I love words. As a writer, that makes sense. I’ve learned in my brand strategy work that words really matter too. In fact, picking the right words for your brand is important when communicating not only to your consumers, but to you partners as well. When developing a brand strategy, it’s necessary think long and hard about the components of your positioning in order to express your brand in the best way that you can....
Read MoreCreativity is something you can nurture in everyone who works in your organization. When you encourage creativity in your culture, you will help foster new ideas and innovative approaches to help your business grow....
Read MoreMany companies articulate a need to innovate in order to grow. If you work for such a company, you might be mandated to deliver new product ideas for your brand. At some point, you may need to deliver fresh, new ideas to fill your brand innovation pipeline. That’s when conducting an Innovation Workshop might be useful....
Read MoreI’ve always been curious about this thing called Creativity. What is it and where does it come from? Why is it that some people are incredibly creative, while others have a hard time color coordinating their outfits each day? As marketers we are constantly being asked to think outside the box - whether it’s to be creative with...
Read MoreRecently I was on a JetBlue flight to Long Beach. A few minutes into the flight, the stewardess came around selling blankets. Hmmm, I thought, "It's kinda chilly. I'd like a blanket." Then I found out that it was not just any blanket - it was an Arm & Hammer blanket. It struck me as odd. Why would I want a blanket from Arm & Hammer? Is it sprinkled with baking soda? And if so, what's the purpose of that?....
Read MoreWhen I arrived in Portland from New York about a year and half ago, I felt like I landed in a branding haven. Many Portland brands strive to create not just a place to hang out – they provide a brand experience. In the late part of the last century, Starbucks aimed to do create a third place between business and home. Just 170 miles south in Portland, businesses have tapped into relevant insights about Portlanders, and are providing unique brand experiences to meet the needs of its customers....
Read MoreWhen we think about creative work, we often think about the end result – the beautiful painting, the well crafted story or the evocative song. But there is a lot of messiness that occurs during the process to make any successful creative work, well - work. Creativity requires trial and error and a lot of it. Eventually, with a little faith, clarity comes out of the mess - but you need to be comfortable in the mess before you can find your way....
Read MoreGetting into the heart and mind of your consumer is one of the keys to successfully marketing your brand. One of the best ways to understand your consumer is to conduct an ethnography. What’s an ethnography? Simply put, an ethnography helps you learn about your consumers in their natural environment – whether it be in their home, their car, their workplace, or their social hangouts.....
Read MoreA BRAND POSITIONING STATEMENT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL FOR A MARKETER. It’s the blueprint for your brand and it guides your brand identity, communications and new product development. Most marketers and entrepreneurs will need to create a brand positioning statement at some point - usually at the early stages of a brand or when you are repositioning a brand for growth...
Read MoreLast fall, a friend of mine worked at the first ever Hello Kitty Con, a convention that celebrated Hello Kitty’s 40-year anniversary. When my friend returned from the convention in Los Angeles, she marveled about how Hello Kitty fans were incredibly devoted to the little kitten, much like Trekkies are devoted to the Star Trek show. Hello Kitty fans are women and men of all shapes and sizes, and they span the age continuum....
Read MoreSTRONG BRANDS KNOW THEIR CONSUMERS INSIDE AND OUT. They have their consumers down to a tee. They know what drives them and what their aspirations are. Knowing your consumers can drive loyalty and turn them into evangelists. Writing a consumer sketch is another tool in your brand arsenal to gain loyal brand followers.....
Read MoreIncreasingly brands are taking a stand on social causes in an effort to make their brand not only more relevant, but to be a catalyst for change in their communities. Brands are taking a stand on large social issues and in the process, are hoping to connect better to their target audiences. Brands have long embraced environmental causes. Taking on a social cause feels a bit riskier for Brands because of fear of perceived potential backlash. But it can have a big pay-off when it strikes a cord with consumers...
Read MoreWhether or not your livelihood depends on creativity, everyone needs to jump start their creativity from time to time. Being a writer and strategist, I often ponder the art of being creative and how to keep that creative spark alive. In the spirit of starting the new year fresh, I thought I’d share some ideas on how to jump start your creativity....
Read MoreOver the last two years, there have been several brands that have not only celebrated the family as a central part of their marketing message, but they have also challenged media’s notion of family. I’ve been really impressed with these brands because they are changing the conversation on what it means to be a family. They are finally recognizing that family is as diverse as the people living in America.....
Read MoreMany years ago, when I was a brand manager on a food brand, I commissioned a study on snacking that required us to do some initial exploratory research. I wanted to pick two markets that were different - one that was mainstream and one that was a little more leading edge. When I started brainstorming potential leading-edge markets with my insights manager, I suggested, “What about Portland?”....
Read More
