The economic meltdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will have severe secular repercussions in the US, Europe and around the world. The financial reengineering and corporate restructuring soon to occur is certain to result in a spate of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Some of these transactions will be domination plays, where financially stable market leaders will acquire vulnerable competitors, coveted technologies or entry to new markets...

Howard Belk + Matt Egan

September 2022

A strong employee value proposition can be essential for recruiting and retaining talent in today's environment.

Siegel + Gale

May 2021

As we embark on 2021, we still do not know when this pandemic period will end. Today, “normal” means a world of constant change and upheaval. Whether you rebrand to signify the next step in your company’s evolution or a renewed emphasis on your purpose, one thing is certain—for companies who are announcing a brand change, the focus should be on people, not logos and taglines.

Katie Conway

March 2021

2020 has not gone to plan. Our previous CMO study, conducted during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, revealed a set of leaders focused on steering their businesses and teams through uncharted waters with unbelievable agility, and who were also beginning to look to the future.

Siegel+Gale

December 2020

Understanding buyer behavior and cultivating the habits that we desire of buyers has long been the bedrock of marketing and an outcome of successful brand building in both B2B and B2C business models. But what happens when a global pandemic wreaks havoc with all facets of life, from work to lifestyle? How do buyer habits change? Which ones will revert pre-pandemic? And perhaps more importantly, which new habits will persist?

Margaret Molloy

December 2020

On Thursday, October 29th, I explored the issues of sustainability with five marketing leaders from around the world. We discussed why projecting a brand’s societal goals is just as critical as marketing its products, the opportunity for business leaders to come together, share knowledge and collaborate for the greater good and the incredible role marketing play in balancing science with storytelling.

Margaret Molloy

October 2020

COVID-19 and disease names like it lack clarity, which leads to their inconsistent use in communications. This not only potentially dilutes their impact, but also gives people an opportunity to simplify and/or coin their own new names for the disease. As we know, this led to racist epithets like China Virus and Kung-flu for COVID-19. What can we do from a naming perspective to prevent confusion around the next virus that goes global?

Aaron Hall

September 2020

There’s no shortage of lessons communicators can extract from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but one really stands out. Simple communication wins the days. The underlying principles that guide effective communications in times of great urgency apply in more ordinary times as well.

Billy Kingsland

September 2020

Over the last two decades, marketers and branders have continuously tried to determine how to reach the new, younger generation. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the focus of so much brand research. Should brands be adapted to this generation and its specific desires?

Aaron Hall

August 2020

Since April, our Future of Branding discussions have focused on how brands were responding to the pandemic. However, in recent weeks, as countries, states and cities start to reopen, our focus has transitioned to how brands are resetting to propel business continuity and, in many cases, transformation. Today's conversation explored themes such as marrying purpose and action, how crisis is pushing marketing back to its basics and the rise of empathy and authenticity, especially for Gen Z and younger Millennials consumers, who ask why before asking, how much? One thing is sure. Brand building is no longer about words and pictures—it's about deeds and experiences.

Margaret Molloy

July 2020