The Story

As business people, we talk a lot about “managing expectations.” That’s a fancy way to say, often, “let’s set the bar low enough to make sure we jump over it.” You know what I mean…gotta make sure you don’t over-promise and then under-deliver.
But there’s a whole different side of expectation management, I’ve come […]

I had a tremendous, highly personalized experience recently with a local mortgage broker, Mortgage Trust (a CBC client) and it made me realize how un-personal my other loan experiences with banks have been. Most banks marketing themselves as customer-centric have a long way to go to compare with this company.
After completing a loan transaction, […]

Max Havelaar, the label that was the world’s first Fairtrade Certification Mark, recently released a viral marketing video to help promote fairtrade. I personally find this cool for two reasons. A) I got to hear one of Max Havelaar’s team members lecture about corporate social responsibility during a student conference in Copenhagen (back […]

A little while back I was standing in line at my bank and I noticed something that made me grimace. Behind the tellers were large LCD monitors showing the day’s business news. It was being broadcast from some generic source like CNN, so the bank didn’t have control over the content. During […]

Banks all have logos, but having a logo is different from having a personality. Ideally a bank’s logo should be representative of it’s personality, but that’s usually not the case. Bank brands typically do not communicate a strong position or message, and neither do the symbols and imagery they choose to stand for […]

More from Finovate Startup: Why Does Technology Have to Equal Web App?
Don’t get me wrong…I’m liking what I’m seeing here at Finovate Startup 2008. It’s fun and interesting, and I get to spend time with cool people, and even catch up with some old colleagues. What I’m wondering, though, is where are […]

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 […]

We seem to be on a roll with posts associating food and evolving brand identity. If you’re a loyal fan of this here CBC blog, then you’re familiar with our rants and raves of Les Schwab’s free steak. Yes, the tire store’s gift is random. But it’s oh so memorable. Alas, that’s not […]