Sometimes the conventional wisdom — no matter how fervently believed or widely accepted — deserves to be reconsidered in a new light. There is no shortage of perspectives on brand strategy, but when all the pundits agree, it’s time for a second opinion.
A Heated Debate If your family is anything like ours, there are unwritten rules about subjects that you don’t bring up at Thanksgiving dinner under any circumstances. One of those topics is politics. Why? Well, Aunt Vicky is a passionate Trump supporter, Uncle Larry wants Hillary in office, your cousin is championing Bernie and Grandpa […]
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We’ve been discussing what true collaboration looks like when it happens as a part of company culture. A few weeks ago, we wrote about what it doesn’t look like, with regard to the waves of collaboration software hitting the market. So, what does your culture need in order for employees to truly collaborate? A Known […]
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The major outdoor sporting goods brand REI made a somewhat strange announcement this week: they will be closed for the unofficial annual American celebration of consumerism on Black Friday. With other retailers heading in the opposite direction and staying open for business on Thanksgiving, why would REI give up their share of the hundreds of […]
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Everywhere you look, there seems to be a new product or service designed to get people to talk to each other less. Or, to put it another way, services to help people overcome the extreme struggle of having to talk to people—because who wants to do that? From the long established robo-operators, to the ubiquity […]
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For most, the release of Apple’s iOS9 was a welcome development. From new ways to multitask to novel ways to befuddle Siri, there is plenty to love in the mobile operating system. Unless, of course, your business happens to rely on mobile advertising. Then iOS9 essentially signaled the ad-pocalypse. For the first time, the new […]
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Browse a bookstore (there are still a few yet extant) or surf Amazon and you might come to the conclusion that “purpose” is the both most important concept in the 21st century lexicon and that the finding of the same is the paramount objective for work and life. From books like The Purpose Driven Life to […]
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There’s an emerging trend to replace Procrustean national symbols with more sparkly versions of the same by means of a popular vote. Switzerland recently sent its national anthem packing, perhaps with similar motivations to a recent petition to change the US National Anthem to Uptown Funk. In the realm visual symbols, put a design to […]
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Could we be at a BS tipping point? If Xerox’s new marketing campaign is any indication, we might just be. In the ads, a businessman is overwhelmed by a flurry of marketing jargon thrown at him from all directions while Harry Nilsson’s Everybody’s Talking At Me plays in the background. The payoff? There is a […]
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The past fortnight has brought some boffo changes to the world of global logos and corporate identity systems. First, the 2020 Olympic committee decided to jettison their fairly distinctive logo for, well not being distinctive enough and subject to accusations of plagiarism. Then there were the rebranding efforts of two of the largest and most […]
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After the ubiquitous celebrity spokesperson, comedy is likely the most common trope in advertising. And why not? It grabs your attention, makes you remember things and provides a chuckle in the process. Who hasn’t repeated “Where’s the beef,” at least once in his or her life? But many marketers fail to leverage comedy as a […]
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