The Brands Lectures
The 22nd Brands Lecture
Building Blockbusters: From M&M’s to Pedigree, and Beyond Products to Services
Grant F Reid
What really makes a brand unforgettable? Is it a flash of cultural magic, a campaign that shifts generations, or something deeper, woven into the way businesses are built? In a world of fleeting platforms and shifting consumer habits, the answer matters more than ever.
Few leaders know this better than Grant F. Reid. Over a 34-year career at Mars, he helped steer household names including M&Ms, Snickers, Galaxy, Dolmio, Pedigree, Royal Canin and Whiskas to new heights.
As CEO, he grew sales by more than 50% to over $45 billion, expanded the workforce to...
Past Lectures
Since the year 2000, the annual Brands Lecture, delivered by leading figures in their field, has been a popular event in our members’ year. Each lecturer has focused on a different aspect of branding or its effects. The following gives a taste of each lecture but you can read the full version by clicking on the links to download transcripts of the event.
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The 18th Brands Lecture
Should brands take a stand?
Gary Coombe, CEO of Gillette
Brands are arguably the most pervasive force in the world for business growth but can they also be a force for change, or for good? What role should brands play in an increasingly fractured society? Gary Coombe argues that brands can, and must, have a point of view on the most pressing and often controversial issues in society and be ready and willing to speak up. It’s about the role of brands and business in modern politics and society.
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The 17th Brands Lecture
Are brands a form of corporate bullshit?
Evan Davis, Economist and BBC journalist
Are brands a form of corporate consumer exploitation, or is it possible to explain them as a desirable feature of our economic system? We live in a time of general distrust of business and its motives, and in this talk, Evan Davis asks whether the attention lavished upon brands in modern industrialised economies should be seen as justifying cynicism about companies and their marketing.
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The 16th Brands Lecture
Never mind the quality, feel the personalisation. The future of retailing.
Alan Giles, Said Business School, University of Oxford
Alan looked at the structural changes taking place in retail around the world, the rise of pureplay online competitors, the strategic responses from traditional retailers, innovations in the sector and some thoughts on the future. The lecture is rich in thinking and data and gives brand owners valuable insights into what they should consider as they plan both their offer and their routes to the consumer in order to be competitive over the coming years.