(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 […]
Who knew my recent column in Adweek about taglines would have sparked such interest?! The piece, in which I share my perspectives on the changing role and nature of taglines, prompted many people to comment and share their own insights. Here is a sampling of the reactions: […]
When Adweek editor Jim Cooper asked me to write a Voices column for his magazine, I knew immediately the topic I wanted to discuss: taglines. Given how much creative and media has changed in recent years, it makes sense that those haiku-like brand sign-offs would also evolve. As I researched the topic, I found some […]
(“brand book bites” are book write-ups that highlight the most interesting brand stories in the latest best-selling books. Subscribe to my feed so you don’t miss these regular bulleted briefings on the books I recommend.) – the book: Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is About Help Not Hype – a helpful read about helpful marketing – […]
brand-as-business bit: When the folks at HBR Blog asked me to write a piece about why are so many celebrities now ‘Creative Directors,’ I had a lot of ideas and insights about the changing nature of the brand/celebrity relationship to share. But actually progressive companies have actually engaged this kind of celebrity partnership for years. […]
brand-as-business bit: “Don’t say it, be it” – as in “don’t say you’re cool, be cool” – has to be one of the most well-known principles in advertising. And yet we see so many brands fail to heed it. The most recent offender? Apple. I’m sure there are a lot of people who disagree with […]
I’ve always been fascinated by movie trailers – not for how they entice people to see movies, but for the insights they provide into how to make great ads. After all, ads and trailers serve a similar objective: convert viewership into action — buy a product or go see a movie. […]
In elementary school, there was a boy who really wanted me to “go steady” with him (yes, that’s what we called it back then.) He pursued me fervently and eventually persuaded me to say “yes.” Then, he proceeded to instruct me not to tell anyone about our amorous relationship because he didn’t want people to […]
brand-as-business bit: What makes an ad something people want to share with others? Is there a secret formula for making ads that are most likely to be shared? The March issue of the Harvard Business Review included a report by Harvard prof Thales Teixeira who tracked viewers’ eye movements and facial expressions while watching ads. […]
BurgerKing, Volvo, Coke, LEGO, and ShoeDazzle were some of the brands in my recent conversations. Peruse this recap of my content this month to see what you might have missed: […]