Shoestring Branding

I was browsing through my advance copy of the next issue of Personal Branding Magazine, and found an interesting interview with MC Hammer...

I just finished reading Chris Anderson’s book Free: The Future of a Radical Price. ...

Chart Credits: Fred Cavazza These days you can’t build a strong personal brand without a web presence. As professionals and small business owners, whatever our field, we need to become publishers, and use tools like blogs and social media profiles to publish and share information. ...

Photo Credits: Kevin H I recently went online to buy a couple of tickets for a show and got slapped with a $7.75 per ticket “convenience” charge. If I had bought the tickets at the theater’s ticket window I would have avoided the convenience charge. That...

Good brands have succinct, compelling slogans that clearly explain what makes them unique...

Photo Credits: Damien Basile Simple enough: social media is all about giving up control and letting users be creative. But how much control should social media brands give up to their own users? This interesting question ignited a lively debate in Tom Anderson’s blog. ...

I don’t watch TV, but I do have the strong habit of watching web videos of great presentations. I can easily become glued to sites like TED the same way TV junkies get hooked to Lost or Dancing With the Stars. ...

On a recent business trip I took a picture of this trashcan at the airport’s restroom. People who got there before me were drying their hands and piling up the used paper towels on top of each other. I was about to do the same, when I noticed that the trashcan had a self-closing door. ...

Pizza Hut has started to change the name of some of its stores to The Hut, the rationale being that they don’t want to tie their fortunes to one product (pizza). Its packaging now proudly displays the chain’s new focus (or lack thereof): “Pizza – Pasta – Wings”. Here’s the problem. Ask anybody...

© Toyota Asking people to switch brands when they’re satisfied with what they’re using is one of the most challenging (and I would add, futile) tasks in marketing. Th...

Photo Credits: Fetchy Soccer has been struggling to find its way into the mainstream of American sports for a long time. Since the late 70’s, when stars like Pelé and Beckenbauer were brought in to try to stir some interest, all attempts have been in vain. While the skill level of the U.S. m...

My alma mater, the University of Miami, announced recently that it is adopting it’s sports logo as a symbol for the entire university. ...

Last week American Airlines stopped accepting cash to pay for on board beverages and meals. Good decision. Now, instead of scurrying for change, flight attendants can focus on their core task: keeping passengers safe and comfortable...

When I was in grad school, a friend of mine went to Europe and brought me back a coffee mug displaying a humorous cartoon under the title: “The Perfect European Should Be…”. The...