Topics

Brand Strategy

How Your “Brand Vibe” Can Change Your Brand’s Fortunes

May 13, 2014 —

How Your “Brand Vibe” Can Change Your Brand’s Fortunes

We humans are very proud of our ability to think rationally. This cognitive power not only lets us understand and use facts, it also helps us build elaborate creations and fantasies. We use our rational brains to conduct business. Cognition helps us sort stuff out, compare options, and rank priorities. Our rational, conscious brain is so “upfront” in our day-to-day work lives that we begin to believe it is our only way of thinking and acting at work. Yet, as neuroscience is finding, it is now clear that this cognitive ability is not a stand-alone factor in how we perceive, sense,...
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Moving the Needle of Market Share Through Purpose

May 5, 2014 —

Moving the Needle of Market Share Through Purpose

Creating Market Share Market share is an essential goal for most businesses. Greater share leads to a stronger and more vibrant business. It fuels growth, stimulates innovation, and increases ROI. But is your business having a hard time moving the needle? It’s no wonder. After all, it’s tough out there. Your industry is becoming increasingly commoditized. Pervasive competitors are quickly copying and mimicking your innovations. At the same time, people who have been shook up by the financial crisis, and who increasingly seek values as much as value, are thinking more about what they buy, and...
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You Need to Hire Great People. But Why Do So Many Bypass You?

April 30, 2014 —

You Need to Hire Great People. But Why Do So Many Bypass You?

New talent is the lifeblood of most companies. Recruits bring in new skills, energy, and passion. They not only help companies deal with what needs to get done, but also discover what can be done. They not only fill leadership gaps, the upgrade the level of leadership within your firm. But the best recruits are quite naturally a demanding lot. They know they are valuable, and from that position they know that they can afford to be discerning about where they choose to work. Increasingly, the bar for companies needing to recruit has been risen, as more and more talent looks for purpose and...
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When Leadership Aligns, Good Things Happen

April 28, 2014 —

When Leadership Aligns, Good Things Happen

Alignment of thought, meaning, and purpose among a leadership team is the new secret sauce of successful businesses. When your executive leadership team agree that, “we’re aligned around a true purpose, are living it in this way, and, are clear we want to do this because it truly matters,” the effect ripples through your organization.As leadership aligns in a more purposeful way, their direct reports have more direction, feel better about helping get the business where it needs to be, and believe their work truly matters. In turn, they help direct the rest of the company so...
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7 Reasons Why it’s Probably Time to Transform Your Business

April 23, 2014 —

7 Reasons Why it’s Probably Time to Transform Your Business

What’s the matter? We met with some prospective customers over dinner the other day, and started the discussion with our favorite leading question, “So, what’s the matter?”. The floodgates opened. As we listened to the issues tumble out – and sensed the pain, anxiety and frustration they provoke in the company’s leadership – we thought about how so many businesses today face the same basic challenges. For example, how many of these challenges which our prospects are now facing, are inhibiting growth, innovation and motivation at your business? Your...
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Brands That Celebrate Beautiful Human Values Enjoy Well-Earned Respect

April 10, 2014 —

Brands That Celebrate Beautiful Human Values Enjoy Well-Earned Respect

Steve Fuller of The House agency in Bath, UK kindly told us about this fantastic video about the rewards of giving. Steve demonstrated generosity by sharing it with us, we are doing the same with you, and now we hope you do it as well with everyone you know and love! And while you’re doing that, think about how your brand could contribute to the social good by promoting human values in lovely ways like this. Thanks Steve! To view “Unsung Hero” please click the following link: https://youtu.be/uaWA2GbcnJU Want a more emotive brand? Learn more here....
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Five Key Differences Between Emotional and Emotive Brands

April 10, 2014 —

Five Key Differences Between Emotional and Emotive Brands

It’s not too hard to spot an emotional brand. It uses emotions tactically to either make people laugh or to gently tug at their heartstrings. These brands typically only do this through their advertising. Emotive brands are far more rare. These are brands that forge meaningful – and valuable – emotional connections through everything they do. So while someone may happily buy a brand based on its emotional advertising, they are likely to be left bemused when dealing with the emotional brand’s crass customer service people. The resulting brand dissonance will, no doubt, prompt them...
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We All Know the Value of Collaboration, So Why Isn’t There More of It?

April 7, 2014 —

We All Know the Value of Collaboration, So Why Isn’t There More of It?

When people, departments, offices, and divisions collaborate, beautiful things happen. New product ideas are born. Smarter, more efficient processes emerge. More effective policies are developed. New energy is created. The rewards of collaboration are many, yet the spirit of collaboration is dimmed in many enterprises. There are many reasons for this, all of which add up to costly consequences. Human potential is unrealized. Capital isn’t effectively deployed. Resources are squandered. Growth, development and innovation are stymied. Enlightened organizations counter the forces that...
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Why Do Startups Have Prehistoric Ideas About Branding?

March 25, 2014 —

Why Do Startups Have Prehistoric Ideas About Branding?

Startup Brand Strategy One of the ironies of today’s world is that the leaders of the most innovative startups have the least innovative ideas about what it takes to create a brand and the value of investing in startup brand strategy. The fact is, logos and messages don’t make a brand. At least, they won’t make a brand that will thrive in the world today. Studies prove, and we are talking about a lot of research here — People (as in your customers, prospects, employees, partners and investors) are all looking for more from brands when they invest time and money. They...
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Commerce Without Morality

March 24, 2014 —

Commerce Without Morality

Fans of Mohandas K. Gandhi will recognize today’s title as one of the “seven social sins” that Gandhi published in 1925. (The full list appears below.) Gandhi wrote that a friend had given him the list. But after he spent decades speaking and writing about the big themes on this list, people just naturally assumed he was the originator. The point for us is not who described “commerce without morality” as a social sin. The point is how deep the concept goes. First, the idea that businesses should be responsible to society is totally not new. We live in an age of constant invention, so it’s...
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