branded for life

My brother and I own a local restaurant that we started last year. The location turned out not as great as we thought. We found the perfect site but the current tenant wants the equivalent of three times the annual rent value to leave. I’m not sure this is a smart financial decision. However, my brother is convinced it’s the right opportunity for us. Should we go ahead? ...read more

I’m a senior university student majoring in Marketing. Due to your constant praise of the power of branding, I got into a lot of reading. Actually, my social life is almost non-existent. So, thanks! One of the things that still have me confused is the need for a Brand Essence when the slogan or tagline is a strong one already. Shouldn’t ‘Just Do It’ be enough? ...read more

My company has the Kuwait rights for a restaurant franchise. We have two branches up and running, but the franchiser has been pushing us since the start of this year to open five more. The market’s condition doesn’t justify such expansions. Should we play tough or trust their judgment? ...read more

One of my employees is not a team player. She prefers to work alone. All books and articles talk about the importance of teamwork. If this is true, then I should fire her but she actually cares about her job and when she handles solo work she gets it done. What’s your advice? ...read more

Consequences of the natural disasters in Japan found their way to our market. Our company sells Japanese electronics and the factory told us they are stopping production for about two months for safety reasons. Our losses in the coming months will be devastating. Is there anything we can do? ...read more

I can tell that some of our customers are lying to replace some pieces or get freebies. How can we stop this abuse without breaking “the customer is always right” philosophy?

To start with, it’s refreshing to see that you and your company are committed to customers. Some customers will always take advantage of flexible policies; it’s a fact. However, that doesn’t mean your company should punish all customers because of the acts of a few. So, let’s talk options. Assuming that there’s nothing wrong with your products, it’s possible that they’re returning them because they don’t suit their needs anymore. Putting good intentions aside, you need first to examine the incidents. Are the same customers repeating this behavior over and over? Or is it that many customers are returning their purchases once? ...read more

In a recent seminar the instructor said, “Don’t be connected emotionally to your business. If it’s not working out, shut it down and walk away.” Isn’t passion an important ingredient to success? If I’m not emotionally engaged with my business I won’t enjoy or be able to grow it. How do you see it? ...read more