The ‘New’ Center of the Sales Cycle

The sales cycle is a classic framework that has been around for a long time. You can find versions that are more complicated than this, but I like this one. For me, this is the simplest way of breaking down...

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What Experience Designers Can Learn From Improv

Brand perceptions are built on reactions to experiences with a brand. As such, changing the experience is a powerful way of changing brand perceptions and behaviors. Although the phrase “experience design” has traditionally been applied to digital experiences, the...

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All Marketing is Local Marketing

Tip O'Neill, former Speaker of the House, once famously said "All politics is local." It was a lesson he learned in his first political loss: unless you connect to the needs and desires of the folks near you, you...

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Brand Experience vs. Branded Experiences

One of the reasons I named this blog "Brand Is Action" is that I believe this is how brands will be built in this next era of branding - not through image but through behavior. The experience of the...

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What Twitter Is For

Last night I learned again the true power of Twitter. At least for me. In the last 5 months, I've moved to New York City. Big change: new job, new responsibilities, new city. An exciting opportunity. But now, most of...

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What JCPenney Learned from Apple…and The Gap

JCPenney has been in the news a lot lately. Although still a beloved brand with millions of Americans, it’s a brand that has become a little dusty and tired. In fashion, it seems like all the brand love and energy these...

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How Brands Can Use Instagram Better

Instagram is an app that allows users to take, adjust and share photos--pretty simple and straightforward. Despite (or maybe because of) its simplicity, Instagram has gotten a lot of traction in the time it’s been available, to the tune...

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The Photo Revolution

In case you hadn't noticed, we're awash in photos. Whether it's the number of new photos uploaded to Instagram (150 per second), the number of photos on Facebook (approx. 90 billion) or Flickr (approx. 6 billion), or the number...

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