Slimfast  is proving that no matter how old a brand might be, one can finally get to a great copy line that tells the story and does so in a way that links directly to the name of the brand.  And makes you wonder where this idea has been for so many years? “Who has [...]

This is one of my favorite topics, or should I say favorite rants. Will  your grandchild know what an OREO is, or was?  How about a Reese’s?  Our experience is that a brand has one single pivot foot and that it can move one step from the pivot foot only, much like a power forward [...]

For many years, I have meant to visit Columbus, Indiana.  You know that’s the town that is differentiated based on the architecture of its companies and buildings. I went yesterday. If it is possible to overdo branding for a city, Columbus may have done it.  The reason for the differentiation is real.  The logo is [...]

I learned this morning that new products guru Margot Chapman jumped off the Golden Gate bridge ending her brilliant career.  I will miss her.  We were friends for almost 35 years. Margot first made waves back in the late 60′s inventing Warm Fuzzies, the very first sheepskin bedroom slipper with the wool inside.  Yes, all [...]

There is a commercial for a new paint or stain by Behr which in my opinion is guilty of burying the lead.  I don’t remember the name, whether it is a paint or a stain, but I remember one line of the commercial that was accompanied by an almost impactful visual demo, had it been [...]

Awhile back, I wrote about James Bond Island in Pha Nang Bay in Phuket. Today, let’s look at a different destination that was re-branded closer to home. In the late 1970′s The Herschend family purchased a small, Smoky Mountain theme park called Gold Rush Junction. It had a steam train ride, a few general store [...]

What if you are sitting at your desk and someone says, “let’s brand fragrance.”  You reply, “you mean a certain fragrance?”  “No” they say, “let’s brand all fragrance.”  Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Well consider what Muzak did years ago when they created the idea of using music in the background in the workplace.  Muzak is [...]

I gave a speech on the principles of KILLER BRANDING a few years ago at the William Mason business school at William & Mary college, and one of the students whose name escapes me now, immediately branded himself as “the Generator,” someone who generates change, who makes things happen.  He put it on his letters, [...]

I discovered Ira Koretsky today, not a very compelling or memorable name is it?  How about if I said that I discovered The Chief Story Teller™ today?  That is how Ira brands himself. In fact, if  you go to the website of The Chief Story Teller, you will note that he does not use his [...]

This is one of the big issues in marketing? When is it time to change the brand’s differentiation? Overall, it is always time to improve.  It is rarely time to change. No matter how good your position, you can always improve.  I call your attention to Aflac.  Their new campaign (woman on crutches coming to [...]