Six New Year’s Resolutions – Go Big!

New Year’s resolutions? Okay, let’s look at mine for a second: only drink wine on the weekend, cut-back on refined sugar, hit the gym. It’s likely they’ll turn out to be: hit the wine and cut back on the gym…but it’s good to have a plan. Whatever our resolutions might be it’s a positive step […]

Why You’re Not Patagonia

They’re like a frustrating older sibling. They get all the attention, and they get away with pretty much everything. They’re incredibly well-liked, and it seems like everyone aspires to be them. (Is it obvious that I’m a middle child?) Regardless of how you feel about them, Patagonia is one of the most impressive brands out […]

REFRESH YOUR DESIGN WITH H2O

Are you thirsty for better creative? You don’t necessarily need to dump everything and go back to the well for a complete redesign. Sometimes all you need is a refreshing splash of H2O . Water? No, not that kind H2O . This kind of H2O … Hierarchy.Hygiene.Organization. How can these three elements invigorate your design? […]

Catalog Critique For Dummies (actually, just anyone that isn’t a Creative Director)

Critiquing a catalog can be overwhelming. Maybe you’re so close to your brand that it’s hard to maintain objectivity. Maybe your focus is merchandise, so product presentation is most important to you. Maybe you’re not a Creative Director, so reviewing work is intimidating. (We can’t all be Creative Directors.) (I’m not a Creative Director.) There […]

Using Postcards in your Marketing Mix

Let’s face it, there is so much a postcard can’t do for you. It can’t show the depth and breadth of your product. It can’t create a shopping or browsing experience. And it won’t make your morning coffee. But a postcard is still a mighty marketing tool that you should consider adding to your marketing […]

PLEASE BRANDS, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?

We’ve all seen the sign on the marquee of some local watering hold. “Coldest beer in town,” it proclaims. Marketing at its most basic. But how do we know it’s really the coldest? There are other bars in town. Surely they have cold beer as well. Maybe even colder. NO! The sign says otherwise. For […]