brand story
942 posts
Only We
Starbucks has been the only coffee chain since the 90’s where you can legally buy a Frappuccino®. Try selling a whipped iced coffee with that name and you’ll be busted by the intellectual property police. You can’t call your customer service centre the Genius Bar® either, that doesn’t mean you can’t
The Comparison Trap
At the gym I can’t take my eyes off the tall, svelte, Scandinavian goddess who is sweating elegantly, on the cross trainer just in front. When I’m attempting a less than elegant blossoming lotus, I long for the balance and flexibility of the raven-haired beauty on the yoga mat alongside. With regula
It’s All Been Done Before
This is what I call ‘the pioneer’s lament’. It’s been my personal lament many a day. It goes something like this… You have a great idea. It could be for a product, service, a book, blog post, or a new kind of dog food. You start planning, taking notes, visualising the impact of said thing…
The Story You Tell Is A Choice
The story you tell is a choice. Creating a series of lines in the sand. Symbolic of values that you’re not willing to compromise on. Your brand can’t be all things to everyone. This and that. The brands that stand out, that have soul, that win by being different, choose. They choose to stand for…
The Apple Store, Belonging And Love
What’s the one thing you never find at an Apple Store? That thing you probably found in your hotel room when you checked in. The poorly expressed intention to customers, that guarantees they will never come back. Oh, and it’s most likely laminated and taped up in several places. Ah yes….. a list of
What For What
I gave, now it’s your turn. Quid pro quo. Now we’re even. That’s how business is supposed to work. Exchanges of like for like. A trade. Transfer of ownership. Profit and loss. Transactions that can be measured. There’s no room for generosity in business. Unless it’s your business. Because that’s how
Something For Everyone
Pineapple Chili flavour ice lollies aren’t for everyone. And plenty of people hated Go The F**k To Sleep, which became a best seller by delighting parents with a particular worldview. If everything was created for the market of everyone, there would be no room for art by Banksy, t-shirts by Threadle
Embrace Your Singularity : An Anthem To You
The secret of the most successful brands and similarly the most fulfilled people in the world, is that they know what they’ve got and they are not afraid to show it. They embrace their uniqueness and singular ideas, then tell the best story they can to the right people. Do you? That’s how I started…
How To Tell A Good Business Story
Start with the truth. Identify the worldview of the people you need to reach. Describe the truth through their worldview. ~ Seth Godin What picture are you painting of your business? Are you trying too hard to sound more professional, bigger, slick, more polished than the competition? Is your story
You Really Are The Heroine Of Your Own Story
Yes it’s December alright. You know this because your to do list just got longer in all the craziness and extra obligation that is this time of year, (*truth*—however much you love holiday season). You feel it in the tightness across your shoulders and you make room for it, with less sleep every nig
Building A Currency Of Trust
It’s tempting when selling your product, service or idea just to focus on what it takes to make a particular transaction happen. That transaction might make a dent in the balance sheet in the short term, but it’s important not to lose sight of what will make a long term difference to your business a
Brands Are Shaped By The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Coffee chic is not merely a creation of Starbucks, no more than flawless design is the singular domain of Apple. What these companies do with a clever brand story, is make it easier for us to buy into the wants that we associate as being part of our story. What we actually believe to be…
Why Knowing What To Leave Out Matters
The secret of any great book, movie, business, product, or service is in the editing. As an entrepreneur or creative, your understanding of what to leave out is just as important as what you decide to leave in. Christopher Nolan will no doubt leave hours and hours of carefully crafted shots and scen
How To Write Great Website Copy
So you’ve got the crash hot website, the perfect calling card for your business. Fantastic! There’s just one problem you’ve got to fill it with engaging content that not only showcases what you do but gives potential clients a sense of who you are and how your business can help them. I’ve stared dow
Brand Names Are The Start Of A Story
From the moment the blue line appears on the pregnancy test and for the next 35 weeks, the one thing that obsesses most couples day and night while waiting for their new arrival is what they will call her. They compulsively leaf through baby name books, trawl websites and test out sound combinations
How Virgin Wins With A Better Story
Good Story means something worth telling that the world wants to hear. ~ Robert McKee Every time a customer encounters your marketing they are filling in the blanks. Their perceptions about your business are being etched in their minds and if you’re doing a great job, in their hearts too over time.
What Story Can People Tell Themselves About You?
This is the story of two businesses. I tell it often. Two cafes, that are literally side by side on the same street. One has a shaded elevated outdoor seating area with a view of the ocean. It is bigger and has a couple of comfy couches inside, where customers can relax over a light…
Compelling
The path to success is not simply determined by the ability to have great ideas. The capacity to understand their relevance in the world, to customers, (real people) and to sell that, is what makes a product, service, cause or idea fly. The MP3 player is one of the best examples of a situation where
Advertising Is Not Real Marketing
Think about the people you do business with and the brands you care about. Are you drawn in by their advertising or their marketing story? That full colour advert in the Sunday supplement is a tactic. So is the expensive, shiny new website you’re having built and those letterpress business cards you
People Don’t Want To Buy Your Process
I’m working with a client who is choosing images for her website, she’s worried that they need relate exactly to the services she offers. Maybe you do too? When Grace comes into your salon to have her legs waxed she doesn’t usually ask what kind of wax you use. You might think what she needs…
