Now that marketers in practically every sector prioritize content marketing, storytelling is heralded as a brand’s most effective approach to developing content. It makes sense — people are emotional beings, so we respond to stories because they engage us on an emotional level. And, as Nicholas Ind and Oriol Iglesias write in Brand Desire, “Brands […]
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 […]
(This is the latest installation in a long-running series of introductions to books I recommend. If you would like me to look at a book on business, brands, or the people who work on them, please let me know in the comments section below.) – the book: Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What […]
Success today comes from not only knowing who your customers are, but also why they buy. It’s not enough to know your customers’ demographics (e.g., adults aged18-54) and category behaviors (what they currently buy, what products/brands they use). Even knowing your customers’ economic value (e.g., customers who spend $500+ in our category, companies that have […]
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. […]
Last Friday Samsung launched a new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, its first product launch following last year’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle. It’s loaded with ground-breaking features and functionality and has been called an “early favorite for the best phone of 2017,” but it’s probably not enough to re-galvanize the brand. Samsung needs more than […]
What is Brand Essence? At the core of your brand strategy is your Brand Essence — your Brand Essence is what you stand for. Brand Essence is often thought of as your brand DNA, the essential value of your brand, or the ultimate role your brand plays in the world. It’s a critical element of […]
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. […]
Brands have evolved from mere symbols of product quality and identifiers to aid customers in purchase selections. They are bundles of values and attributes that define the way companies behave and the value they deliver to customers. In layman’s terms, a brand is what you do and how you do it. This means brands represent […]
If you’re new to marketing or if you work at a start-up or small business that doesn’t not have the extensive experience and resources that other marketing professionals may have, you need some Marketing How To information and instruction. So I recently ran a #MarketingMondays series LinkedIn.com. Each week I provided a post and infographic […]