How advertising lost its way
Martin Weigel refreshes his argument for chaos, recounting the recent history of brand planning, shining a light on how seriously lost we have become. Also, Orlando Wood introduces his book Lemon with a good long presentation.
Buzzfeed profiles Pattern Brands
Anne Helen Peterson of Buzzfeed covers the launch of Pattern Brands as a meditation on what a brand is and what it’s for. Also, the New York Times reports on the hopes that family-run Wegman’s can bring people together in Brooklyn. And, now Pattern is a podcast!
The end of positioning?
Interbrand repositions (?) itself for brand strategy by throwing classic brand positioning under the bus in favor of what they call Iconic Moves. Meanwhile, the Ugly Duckling story of how Untuck It knew their customer and grew by focusing on accessibility over aspiration.
Three books on celebrity from Bernhardt to Frozen
The TLS reviews three distinct books on celebrity; what it is, how it works, and where it comes from. (h/t Grant McCracken) And, I make a habit of sharing Jeremy Bullmore’s classic, “Posh Spice & Persil” lecture on the role of fame.
Embracing disruption in insights
Simon Chadwick makes the case that technological innovation in the insights industry is inevitable disruption, not destruction. Also, an interview with anthropologist Hadas Weiss in her new book about the middle class and the myth of advancement.