Ring's Super Bowl ad, intended to be a heartwarming story about finding a lost puppy, was interpreted as a promotion for a mass surveillance network. This PR crisis highlights the need for brands to proactively identify and address potential negative perceptions before launching a campaign.
The "Buy, Borrow, Die" tax strategy concentrates immense wealth, making the broader economy unhealthily dependent on the spending habits of the ultra-rich. As noted by The Wall Street Journal, this creates systemic risk; if the wealthy pull back spending, it could trigger a recession.
Billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg legally pay near-zero income tax by taking a $1 salary. Their wealth comes from stock appreciation. They access cash not by selling stock (a taxable event), but by borrowing against it. The core strategy is avoiding taxable income altogether.
Nike's strategic error was pulling its products from third-party retailers like Foot Locker to focus on direct-to-consumer sales. New Balance capitalized on this by flooding those same stores with its products, scooping up abandoned market share and visibility.
While other CEOs blame remote work for stifling innovation, New Balance's CEO credits a mandatory 7:30 AM Tuesday Zoom meeting, started during the pandemic, as the key driver for its historic growth. A single, consistent meeting can be a powerful offensive tool.
America's largest bank massively miscalculated demand for its exclusive, 55-seat internal bar, now mobbed by its 10,000 employees. This highlights a deep, unmet need among corporate workers for social spaces and status symbols within the office itself, even at a data-driven financial institution.