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Author: David Altschul

Something to Buy Into

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about handy tools marketers can use to test their brands for latent story energy. One idea–of which I was

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May 5, 2009 3 Comments

The Sixth Sense

If you liked the TED Talk I sent last month about robotics, bioengineering and the state of the economy, you will probably also appreciate this

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March 24, 2009 3 Comments

The Ultimate Reboot

I just got back from the TED Conference and I heard a lot of optimistic notes amid the chaos and gloom of the current financial

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March 9, 2009 No Comments

The Scrooge Effect

I read The Economist, and I generally agree with their point of view, especially on matters of business and finance. A couple of months ago

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June 4, 2008 No Comments

Being Juan Valdez

You know Juan Valdez: He’s been the rugged, mustachioed icon of Colombian coffee since 1960. That’s when a Madison Avenue ad agency, realizing the potential…

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October 16, 2007 No Comments

Who Do You Love?

There were compelling reasons to send Juan Valdez off to the old folks home for advertising ex-celebs. The fictional coffee-growing icon had been featured in…

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May 1, 2007 No Comments

Mascot Makeover

When Pepsico wanted to differentiate its Mug root beer from competing products, it called David Altschul, the co-founder of a small marketing firm called Character…

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September 1, 2006 No Comments

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“For B2B businesses, Character is a powerful tool. I have used Character three times in my leader marketing roles, 2x were in B2B businesses. The Character work was the foundation of a transformation in product innovation/commercialization, rebranding, M&A, sales growth, and employee engagement. Character’s work helped us take dead brands and make them relevant again and helped us establish lesser-known brands with high share in a B2B market. What’s so unique is that you don’t create something that the ‘marketing talking heads’ think the company needs, you use the history, culture and DNA that is already part of the company to bring out the true story that is unique to only your brand. The Character team is so special, genuine, and has the perfect mix of creative and business knowledge to lead cross-functional executives through this process. ”
—Melissa Minihan, Head of Digital Commerce & Marketing, Veritiv Corporation

“Character gets to the heart of what good storytelling is all about. They’ve helped Wendy’s focus on what makes us unique, different and special and that’s helped us to get people’s attention, keep their interest and keep the business growing. We compete with much larger brands, but by being overt about how we want to attack those differences, we’ve been able to have a lot of tension and conflict in the story that we are telling. That allows us to keep the story fresh and to fuel it. The more we do that the more positive attention we get as a brand and the more the brand continues to grow, which, in turn, builds our confidence in our storytelling and keeps the courage level high.”

—Kurt  Kane, President U.S. & Chief Commercial Officer, Wendy’s Corporation

“I’ve been through Character’s story framework process four times in my career, and it has always added extraordinary value. It was a central piece of Walmart’s rebranding effort in 2006, as we sought a new articulation of our brand narrative and our purpose. It’s an equally powerful tool for us now, as Walmart defines its place in a rapidly transforming retail environment. And we are currently using it to do the same for Sam’s Club.”

—Tony Rogers, Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart

“Character’s approach to brand building is unlike any other in the business. Jim and his team use the timeless truths of human storytelling to unlock story potential and connect deeply with brand audiences. I’ve worked with Character throughout my career, and my experience with Tabasco was as fascinating, inspiring, and productive as ever. 

Character worked with our team not only to help us re-examine and re-articulate the elemental truths of our iconic global brand but also to develop and apply practical tools that make the brand story framework user-friendly for our entire organization. 

I whole-heartedly recommend Character to any brand marketer who is looking to make intuitive and durable connections with their consumer.”

Lee Susen, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Tabasco / McIlhenny Company