The Business of Brand Management

THE BOARD DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOUR BRAND ARCHITECTURE

It cares about concentration, risk, and return. In late February, WPP announced WPP Creative — a new umbrella structure folding Ogilvy, VML, AKQA and Burson into a […]

SHORTS

Dress for Performance?

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

There’s a lot of excitement among Porsche employees: But no, it’s not about the company’s zigzagging course on powertrain technology, the sales slump in China, or U.S. […]

It's always trouble with the old folks!

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

Time and again, we read that brands “underestimate” the 50-plus demographic: In terms of their purchasing power and willingness to spend, their readiness to use new media […]

What should I wear? Your dress code for the World Cup.

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

We’ll keep it short for you today—we know you need to pop into the supermarket to grab some beer and chips. Because today marks the start of […]

You can't get in here for free!

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

Of course, we don't know what you believe, and it's none of our business - but if you're Catholic, you might be celebrating Corpus Christi tomorrow. In […]

Ferrari. We need to talk.

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

Yes, we can't help it either: today it simply has to be about the new Ferrari Luce. But as they say: first weigh, then dare. So, instead […]

So that's it for minimalism?

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

The internet is once again very excited: Spotify has changed the app icon! To mark its anniversary, the "iconic" flat green circle has become a 3D disco […]

They're crazy, the ...

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

A few years ago, a Polish armaments company had a great idea: its products were to be marketed under the name "Obelix" from then on, as this […]

Post-factual.

Alexander Rauch

TO BE DISCUSSED

As is so often the case, the headlines were rather abbreviated: ARD ran the headline: "Deutsche Post will soon be called DHL." Well. The fact is: Deutsche […]

Brand management in the age of AI: When technology sets new standards.

Laura Schreiner

TO BE DISCUSSED

Many companies are testing AI, automating initial processes and hoping for efficiency gains. However, AI has long been more than just an operational tool: it is changing […]

Editorials

MESSY BRAND ARCHITECTURE IS A LEADERSHIP ISSUE

Why technically correct architecture systems often fail inside real organisations. The notion that brand architecture systems are neatly organised into categories like ‘Branded House’, ‘Subbranded’, ‘Endorsed Brands’ […]

Editorials

The immoderate brand

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Häusler

A MODEST PROPOSAL

Rainer Paris recently published an essay on Soziopolis (www.soziopolis.de) that, at first glance, seems to have little to do with brands. Mediocrity and the Pitfalls of Perfection. […]

Editorials

Constituted by the past, not enslaved by it

Building the future without abandoning what matters. In "Amarelo, Azul e Branco", Rita Lee (1947–2023), the Brazilian rock goddess for six decades, penned one of the most […]

Editorials

AI does not uncover marketing problems. It uncovers management problems.

Gion-Men Krügel

For years, organisations have worried about whether artificial intelligence would replace jobs, disrupt industries or fundamentally change how businesses operate. In my view, that conversation is already […]

Editorials

A CITY LIKE NO OTHER.

Jennifer Rickers Johannes Christensen

An interview with Jennifer Rickers about city brands, leadership and building a new identity for Dortmund. When Jennifer Rickers took over her role in Dortmund, many things […]

Editorials

The Future Lives in the City. How the Urban Reinvents the Brand

Dr. Eric Häusler Prof. Dr. Jürgen Häusler

The nation-state was the dominant political imagination of industrial modernity. It organized territories, populations, infrastructures, loyalties, identities, and historical narratives. Above all, however, it organized perception. Modernity […]

Opinions

MESSY BRAND ARCHITECTURE IS A LEADERSHIP ISSUE

Why technically correct architecture systems often fail inside real organisations. The notion that brand architecture systems are neatly organised into categories like ‘Branded House’, ‘Subbranded’, ‘Endorsed Brands’ […]

Opinions

The immoderate brand

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Häusler

A MODEST PROPOSAL

Rainer Paris recently published an essay on Soziopolis (www.soziopolis.de) that, at first glance, seems to have little to do with brands. Mediocrity and the Pitfalls of Perfection. […]

Interviews

A CITY LIKE NO OTHER.

Jennifer Rickers Johannes Christensen

An interview with Jennifer Rickers about city brands, leadership and building a new identity for Dortmund. When Jennifer Rickers took over her role in Dortmund, many things […]

Interviews

Openness instead of simplicity

Hadi Teherani Elke Malek Johannes Christensen

On designing without dogma and the ambition to make every project a benchmark. A conversation with Hadi Teherani about attitude, holism, and why the strongest designs often […]