Branding

Chances are, you got into advertising or marketing for the good work. Of course, we can’t always do good work, but it is something we can strive for. When you feel like you’ve been trapped under a pile of  meh, so-so, or chore-like work, it’s time to remind yourself why you’re here. You’re here for the good work. So grit it out and hold your head up high.

Ode to the Good Work…

• The work that inspires us to get into the hearts and minds of people completely different than ourselves, so we can feel compassion for those we may never know personally
• The work that highlights the infinite potential of humankind and the limitless world we live in
• The work that reminds us of how precious life is and what a joy it is to be living
• The work that shows us just how powerful it is to know you’re not alone
• The work that showcases what a beautiful thing the human spirit is
• The work that reinforces to us how strong we are when we join forces for good
• The work that empowers us to go out and be our best selves
• The work that reminds us we are not defined by our failures, but how we respond to failure

Continue reading Ode to the Good Work

In today’s overcrowded world, consumers are bombarded with information, marketing messages, and options, leaving everyone craving the simplicity that only brands like Apple seem to have mastered. Marketers love simplicity in theory, but in practice, it’s much harder to achieve.

What Simplicity Really Means

It’s easy to love the idea of simplicity as an end result, but the path to simplicity can be challenging and demanding. At the heart of simplification is choice: you have to choose what’s most important (prioritization), and what to include and exclude. This is difficult for marketers on a case-by-case basis. Who has the power to make these important decisions? How can we make sure these decisions are aligned across the organization?

The Role of Brand Strategy

Without a brand strategy acting as your compass, it’s easy to get lost. You need a well-defined brand strategy that is easily understood and can be articulated by everyone in the company. A brand strategy is essential to everyday decisions that align with overall business goals. With a brand strategy in place, you don’t have to make major strategic decisions at every touch point. You just need to apply the brand strategy to your marketing channels.

If your marketing team is struggling to make the necessary choices required to create simplified experiences, then you may need a brand check-up. A brand strategy includes defining your vision and mission, core values, unique value proposition, positioning, brand promise, voice, key messaging, and target audience(s). A well-defined brand strategy can help you make decisions at the highest level all the way down to the nitty gritty details.

Is your brand failing to simplify?

Continue reading Marketers Keep Preaching Simplicity, But It Isn’t Happening