Gray Matter at White Space

The goal of any company is growth, whether that means opening satellite locations, bringing in product experts, adding service lines, or improving revenue (it’s almost always improved revenue, at the least). You can’t get there without pushing limits and opening your eyes to new opportunities.

But, sometimes companies get wrapped up with all the day-to-day “stuff” that’s required to keep a business afloat, they don’t have the time, money, or resources to venture into new areas of expansion—or at least they don’t believe they have the needed man/womanpower.

In my digital world, it’s a relief to hear someone talk about the brand; the essential idea that brings people to the door wanting more. Sound too fluffy for you?

It shouldn’t.

A recent referral found an old New York Times article that featured work we did on a city-wide domestic violence awareness campaign at Y&R.

Guess what I was talking about, even way back then? Yep. Strategy and customer insights. At least I’m consistent!

The underlying thread of the StoryBrand framework is to "clarify your message" and create content that compels your audience to take action--instead of wasting time and money on unclear messaging that falls flat.

Seems like a universal goal for all sizes and types of companies, yet I’ve heard from many that StoryBrand is just appropriate for small companies.

We made it... Q4. Next-year planning is ramping up and 2020 budget discussions will soon take place (if there aren't already rumblings). To avoid getting trapped in a situation where you're constantly having to arm wrestle for a fair share of marketing allocations, you can test some interim ideas now to support your future recommendations.

HBO's Silicon Valley gave viewers a heightened (and sometimes ridiculous) peek into start-up culture. The actual Silicon Valley is known for fostering these types of companies, but this area in California is also an entrepreneurial environment for scale-ups.

The simplistic differences between these two types of companies is that start-ups are in the early stages of building their business while scale-ups already have a solid presence in the marketplace.

I am touting some well-known belief, but it’s worth repeating.

A Harvard Business School study says people will respond to warmth as a measure of trustworthiness. Meet its happy cousins: empathy and authority.

No snarky comments, please. I was raised as the oldest of four to believe I was at the helm of our little dynasty—responsible for everyone, caring for everyone, wanting everything to be just-so. It’s a common role for the eldest sibling to take… “I lead, therefore I know.”

There’s nothing quite as humbling as facing what you don’t know.

We are conducting research on healthcare brands to get some data on trends, risks, and opportunities. I’ve been mulling over the pros and cons of sharing the survey with my LinkedIn healthcare connections.

No whining. You know it’s true. Sometimes fast and cheap is just what you need. Sometimes only fabulous and fast will do; cost is no matter.

How to decide?