A thorough write-up about RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware) in a recent Businessweek caught my eye. As Susan Berfield documented in the piece, the approach that CEO Gary Friedman is taking with the brand. I couldn’t help but draw parallels to several principles in my new book, What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building […]
If you’re like most Americans, you probably never thought about tacos for breakfast (other than tacos from Jack In the Box at 4 am after a night out, right?!) Well, that’s about to change with the introduction of the Taco Bell Waffle Taco on Thursday. […]
My new Brand Experience Brief (audit and analysis of a new or interesting restaurant and retail concept) is about a unique location of the West-Coast burger chain, Carl’s Jr. They have employed a new sports restaurant theme in the Glendale area of Phoenix and in this video, you’ll see the concept has good potential but doesn’t quite excel at retail customer […]
Great brands may think big, but they sweat the small stuff. They know that all the little things they do or fail to do in person shape brand perceptions far more than the big things they claim through mass media. So they design their customer experiences down to last detail, and usually appeal to as many of […]
The popular Bloomberg Radio show, The Hays Advantage, with co-hosts Kathleen Hays and Vonnie Quinn, interviewed me today to dish on the upcoming Super Bowl ads. Listen to my take on the ads from Danone, GoDaddy, VW, and more here. The interview was only one of the great pieces of content posted this week that […]
My latest Forbes CMO Network column is based on the basic idea that once customers feel a personal and meaningful bond with your brand, they’re more likely to stick with you. The point seems so fundamental that I almost hesitated to write a piece about it, but as I read about the latest coffee chain […]
Tom Ryan, the founder of popular better burger chain Smashburger, has started a new restaurant that’s a combination classic diner, hipster bar, and foodie haven. Check out this brand experience brief to learn how such a mash-up of concepts has turned out. other brand experience briefs: Modmarket True Food Kitchen Gourdough’s Public House transcript: […]
Modmarket was named one of the top 5 hot concepts of the year by Nation’s Restaurant News. What distinguishes it from the other fast casual restaurants serving better-for-you food? Check out this brand experience brief. related brand experience briefs: True Food Protein Bar Fresh2Order transcript: This brand experience brief is about a restaurant company with the […]
As a writer, every once awhile I come across a terrific article or story and think, “I should have written that.” Last week Om Malik penned a post that I wish I had written. Entitled, “Square, Airbnb and why experience really is design,” the piece makes a convincing case for how the cosmetic aspects of […]
Welcome to my newest Brand Experience Brief — these brief videos audit and analyze the brand experience at a new or interesting restaurant or retail concept. Today I’m deviating from my regular practice of covering a brand experience to give you a look at the new San Diego Public Library. The Library which just opened two weeks […]