06.23.2023	Pride and Principle Aligning a brand with a cause requires a lot more than rainbows and media buys.	in branding	about 7 minutes
06.10.2023	Positioning a Vision Apple's introduction of Vision Pro provides a case study on the art of reframing expectations to cross the chasm.	in innovation	about 10 minutes
05.26.2023	The Reality of Writing One month into the WGA strike and many are questioning the value of writers on a cultural landscape that has plenty of alternatives for consumer attention.	in culture	about 7 minutes
05.20.2023	HBO Ghost HBO Max is about to be rebranded as 'Max'. Is this a shift towards commonness or a bold marketing gamble?	in branding	about 6 minutes
05.05.2023	The Dark Triad What a rise in stories about antiheroes tells us about consumer psychology.	in consumer-behavior	about 5 minutes
08.10.2020	The Customer Class Producer Larry Vincent launches a new limited series podcast called The Customer Class, about the people every business must find and keep. The first episode features an interview with SoulCycle co-founder Julie Rice.	in Podcast	about 25 minutes
12.18.2018	Introverts Do introverts have an advantage or a disadvantage in the workplace? How should we design the personality of our future AI colleagues? Bestselling author Matthew Pollard and Justine Cassell provide insight.	in Podcast	about 39 minutes
12.11.2018	Men 2.0 Many experts believe that our societal attitudes about masculinity must change to achieve gender equality. Guests Michael Ian Black, Gary Barker, and Linda Tuncay Zayer join us for a discussion about how to redefine manhood.	in Podcast	about 46 minutes
12.04.2018	Trust Trust is viewed as an essential business success metric. But numerous studies suggest that our trust in governments, organizations and businesses has been declining. Guests Ben Boyd and Kent Grayson tackle the core issues.	in Podcast	about 34 minutes
11.27.2018	Nostalgia Nostalgia is a powerful emotion and a frequent go-to for marketers. Nowhere is nostalgia more prevalent than in music. In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of music-based nostalgia with guest Jesse K, Petr Janata and Rob Kozinets.	in Podcast	about 37 minutes
11.23.2018	Pets US consumers spend over $70 billion a year on care for their pets, a massive increase over the years. Guests Dan Miller, Loni Edwards and Renée Felice Smith unpack the behavior driving the trend.	in Podcast	about 35 minutes
11.20.2018	Middleborns American families are shrinking in size, making middle children an endangered species. New York Magazine's Adam Sternbergh and psychologist Catherine Salmon unpack the ramifications.	in Podcast	about 35 minutes
11.13.2018	Working The world of work has been steadily changing since the 1970's. In the latest podcast, photojournalist Josh S. Rose shares insights from his profiles of Americans at work. And economic historian Louis Hyman unpacks the ramifications of the Temp Economy.	in Podcast	about 39 minutes
11.06.2018	Creativity The best jobs in the future will go to those who can deliver creativity on demand. Guests Amy Aniobi, Allen Gannett and Page Moreau provide insights on how anyone can improve their creative game.	in Podcast	about 36 minutes
10.30.2018	Timing Leaders spend a lot of time asking what and why, but they might want to ask when more. Guests Daniel Pink, Jonah Berger and Kelley Gullo explain it all for us.	in Podcast	about 34 minutes
03.25.2018	Deactivation Facebook is back on the hot-seat and many users, including the author, are rethinking their relationships with the world's largest social network.	in Culture	about 5 minutes
03.04.2018	Safety Brands Preference is an important measure of brand strength, yet it has many dimensions. One of those relates to safety.	in Branding	about 3 minutes
02.27.2018	Label Me This Product labels possess hidden powers, as research tied to a court case over Red Bull proves. Guests Aradhna Krishna, Yann Cornil and Christina Perozzi provide insights.	in Podcast	about 29 minutes
02.20.2018	Do-Gooders Many brands are tying themselves to charitable causes in order to win consumer affection, but is it a good business strategy? Author Anne Bahr Thompson and USC marketing professor Adlai Wertman provide insights and answers.	in Podcast	about 30 minutes
02.18.2018	Slacktivism The recent tragedy of Parkland, Florida is a wake-up call for Americans. However, there's a psychological force working against the cause.	in Causes	about 3 minutes
02.13.2018	Generations, Part 2 A Millennial and an Xer walk into a room. When they leave, we get a podcast. Listen to the second installment of our two-part series on American generations, featuring an interview with bestselling author Neil Howe.	in Podcast	about 32 minutes
02.11.2018	When Consumers Delegate Managers learn to delegate, and so do consumers. New research reveals that it can create better satisfaction.	in Research	about 2 minutes
02.06.2018	Generations, Part 1 Amidst all the noise about Millennials, Xers and Boomers there's a real theory about generations and their power over business. Bestselling author Neil Howe explains it all for us on the latest podcast.	in Podcast	about 32 minutes
