Man, this is hard. COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. As if running a business wasn’t hard enough, now the rules have completely changed. What are brands supposed to do now? What should we say? How should we act? I’ve been watching closely how brands—and people in general—have responded to this crisis. Are there […]
About 10 years ago, REI made me so stinking mad that I swore I’d never grace their check-out again. A brand-advocate no more, I huffed my outraged “customer-no-service” story to everyone that cared to listen. Their offense? They made me pay for return shipping on a few items that didn’t fit. And worse, because I […]
Look, it’s really simple. If your brand doesn’t have a chicken sandwich as part of its merchandise offering, you might as well just close your doors. Soon, every brand will be judged on the quality, availability and deliciousness of their own chicken sandwich. Think of it as a new arms race. Or in this case, […]
Brands who act more human—who are relatable and have a personality that people genuinely like—are the ones who are winning today. How human is your brand? Does it act and behave like a person would, or does it come across as a cold and boring company? There’s a trick that we use when defining a […]
Imagine if John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote great songs, with story, melody and the right words. Then imagine that they went into the studio, recorded an “okay” take, called it a day and went to the pub. The point is, if your marketing efforts aren’t delivering the results you’re looking for, maybe you should […]
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 […]
Chris Hayes EVP, Brand Strategy Marketers are understandably excited about Generation Z. Members of this newest demographic cohort, aged 16 to 21 (the overall cohort is 7 to 21), spend an estimated $143 billion annually and that number does not include the money spent by parents on their Gen Z children. There are approximately 65 […]
What’s not to like about Amazon, right? The reasons are obvious; Amazon is easy, fast and well-priced. I’m a customer. I’m not a recreational shopper, so finding and purchasing an item quickly is often what I’m looking for. Clearly positioning anything as fast and easy is a winning strategy. We’ve all fallen for microwave popcorn […]
We’re a direct marketing and creative agency located in Kansas City, right here in the heart of the country. We consider ourselves a ‘hybrid’ agency. We combine the data-driven science of catalogs and direct marketing, and mesh that with the seductive storytelling of advertising and branding. It’s the best of both worlds.
