New Marketing Strategy Learned from the Cruise Ship “Class System”

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (“The Return of the Class System”), several cruise lines have been making an effort to hold on to some of their biggest-spending customers and getting them to spend more – by revamping some aspects of a traditional cruise and offering a  more exclusive experience. Cruise lines…

U.S. Manufacturing’s Comeback: A Tale of Innovation, Reliability and Competitive Advantages

The U.S. manufacturing industry has long been a poster child for recession, “offshoring,” job losses, and a changing way of life for the middle class. Manufacturing is one of the industries that has been hardest hit by the recent economic downturn as jobs move to countries like China that have lower labor costs. And yet,…

Lying About Your Brand? Back Up Your Message with Facts & Metrics

What message is your marketing really sending? Is your company’s advertising consistent with your brand, or are you misleading your customers? Companies often send out marketing messages that are less than truthful – at best, they are missing an opportunity to clarify what their brand really stands for. At worst, they are actively deceiving their…

Two Strikes For Wal-Mart – Forgot the Customer and Focuses on Price

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (“Wal-Mart Tries to Recapture Mr. Sam’s Winning Formula” – subscription required) highlights the struggles of Wal-Mart, America’s largest retailer, which recently announced its second annual decline in U.S. same-store sales. While Wal-Mart was widely expected to be one of the “winners” of the Great Recession, as customers became more…

How Merger Could Hurt Southwest Airlines’ Competitive Advantage

Southwest Airlines has been one of the few big success stories of the American airline business. While other airlines constantly lose money, go bankrupt, and disappear, Southwest Airlines is consistently profitable, with a great reputation for low fares, on-time flights, friendly service and a fun-loving culture. The regional airline that started out offering flights between…

Does Your Company Have Seasonal Competitive Advantages?

Some businesses are seasonal – Christmas tree farms, pool maintenance (in colder weather climates), lawn care and landscaping, pest control, fireplace sellers, resorts, boat rentals, Halloween costume shops – depending on what you sell, there might be certain times of year where business is incredibly busy or completely slow. There are also seasonal aspects to…