Blog
TOM DOUGHERTY’S OPINIONS
The Microsoft Surface ad still doesn’t get it
1 March 2021The Microsoft Surface ad still doesn’t get it The newest Microsoft Surface ad aims to replicate the brilliant I’m a Mac I’m a PC ads from years ago. You remember those spots. Starring Justin Long and John Hodgman, they compared the brands as personalities....
The General Insurance Company does the unthinkable
24 February 2021The General Insurance Company does the unthinkable Nearly all marketing and branding efforts fail because brands simply refuse to be honest with themselves. That’s why the brand refresh, as it’s calling it, from The General Insurance Company is so...
Why are local TV stations still called by a number?
17 February 2021Why are local TV stations still branded by a number? There are many reasons why local TV stations are falling behind. But here’s one to consider. Why do they continue to brand themselves with an outdated number? I’ll give you an example. Here in North...
Brand loyalty: Grape Nuts, Burger King
15 February 2021Brand loyalty: Grape Nuts, Burger King You’d have trouble finding two brands as dissimilar as Grape Nuts and Burger King. But both serve as interesting test cases in brand loyalty. Post announced that Grape Nuts will be back on the shelves next month....
Text marketing: It’s still about beliefs
10 February 2021Text marketing: It’s still about beliefs At Stealing Share, we continually track consumer behavior, including the effects of COVID-19 on decision making. Lately, we’ve found that text marketing is becoming a better avenue for brands to reach consumers...
T-Mobile TV ad: Missing an opportunity
8 February 2021T-Mobile TV ad: Missing an opportunity I wish I could say the publicist-driven T-Mobile not-quite Super Bowl ad deserves its social media popularity. But like all but one of this year’s Super Bowl ads, it ruined its opportunity. The phone carrier...
The mystery of great advertising: The Amazon Super Bowl spot
3 February 2021The mystery of great advertising: The Amazon Super Bowl spot Ever have watch a TV ad you intuitively understand to be great advertising, but don’t know why. That’s the great mystery you may feel about Amazon’s upcoming Super Bowl ad. "Few...
A case study in marketing research strategy: Old Spice
1 February 2021A case study in marketing research strategy: Old Spice In the upcoming Old Spice TV spot, owner Proctor & Game employs a marketing research strategy few actually try. Let alone accomplish. Most, even Old Spice, miss the point entirely. P&G’s...
Why the GameStop brand: The stock breaking the short sellers
29 January 2021Why the GameStop brand: The stock breaking the short sellers I won’t go deep into the stock-buying frenzy around the GameStop brand currently pushed by those angry with Wall Street and posting on Reddit. Here’s a good explainer from the Associated...
News media and Larry King: How times have worsened
27 January 2021News media and Larry King: How times have changed When hearing of Larry King’s death at the age of 87, my first thought was: My, how things have changed. I was thinking of the state of current news media. Especially among the cable news networks. When...
Super Bowl ad spend: Budweiser switches tactics
25 January 2021Super Bowl ad spend: Budweiser switches tactics Like any football fan, I love the Super Bowl as much as anyone. But one thing I’ve never truly understood: Why do brands fork out such a huge Super Bowl ad spend? The easy answer is that no TV event...
The Snickers brand: Does humor really work?
21 January 2021 The Snickers brand: Does humor really work? Have any of you ever thought about the Snickers brand name? It suggests humor. A snicker at some joke or comment. In reality, it was named by the Mars family after a beloved horse in 1930. Who knew? But...
Car commercials: Why are they always the same?
18 January 2021Car commercials: Why are they always the same? It often amazes me how some brands live in the dark when it comes to knowing their competition. Nowhere does that situation exist more than in car commercials. How can you tell the difference? Let me...
Brand identity: How it actually works
11 January 2022 Brand identity: How it actually works Last week, I presented two examples of new logos that simply didn’t have a reason to exist. On the flip side, I now present an example of brand identity that does. The new GM logo. Pfizer and Kia unveiled new logos...
Logo development: Not just a pretty picture
7 January 2021Logo development: Not just a pretty picture Logo development represents one of many services we at Stealing Share offer. But there has to be a reason for it. And it must reflect the strategy, and be different from the competition. So when both Pfizer and...
The Coca-Cola brand: Meaning dictating action
30 December 2020The Coca-Cola brand: Meaning dictating action The year 2020 has produced many challenges for brands, reacting to new trends. But really, they were trends that already existed but just became more intensive. Take the Coca-Cola brand, for example. One of...
Market leaders: They’re just settling for you
28 December 2020Market leaders: They’re just settling for you The success of Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max and Soul on Disney+ over the holiday weekend got me thinking. Those streamers are probably feeling like market leaders. Which means they shouldn’t get too...
Changes in marketing: What it really means to pivot
21 December 2020Changes in marketing: What it really means to pivot Each year, the Association of National Advertisers announces a marketing word of the year. In my mind, they are usually silly. But they do mark changes in marketing. Or at least the perception of it....