There is clearly no shortage of leadership material of the wrong kind at the moment, but there is also evidence of the opposite.... Read On
Category Archives: Branding
From VW to government — a call for leadership
The well-publicised Volkswagen emission issue has had far-reaching implications for the German motor manufacturer, and the impact of its falsified reporting in the US market had an immediate and significant effect on share price, which reeled under this news.... Read On
How about people skills?
An obvious, yet often-neglected principle is that outstanding service levels are best achieved through committed people with — you guessed it — great people skills.... Read On
Barbie hits this out of the park!
This is a true stroke of genius. The makers of Barbie have brilliantly positioned her in a campaign that wants little girls to know that no dream is too big to achieve.... Read On
What’s really in the Alphabet?
The recent transition from Google to Alphabet has triggered thoughts regarding the role of internal branding in an industry sector driven by technology and innovation, prompting me to ask whether or not it has a role to play in a category that is so functionally focused. Perhaps, not surprisingly, it lies at the centre of much of Google’s journey and success as an organisation, the latest of which sees its market capitalisation raised by some US$25bn.... Read On
Build it and they will come!
While this was popularised by Kevin Costner in the movie “Field of Dreams”, the adage seems to hold true for the development of Dubai, as a city and something of a central hub of stability and all manner of business and leisure tourism in the Middle East region.... Read On
Nigeria. Africa’s most powerful brand
HKLM’s second annual Business Leaders’ Forum was held at The Oriental Hotel, Lagos on Monday, 22 June and attended by a diverse cross section of senior management and marketing executives.... Read On
A Sorbet by any other name
Would taste as sweet, with apologies to the great William Shakespeare. That may or may not be the case for Sorbet, the dynamic new entrant into the local South African beauty industry, which had some serious second thoughts at the time of launch of this highly differentiated brand name in a somewhat predictable category.... Read On
The brand audit. How healthy is your brand?
You know full well that you’re supposed to have an annual check up with your GP. It’s common sense. Should a health-related symptom be detected early and treated, it’s less likley to become a serious problem later on, right?... Read On
Xenophobia and the South African Brand Challenge
South Africa has once again been plunged into the clutches of xenophobic violence. The first time this happened on a large scale was in 2008, where countless thousands of migrants were either killed or misplaced. Now in 2015 it is happening again; throughout the country; from the seemingly peaceful Cape right through the capital and beyond.... Read On