Group FIO

  Though some doubted it would ever get off the ground in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics finally managed to happen, albeit a year later than originally scheduled. And as it always does, stories of athletes’ incredible triumphs, as well as some heartbreaking disappointments, were all part of the event. Sporting events like the Olympics has taught us that a few inches, split seconds, and even being the slightest bit off your game can mean the difference between finding yourself on the medal podium or ending up with a long plane ride home. The same is true when it comes to brand building. In business, you can get so caught up in the big picture that you’re incapable of seeing the nuances in your brand and how it’s engaging with customers on a smaller scale. Brands have been spending the majority of their marketing budget on big, wide catch nets like Facebook advertisements, billboards, direct mail campaigns, and retargeting ads. Which is a great strategy. B...

  In a culture driven by consumerism, it makes sense that many of us have attachments to products and brands that goes beyond simple preference. Maybe it’s a cleaning product brand that you trust because your mom swore by its efficacy, and even though newer products with lots of hype have tried to sway your devotion, you figure if it was good enough for the woman who kept your childhood home spotless, it’s good enough for you. Maybe it’s a product that gives you a deep sense of comfort because you’ve used it since childhood. Kleenex brand tissues recently reported that one of their consistently best-selling products are the tissues that have the Vicks Vapo-Rub scent added to them, a success that their research suggests is simply because Generation X has strong “sense memories” of being cared for and feeling protected when they inhale that telltale menthol scent. What do these two examples have in common? They’re both significant examples of brand attachment in action. Today’s marke...

  When Tim Berners-Lee first invented the internet 30-some years ago he made it clear that his vision was one of giving people the world over unfettered, equal access to information and knowledge, a source that would allow for information as well as ideas to be shared in an egalitarian way. A brilliant and democratic idea to be sure, however, since we live in a profit-driven world, it was perhaps a foregone conclusion that capitalism would find a way to monetize his good intentions. Thus, it wasn’t long before online ads and cookies were born. At first blush, cookies didn’t really seem like all that negative of an idea; let’s face it, nothing is really free, and good content needs to be paid for too, right? After all, if you’re looking to buy a new red cashmere sweater, why wouldn’t you want to see ads that told you not only where you could buy one online, but comparison shop them for cost and quality? The targeted and re-targeted ads structure driven by cookies seemed to make sens...