Branding and Brand Strategy for Growing Companies
Branding for Restless Companies and Driven Entrepreneurs
His last name is impossible to spell, and not much easier to pronounce. His brand was synonymous with a Texas drawl, a swagger and smile women loved, and three words. Yup, Matthew McConaughey was known for being charismatic and those three simple words: “Alright, alright, alright.” But from a branding standpoint, he easily could’ve become “put …
What if you could know the storytelling secret Steve Jobs used to help build Apple and make his presentations must-see events? Now you can. “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs “There is a distinct difference between ‘suspense’ and ‘surprise,’ and yet many pictures continually confuse the two.” Alfred Hitchcock BRANDS …
Client testimonials do for your business what exercise and diet do for your body: they tighten up the loose and jiggly parts replacing “brand flab” with “brand muscle” and tone. The result? People see you and your brand in a whole new light asking questions like: “Have you lost some weight?” “Working out?” “Are you …
Recently, I created a video celebrating faces in branding using the new technology of “refacing” using various gifs I found online. Faces in Branding: Do The Eyes Have It? I shared this video on LinkedIn, and thousands loved the message: “What story are your eyes telling the world about your brand and its values?” The …
What if there were 7 simple ways to master storytelling instantly? There is. When I was young, I never was never troubled wondering “How Do You Master Storytelling?” (my attention was on girls, let’s be honest). Yet as a young lad, I loved it when my mom came to me and told me a bedtime …
The power of video for business growth is unrivaled. Here’s what Gary Vaynerchuk said: “The single most important strategy in content marketing today is video. Whether it’s video on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Youtube, the content you need to be thinking about creating and marketing on social for your business is video. Period.” Just think, …
It’s a question Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia (supporting the heartbeat of the 800+ employees at Gary Vaynerchuk’s agency) is asked, “Why People Matter in Business?” After all, Claude was chosen by Gary to do internally for the Vayner culture what Gary was doing out in the world. Recently, in a heart-to-heart LinkedIn …
Want to get the attention of a CEO? Tell them you’ll help them build an unstoppable business. That’s one thing I’ve found in 40 years of working with CEOs to build their brands: they want to build an unstoppable business. That’s what Brad Wendkos envisioned when he started building his empire that now boasts 2 …
Antoni and I sat down and covered 8 branding nuggets — the kind of nuggets that would only come when you put two entrepreneurs in contact with one another. “THE GREATEST ENEMY OF KNOWLEDGE IS NOT IGNORANCE, IT IS THE ILLUSION OF KNOWLEDGE.” Stephen Hawking Antoni is a coach. Antoni used to be in the …
Have you ever wondered about “how to craft an offer”? I believe that challenging times can result in us coming back stronger and more focused than before we were “tested.” Especially during challenging times. Restaurants have done it. Movie theaters have done it. Seminar companies have done it. Now is your chance. For Some, Quarantine …
If you were to ask 10 superstars of selling, “How to sell in difficult times?” to learn what they see is working, the answers would be a gold mine of practical insights from the front lines of selling. You would also learn two things: They each have a distinct point of view, and None of …
Recently, the Harvard Business Review published a terrific article entitled, “We Need Imagination Now More Than Ever.” In this article, Jim Loree, the CEO of Stanley Black & Decker stated, “Never in our lifetimes has the power of imagination been more important in defining our immediate future.” Is Imagination Our Most Important Business Asset Right Now? …
I had to read it twice: “The Encyclopedia of Branding.” Damn, now did I miss this? I’d shared that I had over two hours dropping knowledge bombs like a goose unleashing a torrent of golden eggs in a 24K diarrhetic tsunami. But there it was written by Bill Dolan, the Emmy-nominated director who’s worked with …
I’d say no company owns the ugly side of rebranding as much as Sears. Seariously? In fact, my buddy Ted Rubin and I visited Sears not too long ago, in the Mall of America in the middle of a Monday, and here’s what we found: The Ugly Side Rebranding: Sears Sears has had a rough …
“Your brand sucks,” is one of the worst versions of feedback one can get. Yet, every day, inferior products outperform superior products. Inferior professionals outperform superior professionals. Inferior services outperform superior services. HOW is this possible? You’re blowing a lot of hot air while getting a big head in the process. Brand Rehab: Stop Drinking …
Seth Godin is the first one to confirm your primary function is “crafting the perfect brand story” before you create a product. Hell, even author Donald Miller says companies should be generating $50 million in revenue before branding anything at all. For the record, that is complete BS. He’s selling his angle (and, for the …
No more excuses. That’s the most common trait you find amongst those who excel. In fact, I dedicated an entire One Minute Wednesday to this topic. “It’s every company’s job to determine whether they have a brand or merely an idea. This applies to the single person as well as to an organization.” Dream Are …
Thought leadership. Everyone wants it. Few attain it. Yet thought leaders have become the disruptors, the non-conformists, and superhero rock stars of today. Gary Vaynerchuk. Tim Ferris. Simon Sinek. Seth Godin. Daymond John. Grant Cardone. And others. But what is everyone really seeking when they see one of these superstars? Attention? Likes? Adoration? Followers? …
Every business today looks for “the killer sales strategy.” Well, here’s a sales strategy you’ve never heard before. I find it very very peculiar that there’s only one industry in the world that seems to have a vote on whether or not they can actually accept you and me based on something called “pre-existing conditions.” Now that …
Ralph Lauren is an American icon and a successful lifestyle brand. “Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever.” ― Ralph Lauren For those unfamiliar, Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and business executive worth an estimated $6.3 billion. An American Icon In The …
“How do we blow up LinkedIn?” It was one of the questions we asked ourselves. Why? Let’s turn to Gary Vaynerchuk’s take on LinkedIn: “LinkedIn has transformed so much as a platform.… Now, it’s become more of a content platform. …. It’s where Facebook was at 5-7 years ago.” I’d started a “project” to blow …
In today’s One Minute Wednesday, I talk about why some brands suck, and the 3 real-world types of brands. First, I’ll ask you this: have you ever felt like this: “I felt miserable after I dealt with that brand.” Like the life’s been sucked out of you? How many times have we either heard this …
For close to 600 million users globally, there’s a new thing on the horizon: LIVE video. And LinkedIn LIVE is supposed to tap into this growing trend. LinkedIn even has Gary Vaynerchuk lauding its value in business, “LinkedIn marketing is something I really, really believe in for 2019. LinkedIn has transformed so much as a …
Why are some brands and their clarity scrambled? Some arrive as fried as Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. While some are hunting for Easter eggs, the rest of us are hunting for our brand’s secret sauce. HOW TO UNSCRAMBLE YOUR BRAND Helping companies and individuals with their brands, I see all the smart …
