July 18th, 2012
I hate the word “branding” for 2½ reasons, all of which have everything to do with popular usage and connotative meaning…. Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/trimmer741/ 1.) When Branding is used as a verb, it typically refers to the isolated one-time or occasional applying of tactics to improve brand image. “Branding” typically […]
September 6th, 2012
Routinely we talk with unhappy heads’ of companies disappointed with their current brand development effort. They say things like “the brand house don’t seem to get us”, or “they seem pretty rigid in their process”. And the truly terrifying “they didn’t ask many questions, but now I have a new […]
October 9th, 2012
When it became clear that it was time to retire the “flashy” BlackDog website, we did what we always do around here. We started looking around, asking questions, and reading the facts and findings of the guru’s that write the research. What we gathered was informative, most of it was […]
December 20th, 2012
It’s difficult to make a difference or solve an issue when you are spreading limited resources across a long list of worthy causes. Sometimes less really is more. It should come as no surprise that “just” giving money, without thoughtful coordination, doesn’t produce significant change. Nor does it cultivate any […]
February 19th, 2013
Brand is many things: a promise that drives customer engagement; a set of values that differentiate a company from its competitors; guidelines that align the working culture; a resource to simplify customer purchasing decisions. Simply put, a brand is a solution. For the social media, SEO and digital advertising industries, […]
March 3rd, 2013
Iceland is a very small country with a big “brand” influence in a state of recovery, discovery and evolution. “Few countries blew up more spectacularly than Iceland in the 2008 financial crisis. The local stock market plunged 90 percent; unemployment rose ninefold; inflation shot to more than 18 percent; the […]
March 8th, 2013
I read an article recently that declared that it was more important to have goals than a mission. Not long after a credible source published a piece that argued that organizations were wasting time and resources on “brands” when attentions should be focused squarely and singularly on customers. Both commentaries […]
April 16th, 2013
During the 70’s and 80’s, two separate clusters simultaneously developed in completely different industries, in completely different countries… and coffee just might deserve credit for both. The first was a cluster of automotive testing facilities in the rural town of Arjeplog, in Northern Sweden. The second is Silicon Valley. Fika […]
May 7th, 2013
As soon as possible. It is ideal to involve design thinkers and brand strategists in the imagining and planning stages. Treating the brand as an afterthought or an add-on limits the influence that the brand will have on strategic initiatives such as new product development, exterior landscaping, or culture boosting […]