Niche down. Find your niche. Focus. There’s no shortage of brand and marketing experts telling you to find a niche. They’re not wrong. Focusing your attention on a specific group of people is key to success, but it’s not easy. Intentionally cutting out a portion of potential buyers is tough. I’ve struggled with niche execution for …
“That dude is hilarious. You’ve gotta hang out with him.” “She’s so caring. I feel like I can talk to her for hours.” “She’s a ball of energy. I just love being around her.” We choose to spend time with people because of their personalities. The same is true with many of the brands in …
You can’t copy a market leader’s strategy and expect to win. Copying what the industry heavyweights are doing is a recipe for getting your ass handed to you. The secret to success as a small company is finding holes in the big players’ strategies. That’s where brand positioning comes into play. Think of it like …
I work with brands daily to help them tell their story. There are a few message killers that pop up repeatedly. If you’re struggling to win buyers, I’d bet one of these issues is to blame… You’re trying to be an option for everyone. It’s not clear how giving you money will deliver the result …
“Neither RedBox nor Netflix are even on the radar screen in terms of competition, it’s more Wal-Mart and Apple.” – Jim Keyes | Blockbuster CEO (2008) I remember popping into Blockbuster every Friday night to search for hidden gems in the new release section. The blue and gold stores were a fixture across the country. …
Here’s a little secret nobody tells you about building a brand… You can be average in almost all categories as long as you’re ‘The’ best, largest, fastest, or some other …est in one category that matters to your customers. I love the story they tell about this in the book Made To Stick. Southwest Airlines …
We all feel compelled to do more. More features. More marketing channels. More products. More services. More words to explain it all. Too much leads to mediocrity. If you always feel like you’re starting over and never getting traction, I’m willing to bet too much is your problem. I naturally want to deliver more for …
My previous business was also a branding firm. I ran the firm for 14 years before selling to my partner late last year. We landed several billion-dollar brands and a spot on the Inc. 5000 during my time with the company. Even with this success, pricing was still a mystery over a decade into the …
Did the subhead of this post make you stop and read a little further? There’s a reason for that, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s talk more about, “I Heart Butt Drugs” first. That’s a direct quote from a billboard I came across as my family drove from Louisville, KY into Indiana. …
I can go out and ride my bike for an hour, or I can go to the bar and drink two beers. What vote will I cast today? “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes …
