26 2019 December
5 Non-Obvious Megatrends Changing Our World In 2020
For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business...
Read Now12 2019 July
6 Marketing Lessons From Ed Sheeran
There is a moment during a show at the Austin City Limits where Ed Sheeran finally starts to perform his biggest hit at the time:...
Read Now04 2019 April
The One Reason So Many Brand Pranks On April Fools Day Failed This Year
Why do some branded April Fools Day jokes work while others fall flat?
Read Now07 2019 January
Why The Myth Of The “Sold Out Show” Is Finally Dying
There was a time when people used to think the waiting list for season tickets to Redskins games took decades to clear. Then the team finally...
Read Now13 2018 December
The 2018 Non-Obvious Book Awards – Top 50 Business Books Of The Year
Every year my team and I read and review hundreds of books in the process of curating ideas to incorporate in our annual list of...
Read Now01 2018 October
How To Separate Meaningful Data From Quantified Bullshit
Last year I got my test results from the 23andMe genetic testing and found it to be fascinatingly useless. The numbers told me I was...
Read Now15 2018 September
Why No Branding May Be The Next Marketing Trend
Last summer comedian and actress Mindy Kaling did a series of ads for McDonald’s with a curious omission – she never mentioned the brand. Instead, they would...
Read Now01 2018 September
Can Kellogg’s Reinvent Froot Loops As A Lifestyle Brand?
I remember last year I was walking past some trendy retail stores in NY and I saw a few handbags with the Pan Am logo....
Read Now12 2018 August
Why Netflix Uses Taste Communities Instead of Demographics
Last week Netflix announced that they would be stopping their long standing policy of asking customers to vote on early pilots for programs to see...
Read Now10 2018 August
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...
Read Now09 2018 July
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.
Read Now07 2017 September
How Libraries Might Save Humanity’s Soul (Or At Least Preserve It)
We expect libraries to maintain an archive of humanity’s best thinking, but what if a library decided to put so-called “pulp fiction” on the shelves?...
Read Now06 2017 September
Why Leica Thinks Brand Transformation Is Overrated
I once heard a CEO describe the mentality of many new marketing executives as similar to a dog peeing on a fire hydrant: they are...
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