Blog Archives

A discussion about Brand Elevation at Columbia Business School

Posted on February 21, 2021 by JP Kuehlwein

Wolf and JP had the honor and much fun discussing the art and science behind ‘Brand Elevation’ with leaders who work on brands that know a thing or two about Dreaming, Doing and Daring – the three phases of Ueber-Branding we describe our new, step-by-step guide. Continue reading →

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Crises – An Opportunity For Brand Elevation

Posted on December 15, 2020 by JP Kuehlwein

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“A crisis is a terrible thing to waste,” might have been the mantra for some brands in 2020. They have shown strength and taken steps to further elevate their brand in the mind of their key constituents as this talk/article seeks to illustrate. Continue reading →

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The joy and challenge of purveying better products and better lives – Interview with Dilhan Fernando, CEO Dilmah Tea

Posted on November 30, 2020 by JP Kuehlwein

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Dilmah Tea is the pioneer you might not have heard about when it comes to fairer trade practices, implementing sustainable operating processes, educating consumers and to being founded on the belief that purveying a superior product needs to go hand-in-hand with helping to create a better socio-economical and natural environment. Listen to our interview with its CEO. Continue reading →

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S’well – From empty bottle to meaningful fashion accessory – Interview with Sarah Kauss, Founder and Chairwoman

Posted on October 2, 2020 by JP Kuehlwein

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S’well brand founder Sarah Kauss explains how she transformed water bottles into becoming meaningful and must-have fashion accessories and her vision for the brand’s future. In this interview, you will hear many of the principles of Ueber-Branding and how they are being applied. Continue reading →

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How ‘Slightly Fu**ed-Up’ motivates people to buy into- and work at Freitag – interview with Oliver Brunschwiler, ‘Lead Link’

Posted on July 15, 2020 by JP Kuehlwein

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In the land of bags, ‘Freitag’ stands for ‘messenger’, ‘made in Switzerland from recycled truck tarp’, ‘designed by the bros’, and … “slightly fucked up,” as ‘Lead Link’ tells us .  And he is not only talking about the bags, but also about the brand and company culture, as you will hear in our interview with Oliver Brunschwiler. Continue reading →

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Why Reach and Consumption are Not always Brand Nirvana

Posted on May 19, 2020 by JP Kuehlwein

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In in the land of Ueber-Brands, staying quiet, keeping some people away and putting a breaks on consumption might be what is needed to stoke the desire, keep prices at a premium and protect those sweet margins. Continue reading →

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How an Ueber-Brand responds in times of crisis – Alison Cayne, Haven’s Kitchen

Posted on April 16, 2020 by JP Kuehlwein

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Alison Cayne, founder of havens Kitchen, shares how she navigates through this crisis, setting her organization, business and brand up to not only survive but thrive, where possible. And she does so in her own humble, ethical but efficient and entrepreneurial way. Continue reading →

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Haven’s Kitchen: About Sharing Life Skills and Sauces – Alison Cayne, Founder

Posted on November 19, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Alison Cayne, Founder of Haven’s Kitchen, a cooking school and packaged food purveyor in New York tells us how her brand is made for ‘hustlers’ like her. This story is about a purpose-led and disciplined approach to brand- and business building, sans the ‘unicorn’ glazing. Continue reading →

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FRoSTA: Putting your Money Where Your Mission Is – Felix Ahlers, CEO

Posted on August 22, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Felix Ahlers, CEO of European frozen foods company FRoSTA tells us how he evolved and elevated the mission of the industrial food processor to: “Preparing meals the way grandma would” – using only natural ingredients and no synthetic additives. He shares lessons learned along the way that traditional manufacturers struggling to adjust to peoples’ desires for a wholesome lifestyle and a healthy environment should learn from. Continue reading →

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Questions To Answer: How Manifest Brand Through Product?

Posted on August 20, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Only a product that is unique, substantial and superior is good enough to elevate a brand and support a lasting myth. Ueber-Brands put their goods at the center and on pedestals (at least metaphorically) so they can be paid tribute to.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself as you seek to create a product that truly manifests your brand.  Continue reading →

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Why Platform Businesses Should be Ueber-Brands – A discussion with Erich Joachimsthaler – Part I

Posted on June 23, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Traditional firms feel the heat from the exploding businesses of platforms and look to become one themselves. Platform businesses are all about participation and should be about positive relationships – desirable ingredients for strong brand equity. However, many platform brands are not used because we like or respect them. How can traditional brands get into the business of platforms and how can one get platform branding right? JP had a discussion on the subject with Erich Joachimsthaler at Vivaldi Group. Continue reading →

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TerraCycle: How To Brand Waste – Tom Szaky, CEO and Co-Founder explains

Posted on June 3, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky tells us about how he is pushing “Eliminating the Idea of Waste” and his brand to the top of mind of consumers and packaged goods manufacturers alike. Without spending a dollar on advertising but by expending lots of energy and creativity against a vision he wants us to share. Continue reading →

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Questions To Answer: How Create Brand Meaning through Myth?

