Brand Building

365:How Much Branding is Necessary?

February 20th, 2011

Garland Pollard, a writer, web editor and SEO consultant writes “Is there too much branding? He continues, “… must we all be so concerned with branding? Isn’t a good brand really the result of a moral, well-run company? Isn’t it better that hospitals focus on patients, and let the “branding” […]

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365: How do you sync brand and brand experience?

March 5th, 2011

We have a brand experience process; but we have a very different brand experience. How do we sync what we want done with what is done to deliver the promised and hoped for brand experience? Executing a brand is a strategy. Brand strategies may be “believed” by contributors but they […]

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We Don’t Brand Bullshit: How BlackDog Does Communications

March 7th, 2011

The goal of branded communications is to say something real: to identify what differentiates and distinguishes your brand in a crowded marketplace, to communicate your relevance, and to address the issues that matter to your customers. The most effective brand messages do more than just catch people’s attention, they help […]

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365: Who Is Our Customer?

March 9th, 2011

We can’t seem to get a handle on just who our customer is to create a customer profile. We aren’t sure how to determine who our customer is without revealing that we don’t have a clue. Does it matter if sales are consistent? One of my favorite magazines, UTNE Reader […]

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365: How Does A Brand Diversify Into New Markets?

March 10th, 2011

We are taking an industrial product to new, broader markets. Should we be  concerned with losing the confidence of our existing and loyal markets? It is critical that you first understand the markets that support the product lines now to wisely interpret the direction, synergy, and prospective untapped markets moving […]

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365: Does Every Company Have A Brand Position?

March 11th, 2011

Does every company have to have a brand position? Every brand has a position; whether it is by design, managed or not. A positioning statement is an “onliness statement” that captures the “something” that the brand or product owns informing all communication strategies and related content. How a brand is […]

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365: Is There a Brand Book For Startups?

March 14th, 2011

Is there a brand book for start-ups? Probably. But it would likely be a mistake to read a brand book while you are working to bring a new endeavor to life. The best book to read if you are launching a start-up is Guy Kawasaki’s The Art of the Start; […]

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365:Who Refuses Work?

March 26th, 2011

I called your firm for an estimate for a brochure. I spoke with your communication strategist, forwarded marketing and communication materials, liked you on Facebook, and looked forward to a proposal. BlackDog declined the opportunity. I thought that you didn’t have time to write a proposal. I offered to forgo […]

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When Did Condom Brands Start Ignoring Cultural Trends?

April 29th, 2011

Why are condom and tampon brands so far behind the eco-friendly times? A cultural shift has happened and it’s made us all increasingly aware of our social and environmental impact. The 2009 Global Edelman goodpurpose* study found that “83% (of consumers are) willing to change consumption habits if it can […]

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This Beer’s For You… and This Survey, Too

May 19th, 2011

Only 7% of the US beer market is comprised of craft beer devotees. Yet, this savvy market is hopping at an ambitious rate of 11% annually as the commercial beer market shrinks 2% year after year. We want to know more about craft beer imbibers to build a kick ass […]

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