Lost Soul: The Bones of the Hamsters
I was watching Hulu with my daughters when the new 2023 Kia Soul commercial, “Built for Whoever You Are,” came on. It features a trio
I was watching Hulu with my daughters when the new 2023 Kia Soul commercial, “Built for Whoever You Are,” came on. It features a trio
This Heineken ad just came on, it’s called “The Closer.” On the surface, it’s about how they’ve built a bottle opener that is also a blue-tooth enabled
“What was that movie you worked on with Stephen Spielberg that one time?” my friend Jim asked me out of the blue. Not the Jim
I was eating popcorn and watching the Emmy’s with my friend Jim. Yes, we are both named Jim. Anyway, we were watching the Emmy’s when
My daughters and I just finished reading Jeff Bezos’s final letter to shareholders as CEO of Amazon. Not for fun. We’re a weird family, but we’re not
I was streaming a show the other day with my daughters when a commercial for Amazon’s Alexa came on. I remember that brief golden age
Of course, this past year was not your average year. It’s not every year you find businesses encouraging their would-be consumers not to buy. Like
By brand voice, we mean the tone and character in which a brand communicates—the qualities that convey its distinct and, ideally, engaging personality. Many brand
Trying to reschedule projects, conduct meetings by video-conference and deal with getting my freshman daughter home from a college that is suddenly shutting down, I’m
I heard a sharp intake of breath, quickly stifled. It’s the kind of thing that being a parent has taught me not to ignore…but also
“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
“Since articulating our story framework, Gallo has had its best year. We’re up 10% and we’re outpacing the category. From a creative standpoint it’s been great because we’re all in alignment. Now that we have the articulation of our story, our social media, our partnerships, our programs, our packaging—it all makes sense.”
—Stephanie Gallo, Chief Marketing Officer, E&J Gallo Winery