July 10th, 2011
It has been surprising to realize just how many business leaders are struggling with the same question: “What’s the point?” The question, asked any number of ways, is usually followed by a long list of reasons and arguments for convincing the working masses to show up every day to do […]
August 5th, 2011
“In ordinary times, most men and women do not have radical questions about their identity.” Sam Keen “In every society, however, there are extraordinary men and women who, for a variety of reasons, stand outside the social consensus, shatter the norms, and challenge the status quo.” Sam Keen BlackDog was […]
August 25th, 2011
The hardest thing about Brand Development isn’t the time intensive research…. It isn’t being consistent yet flexible… innovative yet timeless. The hardest thing about Brand Development isn’t creativity, charisma, social media, new marketing, old ideologies, fierce competition, or even too many cooks in the kitchen (although that is a much […]
December 15th, 2011
Everything you need to know to get your brand new brand up and running… from writing your business plan to choosing your brand name, creating differentiators, identifying your customer….
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]