As a journalist, I have covered, analyzed and commented on advertising and branding issues for 40 years.
In the 1980:ies I founded the trade magazine Quo Vadis, which I ran for 20 years. Quo Vadis was started with the clear purpose and ambition to contribute to increased knowledge for professionals in the marketing and advertising field and to move the industry forward.
I have also published three books on branding and advertising (one of which was awarded Marketing Book of the Year 2006).
As a freelance writer I have written a book, a large number of articles and chronicles in other medias (such as Dagens Industri, Resumé, Dagen Media, Market and WARC) as well as reports and analyzes on advertising and marketing for The Swedish Association of Advertisers, The Swedish Association of Advertising Agences and other trade organizations and research companies.
I also work as a lecturer, moderator and mentor.
In 2017 I was commended Journalist of the Year by WiM (Women in Marketing) and have received a number of Swedish awards for my journalistic coverage of the marketing field.
My blog
My blog is in Swedish. But several posts are valid also in international perspectives.
I translate these texts gradually into English and they are listed here below (starting with the newest posts).
Creativity AI and HI are building blocks for future success. Senior marketers from Mars and P&G, speaking at an international marketing seminar in Stockholm, emphasised the importance of creative product development and the growing role of AI as a tool. At the same time, they underlined that AI can never replace HI – Human Intelligence – which remains central to understanding people and building strong brands.
Naughty, naughty marketers! At an international marketing seminar in Stockholm, Andrew Tindall showed how companies are investing around 30 per cent more in marketing without seeing a corresponding increase in effectiveness – often doing the opposite of what research recommends. This led him to repeatedly remark “naughty, naughty marketers”. He also stressed the importance of creativity, suggesting that ESOV (Excess Share of Voice) should be complemented with ESOC (Excess Share of Creativity) to achieve stronger results.
How creativity can truly make a difference At a seminar arranged by the Swedish Marketing Association i Stockholm, creatives from Forsman & Bodenfors discussed how deep partnerships, trust, friction and the courage to challenge briefs can create stronger creativity and better business results. Using examples such as Klarna and Volvo Trucks’ Epic Split, they also argued that AI is a powerful tool – but that real breakthroughs still require human creativity and collaboration.
Cannes Lions 2025: The seven deadly sins of marketing Fernando Machado outlines the most common mistakes marketers make – from vanity-driven rebranding and over-reliance on research to an obsession with short-term ROI. Drawing on his experience from brands like Burger King and Dove, he shows how these “sins” can undermine both creativity and long-term effectiveness.
Cannes Lions 2025: Why compound creativity delivers stronger effects At Cannes Lions, research based on IPA’s Effectiveness Databank and System1 showed how long-term creative consistency drives both brand and business results. By building on the same ideas over time, brands strengthen mental availability and achieve stronger effects – especially when continuity is combined with creative engagement.
Cannes Lions 2024: Dull advertising is a gigantic waste of resources Research presented at Cannes Lions by System1, Peter Field and Adam Morgan showed that emotionally flat and “safe” advertising is not only less effective – it is also far more expensive. Companies may need to invest millions more to achieve the same results as more engaging campaigns, while optimisation, performance marketing and growing average-ness continue to make advertising increasingly dull.
Cannes Lions 2024: Inclusion is income Research presented at Cannes Lions by UN Women, Oxford University and Kantar showed a clear connection between progressive advertising and stronger business results. Brands perceived as more inclusive and representative not only grew faster and strengthened loyalty, but also improved pricing power and long-term brand value.
Cannes Lions 2024: Focus and the long game build megabrands Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO at AB InBev, took to the Cannes stage to share how the company has built brands people genuinely love. He pointed to five key factors: putting people first, ruthless focus, creating exciting experiences, ensuring creativity has a clear purpose, and committing to the long game. His central message: building a brand is like a marriage — it takes trust, time, and the discipline not to switch lanes when results don’t come overnight.
Cannes Lions 2024: How to achieve advertising effectiveness on multiple levels Three industry experts shared concrete insights on how advertising creates business impact. Grace Kite argued that advertising’s true superpower is its ability to make consumers willing to pay more. Bridget Angear presented data from 1,500 IPA Effectiveness Award campaigns showing that humour in advertising significantly drives sales, market share and profit, yet its use has declined steadily since 2016. Zaid Al-Qassab rounded off the session by making the case that marketing and sustainability are not opposites
Cannes Lions 2024: Learn each other’s language and say YES! McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden and Global CMO Morgan Flatley took the stage together to argue that high-level creativity drives both business results and brand value. Their advice to marketers: get to know your CFO, learn to speak the same language, build the business case, and dare to say YES.