01.30.2018	The Pitch When you're making a pitch, your target knows a lot about your tactics. It's called persuasion knowledge. We interview bestselling author Paul Smith, and researchers Kent Grayson and Mathew Isaac for tips on how to wrangle it and make it work to your advantage.	in Podcast	about 32 minutes
01.28.2018	How Curiosity Closes Sales A new study reveals that when consumers are curious they are more likely to indulge themselves.	in Research	about 3 minutes
01.23.2018	Sounds Appealing Sounds is the forgotten spice. In this episode we delve into the way that sound affects perceptions of brands and product experiences. Guests Maxime Goulet, Michael Lowe and Charles Spence provide useful examples.	in Podcast	about 30 minutes
01.21.2018	More Than a March The 2018 Women's March caps a year of striking momentum for women in America. But marketers have a lot more work to do to support the cause.	in Culture	about 3 minutes
01.16.2018	Femvertising Feminism is making a come-back and marketers have latched on. But do female-forward campaigns achieve their goals? In this episode of the podcast we interview Heather LeFevre, Linda Ong, and Shelley Zalis for answers.	in Podcast	about 32 minutes
01.16.2018	Blame it on the Clown Most marketers shy away from horror experiences because they worry it will be too controversial for their brand. But there's a strong case to be made for the power of fright. In this podcast, we interview filmmaker Matt Kaplan and researcher Lea Dunn to explore the ways that fear can be used by brands to forge a bond with their customers.	in Podcast	about 27 minutes
01.16.2018	Playing with Fyre The Fyre Festival was one of the biggest cultural trainwrecks of 2017. But it holds important lessons about the power of social media and the allure of influencers. In our first podcast, we interview filmmaker Nicco Quiñones and culture analyst Linda Ong for insight on what it means for marketers.	in Podcast	about 28 minutes
01.07.2018	Choice Without Preference Most marketers subscribe to the belief that preference leads to choice. Yet consumers often choose against their preferences. A new study reveals why.	in Consumers	about 3 minutes
12.10.2017	Sense and Psychology Consumers have five senses. Yet marketers focus most attention on two alone. New research suggests that's a big mistake.	in Brand Experience	about 3 minutes
12.03.2017	Cash or Service? Cause marketing is on the rise in response to growing consumer interest. But should your brand give cash or donate in-kind?	in Research	about 3 minutes
11.19.2017	Don't Call Them Pets Pet ownership has surged in the US, and so, too, have attitudes and perceptions about the role of pets in our lives.	in Consumers	about 3 minutes
11.12.2017	From Social to Sales While more and more brands switch their advertising spend to social media channels, how much of that spend leads to a direct sale?	in Social Media	about 3 minutes
11.05.2017	When We Throw Caution To The Wind New research reveals that consumers get a little more carefree with beloved devices when an upgrade is on the horizon	in Marketing	about 3 minutes
10.29.2017	The Gender Quotient Gender marketing is a skills test and a risky endeavor that punishes more often than it rewards. America's evolving attitudes and opinions about gender lie at the heart of the challenge.	in Culture	about 3 minutes
10.22.2017	From Y to Z A new study provides a glimpse at the challenges marketers may face with Generation Z. They hate ads. They know how to block them. And they expect more for their attention.	in Consumers	about 3 minutes
10.15.2017	When Brands Betray Us At the root of the Harvey Weinstein scandal is a very real sense of betrayal. A new study explores how consumers react when their brands fail them catastrophically.	in Research	about 4 minutes
10.01.2017	Where Has the Time Gone? When they're not at work, sleeping, or tending to the requirements of their day, Americans are shifting more and more of their time to media	in Research	about 3 minutes
09.24.2017	Focused and Fit Knowing whether the glass is half full or half empty makes all the difference in messaging to your target audience	in Research	about 3 minutes
09.17.2017	Managing Human Brands When managing a human brand (including your own), there is one metric that matters most	in Branding	about 4 minutes
09.10.2017	When Donald Met Chuck One of the biggest political headlines this week offered a case study in a frequent brand challenge	in Branding	about 3 minutes
08.27.2017	When Father Wants To Know Best There's a new generation of Dads emerging. They're more engaged, more excited ... and more insecure than their predecessors.	in consumers	about 4 minutes
08.20.2017	Don't like me. Recommend me. Word-of-mouth may be the most valuable form of promotion, but not all shout-outs are created equal.	in marketing	about 3 minutes
08.13.2017	The Thing To Fear Fear is on the rise. Conventional wisdom suggests this is bad for brands and for marketers. But new research suggests otherwise.	in research	about 3 minutes
08.06.2017	Experts, Shmexperts When making your case, it's tempting to rely on experts. But consumers are increasingly shunning experts and relying on confident amateurs.	in influence	about 3 minutes
