In the intricate dance of place branding, merely twirling to the tune of stereotypes often leaves cities spinning in circles. With 86% of place branding projects failing, it's high time cities looked inward, seeking their true archetypes— their unique, universal narratives. Take Ottawa's attempt to reshape its 'boring city' stereotype through advertising. Instead of straining to change perceptions—an endeavor as fruitless as convincing a lifelong cat person to favor dogs—cities should excavate their archetypal stories, just as Washington DC, Minsk, and Izmir have done. Through their efforts, these cities have painted vibrant, authentic narratives that resonate deeply, turning their stereotype 'shadows' into archetypal 'light.' In this quest, remember: a city, like its people, is a tapestry of stories—your stereotype is merely a single thread, not the entire weave.
Brand Jordan
NBA lockout is about to end. The hot topic of discussion is what's the damage to Brand Jordan? Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player of all times. But his skills and will are not enough to explain how he became the magnetic person that he is. During his Hall of Fame induction speech, …
Key to customer loyalty
There are some brands that I find so successful. I call them magnetic. One of those brands is Maui Jim, the sunglass company. The brand is best known for its high quality, reasonably priced and fashionable polarized sunglasses. I bought my first Maui Jim sunglass in 2008. Since then, I bought two more. As rational …
Brand Storytelling
Carl Jung once said, “Never do human beings speculate more, or have more opinions, than about things which they do not understand.” Unfortunately, brand storytelling is one of those things. Let's try to unearth its meaning and find ways to leverage brand storytelling to support brand strategy. “Never do human beings speculate more, or have …
Branding Through Storytelling
Recently I stumbled upon a well-written book named, “Storytelling: Branding in Practice.” Storytelling is a buzzword in the world of strategy. Unfortunately, though, it is an often-used yet seldom-understood concept. “Branding Through Storytelling” is a helpful “how to” guide to unearthing, sharing and leveraging corporate stories to support brand strategy. Let's start with basics. Storytelling …
LeBron James: Really a villain brand?
A lot has been written and said about LeBron James and his famous decision to sign with the Miami Heat. So why address this topic now? Hasn’t everything been said about “the decision?” My answer is “no”, because nobody looked at this issue from brand strategy perspective. So let’s put our branding goggles and see …
What is missing from Toronto Raptors’ brand strategy?
I am an avid fan of basketball and Toronto Raptors. Be that as it may, this article is not about the most recent lackadaisical season of the Raptors. If you want to discuss basketball, I would suggest you visit Raptors Republic, for the real basketball sages hang out there. This article, on the other hand, …
Continue reading "What is missing from Toronto Raptors’ brand strategy?"