Marketing Business by Robert Collings

Recession red flags flash while markets seek silver lining

Recession red flags flash while markets seek silver lining

The normalization of structural economic inequality is driving negative consumer sentiment.

Digital ad growth to slow on consumer confidence

Digital ad growth to slow on consumer confidence

Ad growth slowdown an opportunity to reset digital advertising spending waste driven by programmatic fraud.

Is a supply-side labor crunch coming because of border policy?

Is a supply-side labor crunch coming because of border policy?

A significant decrease in "border encounters" could drive persistent service industry inflation.

Transitory inflation becomes permanent consumer reality

Transitory inflation becomes permanent consumer reality

Economists can posit that tariff induced inflation is transitory, but it feels very real to consumers.

Great marketers have an arbitrage opportunity

Great marketers have an arbitrage opportunity

Right now there is a significant arbitrage opportunity for great marketers: their marketing education and grasp of the fundamentals.

Is Fannie Mae's blacklist the start of a correction?

Is Fannie Mae's blacklist the start of a correction?

Condo owners face devastating value losses as buyers can't secure financing and associations can't afford compliant coverage

When data driven is data blind and the ethnography fix

When data driven is data blind and the ethnography fix

Competitive advantage belongs to organizations that integrate the scale of big data with ethnography.

The COVID trust deficit & why you should worry

The COVID trust deficit & why you should worry

40%+ of Gen-Z say they feel left behind and that they are angry at the rich and powerful because of the pandemic. This is a crisis.

The wait-and-see economy presents downside risk

The wait-and-see economy presents downside risk

A "wait-and-see" economy bodes ill for jobs and overall growth of the small businesses that represent 80% of all U.S. employment.

The finance rationale for brand investment

Brand marketing delivers more than good vibes. It delivers business results CFOs value, like above category pricing power and margins.

Differentiation: a finance optimization strategy

Differentiation: a finance optimization strategy

Mature marketers see brand differentiation as a financial optimization strategy, and don't buy into arguments against distinctiveness.

Brand: A strategic edge for companies in transition

How to transform your go-to-market mechanics while navigating extreme market volatility in 2025.

Unemployed men line up in front of a Chicago soup kitchen, which was operated by Al Capone.

Economic consequences of affluent spending contraction

What happens if the top 10% of wealth owners pull back spending by 10%? A recession looks inevitable.

Cracked egg with the "white" spilling onto a pink surface.

Marketing's Chicken/Egg Investment Paradox

Do marketing investments drive growth, or does growth beget marketing investment?

Are Fortune 500 CMOs on the chopping block?

Are Fortune 500 CMOs on the chopping block?

Marketing leadership sits in a precarious position. Only 71% of the F500 have a CMO.

Starbucks returns to its brand roots to grow

Can Starbucks balance efficiency with its “premium, personalized” brand promise?

McLaren Formula 1 car in action, side view with focus on corporate sponsors.

OKX-McLaren partnership bet pays off, rewards patience

OKX looked for a distressed asset rather than overpaying for a winning brand. The bet paid off.

Indoor greenhouse farming tomatoes

When tech ambition meets agricultural reality

Larry Ellison dropped over $500 million trying to revolutionize agriculture. What can we learn?

Trade war & tariffs expose U.S. small business

Trade war & tariffs expose U.S. small business

Will tariffs drive a barbell economy? It's starting to look like economic Darwinism in action.

Apollo says inflation looks sticky – very sticky

Apollo says inflation looks sticky – very sticky

Inflation isn't retreating to the Fed's 2% target as hoped. Is 3% the new floor and is it harmful?

Still photo from FX's The Bear, Season 2, Episode 7. Richie peeling mushrooms with Chef.

Embrace failure as a growth opportunity

The Bear. S2, E7. Forks. 34 minutes of inspirational TV up there with Tony Soprano's existential crisis prompted by ducks in his pool.

Marketing is hard, so let's cut the judgement

Marketing is hard, so let's cut the judgement

"If you’re not in the building, you don’t really know," and other memorable quotes.

Did Starbucks really ditch their CMO role?

Did Starbucks really ditch their CMO role?

Don't believe the media hype. Marketing power in fact increased at Starbucks.

Resolute Acceptance & lessons from Hagakure

Resolute Acceptance & lessons from Hagakure

Business is akin to war. Battlefields constantly shift. Hagakure teaches us to act decisively, without fear of failure.

Cover and spine of the book Future Demand by James Hurman on orange background.

Future Demand, Part 1, Types of Demand

Future Demand. The most important recent work explaining the power of brand.