The Brand is Not Part of the Business; It IS the Business
People don’t invest a lot of time on details. They sort out the promise a brand makes and the meaning it evokes. That’s it. That’s all you get, nothing more, and nothing less. They create a short, simple mental model of how your brand enhances their own identities. To them, the brand they have in […]
Higher-Purpose Branding
IBM is an example of a company with integrity and authenticity, and as the best business leaders know, these are the two words that most draw any of us to a great brand. IBM’s mission is to show us how technology can improve the world. British retailer Marks & Spencer promotes more than the goods […]
Our Touchpoints – Total CX Experience Leaders Summit
In recent years, “Customer Experience” (CX) has become a growing buzz-phrase in branding circles as businesses find that their products are more and more difficult to differentiate or stay differentiated, and messaging struggles to reach the eyes and ears of target customers. Meanwhile the great, inspiring, if-I-hear-about-it-one-more-time-I-might-barf brand success stories of our time—Apple, Starbucks, Southwest, […]
Doing Well By Doing Good
An effective brand’s most important reason for being comes in the articulation of its purpose or mission. A mission is no longer an exclusively internal consideration to be shared among the brand’s personnel. It is not something you write casually and pin on the boardroom wall for occasional reference. If it is to be pinned […]
From “Voice of the Customer” To “Mind of the Customer”
One of our critical mantras here at Brandtrust is, "If you want to know why people do what they do, the worst thing you can do is ask them."
Simple Lessons Every CMO Can Learn from Pope Francis
Even the most complex brands get reduced to a few symbols. Sound bites have crushed 2,000 years of the Catholic Church down to pedophile priests and financial scandals. Media coverage of the selection of a new pope suggests the church’s brand is nothing more than a puff of smoke.
The Only Truth That Matters
At the end of life, there’s only one truth that matters, and that’s yours. Lacey Mason talks about dignity therapy and the fact that we are who we remember ourselves to be.
Redirect
Leigh Pollock shares some thoughts on the book Redirect and how thinking about your own, personal narrative in a new way can change everything.
It’s Branded Into My Memory
Kristian Aloma explains the neuroscience of how memory works and how that relates to brands. Unfortunately, even he can’t help you find your keys.
Empathy and Ethnography
Sometimes, to truly understand what's going on with a group of people, asking questions just isn't enough. Stephan Leman explains that that's where ethnography comes in.
The Social Animal
Stephan Leman reviews the new David Brooks book, The Social Animal.
The Beginner’s Mind
In this post, Rebeca Arbona explains why we approach each Brandtrust engagement with the Zen Buddhist concept of a “Beginner’s Mind.”
