April 19th, 2010
All children’s brands should be guided by an internalized dictum to “first, do no harm” that aligns organizational purpose, business strategy, brand management, and the optimal development of children. This sworn commitment requires a guiding philosophy that holds collective ability and judgment accountable, demands respect for scientific discovery, and vows […]
September 1st, 2010
Everything that you say says something about you. Your brand narrative is how you tell your story. It runs deeper than a marketing rollout or an advertising campaign. Your brand narrative is told in and through newsletters, press releases, promotions, CRM, sales, programming, products, annual reports, and internal communications- day […]
September 9th, 2010
We were recently at a sponsored event that was hosted by a world renowned art museum and showcased the talents of several remarkably gifted musicians. One sponsor, clearly still living in the land of magical thinking, elected to give away an ordinary solid-color t-shirt emblazoned with nothing but their logo […]
January 28th, 2011
“If the writing is honest it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it.” Tennessee Williams The hardest part of crafting an authentic brand narrative is excavating who you really are, what you really do, and why you really matter. It’s easy rattle off a check-list of standard, homogenized, […]
February 2nd, 2011
“Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath Why do some ideas make powerfully indelible impressions and others just don’t seem to stick at all? Chip and Dan Heath have the answer to what makes some ideas “stickier” than most. The official how-to guide on crafting and conveying ideas that […]
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 […]
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 […]
May 10th, 2011
Breakaway brand successes occur when brands with something to say begin speaking to audiences outside their close-knit school of thought. Far too often, brands spend their all their communications efforts on preaching to the choir. Over, and over, and over again. Remember our Outside Perspective blog? The disruptive technologies that […]
June 7th, 2011
“Acceptance of prevailing standards often means we have no standards of our own.” Jean Toomer Will anyone search out your sponsors’ products and services simply because you permitted their logo to grace your stage, your ad space, your playbill? Sometimes advertising, sponsorship, and strategic partnership slumming happens because the bills […]
August 3rd, 2011
Narrativity: [nar-uh-tiv-uh-tee]: 1.) the degree to which your brand spunk, funk, credibility, attitude, and vibe shines through your messaging. 2.) Your voice, your verbiage, your tone. While preparing for a wine-touring camping trip to Watkins Glen, I began perusing the websites of the nearby Seneca Lake wineries and plotting my […]