Every year 70% of products introduced in the consumer packaged goods industry fail. What does it take to make it in today’s competitive world: creating buzz for your brand. With so many brands out there, generating publicity and people to talk about your brand is a challenge. Standing out requires creativity and taking risks. This show offers tips for creating buzz and looks at some companies that have reaped the benefits of thinking outside the box.

Brand Rant speculates whether Yahoo! and Microsoft can come together to double team Google in the online ad rivalry. In Brand Spotlight, Delta Air Lines is hoping to craft a new brand by launching… read more.

Using the founder of a company to identify the brand is a great way to connect with consumers. But when the founder dies, does the brand die with it? This show highlights brands like Wendy’s and KFC, as well as charities, to see how crucial founders are to their brands.

Disputes are heating up between Netflix and Blockbuster in our Brand Rant. Both companies are in the process of suing one another over Total Access, Blockbuster’s online purchase program. Back in the Brand Spotlight after suffering from declining sales is Gap. Will a feature on the cover of Vogue magazine initiate a comeback? Also listen to Kristi Ernsting of Hallmark Cards… read more.

The invention of Tivo and similar tools are forcing brands to get creative to reach their target audience. Product placement has begun in this new advertising era, with companies now going as far as creating their own reality shows and building their own theme parks. Some brands are going out of this world, by using the Internet to advertise their brand on the virtual world, Second Life.

H&R Block has done just that by creating a virtual office in Second Life. Paula Drum, vice president of digital marketing, discusses what this online presence has done for their brand. Many consumers were ranting when their Blackberries blacked out for 12… read more.

Today’s business world is about more than making money. It’s about giving back to the community and doing your part to make the world a better place for all. Many companies are feeling the pressure to “go green.” It’s a decision that not only boosts brand image, but leads to smart, new business strategies. In Brands Going Green, we look at which companies have found their shade of green and which cannot seem to back up their commitments.

GE has received much publicity for their Ecomagination program. John Righini, director at GE, discusses how this program has affected their brand. Brand Rant looks at Listerine’s voluntary recall… read more.

Tax season is dreaded by all. With advanced software allowing taxpayers to file their taxes from home, tax services are engaged in a branding battle to crunch your numbers. Various tax services have gotten creative by implementing everything from YouTube to Vanilla Ice in an effort to brand themselves.

A Brand Rant between the Merisant Co., maker of Equal and NutraSweet, and Johnson & Johnson, creator of Splenda, is in full swing. A new sports drink Accelerade, tries to put the lid on Gatorade in this week’s Brand Spotlight. Brad Saylor, senior marketing manager at H&R Block in Kansas City stops by to discuss the success of the newest… read more.

With so much going on in the health care field one week wasn’t enough time to cover it all. Models for health care branding, industry trends, drivers, and online health care are all bottled in this show. This is your dose of health care branding.

The Brand Rant covers new information on the Federal Trade Commission cracking down on celebrity endorsements and deceptive advertising. Google takes the Brand Spotlight once again for teaming up with Echostar to offer an auction-based advertising system, including second-by-second commercial ratings.

Health care marketing is a new craze. The invention of new and advanced drugs means health care costs are on the rise. With consumers taking such an interest in the latest advancements, branding is becoming prominent for pharmaceutical companies. This week explores the fashion of pharmaceutical branding.

Branding could be taken to the next level by embedding TV commercials and other forms of advertising in actual TV shows. Brand Rant explains this new marketing concept. Rachel Ray turns the Brand Spotlight on Dunkin’ Doughnuts in an effort to help the chain develop healthier menu items. Dropping in on the show this week is Susan Palombo, Director… read more.

ven the highest regarded brands are susceptible to branding boo-boos. This show takes a look at the headlines to review the latest mistakes made by top brands in hopes of avoiding these branding bloopers.

Brand Rant takes a look at the KFC and Taco Bell Parent Company, Yum Brands. They make the headlines for getting caught with restaurant rats, shortly after their E. coli scare. The Brand Spotlight focuses on struggles in the condiment industry, specifically shining on Heinz and how they eeked out of the struggling industry with a gain in sales.