Burning Questions — Consumer Review Sources

Consumer Reactions to Review Sites In our latest Burning Questions study, we asked 250 consumers: “Which consumer review sources are you most likely to trust?” Many gave multiple sources a nod, while others told us they only trusted reviews that are not sponsored. We found that most consumers no longer take reviews at face value. […]

Burning Questions — A Consumer Pulse Series

Consumer Reactions to AI in Branding In our latest Burning Questions study, we asked 250 consumers: “When you hear that a brand uses AI to create content, what’s your gut reaction?” The answers were split—35% felt neutral, 34% leaned negative, and only about 30% were positive or conditionally positive. Concerns centered on authenticity and creativity, […]

AI Can Help You Scale. Humanity Makes it Matter.

Why Human Brands Still Win Artificial intelligence is everywhere. It writes our emails, recommends our playlists, tailors our shopping carts, and increasingly, shapes how brands show up in the world. And listen—we love a good tool. Anything that makes the work faster, smarter, or more efficient? We’re in. But there’s a line.A big one.Because when […]

Humanity Marketing

Why Empathy is Your Brand’s Secret Weapon What if the most powerful marketing tool you have isn’t your budget, your media mix, or even your data — but your ability to be human? In a world where brands are louder, faster, and more automated than ever, the ones that actually connect are the ones that […]

Why You’re Not Patagonia

Customer Loyalty Part 9: Brand With a Purpose 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 […]

Catalog Critiques: Making Bad Good, and Good Better

ROKA At J.Schmid, we know catalogs. But we also know that in order to stay at the forefront of change and innovation you need to be a student of your craft. We’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and where unexpected opportunities may lie. This blog series will showcase our expertise, as we take an in-depth […]

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 […]

HUMANITY MARKETING

Too many brands make us feel indifferent. Or feel nothing at all. But some brands have a certain something – an emotional appeal. They connect. They feel more HUMAN. Your products and all of your data don’t come first. People come first. And brands that recognize that – and act more human themselves – are […]