Posted on May 31, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Telling a compelling story that is relevant, relatable, memorable and sharable is key for any brand. But to become an Ueber-Brand you need to elevate your story to a ‘myth’. Answer to a higher truth or guide with social value.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself as you seek to create a myth and with it a deeper meaning to your brand. Continue reading →

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Trust and a shared Truth are key to Airbnb’s Success – Douglas Atkin, ex-Global Head of Community explains

Posted on May 11, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Airbnb’s former Global Head of Community – Douglas Atkin – tells us about how he helped the platform find a purpose and the central role it- and engineering social Trust have played in making Airbnb an Ueber-Brand. Among many other insights. Enjoy! Continue reading →

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Questions To Answer: How Balance Longing and Belonging?

Posted on May 10, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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How leverage people’s desire for inclusiveness and community while at the same time create a sense of exclusivity?  Create some tension that makes people long to belong?  It is a balancing act that brand owners need to master if they want to be about more than ‘price and performance’. Continue reading →

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Purpose and Promotion Don’t Mix Well – Ben & Jerry’s Global Social Mission Officer Dave Rapaport explains

Posted on March 25, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Ben & Jerry’s Global Social Social Mission Officer Dave Rapaport tells us what it takes to be an authentic, purpose-led but profitable brand. Hints: Do not mix purpose and promotion – in a marketing kind of way – and stand up to be counted… when it really counts. Continue reading →

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Ueber-Branding Social Enterprise? – JP interviewed by Impact Boom

Posted on March 20, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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UEBER-BRANDING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES? – Absolutely! If people are not aware of social enterprises and their causes, then their possible impact remains limited. Using the ‘Ueber-Branding’ approach makes particular sense, since social enterprise comes with a desirable element in their DNA which other companies often lack: A higher purpose. Hear more on the subject in this interview. Continue reading →

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Questions To Answer: How Un-Sell?

Posted on March 9, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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How can Brands seduce rather than sell? – Here are some of the critical questions you should ask to see if your brand does what it takes to be admired, desired and bought into rather than needing to be promoted to be sold. Continue reading →

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Humbly Served and Successful – RXBAR Co-Founder Peter Rahal tells the story

Posted on February 20, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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Peter Rahal, co-founder of RXBAR tells us how the nutrition bar made its swift ascent from idea to a brand so appealing that Kellogg had to buy it for $600 million four years later. Continue reading →

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Are Social Issues a ‘Proven Marketing Tool’ now?

Posted on January 15, 2019 by JP Kuehlwein

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After promoting ‘Like-A-Girl,’ ‘MeanStinks,’ ‘Boss-vs-Bossy,’ ‘SorryNotSorry,’ ‘ShareTheLoad,’… social messages on its Always, Secret, Pantene, Ariel… brands, respectively, P&G is at ‘social issue advertising’ again as it “bravely ignites this dialogue [about ‘toxic masculinity’ as the WSJ put it] with its … Continue reading →

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Make ‘Brand Purpose’ Real – or it risks to back-fire

Posted on November 27, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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Advertising a higher brand purpose can create appeal and elevate a brand. But done wrong it can backfire, create disillusionment with the brand and damage engagement on the purpose. The key lies in the doing vs the saying, as we will see. Continue reading →

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To Elevate Product and Brand – Make it the Holy Grail

Posted on November 14, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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Ever noticed that some of the brands we pay a significant premium for don’t actually feel like they try hard to sell us on their product? These brands – we call them ‘Ueber-Brands’ let their visible passion for the product do most of the talking and sells us.  They make their product the ‘holy grail’ and behold it as if it was a revelation. Continue reading →

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Questions To Answer: How Brands Create Authenticity

Posted on November 2, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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How can Brands appeal through authenticity? – A brand mission must be lived to be taken seriously. A myth must be embraced to work. A lived and felt purpose is what people experience as ‘authenticity,’ the ‘truth’ behind a brand. Continue reading →

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Master Myth Maker – Ramdane Touhami, mind behind Buly and other exquisite Brands

Posted on September 25, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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An interview with Prestige brand creator extraordinaire Ramdane Touhami. He is the mind and myth-maker behind brands like Cire Trudon and L’Officine Universelle Buly. You will also find plenty of background materials in this podcast note. Continue reading →

