In the fast-growing playing field of mobile, the business prospects seem infinite. But developing a viable, scalable business amidst all the possibility isn’t easy. This is something Mitch Thrower knows all too well. As the CEO and founder of BUMP Network, Mitch is facing some serious business challenges. That’s why he opened up his efforts […]
Why do so many tech start-ups fail? What advice do entrepreneurs need to heed? These and other topics are covered in an interview I conducted with Ian Andes, President of 4iiii Innovations. 4iiii is the maker of several digital fitness products including the Sportiiiis, glasses that enable cyclists to keep their eyes on the road […]
(Welcome to the newest brand experience brief. In each of these short videos, I provide an audit and analysis of a new or interesting restaurant or retail concept.) Denny’s is embracing the brand positioning “America’s Favorite Diner.” Its new flagship location on Las Vegas’s Fremont Street reflects this new positioning, while including several Las Vegas […]
brand-as-business bit: “You can’t have fantastic breakthroughs without frustrating failures.” This is the kind of encouragement we need to hear – and who better to give it than Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who’s personally experienced very public failures (including losing his first mayoral bid) as well as some “fantastic breakthroughs” (including reducing Newark’s crime rate […]
(This the first of a two-part interview exchange between Andrea Learned and me. Andrea is a corporate sustainability expert, writer, and communications strategist. I’ve learned so much from her writings on HuffPo and her blog, LearnedOn.com, and the conversations she contributes to on Twitter and Google+. Next week, she’ll be interviewing me on her blog about the […]
brand-as-business bit: “It’s time to punch fear in the face. It’s time to escape average. It’s time to do work that matters. It’s time to start.” Someone who issues statements like these is my kind of person!! And that’s why I was thrilled to hear that someone, Jon Acuff, speak recently. Jon’s the guy behind […]
At a talk I gave a couple of weeks ago, I explained that companies could connect more emotionally, and more meaningfully, with customers if they constantly addressed the question, “what business are we really in?” The question, first raised by Theodore Levitt a former professor at the Harvard Business School, is one of the most […]
(Check out my latest Brand Experience Brief — a video audit and analysis of a new or interesting restaurant or retail concept.) The Whole Foods store in Encinitas, California, brings the best of a farmers’ market and the best of a national grocer together, demonstrating how a national brand can engage its local communities authentically. […]
Building a strong B2B brand starts with corporate culture. Business leaders must rally their employees around common cultural values because culture determines whether they will embrace and appropriately interpret and reinforce it in their customer interactions. The opportunity is to use culture-building to optimize a company’s internal workings and engage the workforce in delivering […]
brand-as-business bit: Do you inspire people or do you intimidate them? The other day a friend and I were talking about a mutual colleague, whom I’ll call Larry. My friend remarked: “I never feel as stupid as when I’m talking to Larry.“ It was a telling remark. Larry is brilliant — but my friend was […]