Insights to Help You Grow—Strategically and Sustainably
Brand, Messaging, and Marketing Strategy for Founder-Led Businesses
This is your go-to stream for clear, strategic thinking on how to grow your brand with intention. Whether you’re refining your positioning, clarifying your message, or figuring out why your marketing isn’t landing, you’ll find practical insights here to help you stand out and scale up.
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What Your Pricing Says About Your Brand (and Why It Matters)
Pricing communicates more than cost—it signals value, shapes perception, and positions your brand in the marketplace. Whether it’s Evian vs. store-brand water or a consultant who’s “not cheap but worth it,” pricing influences how others talk about you. A strategic approach to pricing can elevate your brand, attract the right clients, and reinforce your reputation.
The Power of Referral Marketing: How to Turn Happy Customers into Loyal Advocates
Referral marketing is a powerful strategy for small businesses, using personal recommendations to build trust, attract new customers, and foster loyalty—all while keeping costs low. It reflects the quality of your business and the trust it inspires, turning happy customers into enthusiastic advocates
Beyond Scares: Building a Trustworthy Brand
The fear factor in marketing takes center stage. But is using scare tactics really the best strategy for building a brand? While fear can grab attention in the short term, it often leads to distrust and alienation among consumers. Brands that prioritize genuine connections and positive messaging are more likely to foster loyalty and long-lasting relationships.
Marketing is a Science, Branding is an Art
Marketing and branding have important roles in attracting customers and encouraging their loyalty. While marketing uses data to understand customer desires and drive actions, branding leverages creativity to forge deeper emotional connections. A strong brand also provides the foundation for effective marketing strategies and tactics.
The Power of Persuasion: How Marketing Influences the ‘Buy’ Decision
Influencing the “buy” decision is both an art and a science. It requires a deep understanding of your audience, a clear articulation of your value proposition, and a strategic mix of marketing tactics that resonate with your target market.
Use “Start, Stop, Continue” To Boost Your Brand Next Year
The “Start, Stop, Continue” method is not just an exercise in reflection; it’s a strategic tool for transformation. By methodically evaluating your past year’s efforts and planning for the future, your business is well-positioned to enter the new year with a revitalized, more effective branding and marketing strategy.
Is your brand Holding you back?
Take this 15-minute brand clarity assessment and discover what’s holding your business back—so you can fix it fast.
The Power of Thankfulness in Branding
Showing gratitude enhances customer loyalty, brand differentiation, and employee morale, fostering long-term success and ethical practices.
Fear, Trust, and Loyalty: The Emotional Trifecta in Branding
Have you ever felt an inexplicable connection with a brand? It might not just be about their product or service but the emotions they evoke in you.
10 Logo Design Tips for Clients
A strong logo creates a vital first impression, reflecting your company’s values and building trust. A poor logo can turn customers towards competitors. Ensure your logo embodies these ten crucial elements, whether evaluating an existing one or designing for a new business.
9-Point Year-End Marketing Action Plan
Hit the ground running in the new year with a marketing action plan. If you want to succeed in 2024, you need to start thinking about it months ahead. These 9 action items will set you up for success.
How To Wipe Out $20B Of Brand Equity
People build emotional ties to the brands they love and use every day. When you change a brand’s visual identity, you change its face. If you change it too much, loyal users will feel as if they are looking at a stranger.
What Color Says About Your Brand
Color evokes emotional responses and creates associations that customers will connect to a brand. The colors of your brand communicate a lot.
Adapting to Change: Why Your Brand Needs To Evolve as Your Business Grows
As a business owner, it’s crucial to evaluate and update your brand periodically to stay relevant. Changes within your business directly impact its brand, and regular assessment ensures alignment with your evolving objectives and target audience.
Beyond Logos: Exploring the Intangible Side of Branding
A company’s identity extends beyond its visual representation, known as corporate identity, which contributes to brand recognition but represents only a fraction of the overall brand. The true essence of a brand lies in its intangible qualities.
Social Media: A Marketing Tactic or Strategy?
While social media platforms provide tactical tools, they are just a part of a comprehensive marketing strategy. By expanding your tactics arsenal beyond social media, such as leveraging email newsletters, advertising, and engaging in speaking opportunities, you can connect with a broader audience. However, the key lies in adopting a strategic approach.
The Power of Brand Alignment: Empowering Employees to Make On-Brand Decisions
Move beyond visual elements and empower your employees to make on-brand decisions and become passionate brand advocates, creating a cohesive and authentic brand presence that resonates with customers and fosters long-term relationships. Brand alignment drives business success.
To DON’T List for Startup Brands: Avoiding Pitfalls of Building a Strong Brand
Launching a startup brand is an exciting and challenging journey. However, to ensure your brand’s success, it’s important to avoid common pitfalls. Here is a “To DON’T List for Startup Brands” to guide you in building a strong brand.
To DON’T List for Startup Brands: Avoiding Pitfalls of Building a Strong Brand
Launching a startup is an exciting journey. To ensure your brand’s success, use this “To DON’T List to guide you in building a strong brand.
5 Tips for Building a Strong Brand for Your Small Business
If you think bold, memorable branding is only available to big companies with massive...
Advertising and Promotion: Understanding the Key Distinctions
Advertising and promotion are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct purposes and roles in the marketing mix. By understanding the objectives and benefits of each approach, marketers can make informed decisions to reach their target audience and achieve desired outcomes.
7 Tips For A Mid-Year Brand And Marketing Checkup
As we approach the halfway point of the year, now is the perfect time to take a step back and evaluate the effectiveness of your brand and marketing strategy. It’s a good idea to do a mid-year checkup to ensure you’re on track to meet your goals and make any necessary adjustments before it’s too late.
The Power of Pricing: How to Make Your Brand Stand Out
The right pricing strategy is crucial to the success of your brand. It should align with your brand’s values and positioning, and can create a loyal customer base, increase sales, and boost revenue. On the other hand, the wrong pricing can damage your brand’s reputation, decrease sales, and drive customers away.
Brand Overhaul: The Strategic Benefits of Rebranding Your Business
A company’s brand is its most valuable asset. Rebranding can provide significant benefits if done correctly. A brand overhaul can improve brand recognition, enhance customer engagement, and help a company stay relevant in a constantly evolving market.
The Marketing Mix
Even after 40 years (or 60 in the case of the original P’s), the Marketing Mix is still very much applicable to a marketer’s day to day work. A good marketer will learn to adapt the theory to fit modern times and their own business model.