Much of the unfocused marketing crap we see in the world comes from a lack of focus and discipline. This post is about a document that will change all that, creating a sharp focus for all of your messaging. It’s called the creative brief, and it’s been used to devastating effect in the famous “Got Read More
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Protip: Close Your Laptop and Think
How to discipline your research: avoid bottom-up thinking. Bottom-up thinking, in research, puts you at the mercy of the information you’re seeking. It might mean looking on the internet for insights related to your goal, but with no clear question. Without that question, you end up down rabbit trails that waste your time. A top-down Read More
Building Creative Strategy: Researching Connection
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” – Zora Neale Hurston There is science in connection with your audience. After you’ve completed steps 1: the SWOT analysis and 2: Maslow’s Pyramid, you now know the benefit you want to convey to your audience. Now, it’s time to find out how Read More
Protip: A Simple Test of Relevance
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
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
