The true job of “packaging” (hint: it’s not just to wrap stuff) Beg to Differ is focusing on a great blog post today by Seth Godin which asks a question we all need to ask ourselves: “does your packaging do its job”? But of course when Beg to Differ (and Seth)  thinks about “packaging” we [...]

The City of Toronto has been quietly running a campaign to re-brand Toronto.ca. The city is asking for thoughts and suggestions from Torontonians, but from what I can see, this effort has been minimal and fruitless. This ain’t the way to run a city or a Web site – or a brand. Our quibbles with [...]

Companies are beginning to learn that many consumers do still have money to spend. The issue for brands today is that consumers are living in a constant state of fear – fear of losing money in the near future. If consumers are afraid of the future, then the future is the enemy! Distance your brand [...]

I’m a few weeks late on this one, but I still couldn’t resist. The AIG brand is dying. Massive debt, government bailouts, and huge executive bonuses, coupled with excessive media coverage and concern on the part of taxpayers everywhere, has left the brand on the brink of collapse. So, how does AIG respond? By removing [...]

As the recession continues to bite down on consumer spending and confidence, companies in all markets are searching for ways to reduce costs. As budgets are squeezed, marketers must find innovative ways to minimize the fluff and maximize the value presented by their brands and products. Even in a recession, consumers will pay for products [...]