Good To Do Vs. Right To Do

The brand new billboard spanned the four lanes of the freeway that led to the airport. The location was obviously a strategic move, given that the company being advertised was in the travel business. The gorgeous image of a lone traveller in the wilderness had likely been painstakingly chosen by the marketing department in consultation…

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Changing Minds And The Decision Timeline

When was the last time you switched brands? The reality is we mostly make decisions on autopilot and we don’t often change our minds. When change happens it doesn’t happen in an instant—however hopeful we as marketers might be that it does. We know for example, that the transition to bottled water didn’t happen overnight…

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The Opportunity Equation

In order for a business to take advantage of an opportunity four factors must be in place. The formula looks like this. VISION + RESOURCES + SKILLS + PLAN = OPPORTUNITY REALISED An opportunity can only be realised when you have the vision to recognise it and the resources, skills and plan to execute on…

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Want To Vs. Have To

The famous fashion designer doesn’t have to pay a fair wage to the workers in the Indian village, who hand bead the $600 dresses she sells to affluent Melburnians. Her customers would never know—and yet she does. The busy graphic designer doesn’t have to make suggested improvements to the slide deck he’s working on. His…

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How Will You Get To Where You Want To Go?

There are always things we know we’d like to change or improve about our businesses. Often we’re just not sure what’s missing, how to begin or even where to start. To make change happen you need to have the vision to know where you’re going, the skills and resources that enable you to get there…

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Not Everything Is An Opportunity

We first met casually, in a social situation one Saturday morning. Less than five minutes into the small talk Terry asked what I did for a living. No sooner had the words “I run my own business” left my lips, than his hand reached into his back pocket to draw out some business cards (one…

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Context And The Value Story

How much is nail polish removal worth? It all depends on the circumstances in which it’s executed. Use a tissue and liquid remover at home and we’re talking a cent or two. Individually wrapped polish removal wipes for use on the go, cost as much as $1 each and a trip to the nail salon…

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The New Rules Of Brand Awareness

If you conducted a survey of entrepreneurs or business leaders, asking them to name their three biggest challenges, I can guarantee that nine times out of ten, attracting more customers and creating brand awareness would be on that list. The default method for creating brand awareness goes something like this. Old rules of brand awareness:…

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A New Book To Help You Create Ideas That Fly

I’ve spent the last two years writing, speaking and consulting about how to succeed by making your ideas resonate with the people you want to serve. My new book Meaningful: The Story Of Ideas That Fly is the culmination of that work. Our new digital landscape has spawned an entrepreneurial culture and the belief that…

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Before You Pitch

At the end of the event a small group gathered around the presenter. He had flown in from Europe the day before and was bound to be jet lagged. Despite that he had delivered an informative and inspiring keynote about how his company—one of the most powerful brands in the world, used customer insights to…

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