The Risk of Insult is the Price of Clarity
If you say what people expect you to say, you're boring and your ads will never work.
The Power of Context: Why Some Ads Hit Harder
How owners evaluate ads differs from how buyers actually encounter them.
Combining Sales Activation and Long-term Branding
Get the split right, and you’ll escape the treadmill and grow year after year.
Diamonds, Drains, and the Danger of Over-Education
Business owners know too much. And "educating the customer" is one of their worst mistakes.
AI is OK
AI is right for your business, if you don't think your business is terribly special.
How Adidas Fumbled the Message With “You Got This”
It starts brilliantly. But by the end it's a participation ribbon.
Google Is a Tactic, Not a Strategy
Google can deliver results but it requires a broader vision and destination in mind.
Lord Byron Killed by SEO Writing
Confused companies spend thousands on SEO writers of ill repute who produce little benefit.
The REAL Reason Jaguar’s Rebrand Doesn’t Work
In 2022 they sold 61,661 cars. 2 years later it's 33,320. Just shy of a 50% decline. How? Why?
Aspiring to Go Viral Is Lazy
I wish every business owner could go viral once, so they could realize how little it actually moves the needle.
Be Wild
Don’t fall into the trap of using safe, tame, lame ads. It feels tried and true, but it's a road to nowhere.
Where Should You Spend Your Ad Dollars?
Big brands can be a dominant purchaser in every medium but small companies need to budget carefully.
Ernest Hemingway Killed by SEO Writing
Businesses that employ typical SEO writing repel customers and sound like they suck.
Flying Money Out the Window
Are you getting what you paid for? There's science behind a mesmerizing message and artwork.
How to Take the Fail Out of Failure
Roy Williams says, “If you’ve never failed, it’s either because you’re frightened or you lack imagination.”