No wonder advertising is losing effect. Orlando Wood at System 1 Group recently published the book “Lemon”, showing how advertising is loosing effect because it’s trying to communicate with the left side of the brain. Just as so much of today’s culture and society. But, as so many studies have proven already, advertising works best when it’s emotional – and that is communicating with the right side of the brain.
Time to wake up! In his report ”The crisis in creative effectiveness”, Peter Field points out how the effects of creatively rewarded campaigns have greatly deteriorated in recent years and today is less effective than they have ever been in the entire 24-year run of data. This post discusses this report and other research which shows how important it is to work on a high, creative level in a long term perspective.
The importance of Brand Orientation. A study from the University of Lund, proves that the more brand-oriented a company is, the more profitable it is. While the most brand-oriented companies, on average, reach an operating margin of 14 percent, the least brand-oriented companies are satisfied with an average of eight percent.
When Crisis Strikes. Hampus Knutsson, who is a senior consultant at Prime Weber Shadwick in Stockholm and specializes in crisis management, gives his best advices on how to avoid a crisis, prepare for and manage one if it still comes.
Is your brand strong, just well known or generic? The fact that a brand is well known is not the same as a strong brand. In the worst case, it can be quite the opposite. It can even be so bad that it is about to become degenerate and then the brand owner has lost the power over it. Mats Urde, Doctor in Economics explains the differences and what you have to do to protect your valuables.
Experience is not a handicap. Ageism is a big problem since long. For the marketing and advertising industry the issue is especially problematic in three ways. The industry loses skills and experience. It becomes too homogeneous which also affects the possibility of understanding and communicating with all age groups. There is also the problem with the constant focusing on younger target groups. This despite the fact that older audiences are larger, have more money to spend and willing to do that. John Mellkvist, a PR consultant and futurist has become increasingly prominent in the growing debate on the issue.
How psychology can be a tool for marketers. Understanding the human psyche, how and why people react as they do, is of great value for brand owners and marketers, as it is possible to design services, products and processes to make it easierfor the consumer to make the desired decisions. The concept has been named “Behavioural Design”, by the Swedes Niklas Laninge (who is a psychologist and lecturer) and Arvid Janson (designer and civil engineer). In this context, design means not only the visual expression, more the process that leads to the outcome.
After femvertising, the next step is humvertising. Christina Knight has played an important role in raising awareness and triggering change when it comes to gender equality and diversity – in advertising and in the advertising industry itself. Both in her profession as a copywriter, creative director, lecturer and author. This post is an interview with her on her views and how she wants to see the future.
Great advertising makes consumers want more advertising. Great advertising has a value in itself. Sara Rosengren and Micael Dahlén, professors at the Stockholm School of Economics, have studied this phenomenon and established the concept of ”advertising equity”, for advertising that is not only tolerated, but also popular. It creates both more value for the company and added value for consumers. This means that people will want to watch more advertising from these brands. This post explains advertising equity and the six most important effects of a high advertising equity and how you can measure it.
Get better results – in many ways – without stereotypes. By understanding and avoiding the stereotypes that are often used in advertising, it is possible to influence attitudes in a deeper and more positive way. These conclusions can be drawn from the research that Nina Åkestam did as a doctoral student at the Stockholm School of Economics. Her thesis was named “Understanding Advertising Stereotypes” and reported what happens when creative communication violates social norms and stereotypes. This post contains an an intervju with her.
Purchased, own or earned? But you really have to earn it! Some advice to companies who want to create interest from the press for their brands and activities. Seven things to think about, if you want your pressreleases to be successful.
Far away and long ago – Sam Katz’ memories from the creative revolution. Sam Katz was a copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach during the creative revolution. He later moved to Sweden to marry his Danish sweetheart. He was a columnist in Quo Vadis during the first years of the magazine (which I started and run for 20 years). He was feared but loved. His rhetoric was incomparable and entertaining. And no one could argue against him, because he was right and could justify why. In one of his columns he wrote about his hero – his Napoleon – William Bernbach and the work at DDB. This column is published in this post.
More English texts are coming soon.
