The Story

My last mini case study explored the fluffy French power room that is Anthropologie. This time I’m going to concentrate on a slightly-less-feminine company called Tao of Tea. Not many of you have probably visited Tao, since it is a local Portland establishment. However, you may have heard of the tea house, […]

I recently had the chance to stay at the Nordic Hotel Forum in Tallin, Estonia - a new, hip, modern hotel. I was really impressed by the way the hotel stayed true to its brand through their interior design choices. They had a clear nature theme, which contrasted (pleasantly) with the […]

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Starbucks is undergoing a lot of changes in an effort to get back to their core. (Check out this article about Howard Schultz’s return in TIME magazine.) One of the changes includes getting rid of the popular breakfast sandwiches - a truly sad moment for several […]

Dan and Chip Heath, the progressive authors of the popular “Made To Stick” book, recently documented the importance of thinking outside the box, by thinking inside the box in their recent Fast Company article, “Get Back In The Box.” The article leads-off by discussing the idea from a bank manager to redesign its bank […]

I’ve found myself giving this example a lot lately in meetings–and there’s a good reason: it’s a simple test that says a lot about how well you’re proving your story through multi-sensory experiences. Try this:
If you were to cover up every single logo and tagline in your branch bank marketing or credit union […]

Not the “I’ve been in banking for 30 years and I know everything” kind of experience. The kind of experience that we all look forward to at Starbucks—the smell, the lighting, the wood, etc. The kind of experience Jet Blue delivers every time we step within 30 yards of their terminals at the airport. And the kind of experience visionaries like Umpqua Bank create with their coffee, chocolate coins and retail atmosphere.