Branding and Brand Strategy for Growing Companies
Branding for Restless Companies and Driven Entrepreneurs
We spend much of our awake adult life in an office, so why not make it someplace you actually look forward to going to? While cleaning out my office a little while ago for our office move, I shared all the crazy, useless, surprising, stupid, amazing and odd things I ran across. Particularly the odd, the …
I admit it: I have found Sarah Silverman’s unorthodox view of the world amusing over the years embracing the oddities of culture, men, women, politics, and different ethnicities. Well, last week, after a long day, I sat down and managed to catch Sarah on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The conversation somehow navigated to the unusual …
“I value an entrepreneur I can get behind and trust, because I know they are attempting to move forward in life.” Daymond John How you start matters. And the first 2 weeks of this year have already been amazing. No PR. No B.S. Save the Entrepreneur. Save the World. From January 7th to January 14th, I …
“The key to generating loyalty and rising above the general noise seems to be all about creating and authentic voice.” Richard Branson Clarity is one of those “invisible qualities” we all admire and often choose (yet rarely slow down long enough to isolate just how to achieve that for our brands). We stop and notice clarity over many things… many noisier …
Last year, Richard Branson was featured in an article in Fortune magazine with 3 simple questions that cut through the crap when launching a startup. These questions were, 1) Would you do this for fun?, 2) Does it make a positive difference in people’s lives? and 3) Will it be profitable enough to sustain? This demonstrated the power …
Most brand advice is useless. Not because it’s wrong, exactly, but because it’s safe. “Be authentic.” “Tell your story.” “Stay consistent.” These aren’t traits of exceptional brands. They’re the participation trophies of brand strategy. Exceptional brands don’t emerge from following the same advice everyone else follows. They emerge from making hard, specific choices that most …
Stray postcards. Forty-year old oil paintings. Forgotten artwork. Awards. Notifications you’ve made the cover of Rolling Stone (literally!). Pre-computer design and lettering for everyone from my early work for HBO and Revlon to the logo I designed for R.S. Lauder (the son of Estée Lauder and Joseph Lauder, founders of Estée Lauder Companies). Even a …
(The original title of this post was “How an Italian Cookie Became a Noise-canceling Device” but then I thought, that might require too much explanation for anyone who has never gotten lost in the hypnotic moment of divine deliciousness, leaving the outside world to carry on at whatever decibel level it desired. Now, on with …
Killer headlines are created, not just some output from an AI prompt. Because your ingenuity is NOT something you outsource to some mindless data pool to throw words together. You are still irreplaceable, no matter what anyone says. “Those who tell the best stories, win.” Seen on the Web “Make a bold mark. Not a …
Unicorns (and billionaire mentors). They’re the stuff of legend (and in Silicon Valley, Unicorn is a term in the investment industry denoting a startup with a valuation that’s exceeded $1 billion. From Mashable to Business Insider to Tech Crunch, it’s that new magic milestone.) But just as magical are remarkable brands that seem to defy the odds, come out of nowhere …
Why is it that so many ideas grow weaker during the exact process that is theoretically designed to bring them to life? It’s a painful but true phenomena (also, a very bad indicator of a company culture, if your goal is to survive and not become yesterday’s news). Innovation is the heaven and hell of every …
If you’re in a rush to watch the video, scroll down to watch it now. Recently, I was invited to participate in an upcoming Forbes interview on iBlab. As part of that, I invited sales expert, international speaker, and best-selling author Grant Cardone who graciously agreed. It was my first opportunity to meet the #1 sales …
“Get closer than ever to your customers. So close, in fact, that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple What you’re about to read features 23 world-class entrepreneurs. At least 4 of them are billionaires. At least 8 of them are NY Times Bestselling authors. …
“RETAIL IS A CUSTOMER BUSINESS. YOU’RE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE CUSTOMER—SOLVE SOMETHING FOR THE CUSTOMER. AND THERE’S NO WAY TO LEARN THAT IN THE CLASSROOM OR IN THE CORNER OFFICE….”ERIK NORDSTROM, PRESIDENT, NORDSTROM DIRECT So much time is spent to carve out an excellent guest experience in the retail store that we sometimes forget …
The story of 7 athletes who created an infectious video of defiance using only the sounds of a workout, a basketball and sneakers A video using the sounds of breathing. (No, it’s not porn.) And sneakers against the floor. (No, it’s not Nike.) And basketballs being caught and dribbled. (No, it’s not the NBA.) A …
What if I had 7 easy-to-follow steps to dramatically improve your brand? That would be very useful. If you agree, then read on. A few months ago, I started working with the legendary Midwest coffee brand, Dunn Brothers. It was very gratifying to work with a brand with a rich and authentic history. Then, the …
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keeffe Recently, I posted the rebrand of a new natural food bar recently. The response was incredible. In addition to the rebrand for the company and product line, we also produced …
“The purpose of life… is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Launching a brand is not for those with thin skin. It takes courage, intelligence, and foresight. It’s (almost) not about your brand. Instead, it’s more about …
(No logo was harmed in the writing of this article. The following, while fictional, is based on real-life observations.) So, the client emailed me back, “Looks good. Now, could we make the logo bigger?” Oh boy, I thought. Here we go again. (Making the logo bigger is a painful punchline among designers and brand consultants worldwide, the …
“In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.” Julia Child If you enjoy and brand food, there are two senses that are far more powerful than one’s taste buds: the nose and the eyes. With the nose, it’s the smells, the aromas, the waft of freshly baked bread that put us …
We’ve all seen it. A startup begins with a dream, a passion for doing something others have missed or overlooked, to offer something better than what we all accept as the norm. Then we hit the legendary Wall of Hell: “Let’s describe this so people really get it.” (Oftentimes, cliches are used, and, other times, …
Mission Impossible is a powerful movie franchise. It’s also a powerful brand. Yes, it has a mission, but what is its secret? And what can brands learn from it? In its 20-year history, it’s done what many brands hope for longevity, anticipation, interest, and loyalty. (And yes, if it wasn’t already obvious, I am attending the …
A previous version of this article was originally published on Fast Company. “Don’t waste time living someone else’s life. Stay hungry. Stay Foolish.” Steve Jobs Having a me-too brand is a death sentence. This post is short and sweet (like some of my best friends). Fact: the road to glory and riches in branding is paved …
(Or How to be an overnight success in 10 years or less) Amy Schumer is the new “it” girl. She’s the comic who said, “I am a woman with thoughts and questions and sh*t to say.” In short, notable highlights include: Amy has her hit show on Comedy Central. Her video sketches go viral. She’s done a guest appearance …
Geniuses use everyday items in unexpected ways, transforming ordinary items into something extraordinary. Something as ordinary as language — that medium we use to connect with others everyday — is elevated to convey ideas, to establish rapport, to inspire and generate energy. So, I decided to write a series of articles on the power of …
