To paraphrase noir novelist Raymond Chandler, an adventure story is no adventure story if it doesn't happen to a character fit for adventure. It's an appropriately pithy statement for an author famous for persistently pithy dialogue, but it's directly addressing an idea I think a lot about in relation to brand building: being suited fo...

There's a practice I've taken to in writing strategic documents, especially when I'm working on a defining statement or a strategic insight. I'll write what I want to say, with clarity and definition, trying to reflect the research, the heart of the issue, a defensible position, and just a twinge of antagonism. I'll make a bold stateme...

I went to film school and for all of film school’s quirks, my friends who broke into the industry have a fairly easy job explaining what they do for a living. “I work on film special effects.” “I write for a late night show.” “I’m an animation editor.” I went into advertising, but not the straightforward advertising where I could tell ...

There's a lot of different philosophies about how to build a brand—business, personal, or otherwise—and there's no "right" way. But there is a right way to start. The default for most people is to start with stimuli. Look for what an audience is asking for and then build around that. But populist products are usually wholly uninteresti...