Categories: brands in trouble

Chrysler Is Naming New Ad Agencies for Brand Makeovers

Posted by: David Kiley on October 01

Chrysler LLC is down to choosing ad agencies for its brand restructuring: reportedly choosing a Texas agency to handle Ram truck business. The automaker, now partly owned by Italian automaker...

GM: "We Don't Need No Stinking Badges"

Posted by: David Kiley on August 26

There isn't much left of the GM brand, and one wonders what will be there a year from now when GM, the new GM, will be in the midst...

Fox: Hannity a Journalist? Laughable.

Posted by: David Kiley on October 08

This blog has previously held up Fox's Sean Hannity for what he is: a circus clown. But last night, in post-debate chatter [The McCain-Obama debate in Nashville, TN], Hannity took...

Recession has Finally Hit Latte Land

Posted by: David Kiley on April 23

More evidence of Recession. People are feeling sufficiently pinched (it costs about $50.00 to fill up even the tank of a Toyota Prius) that they are cutting back on...

Chrysler's New Owner Has Serious Marketing Work To Do

Posted by: David Kiley on May 23

Wrapping up my medical leave this week due to a knee replacement I had a month ago. I have ceded the coverage of Chrysler’s acquisition by Cerberus Capital to colleague...

Wal-Mart CEO: "I'm not a big fan of marketing"

Posted by: Burth Helm on March 28

He later said he meant just “advertising,” but that’s what Chief Executive Lee Scott replied when I asked him what he expected from the upcoming ad campaign, and how the...

Coke and Nestle Hit with a Lawsuit for "Negative Calories"

Posted by: Burth Helm on February 01

Earlier this month I wrote a story about Enviga, the new green tea soda from Coke and Nestle that the two companies say has "negative calories." In it I mentioned...

William Weld On The Streets of New York

Posted by: David Kiley on May 02

Had a true New York moment last night. I was walking on Park Avenue around 91st Street, and a man happened across my path walking two dogs, a Corgi...

Coke Polar Bear Ads: A Bit of Sense In An Otherwise Chaotic Scene.

Posted by: David Kiley on December 14

As Coca-Cola literally lurches from one product and marketing strategy to another hoping to makes sense of its brand portfolio, at least it has the good sense not to...

McCann-Erickson Wims Army Ad Biz. Good News For IPG

Posted by: David Kiley on December 08

The U.S. Army, facing declining recruitment, opposition to recruiting on high school and college campuses and an unpopular war, awarded its $1 billion plus ad account to McCann-Erickson. The...

The Pentagon and Bush Admin Pushing The Same Planted Journalism in Iraq as They Did in The U.S.: Idiotic

Posted by: David Kiley on December 01

Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I give you the nicely reported story...

Marketing The Army Cold War Style in a Hot War Time.

Posted by: David Kiley on August 04

Looking at most advertising for the U.S. Army these days, one would hardly know the U.S. was fighting a War. Messages play up skills training that will benefit enlistees...

GM's "Employee Price" Ads Pay Off So Far

Posted by: David Kiley on June 17

It seemed desperate, but it may be paying off for struggling General Motors, at least in the short run. For a couple of weeks now, GM has been advertising "Pay...

Miller and Bud Begin a New Round in War of "Taste."

Posted by: David Kiley on June 16

Miller Brewing said it would run a new television spot this week called "The truth hurts", in which it depicts Bud Light drinkers "startled to learn that Miller Lite has...

Ad Placement Can Be Tricky When a Brand is in The Mud

Posted by: David Kiley on June 13

With all the news reports about General Motors last week cutting 25,000 jobs, and a possibility of salary cuts looming later this summer to help restore profitability, I found it...

If You Were Wondering What GM is Planning for Pontiac and Buick--Read On.

Posted by: David Kiley on May 19

General Motors sales and marketing chief Mark LaNeve stopped in today and had this to say about GM's most problematic brands--Pontiac and Buick. "Everybody asks me if I think we...

Ebay is a brand in trouble

Posted by: David Kiley on May 10

Never mind ebay's business model or stock price. This is a company whose brand is in trouble. Just a year or so ago, people I know who buy and sell...

GM Could End Up Looking Better Than Expected Over Flap With LA Times Over Tough Coverage

Posted by: David Kiley on April 13

A few days ago in this space, I wrote on General Motors and its decision to punish the LA Times by canceling about $10 million in advertising for its harsh...

Memo to GM Et Al: Public Relations Counts as Marketing, But Only If You Do It Right.

Posted by: David Kiley on April 08

General Motors pulled its advertising schedule from the Los Angeles Times today, citing innacurate and overly critical reporting by the paper's auto writers. I'll be looking forward to seeing the...

GM Can At Least Start With Its Advertising

Posted by: David Kiley on April 04

General Motors is going to make some changes in its advertising. Not that advertising is the biggest source of blame for the automaker's woes. But it's a category of problems...