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What makes a store more than a store?  What makes a breakthrough brand experience at retail? These are questions that companies with brick and mortar assets wrestle with as they continue to lose share to online competitors or to those with mobile capabilities (smart phone-enabled mobile commerce as well as IRL roving mobile units and […]

A new definition of brand.  Inspiring employees.  My take on the Super Bowl ads and the new Taco Bell tagline.  Check out my writings on these and other topics in the following “brand-as-business buffet,” a round-up of content from me from this past month. retail and restaurants: How to Keep ‘Em  Coming Back — my […]

(Welcome to a “Brand Experience Brief” — insights and analysis of new and interesting restaurant and retail concepts.) REI’s first store in New York City is the quintessential flagship store – it’s big, it’s in a prominent location, and it showcases the brand like no other retail store. Check out my video recap on this […]

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(Welcome to the second in a two-post series on how retailers manage the choice conundrum.  This is written by C. B. Whittemore, Chief Simplifier of Simple Marketing Now, a marketing communications consultancy focused on simplifying customer interactions with social media and content marketing.  The first post, REI Makes Choosing Easier, which I wrote, can be found […]

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I’ve been doing research on some companies and have spent quite a bit of time looking at companies’ corporate reports – e.g., annual reports, official statements, corporate presentations, etc.  I’m amazed at how many companies completely overlook these reports as touchpoints through which people experience their brands.  Often the reports are dry and pedantic or […]

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Last week my husband and I were out on holiday — it was a delightful vacation and a wonderful brand experience, an REI brand experience that is. […]