4, 2010 Elevating the Thinking on Difference http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=64 June 17, 2010 Beware the (False) God of Big http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=61 April 15, 2010 Brands – From Really Smart to Not So Smart http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=62 April 16, 2010 Brands that Punch Above Their Weight http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=58 February 9, 2010 10 Brands that are Beating the Recession… Big Time. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=59 February 1, 2010 Why Positioning? Why Now? + despite ‘greenshoot’ talk, the economy is still a complete...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=60 February 8, 2010 WEBCAST: Cultural Pulse 2009 http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=57 October 1, 2009 War Gaming For your brand to win, others must lose. An obvious premise, but one that increases in importance and intensity during the kind of economic conditions within which we now operate. Sterling War Games infuse your marketing planning with the determination, aggression and imagination...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=54 August 26, 2009 Art School Adds Marketing Speak to Its Curriculum http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=53 August 12, 2009 WEBCAST: Responsibility Revolution http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=50 May 21, 2009 Top Packaging Advice from the Pros http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=49 April 13, 2009 Realizing the Power of Positioning http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=48 March 2, 2009 The Great Leap Forward http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=47 January 21, 2009 Obsessive Branding Disorder http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=44 January 20, 2009 Top 10 Consumer/Brand Predictions for 2009 http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=43 January 7, 2009 Jump Start — 3 Weeks, 3 Game Changing Ideas http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=36 December 3, 2008 Positioning – The Reason to Work with Sterling Brands Marketing is positioning. We might talk about branding, but there’s really no such thing. Brand is a noun. Brand is a prize. The verb is positioning. If you are successful in positioning a product or service and keep that positioning consistent yet fresh over time, then you will have...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=38 December 8, 2008 Selling a Car in a Hostile Environment http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=39 December 2, 2008 The Art of Presenting – An Interview with Debbie Millman 1. How do you prepare for a presentation? I take presentations very, very seriously. I prepare every second of every day — as every experience and every observation of the world contributes to how I present and what I present. I read a tremendous amount: newspapers, magazines,...]]> http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=40 November 12, 2008 Strong positioning is built on clarity of difference. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=17 August 12, 2008 Difference must be more than skin deep. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=18 July 22, 2008 Positioning happens. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=19 August 5, 2008 Positioning is the art of sacrifice. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=20 August 29, 2008 Building a brand is positioning. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=21 July 3, 2008 The tough thing about consistency is that you have to stick with it. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=22 July 17, 2008 Catalytic products and services make it real. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=23 August 27, 2008 Customers don’t create strategy,<br/>marketers do. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=24 June 10, 2008 Think before you blink. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=25 September 10, 2008 If you are to win, someone else has to lose. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=26 July 23, 2008 Positioning is judo, not karate. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=27 July 1, 2008 It’s only a great position if it makes for great execution. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=28 September 16, 2008 Never assume the interest of your audience. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=29 June 4, 2008 In positioning, niche is not a four letter word. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=30 November 10, 2008 Inertia is a very powerful force. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=31 June 20, 2008 Positioning is the most misunderstood part of marketing. http://www.sterlingbrands.com/strategy/thought.php?thought_id=32 August 20, 2008