Richard Seesel

A pretty mediocre bunch of ads this year. The beer ads were particularly disappointing compared to past years, when audiences looked forward to Bud Light spots in particular. Dogs sell, along with babies and chimps, but some originality is in order. (Best exceptions: The Acura and Chevy truck commercials.)...

The trend toward online advertising creates more viral interest in watching the commercials during the game, not less. This sort of "sneak preview" seems to be drawing larger audiences to the Super Bowl, regardless of interest in the actual game or teams involved. Last year's Super Bowl was the...

Ralph Lauren is a great example of a brand that has stayed true to its aspirational position. It has successfully addressed different retailers' price point requirements (as well as the higher prices in its own stores) while keeping a very consistent "lifestyle" point of view. It's an object lesson...

Without knowing anything about Mr. Browett's experience at Dixons, it's a good sign that Apple looked outside for a new store executive. (After all, Ron Johnson was hired from the outside to start the Apple Store in the first place.) In this case, an outside hire can be expected...

Checkout lane management is becoming a more important part of the customer service process. Most customers would prefer an efficient experience at the end of their store visit, rather than the traditional Walmart "greeting." I agree with this move, especially if it is expense-neutral.

The new pricing strategy at JCPenney is a bold experiment, and time will tell whether it will cause JCP to gain or lose market share. (It's certainly a "statement" about brand differentiation.) I do wonder how the re-pricing affects national brands with broad distribution and "suggested retails"...everyone from Cuisinart...

Target is admitting -- through its letter to vendors -- that it has a pricing problem. It should have taken steps a long time ago to develop more exclusive merchandise that would be more difficult to price-compare. But at this point the smartphone genie is hard to put back...

The difference between providing "customer service" and "hospitality" (or the equivalent idea in retail) can make the difference between a satisfied customer and a committed one. Bridging this gap -- from satisfied to committed -- becomes a vital part of any company's customer relationship and brand management programs.

The...

I think the "sales tax fairness" issue is the most pressing. Retailers who are mandated to charge sales taxes for in-store or e-commerce sales are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. And -- while nobody likes to pay taxes on anything -- the loss of local sales...

Selling unique, exclusive merchandise has been part of the Target formula for a long time, and this venture is certainly true to the brand position. It moves Target further away from the pure price-and-commodity positioning of the past couple of years (complete with its own mini-dollar store at the...