You are most relevant when you’re in your audience’s story. So how do you know which kind of story you’re telling? I other words, is it about me, my customer, or about something we all believe is bigger? The simple test is in how it fits into a sentence. Attribute: “Our product has x.” Example: Read More
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Brand Strategy 2: Maslow’s Marketing Pyramid
Effective storytelling means conveying relevant brand truths to your audience by telling a story about them. So how do you tell the right story? In Part Two of our strategy series, we define the three levels of story and how to find the right story type for you. With the right story type, you can Read More
Building Creative Strategy: The SWOT
Businesses are famous for believing lies about themselves. The SWOT analysis, rigorously done, will serve to disabuse you of misconceptions that could be costing you money and opportunity. How do businesses deceive themselves? By using bad data (they don’t always talk to customer, and when they do, they often don’t ask the right questions) and Read More
Protip: Have a Negativity Session
Did you know that “problem-minded” people are better problem solvers? It turns out, the longer you spend thinking about the problem, the simpler the solutions that present themselves. Usually, when people talk about being “problem-minded,” they’re talking about having a negative outlook. And that’s one way. But it’s not helpful. To actually solve problems, you Read More
Why Brands Have “Diversity,” but Still Don’t Know How to Use It
Diversity can be shallow. It can help your company satisfy employment law or help you fit into an industry. This article is not about that kind of diversity. This is about how diversity in thoughts, opinions, and experiences can make us into strong, interesting brands. True diversity can expose opportunities for depth in a brand Read More
Now’s the Time to Be Like Nike
Nike’s Kaepernick ad shows us that it’s okay to make bold statements through what you do and what you say. But it’s not a strategy move that’s about ignoring the opinions of others. It’s really about whose opinion you prioritize and whether you’re committed enough to weather the storm. This is hard for me. Personally, Read More
Branding Isn’t Just Having the Watch; It’s Knowing the Time
Rebrands that work over the long term are all about character. You can dress up how you want, but how did that work for the rich kid who had awesome clothes and no friends? Let’s test that theory and contrast a wardrobe change and a lasting, effective rebrand. And we’ll add some bonus pre-branding disciplines Read More
Branding for Action-Biased Leaders
For many companies, it’s not that they don’t control their brand; it’s that they can’t. We lie to ourselves and say that we just don’t have time to think about branding. We say we don’t have budget right now. But those can be lies we tell ourselves so we don’t have to think about our Read More
You Just Can’t Buy Love (or Trust)
All the money in the world can’t buy love or trust. And as much as we believe in branding, If you lack some of the basic building blocks of a great company, you’re wasting your money on branding. Before you spend the money, make sure you’re ready for a relationship you can invest in as Read More
5 Signs You Need a Rebrand
Your brand is an investment that makes you money while you sleep and adds perceived (read: real) value to everything you make or do. And while most brands shouldn’t rebrand that often, here’s how to know when the timing is right for you to get value from a rebrand. I asked a student what his Read More
