Brand it Like Bogie
Four simple-as-dirt branding lessons from Casablanca on how to become irresistible to customers & impervious to competitors.
The Secret to Changing People’s Minds With Advertising
There are at least three proven methods for changing people’s minds on even intensely personal and polarizing issues.
Chaos is a pattern
The chaos of advertising is a repeatable success formula when you know how to identify the patterns. The real issue is what is said.
The sun sets at quarter past seven on the sixth day of September
My ex-business partner didn’t understand the food was secondary to the view.
Personality Prescription, Part 10 – The Company Spokesperson
People don’t expect you to be a polished professional. They do expect you to be sincere and to tell them the truth as you see it.
Character, statues, and a promise no one else will make
"Do you know what you're selling?" "Custom-made furniture." "God no. That's the product. You're selling nostalgia."
Do Annoying Commercials Accomplish the Right Goals?
Obnoxious ads get people to know who you are, but they neither develop fondness nor instill trust in your brand.
10 Most Common Mistakes in Marketing (Home Services Edition)
With so much conflicting information, how can you avoid royally screwing up your business? Start here.
Once upon a time…
Great stories have three principal roles: hero, victim, and villain. These roles need to be filled: Prince Charming, Stepmother, and Cinderella.
Learn These New Words and Be Ahead of the Pack
By introducing new ideas, you attract people’s attention, cementing your brand into a household name. You rise above the Sea of Sameness.
James Watt – The marketing story of horsepower
Cars are marketed today using the term horsepower. Find out why James Watt invented the term and how it helped.
Transactional vs. Relational Shoppers
Transactional shoppers illustrate lower average sales and closing ratios, and smaller profit margins.
Skunky Beer is the Worst (Part the Third)
For his chocolate-coffee stout, he used pounds of Wilbur Buds dark chocolate (a local delicacy). Then the brewer made a tragic mistake.
Origin Story: How Your Story Should’ve Successfully Been Told
Most ads don’t work. Why? They’re missing the key ingredient.
The world’s most honest used car salesman
I like making people the hero in the ads. People are more interesting when they stop pretending.