Purple Sunrise A Brand That’s Coming to your Breakfast Table Soon
DON’T CALL IT MUSH!
Hot cereals have long been part of the healthy breakfast. Most doctors recommend them as essential for good health, and a tasty alternative to the American standard of bacon and eggs. There are a variety of hot grain cereals to choose, from iconic Quaker Oats and the...
Domestic Solar Brand Needs Repair
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
Orders for domestic solar roof installations are, well, “through the roof!” As solar power finally becomes mainstream, we thought we’d share our experience with solar. We were early adopters. We put in our first solar array in 1998 and have been using solar to produce both...
The Mob Museum Adds History, Color, and Character to the Las Vegas Brand
PROHIBITION GAVE PERMISSION
It's ironic that the same former federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas that was the site of hearings and criminal proceedings against so many mob members wound up being a tourist attraction in the very town that was, in large part, originally built up by the...
Rebranding a Commercial Neighborhood with Paint and Sensibility
BARIO TO BRAVO
We all have them in our towns: 50s-era strip malls with parking in front, originally designed to be convenient to an automobile-oriented society. Simply drive in, get your products and services, and drive out. Not much walking, not much community feeling, and not much fun. These...
Most Microbrew Brands will Remain Regional
WEIGHT, WEIGHT – DON’T TELL ME
A microbrew, also known as a craft beer, is produced in a small commercial brewery that produces no more than 15,000 barrels (or just under half a million gallons) of beer per year. Exact definitions vary, but the terms are typically applied to breweries that are independently...
Brand Equity Requires Constant Reinvestment
GROW OR DIE!
There's no treading water in the market stream. Some say, “Sink or swim.” We always like to say, "Swim upstream or get washed out to sea!" What really distinguishes so-called serial entrepreneurs from their cousins, the merchants, brokers, and individual service providers, is their constant reinvestment...
Improve Your Brand Image with Fun!
OUR FAVORITE THREE-LETTER WORD
We were recently asked by the CEO of an international corporation with over 100 brands, “What is fun?” At first we were taken back by the question because it seems so self-evident. But as we began to think about how to phrase our answer, we realized...
VinoPro Reinvents Itself and the Wine Sales Business in the Process
THE BRAND BEHIND THE BRANDS
For the second year in a row, our client VinoPro again made the Inc. 500 list, showing 190% growth over last year. In 2013, they hit the ultra-prestigious Inc.500 list where they ranked No. 238 with a whopping 1,810% growth. Now, that is something to cheer...
Facebook Reneges on Its Brand Promise
“YOU REACHED 9 PEOPLE”
Without notice to its subscribers, Facebook suddenly changed its algorithms, essentially reneging on its basic brand promise. Remember, the brand promise is not so much what is made by the brand owners as it is the expectations of the brand’s customers, what they have come to...
The Freedom Tower is More Than an Office Building – It’s a Brand
THE JEWEL IN LOWER MANHATTAN’S CROWN
When we were in New York City last year the cupola antenna was being hoisted into place at the top of the new Freedom Tower in the newly rebuilt World Trade Center. As a huge crane gently positioned the last piece of the Tower's stature in...
All Your People are Salespeople When They Believe in Your Brand
OVER DELIVER
Our new book, The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People, will be coming out in September. This book was written specifically for corporate executives who want to improve their company culture by borrowing techniques successful entrepreneurs use every day. They know that...
Traditional Corporate Structure Can Hurt Brand Health
THE DEFICIENCIES OF SCALE
In order to stay fresh, relevant, and dominate their space, brands must constantly reinvent themselves. But does the traditional company structure itself suffocate a brand’s growth and evolution? Does the structure itself create its own roadblocks, choke communication, and suppress innovation? Traditional corporate structure puts marketing...
Alan Mulally Remortgages, Repositions and Saves Ford
FUN – A THREE LETTER WORD
About to retire after eight years Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company’s CEO, is leaving on a high note. When he was passed over to run Boeing after taking a big part in the reorganization of that company, he accepted Bill Ford’s offer to become CEO. At...
Electric Cars Gain Traction as Local Governments Cut Costs
LARGE PURCHACES LOWER PRICES
Sonoma County, California is making the nation’s largest single government purchase of electric vehicles. This is just the beginning of a trend that seeks to save taxpayers from the high cost of gasoline- powered vehicles. Over a five-year period, the County’s purchase of 31 all-electric Ford...
Branding the West Coast of Ireland – the Wild Atlantic Way
SLí AN ATLANTAIGH FHIÁIN
As if Ireland didn’t need another reason to attract visitors to this magical, historic and bucolic gem of an island, it has given the world one more reason to make that visit: the Wild Atlantic Way! The Wild Way Logo Stretching along 2500 kilometers of rugged...
The Brand That Promises Clean Water For All
FROM SEGWAY TO SLINGSHOT
According to the World Health Organization, almost one billion people are without direct access to safe drinking water, resulting in hundreds of deaths per year. Competition for this limited but essential resource is increasingly resulting in violence around the globe. Slingshot In most places, the problem...
8 Considerations Before You Sell Your Brand
THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN MONEY
Sometimes you put so much focus, energy and resources into building your brand that when you finally monetize your brand equity, you are unprepared for what comes next. Having your brand acquired seems like all you need. It is totally gratifying. But life goes on, only...
The WNBA Brand Stays Relevant by Including LGBT
SALES TRUMP CONTROVERSY
For us, it was no surprise that the Woman’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) finally decided that it was time to publically embrace the LGBT community. They were under mounting financial and popular pressure to do so. After all, they have to sell tickets. In 2012 the WNBA...