Posts by Jay Gronlund

The EU Brand, Brexit And Millennials – A Lost Opportunity For All

Posted by on Jul 18, 2016 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

The EU Brand, Brexit And Millennials – A Lost Opportunity For All

In many ways, the EU (European Union) was the ideal brand because its core promise to all Europeans involved sharing and connecting across all borders.  But the tumultuous impact of Brexit on the future viability of the EU brand is a good example of what happens when an outside event undermines its basic brand positioning.  And Millennials in the UK played a big role for causing this possible disaster.   It was the sense of community and connectivity that defined this Generation Y, known as the first digital generation.   The EU brand meant more to Millennials than older people.  They...

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Why The Airlines Must Improve Their Brand Image

Posted by on Jun 20, 2016 in Blog | 0 comments

Why The Airlines Must Improve Their Brand Image

The negative perceptions of the major U.S. airline brands (e.g. American, United, Delta, US Airways) reached a new high recently with publicity on the interminable security lines at most airports.  While these excessive wait times have many causes, such as not enough checkers and increased air traffic, the airline industry is partly to blame as well.  Their individual charges for checked baggage have encouraged more people to drag their belongings through security, clogging X-ray lines and squeezing them into overhead compartments.  Today 62% of leisure travelers bring their bags onboard...

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How Growing Corruption Threatens Brands

Posted by on May 13, 2016 in Blog | 0 comments

How Growing Corruption Threatens Brands

  Corruption throughout the world has grown to epidemic levels.   Every day there seems to be another incidence of bribery, cronyism, counterfeiting, slush funds, or a political scandal somewhere.  Behind each act is someone abusing his/her power to unfairly gain personal wealth at the expense of the common citizen.  While corruption takes many forms, each type can have a devastating impact on brands that are directly involved or even just affiliated with such unfair acts, – e.g. in our political systems, business leaders, governments, etc.   In particular, this trend undermines the...

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Re-branding The Republican Party, With Lessons For Business

Posted by on Apr 15, 2016 in Blog | 0 comments

Re-branding The Republican Party, With Lessons For Business

The Republican Party is in turmoil, no doubt about it.  White males in suburban and rural areas, their core base, are fed up with Government and want an “outsider”, even Donald Trump.   Meanwhile young voters love Bernie, and women and minorities support Hillary, despite questionable trust in her.  The Republican establishment is bewildered because their traditional message no longer resonates with most of their constituents.  In short, the world has turned upside down for them.  And these dynamics are not so different from the constant changes in the marketplace that force companies to...

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How Tim Cook Is Transforming The Apple Brand

Posted by on Mar 16, 2016 in Blog | 0 comments

How Tim Cook Is Transforming The Apple Brand

Apple has clearly been a worldwide leader in innovation.  Their brand mission states “we’re on the face of the earth to make great products”, and they certainly have proven themselves, thanks mainly to the brilliance of Steve Jobs.  But now Tim Cook is broadening the Apple brand to also “make a significant contribution to culture”, and “enable customers to engage the world in more meaningful ways”. This additional dimension to Apple’s company brand represents an extraordinary transition to a next generation concept for why a corporation exists and what it should stand for.   The traditional...

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