Strategic Brand Consultancy
At first, this article might sound like a book review, but actually, it is about a miserable experience of mine and a much-welcomed solution. Here’s how the story goes. Years ago, my then-employer wanted to publish a sector-specific “best brands” survey. Our plan was to choose a couple of sectors (or verticals), determine the top …
It’s blasphemous to think that Harlem Shake could have anything to do with innovation… It’s disrespectful to waste your precious time with such nonsense. I must be on drugs. But... I am not! Believe it or not, Harlem Shake meme teaches us something fundamental about the change process that takes place in biology. And that …
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 …
Is place branding a money trap invented by evil advertising agencies? Is it a fool’s gold for destinations? Has any place ever benefited from so-called place branding? How about this scary stat?: 86% of place branding projects fail within a year of introduction. Is there a way to break this curse? Let's figure out the …
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 …
I’ve been writing about branding for years, yet only one of my articles talks about the greatest brand of our time: Apple… Here is why: As soon as we start talking about brands and branding, it becomes extremely difficult to find an article that doesn’t refer to Apple. Every conference I attend, analyzes Apple as a …
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, …
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 …
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 …
Which one of these shapes is Booba, and which one is Kiki? According to Wolfgang Köhler's Booba/Kiki effect study, roughly 95% of people choose "kiki" for the sharp, angular shape and "booba" for the soft, rounded one. Even children as young as 2.5 demonstrated the Booba/Kiki effect. "But, how is that related to branding?" you …