Dangit! I can’t make it to SXSW this year and I’m mad as hell. Well, maybe not that mad – but looking at the schedule of sessions and knowing all the cool people who will be there, I’m pretty disappointed about having to miss it. If you’re going and you’re looking for brand-building insights and […]
Upon brainstorming business plan ideas, have you ever thought that following a trend is the surest path to success? Maybe you’ve thought “if only we could just tap into the healthy eating trend…” or “everyone now uses their mobile device to do everything so we better have a mobile offering so we can take advantage […]
As we start off 2014, I’m taking to heart the choice words I heard from the speakers at TEDxSanDiego a few weeks ago. Here are ten ideas, pieces of advice, and insights that I want to inspire me in the coming year: […]
My “brands to watch” post was such a hit last year, I thought I’d share who I will be keeping my eye on in 2014. Some of these brands are sure to grow in the coming year, the future of others is less certain – but I’m pretty sure we’ll be hearing a lot about […]
– the book: REMOTE: Office Not Required, a new book from the founders of web app firm 37signals […]
With a mission to “Discover a Healthier You,” NatureBox might sound like just another snack foods company, but it’s actually one of a growing number of businesses operating with a subscription business model. Just like at JustFab, BirchBox, and Dollar Shave Club, subscribers of NatureBox sign-up to receive monthly shipments of products. The success rate […]
This year’s Fall Marketing Executives Group Conference (MEG) was billed as “big ideas for marketing executives short on time” and it lived up to the description. Within a span of 24 hours, a range of speakers from the restaurant industry and beyond shared stories, advice, and results about their marketing efforts. Here’s a slideshow of […]
My most recent Harvard Business Review piece discusses retail industry trends, specifically big brands and other progressive retailers like Whole Foods, Starbucks and Lululemon Athletica who are increasingly shedding their national standards and conventions to achieve a more local brand image. Given the successes reported by these pioneering retailers, it’s likely we’ll see even more companies moving in this […]
brand-as-business bit: The combination of listening to customers and digging into data is only one of the many fascinating insights revealed in Brad Stone‘s expose on Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos, THE EVERYTHING STORE. In the book, Stone relays how random customer anecdotes are as valued at the company as spreadsheets of customer […]
Pro football season is in full swing now, and as I watch the drama unfold every week on the field, I am once again reminded of how many business insights can be gleaned from the gridiron. […]