This is a message from one geek to another. I was raised on computers as a teenager in the mid 80′s, and have been on the Internet since before browser technology made it easy for everyone in the 90′s, the question seems pretty straightforward: “what is a browser?” But in April, when Google staffers from [...]

It’s been a tough week here at Beg to Differ. It started with good food, which is good, but then we broke up with Intel, mourned the loss of the Saturn brand, and today, we have to talk about another tragedy: civil war. Yes, I’m talking full on, brother-against-brother warfare. And the war-dogs are already [...]

So yesterday, while Beg to Differ was breaking up with the Intel brand, we got sad news about another old flame:  Saturn is dead. Penske threw in the towel on its attempt to revitalize the brand, and GM is finally shutting Saturn down. We’re feeling sad about that today. We remember when Saturn was promising to [...]

In 10 days from now, on September 21 2009, the mega-consultancy Interbrand and Business Week Magazine will be releasing their 10th annual ranking of global brands. Interbrand is trying to jack up enthusiasm with this big count-down clock (below). But of course, apart from Canadians who read my Mad at Switzerland rant, the big question [...]

In 2002, I read the first edition of the book The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by the legendary Al Ries and his daughter Laura. It changed my life. But it got me thinking… One law to rule them all I’ve been mulling over the 22 laws the book posits. All of them are thought [...]

Yesterday, in five more brand strategy lessons from the Princess Bride I used New Coke as an example of how customer research can occasionally lead branders astray. But thinking about it, two things struck me: First, that April 23, 2010 will be 25  years since the launch of New Coke.  Second, I turn forty tomorrow, so that spring [...]