Chapter six:
Deep Thoughts
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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
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
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
My Brother the Archaeologist
When we began this practice, almost a decade ago, I was quite impatient with what I saw as the “pretence of science” that seemed to
Brand Characters Never Get Depressed
We’ve been fielding a lot of calls over the last few weeks from folks wanting to spruce up their brand characters. Since we started our
Is Your Business Doing Better than Your Brand?
A couple of months ago, we were preparing for Character Camp on one of the world’s most visible brands. One of the executives responsible for
When Founder Brands Founder
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
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
The Ghost of Jared’s Pants
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
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…
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…
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…