Arcature CEO Larry Light has recognized some serious implications resulting from the global pandemic and its impact on consumers, from how they work, eat, live and think. Brands, some of which are too big to react effectively, are struggling to keep up with these societal changes.
Read some of Larry’s latest pieces in Forbes on the epic impact Covid19 is having on the marketing world:
Larry Light sheds light on interesting marketing and branding news in his Forbes column on a weekly basis. Below is a roundup of some of his latest insights. Read them now!
In 1966, a year before the Summer of Love and two years before the original Woodstock, two gurus of the macrobiotic lifestyle, followers of the great George Ohsawa, opened a health food store called Erewhon. Erewhon is meant the title to be understood as the word “nowhere” backward even though the letters “h” and “w” are transposed. It came from the Samuel Butler book about a utopia. One of the fictional Erewhon’s tenets was that everyone was responsible for their own health and wellbeing.
In January of 2016, after 67 years, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by Indian company Tata, ended production of the iconic and beloved Land Rover Defender four-wheel drive vehicle. The first Defender, aka Land Rover Series, began sales in 1949 post-war Britain. The intended use was for agricultural purposes. The design was similar to the WWII Willy’s Jeep (manufactured by Willys-Overland Motors). Over the course of its 67-year history, Land Rover Series and Defender vehicles reportedly sold just over two million vehicles. As a point of interest, at its 1949 debut, the Land Rover Series was the first four-wheel drive, mass-produced civilian car with doors.
In a world of meal-kits, parking assist vehicles, wearable heart monitors, voice-recognition devices, connected homes, networked transportation services, farmers’ markets, delivery of practically everything, Bluetooth, and Task Rabbit employees who assemble your IKEA purchases, what does “do-it-yourself” mean?
Neighborhood is more than a geographic descriptor. Neighborhood is a mindset… an amalgam of attitudes and behaviors. Whether it is Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, or the Cheers bar neighborhood is a powerful force. Financial Times once described a New York City, Upper Westside neighborhood toy store that had lasted beyond the demise of KB toys, FAO Schwartz, and Toys R’ Us. The store lasted because their neighbors owned the store and their neighbors worked in the store.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of “making humanity multi-planetary.” SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft.
We’ve rounded up some of Larry Light’s recent contributions to his Forbes column. Read a short blurb below and continue on the the articles to read more.
It just took three years. Ford’s CEO Jim Hackett is retiring. In May 2017, Ford hired Jim Hackett to be CEO. Mr. Hackett had been CEO of Steelcase, the office furniture company. While at Steelcase, Mr. Hackett joined Ford’s Board of Directors. Mr. Hackett oversaw Ford’s Smart Mobility unit.
Levi Strauss, the 167-year-old blue jeans company, is fast-tracking its brand-business strategy to address our changing retail habits. The venerable brand has a great deal of incentive to do so, as many retail establishments are struggling or are facing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Levi Strauss has several plans that focus on how we will be shopping from now on into the future.
An unfortunate business outcome of coronavirus is the disappearance of some of our favorite big brands due to bankruptcy. Another outcome is the deliberate, disciplined disappearing of small or local/regional brands or single country brands.
There is a very interesting story from The Guardian about Nespresso, Nestlé’s espresso machine with its colorful, elegant foil coffee capsules. The detailed article tracks Nespresso’s history from its innovative origin to its current situation that is described as “trundling on” without the sophisticated swagger of its early days.
Larry Light’s latest pieces in Forbes have collectively been read by over 54,780 readers. They cover an array of marketing topics including the impacts of Covid-19, Ease of Choice, and more.
See his latest headlines below.
At this 100-year anniversary for women’s right to vote, we should be respecting brands that stood up for women, especially working women Macy’s is one of those brands.
When the economy starts up post-coronavirus, many brands will need to be reenergized. How to plan now for post-coronavirus revitalization?
Amazon is focused on building Whole Foods Market into a trusted source for organic, healthful, eco-conscious, ethically-sourced offerings with a reputation for quality, leadership, and trust. The singular desire is to build loyalty to Whole Foods Market rather than sharing it with the “365” brand.
Right now, why add more uncertainty to our lives by selecting an unknown or new brand? This is not a time for new brands. It is a good time to build on the strength of brand familiarity and trust.
Carvana is turning the used car business on its head and in doing so has the potential to utterly change the way car dealers do business. As with Uber, Tesla, Airbnb, Amazon that forced established brands to change, Carvana is causing a sea change in one of the most ubiquitous industries in the US.
Arcature CEO Larry Light is using his platform on Forbes CMO Network to lead the discussion on how brands must react accordingly to the Covid19 pandemic and use their platform for good.
His three latest pieces are all tied to global pandemic. Read them by clicking the links below:
The Advertising Industry Must Act Now To Help Combat The Coronavirus
Four Marketing Actions For Navigating In Troubled Times
The Three Dimensions Of Ease Are Crucial For Brand Survival Now
From the article:
During this very challenging time, where is the coordinated leadership from the advertising industry? The advertising experts know how to effectively capture our attention, and communicate a convincing message? Jonathan Bernstein of Bloomberg Opinion points out that although there have been “… some quality PSAs already” we could use a “… more systematic effort….” We hear from the basketball star Steph Curry who has urged Americans to practice social distancing. Why is it that the best PSA so far has come from Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian who bought a billboard in New York City’s Times Square urging people to stay home.
Where is The Ad Council?
In his latest piece in Forbes, Arcature CEO Larry Light explains why brands must adopt Internal Marketing to create and reinforce a cultural commitment to the new direction.
Read his latest piece now for some valuable insight and practical tips: The Do’s And Don’ts Of Mindset Change
You can follow Larry Light on Twitter here: @CEOLarryLight
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Photo Credit: pjs2005 from Hampshire, UK
In Larry Light’s recent Forbes pieces, he takes on the marketing mindset that ignores the true brand impact of advertising as well as the laziness of today’s ad creation.
Marketers are confusing “clicks and listens” to buying. Marketers seek reliable data on how many people have viewed or heard particular advertising messages. The “view/hear mindset” is captivating for marketers. Clicks feed egos. [Read This Piece]
Enterprises that own multiple brands have the opportunity to reach different customers with the same needs and the same customers with different needs over all the stages of their lives. Each of the brands in a brand portfolio has a relevant, differentiated promised experience that receives added trust and authority from the corporate parent. [Read This Piece]
See Larry’s Forbes Column here and follow him on Twitter here.
Has Harley-Davidson met its Oldsmobile moment? The venerable motorcycle brand faces the deleterious consequences of demography. On the one hand, Harley continues to be reliant on the defining mood, spirit and discretionary spending of Baby Boomers (think Marlon Brando’s outlaw motorcycle 1953 film, The Wild Ones, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper in the 1969 film Easy Rider, and the hauntingly sad Rolling Stones Altamont concert). Today, many Baby Boomers are aging out of the motorcycle lifestyle.
Is This Your Grandfather’s Harley-Davidson? Forbes.com
Read the rest of Larry Light’s piece now! Click here.
The village of Tupper Lake, NY, in the Adirondack Park has a population hovering just under 6000. In the short summer season tourists and second-home owners boost that number. Recently, there has been a seasonal gentrification with the opening of two craft breweries, but it is basically a struggling place to live. Tupper Lake is a small town 130 miles southeast of Montreal, Quebec, and 89 miles south of Cornwall, Ontario. In Tupper Lake, there is a Dollar General, a Save-A-Lot, a Family Dollar, and a Day Wholesale.