Blog
TOM DOUGHERTY’S OPINIONS
Forget being woke in marketing. Be Authentic.
Gender Neutral. Woke up. The best marketing never feels like it’s marketing. It feels natural, direct, genuine. We polish the worst marketing with political correctness and ambiguous woke phrases. I am a branding expert and have spent a...
Will your brand survive 2022
Will your brand survive 2022? Wow. What a year 2020 was. 2020 was an eye-opener. If your brand was lucky enough to get through the storm without damage, good for you. But don’t think for a moment that you are safe from the tsunami of...
Negative brand messaging
A negative brand message? Remember the brand name. Negative ideas are more memorable. It's that simple. A few years ago, Stealing Share launched a medical biologic brand. Biomimetic Therapeutics created a compound rhPDGF that...
Sun-Tzu Marketing is the Art of Branding Strategy
Sun-Tzu Marketing is the Art of Branding Strategy Sun-Tzu Marketing Wisdom This is not the standard paper from Stealing Share. Rather, it is a quick look at some of the Sun-Tzu marketing wisdom that Stealing Share adheres to. We have reinterpreted those salient ideas...
What is a comprehensive rebranding project?
The complete comprehensive rebranding The most potent brands look, feel, and sound just like the target audience that the brand targets. It is part of brand anthropology (the scientific study of human interactions with commercial...
Rebranding of Victoria’s Secret
What can we learn from the rebranding of Victoria’s Secret? I just finished an article on the rebranding of Victoria’s Secret in the New York Times. I wish them luck in the rebranding efforts. It was not that many years ago they were the...
Universities and the declining population
Universities and the declining population There are many pressures on colleges and universities today. But for universities, the declining population is a more significant threat than all the others. Despite rising tuition, room, and...
The art of brand naming
Why worry about the art of brand naming? Is there an art of brand naming? I don’t think it is an art so much as a process. But, right from the start, choosing a brand name is not as crucial as most branding experts will leave you to...
The secret to social media
The secret to social media is essential, and so is the story Is there a secret to social media? I'm sure there is, but I'm not confident it is a well-kept secret. And the reason is straightforward— ignorance. And, I am using the word...
Marketing Associations and Rebranding of Professional Organizations
Marketing Associations and Rebranding of Professional Associations You Exist in a Competitive Market Most associations never think about stealing market share when marketing associations and not the rebranding of professional associations....
Change ad agencies. Fix your brand.
Change Your Ad Agency or Fix Your Brand A powerful brand strategy influences everything that the brand touches. That's why, if you're caught in an ad agency carousel, you need to fix your brand. A brand strategy provides focus, clarity of purpose and is the wellspring...
Rebranding your business
Rebranding your businessRebranding your business is an effort that shouldn’t be taken lightly. That’s why, when the decision to rebrand is made, it should be completed with honesty and no holding back. No sacred cows and no stones unturned. Many don’t choose that...
Bank branding. Problems ahead. Important market study.
"These tough times are an opportunity for any bank that can get out of their own way and is willing to change. Soon, it won’t matter if banks are willing. Change is coming."A fresh look at bank branding and the bank market Is Stealing Share a bank branding agency?...
Understanding Market Maturity
Understanding Market Maturity Understanding Market Maturity. It May Be A Hidden Mature Market Think about market maturity. The TV set market would seem to be the last market to be described as immature. After all, television has been a...
BlackBerry Failed. Marketing lessons to be learned.
BlackBerry Failed. Marketing lessons to be learned. The world truly changed in 1999. We saw Europe introduce the Euro. Then, the tragedy at Columbine, the world was dealing with Kosovo and SpongeBob SquarePants debuted. But the world also saw a revolution in...
The Microsoft Surface ad still doesn’t get it
The 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. Watching...
The General Insurance Company does the unthinkable
The 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 intriguing. The...
The top 4 reasons to rebrand – quick checklist
The top 4 reasons to rebrand – or why you’re losing If we’re being bluntly honest, most companies have many reasons to rebrand. That’s because most brands simply don’t take advantage of the opportunities staring right at them. Most brands are meaningless. Often...
Why are local TV stations still called by a number?
Why 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 Carolina, the...
Brand loyalty: Grape Nuts, Burger King
Brand 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. Bringing cheers...