The word for the day is Disruption, with a capital D. That’s the easiest way to differentiate your company from the competition. Be Disruptive! Unfortunately, in our society there’s a stigma against all things deemed disruptive. When we’re in elementary school we learn to not be disruptive in class. Or else! Sit still in church and […]
How to differentiate your company — Disruption as a branding discipline Read More »
What does it take to turn a typical small business into a powerful brand? Why do some businesses — with relatively mundane products and services — take off, while others stagnate?
Often it comes down to personality. Or lack thereof.
Small brands, big attitudes. How to create an XXL brand personality Read More »
In the advertising industry big ideas are the currency of success. Doesn’t matter if you’re working on an ad or a website, you work your butt off to come up with a big idea that can be leveraged into a giant, category-busting campaign. That kind of thinking is the key to a new approach to
A new approach to website design – What’s the big idea? Read More »
Marketing professors, gurus and know-it-all social media commentators love arguing over the latest marketing terms, like differentiation vs. distinctiveness. Some say “forget about differentiation, now it’s all about distinctiveness.” Give me a break. How could differentiation possibly be bad for business? The two terms are almost synonymous. You say tomato I say tomahto. If you
Differentiation vs. Distinctiveness – What’s more important for marketing? Read More »
What do you really believe in? What motivates you — heart and soul — to do your work everyday? What are the brand values that guide your operation? If you don’t know, you’re missing a great opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition. Most small business owners never think about the important underpinnings of their
Companies built on beliefs & brand values. (Not products) Read More »
There was a group discussion on LinkedIn recently that started with this question: “Does website design really matter? ” It provoked quite a debate… Graphic designers and advertising people in one camp, web programmers and entrepreneurs in the other, arguing their respective positions. The paint-by-numbers group believes web design doesn’t really matter at all. Design
Does website design matter? Yes, as long as first impressions matter. Read More »
Marketing videos are popping up faster than you can yell “cut.” The YouTube stats are mind-boggling… It’s the second-busiest website on earth, with 2.7 billion monthly users. There are 114 million different YouTube channels, so you can delve deep into any subject under the sun. Seriously. Five hundred hours of new video content is uploaded
Why most marketing videos fail. (Unscripted advice on the missing ingredient) Read More »
Ecommerce is exploding. The COVID pandemic created a tidal wave of activity in that industry. One of our clients has seen a 550% increase in online sales. Before COVID they were wondering how to sell more stuff online, and now they’re wondering how to handle the operational implications of this new normal in ecommerce. Every
The new normal for Ecommerce — How to sell more stuff online. Read More »
Every business needs brand image photos… (Your brand image can’t be built on words alone.) Unfortunately, most people turn immediately to free stock photo sites or Ai tools. Doesn’t matter if the images are for the website, ads, sales materials, email campaigns, social media posts or powerpoint presentations, they turn to the quick fix solution.
Stock images & brand image photos – Beware of visual clichés. Read More »
Food Packaging 101 – Lessons From a Billion-Dollar Tortilla Brand Here’s a case study I’d like to share in food packaging design. I was not involved in this rebranding, but my hat’s off to the design team and to the Garza family for embracing the change. It’s noteworthy due to their rapid rise from
Food Packaging 101 – from bland to a billion Read More »
