Have you noticed the same handful of businesses lead every brand ranking, are mentioned repeatedly at conferences, and are consistently referenced in books and articles? One cannot escape testimonials to Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Harley-Davidson, and Disney. It is if there are only a handful of successful brands on the planet. Now it seems consumers believe […]
Recently my stepdaughter shared an article called Rise and Shine: The Daily Routines of History’s Most Creative Minds. She is entering the creative and competitive world of acting and writing in film and television. In sharing she could not help but note that I am well practiced in the routines of coffee, long walks, and […]
A fun day in my life was when I happened across the brand Scotch and Soda. Originally launched in the 80’s, the brand was revamped in 2001. My affection was, and is, for the name. If I had the gumption to start a clothing brand then “scotch and soda” would be a gutsy moniker I […]
Where are those loud pundits in the ad industry who forecasted the death of the 30 second television ad? Here we are and video in all forms is stronger than ever. Check out five notable recent ads of varying length and why we like them. Costa Rica: PSA Sometimes what you think is happening is […]
“Thus I rediscovered what writers have always known and have told us again and again: books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told.” Novelist Umberto Eco was echoing (all pun intended) Charles Dickens who previously spoke of life as a “furious plagiarism”. This addresses the fun conundrum […]
“Humans are pattern-seeking story-telling animals, and we are quite adept at telling stories about patterns, whether they exist or not.” So says Michael Shermer. Storytelling in marketing is constantly debated. Yet, the fact remains a banner ad, a 30-second television ad, a poster all tell stories. If they don’t the consumer makes up their own. […]
Architects Peter Pichler and Pavol Mikolaycha have vision. They took a piece of land at 2,000m in the Italian Alps and decided to do something different. The Obereggen Mountain Hut appears to grow out of the hill. Set next to the Oberholz cable station, the hut is a modern take on the classic Stube. Those structures […]
Through my career in branding I have joked, “If I had a nickel for every time I said, ‘a brand is not a logo’…”. Repetition may rankle and accuracy appear obvious but neither rob the statement of its truth. Check out these branding truisms and see if you agree…especially the last one.
Since I have been in branding and that is not a short time, strategists and creatives have had fun with brands and the notion of branding. When not using branding to advance businesses, these folks find ways to mash things up or pay homage to the power of a brand … often with bizarre mixes […]
Congratulations to our colleague, Rick Nason, on the publication of his new book, It’s Not Complicated. Thanks so much for the generous acknowledgment and for the quote in the book. We had fun reviewing it on Amazon… Rick provides “a new way to think about business problems and issues”. This is explained throughout as understanding the […]