Successful branding – 3 logical reasons why brands need more emotional thinking
Fake thrills and false advertising — Another automotive marketing misfire.
Automotive advertising, as a category, is notoriously bad. The big brands seldom produce memorable spots,…
How to do more effective advertising (Just the facts won’t do it)
Every client I work with wants to know how to do more effective advertising. They…
Fear of loss in advertising — Another effective angle of attack
I have an ongoing debate with a client who says we should never, ever take…
Strategic Thinking + Tactical Acting – For better marketing you need both
I’ve been writing the Brand Insight Blog regularly since 2007. The single most popular post…
Who reads long copy these days? The hungry ones.
I’m really tired of people telling me no one reads anything anymore. “Copywriting doesn’t matter.”…
Want better brand strategy? Better collaborate.
First of all, let me just say I love working with talented designers. I’ve been…
“High Quality” Content – Finding or providing something genuinely worthwhile.
High quality content is a completely subjective — and massively broad — subject. For one…
Easy Ad Hacks — TMI is killing your advertising
Contrary to popular belief, information is the enemy of persuasion, not the friend. Too much…
What do great brands have in common?
What are the common attributes of the world’s greatest brands? And more importantly, what can…
4 common advertising mistakes — Bad puns, bribes and other branding blunders
Here’s a news flash: Great advertising is hard to come by. And advertising mistakes are…
How creative pros really use Ai
Marketing people sure have their knickers in a twist over this whole Ai thing. Everyone’s…
Enough, already, with the exclamation punctuation in advertising.
I’m an advertising guy… a copywriter from way back. We’re not nit-pickers when it comes…
What do they mean by “content”?
I hate to say it, but the marketing world is teeming with nonsensical acronyms, vague…
Sorting through a landslide of “marketing opportunities”
The marketing landscape isn’t really a landscape anymore. It’s more like a fast moving landslide,…
Non-profit branding (A story of start-up success and failure)
In the midst of the economic mayhem of 2009 I called it “A feel-good brand…
Is “Inspiring Bank” an Oxymoron? The Branding of Umpqua Bank
It’s interesting, where people find business inspiration. For some it’s the pages of Forbes or…
The secret to success: Clarity in business communications.
Clarity is the key to many things… Marriage, international relations, politics and parenting would all…
How to choose a brand name you can bank on.
At some point in time, every entrepreneur, every marketing director and every business owner will…
Rule #1 for advertising a golf destination: Try not to turn people off.
I seldom use the Brand Insight Blog to critique individual ads. It’s just too easy…
Successful Branding — Zero-in on the main thing for brand loyalty.
I love this saying: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main…
Your customer’s journey reimagined
When was the last time you really sat down and thought about your customer’s…
When Branding outpaces the brand. And vice versa.
First of all, let me address the common confusion around the two “B” words in…
Brand authenticity (Keeping it real, honest, genuine and true)
Keen Footwear is a great branding case study. If the shoe fits.
Apparently, I have peasant feet. At least that’s what the nice sales person at REI…
How to hire the right marketing person — the first time.
Most business owners and CEOs have no idea how to hire the right marketing person….
How to build a brand… First, own an idea.
I think all entrepreneurs should study advertising. Entrepreneurs are full of ideas, and advertising is…
How to build credibility for your brand, one chapter at a time.
A lot of small businesses have been driven out of business by big box stores…
Naming a baby vs. naming a business
Naming a business is tough. I’ve conjured up thousands of business names, product names, non-profit…
3 key elements of branding: Relevance, Credibility & Differentiation
When you look at companies — large and small — that have become successful brands,…