A well articulated and adored brand is more valuable to a business than any single product. But they are also vulnerable—a crippled brand, like a a piece of fine crystal with an alarming crack, is one jostle away from breaking apart.
Harvard Business School research shows how brands can be built from the ground up and rebuilt again when the competitive landscape shifts.
A Good Place to Start
Super Bowl Ads Sell Products, but Do They Sell Brands?
Super Bowl advertising is increasingly about using storytelling to sell corporate brands rather than products.
The Ferrari Way
Secretive sports car maker Ferrari opens up about how it has bucked industry trends to achieve a world class brand.
How Wayfair Built a Furniture Brand from Scratch
What was once a collection of 240 home furnishing sites is now a single, successful brand, Wayfair.com.
'Likes' Lead to Nothing—and Other Hard-Learned Lessons of Social Media Marketing
A decade-and-a-half after the dawn of social media marketing, brands are still learning what works and what doesn't with consumers.
How Helena Rubinstein Used Tall Tales to Turn Cosmetics into a Luxury Brand
Helena Rubinstein used guile, brilliant branding, and more than a few falsehoods to lift cosmetics from an accessory for prostitutes to a desired luxury item.
Branding Sells Cereal, Handbags, and Vacations. Can It Sell a Country?
Countries such as Israel now realize they need to engage in place branding as well as political advocacy.
Does Le Pliage Help or Hurt the Longchamp Luxury Brand?
Does an affordable luxury product work against the top-tier brand?
L.A. Philharmonic Shows the American Symphony Orchestra Isn’t Dead Yet
Like many symphony orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic lost touch with younger audiences and sponsors. Then new CEO Deborah Borda came aboard with a plan to revive the brand.
Why Your Company Wants to be a 'Cognitive Referent' (Hint: SpaceX)
Companies that come to epitomize a nascent market—think Uber, Starbucks, or SpaceX—can capture greater success than other startups.
Advertisers Get Serious About Playing With Their Brands
Social media marketing that attempts to engage consumers with a playful approach can end up not funny at all.
Research Papers
Assessing the Impact of
CEO Activism
Evidence on how CEO activism can
influence public opinions about government policies and consumer attitudes about the CEO’s
company.
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