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Does Product Top Purpose? – Halo Top’s ‘full pint’ vs Ben & Jerry’s ‘double dip’

Posted on September 9, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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If you live in the US and have any interest in ice cream – or consume social media with any regularity (and the two seem to correlate) – then you will have heard about ‘Halo Top’.  The premium ice cream’s … Continue reading →

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The Leadership Structure behind Winning Brands

Posted on June 3, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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Let’s qualify that headline right away, to avoid being accused of ‘click-baiting’: The leadership structure we researched was specifically that behind iconic, mission-driven brands that have seen sustained sales growth while being able to demand a premium price versus the … Continue reading →

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How ‘Niche Brands’ Survive Acquisitions and Thrive

Posted on May 14, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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In order to be credible and thrive, ‘niche brands’ (be they ’boutique’, ‘craft’, ‘local’, ‘organic’…) must make sure that they let their particular brand myth and engaging mission guide them in everything they do. They must do this not only … Continue reading →

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B2B Beyond The Material – Interview with Mohawk Fine Papers’ Creative Director Christopher Harrold

Posted on April 24, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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Can the Ueber-Brand principles be applied to B2B brands to elevate them in the minds of professional buyers and make them ‘priceless’ – or at least less dependent on pricing?  The short answer is “Absolutely, Yes!”  But, we know, people are hungry for examples, so we talked with Christopher Harrold, Creative Director at Mohawk how this fine paper maker is not only surviving but thriving in an increasingly digital world. Continue reading →

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Ueber-Brand Activation: Chobani Tops Treats with Tolerance

Posted on February 13, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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Few brands are born Ueber-Brands.  Like most humans, most brands start out wanting to do a good job and establish themselves. It’s only later that some of them feel the need to ‘dig deeper,’ find a higher calling and sharing … Continue reading →

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Taking Brands and People Üeber – JP interviewed by getAbstract co-founder Patrick Brigger

Posted on January 29, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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Can Ueber-Branding be applied to any industry and brand… and people? How do Ueber-Brands elevate themselves above the rest? How do they attract people? – Not only as buyers but as employees? … These are just some of the questions Patrick Brigger asked me in this interview. Continue reading →

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Rethinking Prestige Branding – A 10 Minute Q&A

Posted on January 16, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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The expert Book review site ‘getabstract’ gave us a pretty rare 8 of 10 rating and felt compelled to interview us about modern Prestige branding afterwards.  We (humbly) thought our answers are well worth sharing with our readers, too… and … Continue reading →

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A Brand Built On ‘Less’? – Interview with Brandless co-founder Tina Sharkey

Posted on January 4, 2018 by JP Kuehlwein

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‘Brandless’ is the only ‘brand’ you can buy at the eponymous e-grocer that carries the same name.  As co-founder Tina Sharkey explains, young ‘Brandless’ is not about the absence of identity or meaning and being a brand in that sense. … Continue reading →

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Tiffany & Co. – How Reach Out… Without Falling?

Posted on December 21, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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Venerable Tiffany & Co is facing a dilemma and declining sales – and that for a few years now.   On the one hand it believes that it has lost its cool among the young and with it cultural relevance, desirability … Continue reading →

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Cultural Branding – Cadillac Looks To Get Back On The Map

Posted on November 22, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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Cadillac separated its commercial team from the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, formed a stand-alone unit and moved it to New York City in late 2015. This move was not driven by organizational and business considerations, alone.  In fact, a … Continue reading →

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How Trader Joe’s Makes Food Stuff Magic – of ‘Speculoos Butter’ and a ‘Fearless Flyer’

Posted on November 10, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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I had one of those ‘Eureka’ insights the other day when I saw the latest Trader Joe’s ‘Fearless Flyer’ on our kitchen table: Trader Joe’s has made a great business out of morphing their foods into ‘Significant Objects’ that we … Continue reading →

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Making Slow Fashion Grow – Interview with Raleigh Denim Workshop co-founder Victor Lytvinenko

Posted on November 6, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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Victor and his wife Sarah are in love with making jeans the old, slow way in their Raleigh Denim Workshop. They sewed them themselves and proudly signed every pair when they started out in 2007.  But in the meantime, they … Continue reading →

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Nespresso – the ‘Crema’ de la Crème

Posted on October 26, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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Rogue researchers at Nestlé had tinkered around with the coffee capsule and brewing technology that was to become Nespresso since the 1970s. At that time, Nestlé dominated the soluble category, but that category was stagnating. It took Nestlé over a … Continue reading →

