Didn't See It Coming with Marc Stoiber

There's no arguing Donald Trump the candidate had a distinct brand. But now that he's president, that brand needs to shift. Can he cross the gap?

CFAX 1070's Mark Brennae invited me to talk about which elements of the Trump brand should remain consistent, which need to be retooled, and what will happen if he can't make the transition.

Today, we woke up with the news that McDonald's had decided to launch a new McFlurry with loose nuts - instead of the standard pre-packaged nuts. In a heartbeat, social media lit up as parents of children with peanut allergies decried the move as traitorous.

Was this a Didn't See It Coming moment? Did McDonald's know what it was doing? Why did the food giant turn its back on so many of its core consumers?

CFAX 1070 Radio asked me to weigh in on the move. Here's the interview.

Today, we woke up with the news that McDonald's had decided to launch a new McFlurry with loose nuts - instead of the standard pre-packaged nuts. In a heartbeat, social media lit up as parents of children with peanut allergies decried the move as traitorous.

Was this a Didn't See It Coming moment? Did McDonald's know what it was doing? Why did the food giant turn its back on so many of its core consumers?

CFAX 1070 Radio asked me to weigh in on the move. Here's the interview.

Anne Graham is an expert in something that should be obvious, but isn't - finding profit that's sitting right in front of you. Her insights are both brilliant and brilliantly simple - for example, focus like a laser on bringing value to your existing clients, instead of perpetually chasing new customers to fill the bucket.

Why can't we make our lives easy and more profitable. This entertaining conversation reveals how human nature often is our greatest stumbling block.

Anne Graham is an expert in something that should be obvious, but isn't - finding profit that's sitting right in front of you. Her insights are both brilliant and brilliantly simple - for example, focus like a laser on bringing value to your existing clients, instead of perpetually chasing new customers to fill the bucket.

Why can't we make our lives easy and more profitable. This entertaining conversation reveals how human nature often is our greatest stumbling block.

There is no stronger marketing than consumer reviews and word of mouth. Sadly, where there's an opportunity, there's an opportunity to scam the system. Enter fake reviews, rigged search results and skewed price recommendations.

Mark How and Shopswell are turning the tables on these lamentable practices, and bringing the integrity back to review marketing. In this conversation, Mark and I explore the essence of the Shopswell idea, how consumers are incentivized to tell the truth, and why it works.

Check out the entertaining conversation, and rediscover your love for word of mouth - the original (and still the best) tool of marketing.

For most of us, Christmas can be a tad stressful. And companies that assault us with terrible ads, grating songs and depersonalized cards only make things worse.

In the spirit of the season, I went on the air with Mark Brennae of CFAX 1070 and created a Santa's list of wishes for brands that want to brighten, not dampen, the mood of their audience at Christmas. 

Fake news and echo chambers became headline issues during the recent US election. Whether it was outrageous stories fabricated by the pseudo-press to lure clicks (and ad dollars), or algorithms set up by social media to feed viewers stories that reinforced their worldview while blocking contrary thoughts, the phenomenon raised a disturbing question: are we losing our grip on the truth, and becoming a hostile, fearful world?

I believe brands can play a key role in reversing this trend. After all, they've done it in the past.

Consider Coke's I'd like to teach the world to sing commercial, which gave us a brief respite from political, racial and social tensions during the late 60's.  Or the famous United Colours of Bennetton ads that forced us to confront our racial, sexual and societal prejudices in the 80's.

There is terrific upside for brands that are brave enough today to challenge our fear and hostility towards the 'other'. Which brands will seize the opportunity?

Yesterday, I had a terrific conversation with Spring Advertising founder and Creative Director Rob Schlyecher.