Why We Love Expletives (or Love to Hate Them)
05/21/19 07:58 AM Filed in: Strategic Communications
Swearing in the workplace used to be a no-no — no questions asked. But as three-piece suits have been replaced by khakis and no-tuck shirts, so too have we become more casual about the occasional oath or obscenity. Research shows that swearing can play an important role in communication, though there are some who argue it has no place in civil discourse. Read More…
Thinking Like Sun Tzu: How to Conduct a Competitive Analysis
05/15/19 07:33 AM Filed in: Strategic Communications | Branding
Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, is often regarded as one of history’s greatest military strategists. According to the Chinese general, if you want to defeat your enemy, you must know them as well as you know yourself. The same is true if you’re marketing a brand — to succeed, you must know your competition. Read More…
The Lessons of Winning and Losing: A Primer for Marketing Communications
04/30/19 08:35 AM Filed in: Strategic Communications | Marketing
Ali, Namath, Secretariat — we remember winners because they overcame staggering odds to reach the pinnacle of their sport. But if there’s a winner, there must be a loser. History’s winners and losers can teach us a lot about how to communicate effectively. In this article, we consider a few classic victor vs. vanquished duos to uncover important marketing lessons. Read More…
Using KPIs to Take Your Business to New Heights
04/01/19 06:30 PM Filed in: Strategic Communications
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the terabyte-sized mountain of data that piles up every day from our business systems and processes. But the mountains of data represent a goldmine of opportunity — if you can find the right nuggets. That’s where KPIs come in. Grab your harness and pick axe and let’s start exploring the majestic wonder of KPIs. Read More…
From Wannabe to Winnner: 7 Key Ingredients of Winning Organizations
03/16/19 05:23 PM Filed in: Strategic Communications | Organizational Design | Leadership Communications
Leaders of all kinds may feel they’re working 24/7 to take their organizations to the next level. There are this year’s trends and this quarter’s results and next quarter’s forecasts to worry about. You’ve built 7 highly effective habits but may feel frustrated enough to scream those 7 dirty words or commit one of the 7 deadly sins. Let’s reverse-engineer successes of organizations that have made it to where you want to be. Read More…
Brand Positioning: How to Look Different in a Sea of Sameness
02/28/19 08:34 AM Filed in: Branding | Strategic Communications
Today, it’s easy to see brand positioning at work in some of the most recognizable brands, such as Netflix and Whole Foods. But even if you don’t have the resources of these big consumer brands, even if you’re a small B2B businesses, you can apply the principles of positioning. Read More…