HOW DOES BRAND DIFFERENTIATION AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?. For decades, the orthodoxy in marketing has been that to compete, brands need to differentiate: offer different things, or in different ways, or for different people. More recently, the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has asserted

What percent of revenue should a B2B company spend on marketing?. What does good marketing for a B2B construction company even look like?. In the latest episode of Cover Brand, I chat with Jack & Justin from The Caisson Company about stuff like:. - B2B branding.- How to make a

"Direct mail is dead!". Uh, srsly?. Look, direct mail might not work for you. Or maybe you haven't even tried it. Or you tried it and didn't like it. But don't tell Restoration Hardware. The US furniture brand is clearing 20% profits on $3.5Bn a year. How? Not Pinterest. Not

Talk less about BRAVE marketing. Talk more about SMART marketing. If I had a Bitcoin every time I heard someone tell a marketer "we need to be brave!" I'd be rich. But here's the deal: very few PEOPLE want to be brave. Mostly we want to keep our jobs. We want to not look

DO STREAMING SERVICES FOLLOW THE 80/20 RULE?. Like, do 20% of show watchers account for 80% of all viewing minutes?. It’s Ye Olde Pareto Principle. In 1906, Vilfredo Pareto (the ultimate Italian Renaissance Man) noted that 80% of the land (and wealth) in Italy was owned by only

If your brand needs CHARACTER,.then give it a CHARACTER. I mean, a mascot isn't the ONLY way to give your brand character. And there are indeed mascots that have no character. They're boring. Or stiff. Or dead inside. But srsly: if it works for the Government Employees

WHAT'S BETTER, CELEBS OR MASCOTS?. Like, if you have to choose what kind of character you want to invest in and be the face of your brand, should you pick a celebrity spokesperson or a brand mascot?. @DistinctiveBAT crunched some numbers on hundreds of, uh, brand representatives:

What's the #1 mistake when probing your audience's mind?. I did a post for my friends at @tracksuit about how to see if your brand is on brand. The #1 mistake?. Only talking with brand fans. Read more on the Tracksuit blog. Link in comments.

What can we really expect advertising to do? On this episode of Cover Brand, market researcher extraordinaire Carol Kauder and I dive into why it’s so hard for brands to change customer habits. Plus, favorite Glee cover songs. #marketresearch #podcast #marketing

How do you know if your brand is "on brand"?. Have you checked lately?

Happy birthday America! Can we all vote yet?. “All men are created equal” was just a dream in 1776 — a "brand promise", if you will. We’ve worked on living up to it since the beginning. Take, f'rinstance, voting. Back then, only rich white men were allowed to vote: 6% of

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR BRAND IS "ON BRAND"?. “Is this work on brand?”. We’ve all heard it before: the question of whether your Instagram post is “on brand”. Or your photo shoot. Or your radio spot. Usually, it's tested by checking with someone inside the company who knows the

My buddy Jeff Leitner and I dive into personal branding, reputation vs. brand, and why a little "shtick" helps you stand out—even if it's just great hair or an orange jacket. #branding #reputation

"Advertising is a tax on unremarkable products"."You don't need to advertise if your product is amazing."."Advertising doesn't work.".Bla.Bla.Bla. (Ps this is an ad for Muskrat's Starlink.)

Dive into the story behind Las Olas Luxury Living, mid-tier pool furniture, and smart branding tips—like mixing archetypes and adding personality for a sticky brand. #branding #podcast

"Far better an approximate answer to the RIGHT question, which is often vague, than an exact answer to the WRONG question, which can always be made precise.". - John Tukey, “The Future of Data Analysis”, 1962 . I love this quote, and you should too. We are awash in data, in

Considered purchases: just like other purchases, but dragged out longer. A 'considered purchase' is something like a car, or college, or insurance, that costs a lot and is supposed to require more, well, consideration. Turns out most considered purchases are a lot like other

HOW "CONSIDERED" ARE CONSIDERED PURCHASES, REALLY? . Like, do people really do more research and deliberation for expensive things?. The TL;DR is, kinda, but not much. Not really. Take cars, f’rinstance. They’re one of the most expensive things we ever buy. And even a used car

This week on COVER BRAND: why a strong brand matters INTERNALLY. Loved my chat with the gonzo genius and 'fellow brand mechanic' Perry Maughmer. We dove into the real-world impact of branding, why clarity and internal alignment matter, and how even small businesses can leverage

Most people only want looong-distance relationships with brands. Maybe they want to be close with a few. But they can usually count them on one hand. (Literally — I've asked.). What about the other 300-400 brands most people own or use or interact with? . They buy 'em. They