You Need to Start Right

I’ve been writing about companies’ creative not matching up with their core brand or message. I really see only two possible reasons why. One, it could simply be poor execution. The other, comes down to not truly understanding what the creative is intended to do.

Before embarking on a new ad, promotion, or [...]

Creativity Is Evolutionary

My oldest daughter is an avid reader. In the latest book, she came across a new term for her—mortal ingenuity. We had her talk through what it most likely means. It reminded me of something one of my college English professors beat into our heads that rings true still. Creativity is [...]

Balancing Consistency with Innovation and Creativity

When you have a brand, the one thing customers look for is consistency. Even if it’s bad, the fact that it is consistent gives them comfort. Yet, too much consistency can feel like a rut. It can bring on a mean case of boredom.

You work with it day in and day out, [...]

Outside the Lines

We have a thing for lines. Yesterday, I was searching for a journal that had no lines in it. I finally found one that would suit my needs, but the vast majority of the ones I saw were ruled. Some had grids. Others were pre-printed to keep your life straight.

Then, I [...]

What Determines a Brand’s Value Part 2

Yesterday, I wrote about the first 6 of 18 components that contribute to a brand’s value. We continue today with the next six.
The pricing strategy. You can establish your price based on your desired profitability or compared with key competitors. The right pricing strategy is essential as it signals to the customer [...]

What Determines a Brand’s Value Part 1

When you talk to most people about brand management, they speak in terms of basic marketing. Others think of basic branding—coming up with a hip name, obscure logo and fluffy positioning.
Brand management is about building brand value. It’s about making a brand worth more than it costs to maintain it. Managing a [...]

Creating Something for Them to Change

We are getting ready to put our house up for sale. That means touching up paint, de-cluttering, and finishing all those projects we never found the time or inclination to do (until now, of course).
Selling your house is a lot like marketing. You are going to pretty it up as much as you [...]

Get to the Point Quickly

I’ve been writing the past few days about constructing your content to make a point and get your message across quickly and directly. I wanted to use today’s post to go through some steps in creating effective content. Instead, I’m taking another approach.
Near the exit I take off I-10 to get home is [...]

Pictures of SQVIDs

Welcome to the fourth stop on The Back of the Napkin Virtual Book tour. Hopefully, you made the other stops at Jeff De Cagna’s Principled Innovation Blog, Peter Durand’s Center for Graphic Facilitation and Design Crush from Kelly Beall. Tomorrow marks the final stop at Pure Play with Keith Bohanna. You can [...]

The Image You Project

Driving down the road the other day, I noticed the sign pictured below. A few months back, Rouses, a local grocery chain acquired several Sav-A-Center stores in the metro area and surrounding region. The change has received mixed reviews, but that’s for another day.

My concern for them, though, is how they are portraying [...]