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, […]
There’s an old saying in marketing, “Happy customers tell three friends. Unhappy customers tell ten.” These days, with the ease of sharing on social media, those numbers are probably an understatement. The fact is the customer experience is arguably the most critical element of a brand’s success. According to a McKinsey study, 70% of buying […]
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 […]
Case Study: Seventh Generation When it comes to household goods, specifically those in the cleaning, paper, and personal care product lines, I’m not sure if there is a better example of sustainability in practice than Seventh Generation. From the company name to their product ingredients, down to the containers their soaps and cleaners arrive in, […]
Case Study: Patagonia While some companies incorporate sustainability practically into sourcing and shipping and others focus on the empirical side of things through product ingredients and consumer honesty, there is a third segment whose very brand essence relies on their inherent relationship to ethical consumerism and their perceived identity in the marketplace. Standing atop the […]
Case Study: Crowd Cow Somewhere in no man’s land, between the entrenched forces of cooking meals at home on one side and ordering food in a restaurant on the other, lives a purchase variable that has been rediscovered in a big way: convenience. Walk into any apartment building, drive down any street, and you’re likely […]
What’s in a name? When it comes to the three brands I’ve looked at this month … everything. The sign of a great brand isn’t only name recognition, but the image you get in your head when you hear the name. You should immediately feel something when the name is mentioned. The best brands allow you […]
No, I’m not a woman. But I do shop for women’s clothing. Huh? Let me clarify. My wife hates to shop. She simply refuses to buy things for herself (weird, I know). I, on the other hand, love to shop, especially for clothes (even weirder). So I end up doing all the shopping for her. […]
Retailers must make a concerted effort to get consumers’ attention in today’s fast-paced environment, where prospects are subjected to hundreds of adverting messages a day. When it comes to brand recognition, integration is the name of the game. For consumers to really connect with a brand, they must have the same brand experience online, in-store […]
