There’s been a frustrating decline in quality and class over the past decade, but many of this year’s ads were surprisingly smart, funny and compelling! A refreshing flashback to the good-old-days of the E-Trade babies and Budweiser horses. Here I outline my favorites through the lens of strategic brand analysis, and simple human perception (which is honestly the north star of good branding), and I’ll also share a few themes and lessons…

People with dyslexia are truly brilliant, and the reason they fall behind in school and feel so hopeless isn’t necessarily because they have a learning disability, but because they have a learning difference. Despite dyslexia being very common - 1 in 5 people in the US…

The road people drive across is your messaging - how you engage your audience, the essence that draws them in. However, before you can craft your brand's message, you need to build two critical pillars to support the bridge…

Expanding your business is a strategic move, yet it often leads to one sneaky unforeseen consequence - BRAND DELUSION. Preserving your brand’s equity is crucial when entering new realms. The balance between business growth and brand integrity requires clarity, strategic planning and a focused commitment to your purpose and your target audience.

She came to me with an idea and a whole lot of drive and talent. We set to work collaboratively developing her brand strategy and narrative framework - crafting her target audience analysis, purpose, positioning strategy, clear product statement, tone, name, tagline and more. The drive behind her brand quickly came to the surface and we crafted this statement…

Brands who find the whitespace in the market are typically their own first customer; they solve their own problem first, and then market that solution for other like-minded people. These companies not only have a head-start in terms of brand differentiation, they also have a much easier time identifying their target audience because…

Is brand more than a logo? Brand strategy vs marketing strategy...? What are some effective brand strategy principles to apply to my business? All valid questions. Let's dive in!

WHY would your customers be upset if you went out of business?

Humans don’t connect with business that want a sale… they connect with other humans who understand them.

Have you ever felt like you’re so close to your own brand that it clouds your vision on how to promote it? Sometimes you just need a little help getting out of your own head. Over the years I’ve picked up a few tricks that help me and my clients step into the shoes of the people who need our brands so we can craft messages that resonate with them.

Brand purpose is often thought of as the heart of your brand, the reason your brand exists beyond making money. In what big or small ways are you trying to shape the world around you for the better? What core belief drives your work and rallies your team together?…

I completely understand and respect Apple’s commitment to design and to maintaining their reputation of owning the words “beautifully designed tech” in the minds of their audience. However, in my philosophy on brand, user experience is king. If great brand exist to enrich their customers’ lives…