Brand Humanity

A Lesson In Marketing Strategy From the Cheetos Shape Hunt

Searching for Cheetos that are shaped like anything is a fairly idiotic way to spend your time. It’s also surprisingly popular despite its idiocy. The...

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: Always Eat Left-Handed … And Other Secrets for Killing It at Work and in Real Life by Rohit Bhargava

Back in 2013, I wrote a career and life advice book. It was my third book and before I really understood what it took to...

The Most Popular Non-Obvious Stories of 2022 (Based On Reader Feedback)

Based on this combination of quantitative and qualitative data, here is a partial list of some of the most popular stories of the year, based on what my readers shared.

Tom “Marketoonist” Fishburne on How Humor Can Inspire Change | Non-Obvious Insights Show

Trader Joe’s and the Slow Death of Brand Personality

Update – Two weeks after this post was originally published, Trader Joe’s issued a new statement sharing that they do not consider these brand names...

4 Big Trends From The 2019 Super Bowl Ads That Explain Our Culture

The best part of the Super Bowl experience is always the advertising. That was particularly true this year thanks to another joyless victory by the...

Why More Millennials Are Uncovering Their Tattoos At Work

For the past several years the debate about tattoos at work has gone back and forth between those who think a tattoo is taboo in the...

Victorinox and How To Use Powerfully Ordinary Videos For Marketing

One piece of advice I am fond of sharing from the stage is about the importance of showing your work – something we are told...

What British Grocery Chains Can Teach Us About Delivering Retail With Empathy

British supermarkets are quickly becoming the unexpected pioneers in adding more empathy into retail. In January, Tesco introduced a “slow checkout line” for customers who...

Cadbury Is The First Brand To Get Banned From Advertising To Kids

Cadbury is the first symbolic advertiser to have ads banned, but the real target may be sugary processed foods that pretend to be healthy snacks.

How To Reinvent A Brand: Lessons From Kodak, Blackberry and Crayola

This week Crayola branched out in a new direction by launching its own line of colorful beauty products. In the same week, Blackberry continued their...

Why Everyone Wants To Sell Everything As A Subscription

This week AirFrance became one of the first airlines to experiment with subscription pricing by announcing a new pre-paid travel product called Le Pass which...

How To Sue A Robot And What The TED Conference Is Really Like

Should technology be a source for hope or fear? That was the question that seemed to emerge this week as I read several stories offering...