New technologies and distribution channels are creating an environment in which branding will become more important. At the same time, consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated about the relationship between brand promise and performance. Marketing must create branding that is based on...

New consumers have emerged in North America. These consumers have higher expectations and are more demanding than yesterday’s consumers. Businesses must meet these requirements if they are to hold a competitive place in today’s marketplace. The authors report on research that identifies the...

Vying for the attention of the time‐challenged, choice‐saturated consumer characterizes the thrust of competition for the coming five years. There will be a continuing explosion of new technologies and new ways to connect electronically. For the foreseeable future, demands for the...

Purpose – Knowing which of the hundreds of elements that comprise a consumer's purchasing decision are the most important is essential if leaders are to wisely allocate resources and support actions that will have an expedient impact on growth. Design/methodology/approach – IBM Consulting is...

Purpose – The article offers a radically different and truly strategic approach to SKU optimization. Design/methodology/approach – The author has put together an innovative approached base on recycling and reapplying tested methodology – such as customer preferences and customer switching...

Purpose – Executives need a more advanced tool for examining consumers' loyalty, one that provides a sharper, more precise view. this paper aims to introduce such a tool. Design/methodology/approach – The paper looks at Bain's Net Promoter Score (NPS). Findings – The paper finds that the...

Purpose – In the current recession, cost cutting alone will not enable companies to survive the recession and thrive beyond it. Companies need fresh ideas on how to continue their internal corporate venturing activities, but at lower cost and reduced exposure to risk. This paper aims to...

Purpose – In the author's experience, even veteran executives often make statements about competitive advantage that reflect either genuine misunderstanding or casual misuse of the term. This paper aims to offer a clear explanation of what constitutes competitive advantage so as to facilitate...

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the impact of time on customer behavior and decision making. Even though people factor time into decisions on a daily basis, businesses tend to focus resources and efforts on other aspects of consumer behavior such as pricing and demographics, resulting in...

Purpose – Indulgent parsimony (IP) was originally proposed as a marketing strategy for selling to recession‐shocked consumers shopping for less costly goods and services that would still give them comfort, relief from stress, and a feeling of money well spent. Given that recession spread to...