brand story
942 posts
Marketing Advice
We’re on our way to buy that forgotten pint of milk late one weekday evening when we spot a brand new restaurant. So, we stop to take a look at the menu in the window. Inside the place is deserted, apart from two smiling waitresses, stationed behind the double glass doors and one anxious owner…
Message Received
How much time will you spend today trying to persuade the people you hope to serve? How much effort will you devote to understanding how your message was received? Your job is to do more than to ask for feedback—it’s to test for resonance. You must pay attention to both what your customers say and…
Words And Deeds
When we moved to our neighbourhood, the independent organic grocer was a community hub. The sales staff knew locals by name. The fruit and vegetables were plentiful and fresh. And customers were offered food tastings every day. And then bit by bit things started to change. The owner opened a store i
If You Want To Be Noticed, Start Noticing
We’re always looking for ways to get our customers to notice us. We spend time thinking about what new marketing channels we could explore. We work on strategies to get us more exposure. We test tactics that might improve our reach. What would happen if we shifted some of our energy to noticing our
What Stories Are You Forgetting To Tell?
Often our best stories are the ones that seem insignificant to us. We take the things we do well for granted. We forget that what’s simple to us might be insightful for others. We become accustomed to doing the work without celebrating or showing the results. And that’s a problem. If we don’t articu
Always, Sometimes, Never
Doing our best work requires us to pay attention to the things and people that energise us. One way to do this is to consider categorising potential opportunities, projects or clients into three buckets. Always, sometimes and never. The goal is to do more of the ‘always’ work, on the projects that b
The Power Of A Shared Narrative
Many shoppers wandering the department store on Saturday are browsing. Some are buying. Most people the menswear assistant offers to help, decline. But one or two ask if a particular shirt or jumper is available in their size. The response depends. It depends on three things—the stock levels, the tr
What Can You Learn From Your Competitors?
What’s the story your competitor doesn’t want to tell?
Good Stories Drive Great Strategy
Successful brands have a great story long before they have a grand plan.
The Power Of Brand Energy
Brand energy builds brand equity.
Build Your Darlings
Build your darlings for the people you care about serving. Those people who will fall in love with how your work enables them to live the lives they want.
Bolder, Braver, Better Marketing
Is your marketing mindset limiting your ability to connect with and serve your customers better?
How Good Is Your Story?
A good story changes how we think. A great story changes how we feel and what we do.
Try Anyway
Texas head teacher, Belinda George, doesn’t have access to more resources than her colleagues. So how does she change her students’ lives for the better? Instead of focusing on the things she and her team can’t control, like educational policy and budgets, she concentrates on the things she can infl
Everyone Speaks
If you search ‘best breakfast in Hobart’ on Trip Advisor, you’ll find a tiny, backstreet cafe in the number one spot. This cafe opens for six hours each day, only seats a dozen people and has a queue of eager diners waiting outside before it opens. It’s the kind of place the people who visit…
Efficiency Vs. Meaning
Mike’s been driving for Uber for three years. In that time he’s done 20,000 trips while maintaining a consistent 4.94-star rating. Mike works when he wants to. He’s earning more than enough money to pay the bills, and yet he can’t help feeling there’s something missing. Mike is a phenomenally succes
On Culture
Culture is how we act, based on what we know about who we are. It isn’t about fitting in, it’s about understanding where we belong and why. Culture is a reminder that if we believe this, then we do or don’t do, that. It’s about saying this is who we are, then living up to…
Fabled Or Found?
Every week, my favourite bookstore restocks the shelves at the front of the store with new releases. And every time I go there, I think the same thing. What are the chances of any book—no matter how good, being found here? The truth is, the books that sell are the ones that people come into…
Prices Are Stories
Just because someone has the money to pay what you’re charging doesn’t mean they’re your ideal customer.
Don’t Manipulate Me, Move Me
There’s a difference between a good story and a great story. A good story gets our attention. A great story changes us. Successful marketing campaigns and brand stories don’t convince us. They move us. A good leader gets our vote, and sometimes, our respect. A great leader gains our loyalty, and oft
