Award-winning branding, rebranding and package design
How brands outshine, outlast and outperform their competition
Wouldn’t it be great to have the shortlist of the critical traits of successful leaders? I thought this would be useful, so I compiled a list of qualities I see common amongst those I most admire. Not only admirable qualities but actually qualities found amongst those who have a lasting impact, enough impact to revolutionize …
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 …
Winning brands have a mindset. A mindset that eliminates all excuses — “all the reasons we ain’t as great as we aspire to be.” This mindset punctures the lies we’ve been fed. This line of questioning demanded I ask (and answer) this question: What’s the winning mindset of those who truly lead and unwaveringly serve? …
Busy brands. Frantic lives. Overfilled inboxes. Exhausted lifestyles. My friend Daymond John wrote something brilliant in describing his new book, Rise and Grind, that really hit home for me: “We all get the same 24 hours. It’s about how you use them.” Busy Brands Aren’t Born. They’re Made. We’re in a period where there’s a …
Several years ago, I wrote and narrated a video called “What is Innovation?” Years later in this newest episode of One Minute Wednesdays, I state, “History and old practices are a lousy substitute for truly understanding something.” This is very much the core of Brand Intervention, the book. The goal in writing the book was …
Have you ever felt you or your brand is one french fry short of a happy meal? Every brand I know, every entrepreneur I know, every startup I know, wants to defiantly stand out. So imagine how I felt when I discovered several people on Amazon referring to my new book, Brand Intervention, as “the …
In today’s business and cultural climate, it’s probably the #1 brand mistake that everyone is overlooking. Don’t self-sabotage your brilliant brand with a strategy like this You may want your brand to be loved. You may hope for your brand to not be hated. But brands today have leaned toward a middle-ground of vanilla-hell that’s left …
Tommy John launched in 2008 with the world’s first patented undershirt with a stay-tucked guarantee and has since expanded into underwear, socks, casual wear and performance gear. In 2016, actor/comedian Kevin Hart invested in Tommy John, the disruptive, irreverent, and somewhat restless underwear line. (After all, when you’re entering a populated space with lots of …
There is one branding question I ask every client. It consists of 8 words: “Tell me why, I the customer, should care.” No matter the answer, this is followed by one additional question consisting of 10 words: “Why do I know they’d tell me the same thing?” Those 18 words, stop clients in their tracks, …
Why did more than 29 readers from around the world send me photos of themselves with my new book (like they would with their closest friend)? It’s pretty freaking amazing. After all, the insights were 30 years in the making. Yet, six weeks ago, I published this book after 2 years in the works and …
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 …
They’re quirky. They’ve got this stoic bearded guy who rarely utters a syllable (who you can’t help but notice). And they’re contagious as hell. They’re called Walk Off The Earth. And for as wildly unpredictable as their brand is, their videos are a lesson in branding, consistency and never losing that hunger. Four Guys. One …
I think we all need a pep talk (thank you Kid President). Social media has become one of the most abused channels of communication currently out there. Partly because everyone and their mother-in-law can post anything anywhere, for whatever reason. Another key reason is, people simply post anything with no quality check, or without any …
Besides the over 79,000 viewers that will pack the stadium to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Super Bowl ranks as the most watched show on TV all year. Last was a record 111+ million viewers, the most viewers to watch a single show in US history. Super Bowl, Chicken Wings, Guacamole, Pizza and …
In our ever-changing world, I deal with business owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs of all sorts. I find each of them is tempted to try the latest new business tool. I’ve seen too many, with all of these distractions and messages, lose sight of some key fundamentals which I’ve noted below. Where Greatness Starts Here are …
“You can’t save souls in an empty church…. And you can’t bore people into buying your product.” David Oglivy. (This slightly embellished but true story exposes a tale about a love triangle involving lust, branding and logo design.) “It’s true. Don’t get me wrong, if it wasn’t the logo that had me pissing and moaning, …
Branding mistakes are awful. Some are worse than others and hard to live with. The Beatles, Western Union and Steve Jobs The famous guy who said “No” to signing on The Beatles since “guitar music was on its way out,” well, that was a bad one. (Thankfully, The Beatles knew to say “No” to such …
The sheer volume of impractical business solutions you can find are nearly endless. Too often, I overhear some stupidly shallow conversation or ridiculously useless blog opinion that tries to separate two key functions of business: marketing and sales. They are inherently intertwined. Yes, sometimes, there will be a rainmaker with the Midas touch but even …
