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Here’s a hypothesis:  There are essentially nine different types of brands and you can jumpstart the development of your brand strategy by identifying the one that’s right for you. I’ve developed this hypothesis after working on brands for over 25 years.  I’ve come to realize that there is a finite number of brand types or […]

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I recently was asked to speak to the executive team of a $200 billion organization about increasing the company’s competitiveness.  It was an extraordinary opportunity and I seized it by sharing my insights on how to build a brand of distinction — one that isn’t merely different, but one that stands apart and above the rest. […]

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Brand differentiation is more important now than ever before.  You can’t just be better than your competitors — you must be different.  Here are five of my resources, all in one handy spot, to help you understand the new challenges and requirements to differentiate and how to achieve greater brand differentiation. […]

choosing greatness

Good to Great, the bestselling book by Jim Collins, offers timeless insights into what it takes to become great.  It applies not only to businesses, but also to brands, people, churches, non-profits, governments, communities, and more.  I recently revisited the text, along with the monograph accompanying it, Good to Great and the Social Sector, and […]

Credit: http://www.pleasehelpuswithsalesandmarketing.com/

I originally wrote this piece for the Harvard Business Review. It was published on HRB.org on March 28, 2014. As a member of a start-up advisory program, I regularly hear pitches from aspiring technology entrepreneurs. My job is to sort out the companies with potential from those that need to go back to the drawing […]