Warren Douglas website

Advertising

The Facts About Food and Other Life Lessons

So, I’m writing on location at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Though it sounds glamorous and exciting, it is a rat race and just plain full of people. Plus, I’ve never seen so many varieties of cheeses, olive oils, crackers, salad dressings, and salsas.
One interesting seminar I attended features the NASFT 2009 Specialty [...]

Advertising

Transparency: The New Path to Premium Status

What is a premium brand? The definition we use here at the WD is that a premium brand is one that is recognized as being of greater value than its competition. In fact, when we have new clients take the WD Premium Brand Test we ask the question “does your brand have superior features or [...]

Advertising

Can Social Media Harm Premium Brands?

Some Premium Brands are fearful of joining the social media dialogue. “What if someone says something bad about us?” If you’ve ever thought this, then keep reading.

Advertising

Does Your Brand Act Premium?

Premium brands act premium, even when few people are looking.

Advertising

Who is a premium consumer?

Is it based on income? Is it based on loyalty? You might be surprised…

Furnishings

Luxury Brands vs. Premium Brands

The difference between luxury and premium isn’t as obvious as you might think; the context of function drives an important mindset that’s imperative to understand if you’re a marketer to high-end brands.

Business to Business

What Makes a Brand Premium?

Is it price? Is it quality? Or does it have to be both?

Grocery

Premium Brands and Pricing Wars

I’m observing some dangerous practices among desperate marketers these days—constant, deep discounts to the trade. While everyone is asking for great deals, there’s also danger in lax pricing. There’s a great risk that, unless a premium brand continues to communicate its brand value, the consumer who buys "on deal" all the time won’t be willing [...]

Energy & Utilities

Premium Commodities

What does it take to make a commodity premium? It takes more than differentiation, it takes differentiation that matters to the customer. Marketers deal every day with putting a message out there for consumers to bite down on, but the commodities that can demand a higher price—and even invoke brand loyalty—are the ones that know [...]

Grocery

Even premium buyers like a good deal

One of the marketing dilemmas premium brands face in today’s economy is how much they should discount, if at all, in light of maintaining brand perception/value. A recent article in Advertising Age (you’ll need an account to access this article) warns that extended discounts can erode a brand’s value, yet last month Google searches [...]