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Brand

Magical Holidays from Emotive Brand

December 21, 2016 —

Magical Holidays from Emotive Brand

As the year closes in on its end, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you. Thank you for reading our blog. Thank you for engaging with us. Thank you for sharing our posts and adding value to the conversation around all things brand related. This blog wouldn’t be possible without our readers. You add meaning to our purpose, and we are so thankful for all of our readers of 2016 and all to come in 2017. Each year, we look forward to creating our holiday card. It’s another way for us to share our brand with the people who matter to us and for us to have a little creative fun along the...
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The BackLash Against Black Friday: Less Spending, More Purpose

December 2, 2016 —

The BackLash Against Black Friday: Less Spending, More Purpose

A Big Deal It’s no secret that to many consumers and companies alike, Black Friday is the most important shopping day of the entire year. And this year proved no different. Millions of shoppers prepared to wait in line for hours – camping on sidewalks, rushing through doors at the crack of dawn, and sometimes even literally clawing at each other to get what they want – discounts, new goods, more, more, more… In 2015, 74 million shoppers shopped on Black Friday, and this year, even more shoppers were counted. For many companies, online sales are exponentially larger than on any other day of...
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What Media Means to Brands in the Digital Age

November 28, 2016 —

What Media Means to Brands in the Digital Age

Blurred Lines in Media If anything is for sure, the role of media is in constant flux. Consider what it meant to people before the entrance of social media, or even pre-Internet. In so many ways, user-generated content and social platforms have altered the meaning of media as we know it. And because of the endless messages, mediums, and messengers, it means different things to different people – as well as different things to different brands today. The lines between content and advertising are unclear. And media no longer has to be professionally produced to go viral. News outlets are only...
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2016 Design Trends

November 16, 2016 —

2016 Design Trends

2016 Design Trends: Observations and Thoughts “As long as the work is appropriate, distinctive, and (ideally) emotive, you won’t go far wrong. Trends come and go, again and again. If you try to avoid what’s popular today, you’ll probably find yourself creating something that was popular ten or twenty years ago. Stick to the brief, and only show your best ideas to the client.” – David Airey, Graphic Designer Aware and Informed Disclaimer: As designers, we take trends seriously. Not to follow, but to ensure we are acutely aware of the trends that are shaping the world we live and design in....
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Why Investing in Brand Enables Growth for Professional Services

November 1, 2016 —

Why Investing in Brand Enables Growth for Professional Services

Professional service companies, categorized as mid-market, might be looking towards 2017 with a bit of trepidation. According to the National Center for the Middle Market 3Q 2016 Indicator, business growth has been identified as a top challenge for these firms. And mid-market or not, business growth is a real challenge for every sector of professional services in today’s hyper-competitive economy. The Role of Brand in Professional Services Even when personal brands are strong, as they often are for professional services, an overarching brand is necessary. Your brand is your firm’s most...
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Why Millennials Love These Brands

October 26, 2016 —

Why Millennials Love These Brands

Millennials: Center Stage for Brands Millennials now represent the largest group of consumers within the U.S., and thriving brands today are highly aware of this. When millennials are wielding over $170 billion per year in purchasing power, there’s no ignoring this group of consumers. Brands don’t win over millennials easily. In fact, in many ways, they hold higher expectations of the businesses they work for, the brands they buy from, and pledge loyalty to. Big Demands Millennials stand at the forefront of technology – demanding that brands offer more efficiency, innovation,...
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The Value of Questioning in Business

September 26, 2016 —

The Value of Questioning in Business

Questions for your business We’ve been reading Warren Berger’s fascinating book, “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas”. The book’s basic premise is that we simply don’t ask enough questions these days. As youngsters, we were full of questions, but as we mature many of us lose this vital skill (while those who retain it become stellar innovators and leaders). “A More Beautiful Question” is a helpful guide to developing a more question-based approach to life, society, and business. It explores a flow of questioning from “Why?” to “What if?” to “How?”,...
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How Do You Create a New Brand Category?

July 27, 2016 —

How Do You Create a New Brand Category?

All Signs Point to a New Brand Category Traditional wisdom suggests that creating a new brand category is a massive undertaking. In our recent post on category change, we wrote about when it’s time to consider creating a new category. In that post we were clear: undergoing a category change is not something for the faint of heart. If you’re leading the effort, you’ll need thick skin, an iron will, and if you don’t have deep pockets, you’ll need to be extra resourceful. Creating a new brand category requires big ideas that literally think outside the box — that’s the whole point. You’ll...
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Is Your Brand Working to Positive or Negative Energy?

June 28, 2016 —

Is Your Brand Working to Positive or Negative Energy?

Strategies for addressing the energy of your business in good times and bad: We came across this interesting insight by John P. Kotter in his post entitled “To Create Healthy Urgency, Focus on a Big Opportunity” on the Harvard Business Review blog. “There are two basic kinds of energy in organizations. Energy triggered by a big opportunity, can create momentum in the right direction and sustain it over time. Energy based on fear or anxiety, might overcome complacency for a time, but it does not build any momentum or maintain it. Instead it can create a panic, with all the obvious negative...
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TV Wars: Linear vs. Digital, A Brand Relevancy Battle

May 20, 2016 —

TV Wars: Linear vs. Digital, A Brand Relevancy Battle

A Brand Relevancy Battle It’s a big week for TV broadcast networks as they unveil their new lineup and advertisers strategize where to invest valuable dollars. With all the buzz around the hot shows on air, we’re captivated by the parallel conversations around how linear TV is fighting to keep up with digital TV. Because on-demand television has taken over as the norm, the quest for traditional networks to maintain brand relevancy is paramount. In just a few years, the ritual of sitting down to watch your favorite program at its scheduled time has all but disappeared from American culture....
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