Most people looking to solve a need in their lives aren't just looking for products based on benefits and price. Benefits are important but they're not everything. Customers are looking for deeper connections to the products they buy and the brands they support with their hard-earned money. People are looking for shared values, belief and to be a part of a tribe. "People like us do things like this" as marketing author Seth Godin has brilliantly distilled in his books, videos

Remember Biology class, studying for the big test, and struggling to remember what the Golgi complex looked like (was it that squiggly thing?) or what exactly the endoplasmic reticulum does (something with proteins, right?). Now think about your hobbies. If you're into baking, vintage Swiss watches, or restoring old cars – no matter what it is – these endeavors entail a lot of details. Your passion drives you to dig deeper and learn how to make the perfect fruit compote, for

"Everything you do, from the way you answer the phone to the design of your packaging, from your location to the downstream effects of your work, from the hold music to the behaviour of your executives, and even the kind of packing peanuts you use—all of it is a form of marketing your brand. You can’t measure it. You might not even notice it. But it still matters." Might be one of my favorite Seth Godin paragraphs from This is Marketing #brand #marketing #design #packaging #b

Back in agency world (seems like a long time ago...) I never felt right about all the three-ring binders of research, data and "strategy" that was part of the marketing plan we would present with much fanfare, smoke, mirrors and sometimes blazers and mock turtlenecks. I think the idea was to overwhelm the client with volumes of ideas and marketing tactics. However the one little sliver of work I felt not only "OK" about... but was actually quite proud of was the questionnaire