When Stephen Hawking was asked, how he has sold more books on physics than Madonna has on sex, he famously said, “Someone told me that each equation I included in the book would halve the sales!” So, he avoided using equations in his writing and became a bestseller. In the field of communications, there is…
Tag: brand
When to celebrate your brand’s history?
Let’s say you are managing a brand that is about to celebrate its 25th-year anniversary. An interesting question pops up: Should you promote your company’s length of life? Should you say something like, “Since 1990”? When does it make sense to celebrate your brand’s history? What’s the right thing to do?
Symbolic Meaning of Numbers
Are you considering to use numbers as a part of your brand? Then, you may want to learn about the symbolic meaning of numbers! For instance, why do you think 7 is the world’s most popular number? Or does 5 have a gender? Which of the following is better to convey a sense of uniqueness?…
How to discover your organizational values?
Are you trying to define what keeps your organization together? Do you want to discover your organizational values? Would you like to write down “the way things get done around here?” Then, read on!
How to Create a Brand Architecture for Private Label Products
Private label (PL) is a remarkably profitable line of business. Around the world, the retailers’ profit margin of PL is roughly 40%, which is twice as much (!) as the profit they make from other brands. Consequently, so far PL has been treated as a “cash cow.” Money was invested in PL the product, not PL…
Systemic Solutions for Toronto Raptors – Part 2
Previously we evaluated Toronto Raptors as an organization to understand the root cause of the perpetuating mediocrity from which the franchise is suffering. We concluded that the problem of the Raptors Organization is systemic and threefold. Our first analysis focused on the Shifting the Burden archetype. Today, we are going to continue from where we…
The evolution of private label brands
Did you know that private label brands (PL) have been around for almost a century? Back in 1928, it was the Swiss, who introduced the concept. And since then PL has been spreading like wildflowers. To be fair PL is more than spreading: it is also “evolving.” Today, we are witnessing a quiet renaissance, which…
The Canadian Archetype
I am an immigrant living in Canada. Years ago, I decided to move here, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. If you are like me, which means if you are someone who enjoys observing and analyzing his surroundings, then living abroad is great fun. As an outsider, sometimes you see things that the…
Branding Czech Republic Part 2
Previously, we analyzed the Czech Republic’s new promotional logo, which did not receive a warm welcome. Unfortunately, the campaign failed to convey unique and compelling messages to the three major audiences of any place branding campaigns: Visitors, potential investors and the locals. We think this campaign did the expected: Promoted “the stereotypical Czech Republic.” However, successful branding requires us…
Branding Czech Republic Part 1
I have always thought that the most difficult branding projects are the place branding ones. As such, I have written quite a bit about the unique challenges of these beasts. The reality is, unfortunately most of them are destined to fail and this is proven by hard data. Months ago, Czech Republic revealed its new…
Why do place brands fail? The human-centered mistakes. Part 3
This is the last installment of our three-article series: “Why 86% of place brands fail?” First, we talked about the mistakes consultants make. Then, we addressed some of the common misperceptions of places. Today, we will conclude by talking about the role of leadership, consistency, and honesty.
Why do place brands fail? The mistakes of the places. Part 2
Previously, we mentioned that 86% of place brands fail. Then, we first examined the mistakes that brand consultants commit. Today, we’ll talk about the other half of the equation: The errors that places make. This essay is the second installment of our three-article series.
