The myth of globalization
I’ve just finished reading MegaChange 50: The world in 2050, written by a group of writers from the Economist. As the title suggests, the book gives a view on the trends shaping the world and its development in the future. Amidst the many fascinating themes and...
Brand Citizenship®: a 360 model democratizing CSR
Weary of being frustrated consumers want to be involved in creating a more positive future As we've again been reviewing participants' hopes, dreams and fears for 2013 from our last round of CultureQ quant, we can't help but be reminded that people are seeking greater...
J.C. Penney: we learned to listen to you
To secure loyalty, a brand’s experience should reflect its consumers’ values, lifestyles and interests, sincerely deliver its promise and credibly reflect its heritage. People want to see themselves as part of the brand; sometimes a slightly more polished version but...
Amazon: Keep calm & consistently practice good brand citizenship
Poor Amazon. What a difficult few months it has experienced. Back in Summer/Autumn 2012, the brand that defines Internet retailing was riding the crest of a wave. Our CultureQ participants ranked it as both a leader and a good brand citizen. Millennials, Gen Xers and...
Gen Y: Then there’s the reality
Lazy, obese, and pampered. A few choice myths bandied around about my generation (Millennials). And, of course, then there’s reality. Our latest round of CultureQ (December 2012) reveals we’re actually a pretty earnest lot. Because we’re so uncertain about our futures...
Brands: nurturing deeper connections is good business
Insights from our CultureQ study this Fall revealed technology brands are setting expectations for brand leaders across categories. From industries as diverse as confectionery, retail, home cleaning goods, to make-up we’re seeing evidence of this. And speaking as a...
Enhancing consumer’s daily lives & their communities fosters brand loyalty
In 2013, expect to see more leadership brands addressing local issues that are pertinent to their consumers’ lives before they campaign on behalf of global challenges. Technological advancement is a hygienic factor for all brands Why? In many ways, technological...
What’s next for brands? Seven lessons from 2012.
As we’re awaiting the final results of our end of year study to gain a more in-depth understanding of the Zeitgeist, we’ve been discussing what’s next for brands in 2013 based upon our learning from CultureQ over the past Summer and Autumn. As always, we’ve been...
Millennials: Humor them
It was Nick Shore’s MTV Insights Article “Q: What’s the Opposite of Nirvana?” that led me to question the role humor plays in the lives of Millennials and explore a bit more about how marketers are using comedy to capture our attention. “As someone charged with...
Good Brand Citizenship, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy
October 29th 2012. No power. No cell phone reception. No water – we’re on a well. This is our situation in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. It could have been so much worse. Whole communities across the North East of America have been devastated, thousands of houses...