BrandlandUSA

20 years ago, Gillette introduced a campaign that completely re-energized its brand and company. It was “The Best A Man Can Get” and its zippy song, sung by the nation’s top jingle-writer and singer Jake Holmes, talked about “looking sharp” and showed a succession of non-celebrity, clean-shaven normal men going to work, running in races, [...]

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At home, in a sewing kit, I noticed a handy little brand many have forgotten is still around. Dritz. It’s part of the great pantheon of sewing brands, some over a century old. Brands like Singer, The McCall Pattern Company, Coats & Clark and Talon Zipper. And of course there is Sears Kenmore; read about [...]

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SARASOTA – At the Mote Marine Aquarium here, there is a small cabinet of shark repellent brands. During World War II, the Navy tried to come up with ideas, and numerous brands were launched. They didn’t survive. Apparently, certain copper compounds do chase away sharks, but there has never been a definitive product that proved [...]

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MIAMI – There could not have been a more perfect Florida ambassador, and airline, than National Airlines. When the “Sunshine Airline” merged into Pan American World Airways in 1980, a uniquely Florida institution was lost. Arguably, it was the only airline that promoted a state as its marketing position and achieved national prominence with that [...]

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ST. LOUIS – Introduced in 1898, Grape-Nuts was the nation’s first cold cereal, though you can also eat it hot. It’s not grape, nor is it nuts, but instead  it is whole wheat, flour, salt and yeast. It is baked, and then ground up and baked again. A glorious process of American history alive and [...]

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HOOKSET, N.H. – Twins Smoke Shop in Hooksett and Londonderry will bring back the 7-20-4 cigar, made by the K. A. Kendall Co. Millions upon millions of the cigars were made until 1963; the cigar was named for the Manchester street address of the company. The makers have found manufacturers in Honduras and Nicaragua to [...]

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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Illinois – Sears Holdings (SHLD) announces earnings today; turns out their second-quarter loss is $94 million, or 79 cents a share, with revenue falling to $10.55 billion from $11.76 billion. I could have guessed it going into their Westfield Sarasota Square store. On our visit, the clerks were friendly. The store maintenance and [...]

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PLEASANTVILLE, NY. – That private capital has been unsuccessful in a leveraged buyout of Reader’s Digest Association Inc. should be no surprise. Private capital like Ripplewood Holdings has failed in all manner of media plays. The reality is that during a downturn, a company can’t be expected to be paying borrowed capital. Simple as that. [...]

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KILMARNOCK, SCOTLAND – Great brands are associated with a place. This is true even more with alcohol other products that have elastic demands. The place of manufacture adds to the allure of the brand, and that helps build a market for it. You differentiate your liquor product not only by taste, but the whole distilling, [...]

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