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Article: How modern prestige brands create meaning through mission

Posted on July 10, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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In this article for the Journal of Brand Strategy (Henry Stewart Publications, Spring 2017), we examine how some modern prestige brands  go beyond traditional strategies of luxury marketing like exclusiveness, provenance or precious materials to make us want them.  They create “meaning beyond the material” by redefining their categories, setting new standards and – for the best among them – by embracing and living ideals people aspire to. – We call them Ueber-Brands, as you likely know by now Continue reading →

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Cadillac – Resuscitation without Nostalgia nor Provocation? – Interview with Uwe Ellinghaus, CMO

Posted on April 25, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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Uwe Ellinghaus is CMO of Cadillac and on a mission to revive this icon of American luxury. But rather than starting with automobiles, his vision of Cadillac is one of “an experience that young people associate with modern luxury, … of a brand that … Continue reading →

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Juicing Up Business: Joe & The Juice’s Sexy Brotherhood

Posted on April 13, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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“Yeah, but how ‘live a dream’ when the product is ‘generic’?  I am not in Luxury, Lifestyle or Fashion!” That’s how some clients respond when we talk about giving their brand meaning beyond the material.  –  Well, how about a ‘juice bar’ that feels like it stole Abercrombie … Continue reading →

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Vanguard Investments – From ‘Folly’ to Fiduciary Giant

Posted on February 7, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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As we work with clients on elevating their brands two questions arise repeatedly:  Can ‘ueber-branding’ be applied to more ‘technical’ categories – beyond luxury or lifestyle?  And do Ueber-Brand products HAVE to be premium priced? The short answer is ‘yes’ and … Continue reading →

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Burt’s Bees – Mission, Myth and a Buzzing Business – Interview with Jim Geikie, General Manager

Posted on January 5, 2017 by JP Kuehlwein

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Yes, Burt really existed. The wild-bearded man on the brand’s logo was a documentary photographer turned beekeeper after moving from Manhattan to Maine. He left behind the trappings of a rather privileged upbringing to live in a converted turkey coop in the backwoods (where he … Continue reading →

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The Tesla Tease: Exclusivity through Complicity

Posted on December 28, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Prestige brands don’t have it easy. We don’t want them to sell to us (in fact, they should ‘un-sell‘), but we love for them to seduce us. They must make us desire them, not just need them, for only then might we be willing to … Continue reading →

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Growing with Gravitas – Shang Xia, Hermès’ Chinese Offspring

Posted on December 18, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Chinese artisan brand Shang Xia is a good example of a brand mastering two key ingredients to build a modern prestige brand: A strong sense of mission and the patience to grow with gravitas. The brand also showcases parent company Hermès’ genius … Continue reading →

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Profit and/or Purpose? – Interview with Venture Capitalist and Social Activist David Batstone

Posted on December 5, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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David Batstone is not one to be easily typecast.  As you learn more about David you might get a bit perplexed not only by the uncounted, very public projects in which he plays a leading role or the multitude of positions he holds but … Continue reading →

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Ueber-Branding: How To Make Your Brand Priceless

Posted on November 30, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Our article in SMU’s Asian Management Insights November 2016 issue summarizes three dimensions we found most successful modern premium brands share.  We also outline some key questions you should ask on the way to making your own brand (more) priceless. The … Continue reading →

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Patagonia – The Activist Company – Interview with Vincent Stanley, Director of Philosophy

Posted on November 4, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Patagonia is the quintessential Ueber-Brand. This brand is fascinating and we have written extensively about what we think drives and sustains its success in our latest book as well as on this blog.  But it is quite another thing to hear it … Continue reading →

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A Freitag Visit – Manufacturing as Manifestation of Mission

Posted on October 26, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Freitag is a Swiss bag, accessory and – most recently – fashion brand. Its legend begins in 1993, when young brothers and design students Markus and Daniel Freitag looked out of their apartment window in the Zurich suburbs and into a … Continue reading →

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Audemars Piguet – Adversity and Complications Make a Brand – Interview with Tim Sayler, CMO

Posted on October 9, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Audemars Piguet is up there, even in the already elevated world of ‘haute horlogerie’ and the Swiss Alps.  Le Brassus in the high valley of Joux is the birthplace and still the place of hand-crafting AP watches as Tim Sayler, … Continue reading →

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Secrets of the Ueber-Brands

Posted on September 28, 2016 by JP Kuehlwein

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Why do some pay a relative fortune for a MINI car, Renova toilet paper or a skin cream and detergent from Aesop when those seem to have none of the ‘functional superiority’ conventional marketers would seek to demonstrate? Why were … Continue reading →

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