Brands & Branding - Rohit Bhargava

The Non-Obvious Insights Show – Episode #234

July 4, 2022September 10, 2020 by Rohit Bhargava

The show where we curate the most interesting and underappreciated stories of the week. On this week’s episode, we’ll be talking about Gucci’s $10,000 virtual dress, the return of the NFL and the entertaining future of fundraising and much more! Stories in this week’s episode: https://time.com/5881265/story-behind-time-new-american-revolution-cover/ https://adage.com/article/sports/fantasy-football-leagues-and-advertisers-vie-attract-fans-and-each-other/2277136 https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/week-ahead-nfl-season-kicks-and-adcolor-goes-virtual/2278711 https://www.fastcompany.com/90546878/would-you-spend-10000-on-a-virtual-dress-gucci-is-betting-on-it https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/09/01/disinformation-deepfakes-newsguard-video-authenticator/ https://thewalrus.ca/how-algorithms-are-changing-what-we-read-online/ https://www.anthropology-news.org/index.php/2020/07/15/articulating-anthropologys-value-to-business/ https://www.fastcompany.com/90544916/selena-gomezs-new-beauty-brand-wants-you-to-know-you-dont-need-makeup https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-college-admissions.html https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/how-innovative-educators-are-engaging-students-online … Read more

The Non-Obvious Insights Show – Episode #233

July 4, 2022September 3, 2020 by Rohit Bhargava

This week’s stories will include desperate airlines selling in-flight meals online, the LA Olympic committee’s brilliantly inclusive new logo, how to use stupidity to get a promotion, a conversation with Silicon Valley’s last ethical thinker and how a Japanese rock star and Lady Gaga are showing us the future of virtual performances. This Week’s Stories: … Read more

Branding Lessons From the Shady History of the Oreo Cookie

July 4, 2022August 22, 2020 by Rohit Bhargava

I love a good branding story and the history of the Oreo cookie has plenty of fascinating hooks. The story starts with two feuding brothers, Joseph and Jacob Loose, who ran competing bakeries that came up with two cookies that were essentially the same: the Hydrox and the Oreo. For years the Hydrox dominated, until the 1950s when … Read more

Coca-Cola Imagines the Future of Refreshment with “Coca-Cola Coffee”

July 4, 2022August 10, 2020 by Rohit Bhargava

I spent four years in a place that acclimatizes you to believe there is nothing strange about having a Diet Coke for Breakfast. I’m speaking, of course, of my time living in Atlanta doing an Undergraduate degree at Emory University which is sometimes known, thanks to it’s large endowment from the brand, as “Coca-Cola University.” … Read more

Trader Joe’s and the Slow Death of Brand Personality

July 4, 2022July 22, 2020 by Rohit Bhargava

Update – Two weeks after this post was originally published, Trader Joe’s issued a new statement sharing that they do not consider these brand names to be racist and instead will be keeping them intact. I believe brands should act in human ways and have a personality. In fact, I wrote a book on it … Read more

6 Marketing Lessons From Ed Sheeran

July 12, 2019 by Rohit

There is a moment during a show at the Austin City Limits where Ed Sheeran finally starts to perform his biggest hit at the time: Shape of You. About 10 seconds into the performance, he breaks a guitar string. Watching what he does next is a master class in stage presence, preparation and perhaps the … Read more

The Real Reason Influencers Make So Much Money

February 18, 2019 by Rohit

Everyone wants to be an online influencer, because it seems to pay well, but who is really benefiting? This article from the USA Today actually takes the unusual step of trying to reverse engineer a “rate” for influence and ended up with an estimate of “up to $100 for every 10,000 followers per sponsored post.” The amount … Read more

Why No Branding May Be The Next Marketing Trend

September 15, 2018 by Rohit

Last summer comedian and actress Mindy Kaling did a series of ads for McDonald’s with a curious omission – she never mentioned the brand. Instead, they would use phrases like “the place where Coke tastes so good” to allude to the brand. It was an interesting strategy and turned a few eyebrows. This week, Heineken launched an entire … Read more

Can Kellogg’s Reinvent Froot Loops As A Lifestyle Brand?

September 1, 2018 by Rohit

I remember last year I was walking past some trendy retail stores in NY and I saw a few handbags with the Pan Am logo. Apparently there is a whole historical foundation and store featuring all kinds of retro products like t-shirts and travel kits. The airline may have died but the brand is alive. I … Read more

How Hot Dog Water Became The Hottest New Health Drink In America

June 29, 2018 by Rohit

Hot Dog Water officially launched this week and you can have some for just $38 a bottle. Before you roll your eyes in disgust, would it change your mind to learn that it helps restore the body’s homeostasis after an electrolyte imbalance? It is only if you read till the end of the small print … Read more