Corporate Challenge: Local independent pharmacies are losing long-time customers to new entrants extending their value offering to customers.
 
Ironbound Strategy: Powerful brands focus on creating value for customers, employees, and society. The best brands are constantly looking for new markets to extend their powerful brands into.
 
Ironbound Action: Costco Pharmacy is rapidly growing market share by extending Costco members the value of better prices, automated processing, free home-delivery, and many more efficient services unheard of in the pharmacy industry. For many members, the lower prescription cost offsets the price of Costco membership. Costco’s happy and well-compensated pharmacists ensure the best service and a great experience for its membership. They want customers to leave with a smile on their face. Local independent pharmacies will become obsolete, unless they evaluate whether their brands create positive values in order to compete with powerful growing brands that do.

Corporate Challenge: A local restaurant operates in a market with strong competitive forces, which makes it difficult to grow and improve profit margins.
 
Ironbound Strategy: A company needs a powerful brand in order to really standout in a heavily contested market.
Powerful brands emerge as a product of the value they create for customers, employees, and society. Once a company focuses on value creating activities, the opportunity to explore new markets becomes much
more accessible.
 
Ironbound Action: Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York, founded in 1935, began selling deep-fried chicken wings with spicy cayenne pepper hot sauce to create value for their midnight patrons. The unique dish instantly became popular, as we all know them as "Buffalo wings".  Rather than competing at a local restaurant level, Anchor Bar began selling their novel treat directly to grocery stores across the United States and more recently directly online. The restaurant is an international sensation, as  their Suicidal Sauce is a favorite among young Japanese enjoying the thrill of super spicy. Anchor Bar is a phenomenal example of a company that created new opportunities by expanding value.

Corporate Challenge: Millenials are your future customer, but they are attracted to your competitors.
 
Ironbound Strategy: Keep your marketing plans simple because Millenials are attracted to simplicity.  Be the first to do something cool, because Millenials like new things.
 
Ironbound Action: San Francisco based Banana Republic created a new role of "Style Ambassador" for an NBA player from Cleveland.  A small simple change in the role title made Banana Republic's brand look new and inviting.  The company also created a hashtag campaign #itsbanana to encourage young customers to take pictures of their interactions with the brand, and post them on instagram. Banana Republic's marketing strategy went viral with millenials.