Need a new logo? (5 things to know before you hire professional help)
A lot of people think they need a new logo. Or they’ll talk about a “rebranding…
Class A office space, Class A brand — Brand alignment with your location
Brands that are built to last. (Jim Collins on brand values)
Built To Last, by Jim Collins, is commonly known as one of the most influential…
Secondary Reality (Alternative facts in natural foods marketing)
“Those marketing guys aren’t dealing in reality.” I’ve heard that one before from sales guys, engineers,…
Website Design & Development – How to make websites work on many levels.
Crowdsourcing logo design (Getting literal for little.)
Crowdsourcing logo design is a sore subject in the graphic design community. I could easily…
Successful brands are built on beliefs. (Not products)
What do you really believe in? What motivates you — heart and soul — to…
How to build credibility for your brand, one chapter at a time.
Your business is not like Walmart. You can’t spend a half a billion dollars a…
How stock photos sabotage your brand image – Beware of visual clichés.
Every business needs photos… (Your brand image can’t be built on words alone.) Unfortunately, most…
Naming a baby vs. naming a business
Naming a business is tough. I’ve conjured up thousands of business names, product names, non-profit…
How to compete in the booming Kombucha Market
Insight on the booming kombucha market — An interview with Steven Lee of Kombucha Wonder…
Marketing Management & Leadership – Who’s really running the show?
Marketing is full of colorful characters… Data nerds, creative prima donnas, wordsmith poets, actors, spreadsheet…
Writing better web copy — How long should that copy be? Really.
This is a common refrain these days… Doesn’t matter if the client is selling complex,…
Under Armour marketing — Sailing into a big, blue ocean of opportunity.
Kevin Plank, founder and former CEO of Under Armour, likes to tell the story of…
Automotive Advertising: Another ride down that twisting, mountain road of tired clichés.
I don’t know what it is about automotive advertising. No other category is so rich…
Effective TV advertising — How to avoid TV spots that miss the mark.
Effective TV advertising is hard to come by in my town. I just cringe when…
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…
The secret to success: Clarity in business communications.
Clarity is the key to many things… Marriage, international relations, politics and parenting would all…
Sorting through the endless “marketing opportunities”
The marketing landscape isn’t really a landscape anymore. It’s more like a fast moving landslide,…
Dual Purpose Websites – How to create branding sites that sell.
For some reason, many business owners think that “branding websites” won’t sell product. And on…
“Brand” Trumps Managerial Incompetence.
I need to stop being surprised by managerial incompetence. Honestly. I need to reframe my…
TMI – How information is killing your advertising
Contrary to popular belief, information is the enemy of persuasion. Not the friend. In fact,…
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…
Gratitude in business – 5 things every marketer should be thankful for
Once a year we all sit down at the dinner table and express our gratitude…
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…
How to hire the right marketing person — the first time.
Most business owners have no idea how to hire the right marketing person. I’ve seen…
When Branding outpaces the brand. And vice versa.
First of all, let me address the common confusion around the two “B” words in…
Deschutes Brewing Going National (How to grow without selling your soul.)
Bend, Oregon is a small town better known for big fun than big business. There…
4 common advertising mistakes — Bad puns, bribes and other branding blunders
Guess what… Great advertising is hard to come by. And advertising mistakes are much more…
“High-Quality” Content – Finding or providing something genuinely worthwhile.
High quality content is a completely subjective — and massively broad — subject. For one…