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STORIES speak to your heart
No matter your age, stories capture your heart – they’re a universal language
“The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic ‘right-brain’ thinkers.”
~ Daniel Pink, author
The M&M Method of Marketing – Which generation are you targeting?
It’s nothing new… you’ve done it for years. Hmm? You know, separate them into colours, so you can enjoy their similarities. Of course we’re talking M&M’s, those best-selling crunchy coated chocolates that disappear quicker than your waistline expands. But what do they have to do with branding? The first of this 6-part series on Generational Marketing, explains how just like M&M’s, each generation owns its distinct differences and shouldn’t be marketed to (or eaten) together. ...
What’s Baked into Your Brand? Is it FAB?
Baking benefits into your brand mix makes it magical. It’s actually almost alchemical. You put sticky spoonfuls of dough in the oven and you get warm, gooey cookies. Except … it’s not really magic, it’s science. Similarly, by baking benefits into your brand … it will be as irresistible as fresh-baked cookies. You like soft gooey centres. He likes a snap to the bite. Oh, if only there was a cookie recipe that pleased everyone all the time. Yes, it’s tough in the kitchen. Just like the...
If You Build Your Brand, Will They Come? Ask AIDA…
Sometimes you can get a little too much sun, basking in the glory of building your brand. So much so, that you start hearing voices telling you “If you build it, they will come.” That line may have worked for Kevin Costner's character in Field of Dreams, but advice like that can prove disastrous for a brand start-up. Great brands work to a process, to create both sales and success... It’s got to be said. Field of Dreams lied to us. Why? The voice that spoke to Ray Kinsella and told him...
Rebuilding the ad break: more disruptive content marketing from LEGO brand
I’ve said before, that I love to play. And that telling a great story – especially a brand one – is an art. For me, the LEGO brand fuses those two loves with some of the most innovative and disruptive content marketing that’s going around today. If you want a case study for brand story creation, consolidation and expansion, there’s no need to go much further than LEGO. Having reinvented themselves out of their near bankruptcy in the early 00’s, LEGO have forged a new path with...
Wandering, wondering and wordless
I’ve been absent. In mind, if not body - following paths. And in doing that, I became a visitor to my blog, not its roommate. It’s tricky … noticing absence. At first you notice it. You feel foggy and slightly uncomfortable. Then the transition smoothly glides from presence to absence. And after a while you don't notice it. Then it's forgotten. *** I‘ve been trying to write this for some weeks. Finally it appeared for me – perfectly written by Erika...
Give me your handbag – and I’ll find your story secrets
A handbag (or manbag) is the ultimate private space. And that makes it juicy territory for story hunting. What’s in your bag right now? What stories does it hold, hide or hint at? Are there secrets lurking at the bottom ... along with the bobby pins, scraps of paper and long forgotten flotsam and jetsam? Will it unravel you? Leave me (or any curious person, really) alone with your bag for an hour and it's incredible what I can say about you. It’s not the obvious –...
We’re born to create. Are you leaving something worthwhile?
Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt an ache inside? A feeling that there’s something more you need to do? That you’re destined for something greater? So go do it. Make a mark. Or even ... just begin. But sometimes you need a kick-start. Here’s a few for you: What creative legacy do you want to leave? Look for places to make a difference. What mark you want to leave as a unique reminder of your life? Find people and places where you can add, not take away....
