As if I hadn’t already spent entirely too much time thinking about the Burger King king recently, I decided to see if he had his
Darkness in a television commercial is intriguing. I’m not talking about a lack of illumination as much as an ominous, negative or even creepy quality
I hate travelling for the holidays, but there I was, crammed into the middle seat on another airplane on Christmas Eve while a pinch-faced male
Does the recent commotion about the shortcomings of the new iPhone seem out of proportion to both the problem and the newsworthiness of the whole
I just saw the one-year follow-up to the Give Me Back that Filet O’ Fish commercial from McDonald’s and I was disappointed by the effort.
It seems like a lot of brands are starting to understand that making the most money isn’t an emotionally engaging reason to exist. Certainly, making
So we’re having a little political intrigue in Portland, Oregon, home of Character LLC. It’s a sadly familiar drama. Apparently, our mayor, Sam Adams, had
It is interesting to see the vacuum that can be created with the loss of a charismatic leader and the way a brand can founder
I was in a Subway the other day—the restaurant, not the train. I like Subway. I feel good about myself (read: healthy) when I eat
In marketing, the most important function of a brand character is to serve as a point of emotional connection between the brand and its audience.
“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