Mitchell Gooze

A recent article in the November 28, 2011 issue of Business Week, “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” focused on the rise of private label sales in retail grocery during this downturn, and the increased focus these house brands are receiving from their companies. Private label or so-called house brands usually show a sales rise in a downturn. However, this time it may be different.

Major retailers, including Safeway and Kroger, are hiring product and brand managers to grow these product lines. The article notes that a 1% shift from national brand to house brand translates into $5.5B in increased revenue for the retailer.

The primary value to the consumer of the private brand has previously been adequate quality at a lower price point. “Adequate” being a relative term. More house brands are finding ways to offer “quality” at least equal to the national brand at a lower price point. (The title of the article says it all.) McKinsey notes that 75% of consumers who...

Discount coupons attract current customers (who now pay less) and price shoppers/switchers. Whether they are FSIs or Groupons they still produce the same result: the coupon distributor makes money, the retailer or product/service provider of the discount, hoping to induce trial to create a new customer, is disappointed. But, they do get a blip in sales, which must look good on those new-fangled marketing accountability reports.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, “Coupon sites are fizzling out.” They note that while daily deals were all the rage, it is now so...

Not that long ago it was suggested that a company needed a CBO (Chief Branding Officer). We found that notion disturbing since branding is a function clearly within the purview of the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), assuming you have a properly tasked CMO.

An article in Advertising Age reminds us that it’s not about the branding, it’s about the “product.” And, we continue to remind our readers that Marketing should have MAJOR input about the “product.”

According to a recent article, Meredith Guarantees Top Advertisers Sales Gains, the print media (or at least some of it) may finally get that is has always been about results. For many decades, print media has been able to offer space, take it or leave it, to their advertisers. We have an audience, would you like to pitch to them was the premise. Oh, and, of course our audience is perfect for you. If you don’t get the results you need to justify the investment, well then your ads must suck. At least that was their apparent position.

The reality of measurable, web-based marketing and the decline in print advertising may finally be getting through to the print media companies. Well at least some of them. The article notes, “Most media owners are not excited to do that, for a lot of reasons.”

Marketing expenses should be $0.00. Marketing investments should...