Never a Lack of Ideas

Best Brands — The Remix Happy Halloween! Last year I presented my list of the top ten brands in the United States. After revisiting my list, I wouldn’t change anything, so I figured I’d present the next ten brands on my list. To create this list, I relied heavily upon my opinion of the general perception of each brand versus its competitors, and how much of a premium the brand can charge because of that perception. I didn't get hung up on revenue data or market share numbers — I just went with what I see and hear every day and threw in my own opinion from a marketer's point of view. Here's my list of brands ranked 11-20: 11. Starbucks — Just missing the top ten, Starbucks put gourmet coffee on the map and showed the world how to create a company focused on the customer experience that happens to sell coffee. 12. Disney World — Millions of families make a pilgrimage to Orlando just to visit the theme park every year. I’ll bet your parents took you there when ...

Rapper's Delight Have you seen the Southwest Rap video? It's a YouTube sensation that features energetic flight attendant David Holmes, who puts his own spin on the pre-flight instructions that attendants give to passengers before every flight. The video went viral about a year ago and it demonstrates Southwest's unique take on customer service — the airline encourages its flight attendants to be creative in their work and to have fun at their job. I love the Southwest Rap. I think it shows how much fun Southwest is as an airline, and it makes me want to be a part of that fun during my next flight. That's a Rap I think Southwest should capitalize on the video's popularity by holding a Southwest Rap Video Contest. Southwest should ask people to submit their own Southwest Rap to the company's YouTube channel . Video submissions could be about how much people love Southwest or their favorite places to fly with Southwest. The topic would be open to interpretation....