Blog

Posted on

Three Levels of Brand Values

(Reading Time: 2 minutes)

I submit to you that there are three levels of brand values.

Level 1 – “No Values”

Here, you’re saying, “Values are irrelevant – profit is what we’re here for.”  You don’t think about your Why; you’re focused on your What and your How. 

It’s unimaginative, but at least it’s honest.  If you’re up-front about your desire to relieve me of some of the money in my wallet, I can work with you on those terms.

Continue reading “Three Levels of Brand Values”
Posted on

Don’t Waste This Crisis: How Strong Values Improve Strategy

(Reading Time: 6 minutes)

There’s a question that’s asked far too rarely as we develop brand and business strategies.  It’s simple but extremely powerful, since it shapes everything that you’ll do as a team or organization.

The question:

Who do we want to be?

It’s challenging to lead an organization in the best of times.  In a time of scarcity – like the one we recently, abruptly entered – it can feel impossible.

But navigating difficulty is one of the roles of a leader.  As FDR said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” 

Continue reading “Don’t Waste This Crisis: How Strong Values Improve Strategy”
Posted on

Marketing in the Time of Coronavirus

(Reading Time: 2 minutes)

Last week, I joined a client for a virtual brainstorm.  The focus: Our marketing next steps in these trying times.

We established a rule up-front: For an idea to move forward, it has to serve our customers.  In other words, if it benefits only us, it does not advance.  It goes to either the “rework” or “trash” pile.

This is a good rule for new ideas in general.  Two decades ago, Doug Hall and his team at Eureka! Ranch found that new-product concepts with a high level of “overt benefit” outperformed concepts with a low level by 3:1.

Continue reading “Marketing in the Time of Coronavirus”
Posted on

How to Work From Home: Tips I’ve Learned Over 20 Years

(Reading Time: 7 minutes)

I first started working from home in 1997.  I definitely didn’t pioneer the concept, but I was perhaps an early adopter.  And I’ve had plenty of time to get things right and wrong.

In the name of showing up for others during this tricky time, the following are seven tips I recommend to someone who’s new to working from home.

Continue reading “How to Work From Home: Tips I’ve Learned Over 20 Years”
Posted on

The Super Bowl Ads: A Guide for the Rest of Us

(Reading Time: 11 minutes)

Friends, the Super Bowl is just a few days away.  That means the Super Bowl ads are just a few days away.  And that means the advertising media, and a few pundits, are working themselves into a lather right about now.

Take Gary Vaynerchuk.  He’s on record as saying:

“Super Bowl ads are underpriced.  Yeah, I said it.”

Medium.com, Jan. 29, 2015

And:

“When I buy my first brand, the first thing I’m gonna do is run multiple Super Bowl ads.”

ANA Masters of Marketing Conference, 2016

See that?  Gary Vee doesn’t even know what his product or service will be, let alone anything about its market or competitive situation, and he’s already committed to a tactical decision on its behalf.  This is obviously a problem, and we’ll come back to it.

Continue reading “The Super Bowl Ads: A Guide for the Rest of Us”
Posted on

Of Sparkling Water and Hockey Pucks

(Reading Time: 2 minutes)

Sparkling water costs pennies per can to produce.

If you knew this fact only, and you were in the sparkling water business, you might reasonably conclude:

  • Others are going to want a piece of this profitable market.
  • Some of them have been canning fizzy water for decades, and they’re damn good at it.
  • Some of them have very deep pockets.
  • Some of them are going to innovate.

What happens?

Continue reading “Of Sparkling Water and Hockey Pucks”