Featured Article

PACCAR Pricing Spineometer: 2 of 5 Vertebrae

By Tim J. Smith, PhD May 16, 2025

PACCAR, a multinational truck, parts, and financing company, had a negative 2024. Examining PACCAR’s Truck, Parts, and Other business specifically, revenue fell 5% to $31 billion and earnings before interest and taxes fell 17% to $4.5 billion over the last year. (This article excludes PACCAR’s financial services business and makes no comments regarding how pricing should be managed in that line of business.) A review of PACCAR’s 28 January 2025 earnings call…

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In This Issue

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Infographic: How Netflix is Destroying Blockbuster

By Tim J. Smith, PhD March 2, 2011

 

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What Happened?

By Tim J. Smith, PhD February 3, 2011

True stories featuring Brand Keys 2010 predictions on categories ranging from copiers to cameras, and brands from Ford to Facebook, comparing what…

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Top 6 – February 2011

By Tim J. Smith, PhD February 3, 2011

“You’ve got to go out there and kill what you’re going to eat.” Andrew Mason, CEO Groupon Anytime someone says they are…

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The Starbucks logo wasn’t broke, but they fixed it anyway

By Tim J. Smith, PhD February 3, 2011

Chief executive Howard Schultz had the right idea about evolving the Starbucks logo, but his solution shows some of the hubris that got the company into trouble a few years ago.

The best brands are built upon a clear business strategy translated into a clear brand strategy. A brand strategy is consistently communicated to both internal and external audiences until it becomes the DNA of both employees and customers. Starbucks accomplished this mission, and then killed it.

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