In early May, British musicians Radiohead did the unthinkable: they lived up to their song title “How to Disappear Completely,” and erased themselves from the internet. Their website gradually decreased in opacity over the course of several hours, until it disappeared completely. Then, the band and its lead singer, Thom Yorke, removed all past posts, […]
J.Schmid President and Chief Creative Officer, Brent Niemuth, shows us that even while on vacation there’s always a branding lesson to be learned – How do brands that sell a commodity product or service separate themselves from their competitors (assuming the price is the same)? Need help making your brand stand out in a commodity […]
I recently came across an interesting study that looks at the power of brand from a little different angle. Anyone reading this is probably familiar with the concept of the placebo effect. The subject of countless articles, it was first defined over 60 years ago. It identified the important role that perception plays in physical […]
You only need to do two things to have a great website. 1). Make shopping your website as intuitive and simple as possible. 2) Tell the story of your brand and your unique selling proposition, without interfering with the above. Simple, right? Riiiiiiiiiiiight… In search of that elusive combination, I found three eCommerce websites that tell their story […]
Sadly, we’ve lost a couple more music legends recently—Merle Haggard and Prince. It’s the latter I’d like to talk about. There is no doubt that Prince was a musical genius. And there are actually many branding lessons we could learn from him. The importance of being different, of standing out, of being true to who […]
Is the location of your business important to your brand message? Are you using it to your advantage? Consider a brand like Starbucks, who made Seattle (where the brand originated) part of their brand story. Need help finding your brand message? Email our CEO, Lois Brayfield, or call 913-236-2988.
Ancient man relied heavily on others in order to survive. We banded together for protection, to find food, for entertainment. It’s our primal instinct to think, feel and act based on the broader needs and beliefs of an extended community. This same instinct lives in us today. We learn from each other. We rely on […]
The world of marketing has exploded with opportunities to capture the heart of both customers and prospects alike. Whether it’s online or offline, marketers bombard consumers with a cacophony of messages that overload the senses and create confusion. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to present a simple, compelling directive to guide prospects to a […]
During the holiday shopping season, you’ll see more offers, promotions, teasers … well, more bribes to drive sales than any other time of the year. With holiday consumer spending forecast to reach $619 billion, brands are scrambling to ensure they get their piece of the pie. Is the “bribe” necessarily a bad thing? Well, it […]
