Of all the questions people ask about branding, this is by far the most important because propaganda in my view is never legitimate or useful. And I have been there when brand consultants came up with “messages per stakeholder” meaning we say one thing to one person at one time and another thing to anotherRead… Read more »
I remember when President Obama campaigned the first time and I was awestruck just like everybody else. And then they said he went to a church led by an anti-Semite, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and I said ho-ha, that’s really stupid of you to judge the candidate by a few statements by a pastor. IRead… Read more »
l was texting on the shuttle bus and made myself violently motion sick. It was extremely embarrassing as I threw up on the train, in the fitness center, and then for more than an hour off and on in Starbucks, my #1 favorite brand of all time. Look at this logo of this great brand.Read… Read more »
The fantasy and fallacy of courses in brand is that consultants work like The Wizard of Oz. You think we stand behind a curtain, flipping switches and pulling levers, cogitating and ruminating. Until, like a pregnant woman, our water breaks. And a fully-formed, living, breathing brand pops out into the world, ready to “rock andRead… Read more »
Look…I totally get that you, the public are sick of us in the government wasting your money. I am a Libertarian, for crying out loud! But when it comes to spending money on brand, I have to tell you, you’re worrying about the wrong thing. This is not to say we should throw the moneyRead… Read more »
Why you build a brand: to add value to your company. How you build a brand: advertising, marketing, PR, events, social media, publications, web, mobile, apps, sales, email, conferences customer service, internal communications…you name it. A top-priority, critical intersection you’re likely overlooking: the connection between PR and social media. The connections between your disparate activitiesRead… Read more »
“He wants to hold my hand. But I’m short.” “So walk side by side.” “He wants to hold my hand. So I said to him, ‘I’m short. I can hold your arm though.’” “What did he say to that?” “Once I put it that way, then he calmed down.” * * * Paradox: We seekRead… Read more »
Remember the good old days of building a brand? The days of “Mad Men.” You took the client out for steak and wine. You wrote up a creative brief. You gave it to the client, who signed it. And then you delivered Choices A, B, and C. They chose one, and you did advertising. ARead… Read more »
It happened one day while I was Googling myself. “She is a sociopath,” or something like that. “Good luck if you have to deal with her.” A comment, online, that referred to me. You are thinking I brushed that comment off, right? Like I’m so cool, and practiced, and nothing bothers me. Hell no! ItRead… Read more »
1. Branding is about making money – not making you feel good. Last year’s “The Lone Ranger” was a box-office flop. Its star Johnny Depp commented, “They had expectations that it must be a blockbuster. I didn’t have any expectations of that. I never do.” Maybe Depp doesn’t care, but Disney surely does, having lost $160-190Read… Read more »