Today let’s focus on ingredient branding, an effective growth strategy under the right conditions. Ingredient brands are well-known brands with well-known qualities that are included as a component or feature of another brand or product to enhance perceptions and the marketability of that brand or product. The ingredient brand calls out unique features...

Recently, I took what felt like a fairly expensive Uber ride from the San Francisco airport. Ridesharing used to be far less expensive than taking a taxi, but that is not the case anymore; in many places, it’s equally expensive, if not more. However, despite the price hikes, the driver shared that he was struggling to make a profit lately. He said...

We live in an uncertain world. We have become more skeptical and distrusting. Our environment seems unsettled, unpredictable and unstable. And, then, to magnify these feelings, we experienced Covid-19. During the coronavirus pandemic, many behaviors and attitudes changed. Our desires for satisfaction of contradictory needs and wants grew stronger....

Current hot-button issues for consumers are genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the overemployment of pesticides, and the overuse of antibiotics in dairy. There are haters. There are skeptics. And a recent study showed that people were willing to pay more for a product labeled “xxx- free,” even when xxx was a made-up ingredient. So when a company...

A company with a truly great product – the InstaPot – is bankrupt. The InstaPot is a pressure cooker for the digital age. It’s programmable, versatile, durable, and won’t scald its owner with steam. Sushi rice for the kids? Program it and forget it in about 1 minute flat. I love the product so much I have two of them. (Ridiculous, I know, as is the...

When you teach someone how to throw a baseball, you tell them to look where they want the ball to go, step toward where they want the ball to go, and then throw the ball where they want it to go. To the novice thrower, this can sound frustratingly uninstructive. So, too, is the simple complexity that is viewing your business in a way that narrows your...