Practical guides on marketing strategy, measurement and growth.

Written for founders and marketing leads who want to know what’s working in their marketing, and what to fix first. New here? Start with the marketing audit guide.

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Tupperware Brand Check-up: When the Parties Stopped

Tupperware filed for Chapter 11 in September 2024. We trace how a famous brand stayed tied to a shrinking party sales force while its sales fell by half.
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Vans Brand Check-up: A Third of Sales Gone in Two Years

Vans revenue fell from $4.16 billion to $2.79 billion in two years. We look at the Americas slump, the wholesale reset and VF’s plan to turn the brand around.
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Intel Brand Check-up: A Famous Sticker, a Lost Lead

Intel shares had their worst day since 1974 after a dividend halt and deep job cuts. We diagnose how the Intel Inside brand lost its lead in chips and AI.
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Jobs to Be Done: Finding Out Why Customers Really Buy

Demographics describe who buys. Jobs to be done explains why. How to run switch interviews and turn what you hear into positioning and messaging.
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Starbucks Brand Check-up: Fewer Visits, Fading Third Place

Starbucks brand check-up, August 27, 2024: falling visits, crowded mobile-order counters, a price war in China, activist investors and a new CEO from Chipotle.
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Brand Building vs Sales Activation: Getting the Balance Right

Short-term offers convert existing demand. Brand building creates the demand they convert. What the Binet and Field research found about the balance.
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Toys “R” Us Brand Check-up: A Name That Outlived Its Stores

How a 2005 buyout, about $5 billion of debt and an early Amazon deal hurt Toys "R" Us, and whether the WHP Global revival gives shoppers a reason to return.
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Marketing Strategy vs Tactics: Diagnose Before You Prescribe

A calendar of campaigns is not a strategy. The three parts every real marketing strategy needs, borrowed from Richard Rumelt, and how to check yours.
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Nike Brand Check-up: The Direct Bet That Gave Rivals Room

Nike shares had their worst day on record after a sales warning. We trace the fall to the direct-to-consumer push, tired classics and rivals On and Hoka.
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Peloton Brand Check-up: Built for a Boom That Ended

Peloton closed at $3.37 on June 25, 2024, 98% below its 2021 peak. We diagnose the boom-era overbuild, two recalls, CEO turnover and stalled subscriptions.
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Brand Positioning: Why Most Companies Sound the Same

Most homepages in a category say the same thing. The five decisions behind a clear brand positioning, and a one-hour test for generic messaging.
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Sears Canada Brand Check-up: Paying Out Instead of Investing

Our check-up on Sears Canada: prime leases sold, a $509 million dividend, four leaders in four years, then CCAA and liquidation. What growing firms can learn.
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