The Story

It’s so refreshing to hear a small business owner personally tell you what makes his business special and do it in the simplest of terms. To know that the guy at the top has a razor-sharp idea of what differentiates his business from the competitors is a breath of fresh air… or in this case, […]

Check this out, I just made up a new phrase: “The Reinvention Chasm.”
“What in tarnation does that mean?” you might wonder. Thanks for asking.
The Reinvention Chasm describes the growing distance between brands that are able to continually evolve and redefine themselves, and brands who think reinvention is an “initiative” that should happen once a decade […]

I final thought for the day about the guts it takes to be an innovator and deliver on your vision despite what the rest of the small-minded non-innovators think:
“If I had asked my customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse.”
-Henry Ford

It used to be that back in the day of traditional marketing for banks, prudent marketers had to make sure most of their budget dollars were allocated for media, rather that creative development and production. In other words, although it would have been more fun to spend all your time copywriting and art directing […]

I just read an interesting blurb in National Geographic Traveler about hotels using the power of smell to brand their guests’ experiences. The new Cove Atlantis resort in the Bahamas created a “signature scent” of coconut, beach grass, and water lilies that wafts throughout the resort’s 300 lanterns. In Hong Kong, the lobby […]

Is there a difference?  There is…at least in the world of proving the story.
So what’s the difference?  The concept; the premise of what you’re doing.  And proving the story is the perfect example.
Proving the story is simple.  But it’s not easy.
it’s simple because all it takes to prove the story is to make sure that […]

These days we expect retail environments to provide us with welcoming, uplifting experiences. But a hospital? That’s almost unheard of, but that’s precisely what makes this example a compelling argument for experiential branding. After all, no one likes hospital visits. And certainly the more complex or serious the need, the more dreaded and uncomfortable the […]

It’s no secret that the banking industry is not known for excitement. I think it could be–it should be, maybe–but it’s not.
A brief conversation around the office today made me realize it even more.
So we’re hiring for a graphic designer. We simply posted the job description on craigslist–big here in Portland (and most […]

A major part of a bank or credit union customer/member experience is the branch environment, and a major part of branch environment revolves around safety.  And what’s a common safety measure in most banks and credit unions (at least in urban areas)?  Bullet-proof glass.
Last week I went into a B of A bank branch I’ve […]

The retail world is quickly catching on. At least the savvy ones are. I’m talking about creating experiences for customers that are tied to a company’s products and services, and equating that to its brand. It all adds up… Experiences + Products/Services = Brand (and brand loyalty).
As beautifully documented by Financial Times’ Jonathan […]