May
31
2017
I recently helped a consumer products company position a new service that they’re creating. The goal was to launch in 6 months. While the specs had been written, the offer itself was still in development. The product roadmap post-launch...
Apr
17
2017
Wait. Hear me out. I’m not ready to call time of death on differentiation just yet, but something is going on that makes me wonder whether we need a new model for what drives value at the heart of...
Mar
21
2017
Recently, a CMO client said to me in frustration, “Our brand needs more urgency.” What she meant was she needed the brand to start working harder faster, contributing to business performance sooner. It’s no surprise that CMOs are under...
Dec
15
2016
I’ve been a brand consultant for 20 years now. That is a difficult job to explain to people. Usually when I say I’m a brand consultant, people will respond, “Oh, you design logos.” And although I have an MFA...
Aug
16
2016
For over four years, I worked for The Simplicity Company, helping clients simplify their strategies, businesses, brands and experiences. Achieving any degree of simplicity was real work. Throughout those four years I was struck that Simplicity seemed difficult to...
Aug
06
2016
Dollar Shave Club’s recent acquisition by Unilever has many business folks talking, and for good reason. DSC was purchased for well above the valuation set by VC firms that had invested in the company. (While it sold for $1...
Mar
03
2016
Diana Vreeland was a legendary figure in the fashion industry. But the vast majority of people probably have never heard of her. She was the managing director for Vogue magazine in the 60’s and was known for her distinctive...
May
18
2015
I was at a sustainability conference recently, thinking about my boots. "Business casual" is interpreted very loosely in Silicon Valley. CEOs turn up for meetings in t-shirts. Ties are donned ironically. I was wearing my Red Wing boots as...