Did you See the Fake DHL Ad? Clever Execution, Bad Strategy.

Remember that DHL ad making the rounds a few weeks ago?

It went viral instantly, and getting your competitors to advertise for you is inarguably awesome. Sadly, the piece was quickly revealed as a fake. But that’s not what was wrong with it – the problem with the ‘ad’ was its strategy.

The spot’s message is that DHL is a faster delivery service, but that’s a solution in search of a problem. Does anyone anywhere feel that FedEx and UPS are too slow? And does anyone actually believe that another mainstream courier service could deliver items more quickly?

We haven’t done a statistically valid survey, but we’re pretty willing to bet that the answers are no, and no.

The prank was clever, the video was well-edited, and it probably gave DHL a tiny bit of lift. But the message didn’t connect with an actual customer need. Like so much advertising, there was simply no strategy behind it. And, unfortunately for this piece, sound strategy is the most basic requirement of effective communications.

Now It’s Your Turn

Brand Strategy, Brands, Product Positioning, Strategic Branding

Is Swag Dead?

(As featured in Fast Company) We’ve all been there. You come home from that conference, meeting, or seminar with a head full of great ideas—and a bag full of branded merchandise. At first, it seems like you’ll definitely be using that pen, stress ball, or flashlight but as it migrates into a desk drawer filled […]

Learn More

Culture, Insurance, News, Trends

The Impact of Generative AI on the Insurance Sector

As seen in DIG-IN.com As new technologies continue to evolve and come online for the business world, so too do their iterations in the insurance sector. Recently many new tools have been developed which are designed to manage risk, minimize uncertainty and generate profits, boosting productivity and efficiency within the sector. Developments such as the […]

Learn More

Brand Strategy, Corporate Culture, Design, Identity Design

The Matter of Taste

As seen in Fast Company Whether apocryphal or not, the purported last words of bon vivant, tastemaker and wit Oscar Wilde were, “This wallpaper is dreadful, one of us will have to go.” But what is taste and how does one overcome the pernicious dynamic that when people lack taste they are unlikely to have […]

Learn More

Brand Strategy, Corporate Culture, Corporate Responsibility, Organizational Development

Insurers at the Front Lines of Climate Change

As seen in Dig-in.com. Insurance companies are often on the losing end of climate change, paying out increasingly exorbitant sums as extreme weather such as tornadoes, floods and fires damage property, agriculture and businesses. But flipping the perspective for a moment, can insurance companies take active measures to mitigate the risks of climate change? Insurance […]

Learn More

Ready to talk about how your brand and culture can do more for your business?

Let's talk