07.30.2017	The Power of Pause An order for shoes offers a case study in what's wrong with most email marketing and also reveals the seed of a cultural trend	in essay	about 4 minutes
07.16.2017	Marketing in the Time of Snapchat Branding relies upon a story that lives inside the consumer's brain. But that story is changing in an era when stories appear and evaporate in a fraction of a second.	in branding	about 5 minutes
07.09.2017	Symbols and Stereotypes What happens when your brand symbolizes something offensive to others? How much do logos incite bad behavior? The case of the Washington Redskins.	in branding	about 3 minutes
07.02.2017	Is ESPN Destined to Become the Next Ticketmaster? As consumers continue cutting cords, ESPN is facing the biggest business challenge in its history. New research indicates its brand is also at risk.	in brands	about 4 minutes
06.25.2017	From Badging to Hacking Being t-shirt worthy was once the imperative for brand managers. But consumers have drifted away from badging brands to confer status. Instead, they seek ways to hack the brand's cultural currency to satisfy their social media reach.	in branding	about 3 minutes
06.18.2017	Are You In or Not? Making consumers feel that they are on the outside looking in is a common marketing tactic, but recent research indicates it might be very risky.	in strategy	about 3 minutes
06.11.2017	Do Brands Do Better by Going Green? Many brands are positioning themselves as environmentally-conscious leaders. But how much does a green brand strategy drive sales and influence brand attitudes?	in research	about 3 minutes
06.03.2017	No Pain. No Gain. Conventional wisdom dictates that brands should provide comfort to consumers and ease their pain. But a new study reveals circumstances when pain is welcomed.	in experience	about 3 minutes
05.14.2017	Sex and Brands According to recent data, Americans are having less sex. They're also having fewer children. What does it mean for marketers?	in consumers	about 3 minutes
04.30.2017	Fyre Danger What marketers can learn from the fate of the social media's newest favorite failure.	in culture	about 4 minutes
04.22.2017	Give The Gift of Experience New research on gift giving suggests that experiential gifts deliver more bang for the buck in building personal relationships	in research	about 4 minutes
04.15.2017	Unapologetic Data A fire hose of data both blesses and curses brand managers. The trick is not getting lost in the data or fogetting the humans it represents.	in essay	about 4 minutes
04.09.2017	From Habits to Rituals In the quest to become indispensable to consumers more brands should consider how they can ritualize their brand experience	in branding	about 5 minutes
03.12.2017	When Labels Matter How the subtle use of specific words to define your target audience makes a significant difference in the performance of your brand	in branding	about 3 minutes
03.05.2017	Why the Uber Brand is Probably Not in Danger ... Yet Despite a spate of bad press and questionable behavior, most consumers will tolerate the Uber brand out of sheer necessity and proven behavioral economics.	in branding	about 6 minutes
02.12.2017	Confessions of a Strat-o-Saur Brands are relying on functional positioning more than ever before, raising the question: am I becoming extinct?	in branding	about 5 minutes
01.29.2017	Skip B-School. Study Life. The 3 subject areas to master if you want to become a great brand strategist	in branding	about 9 minutes
01.22.2017	Seduce Me Today. Love Me Tomorrow. Customer satisfaction is the driving objective of most successful brands. But new research suggests that satisfied customers are harder to please. What's a brand to do? Seduce them with the promise of something different tomorrow.	in consumers	about 6 minutes
01.15.2017	Rebooting the American Brand Does The American Dream still resonate with today's consumers? A new study says it might be fading. Three factors are key to connecting the promise of America with modern brands.	in branding	about 8 minutes
01.08.2017	Go Analog For all the excitement created by the latest innovations, American Greetings reminds us that some old-school products are equally great at capturing our hearts.	in branding	about 3 minutes
12.18.2016	Beyond Challengers. A cycle of brand types It's time to evolve our thinking about challenger brands. They are not an end-state, but rather a phase. Success depends on knowing when your challenger days have passed.	in branding	about 8 minutes
12.11.2016	The Hidden Life of Sharing The sharing economy grows and grows, but the richest value in sharing is lost. It's not what we send out but what we do together that makes sharing meaningful.	in consumers	about 7 minutes
12.07.2016	Acts of Curation In the marketing world, curation is the buzzword of choice. But what does it mean to be a curator and how do curators add value?	in culture	about 4 minutes
11.29.2016	And that's the way it is The news industry has a serious branding challenge. To regain its credibility and stature it may be time to start from scratch.	in branding	about 5 minutes
11.22.2016	System Quo In the wake of the 2016 Presidential Election Americans look toward the power of an abandoned status quo	in culture	about 5 minutes
11.15.2016	When Your TV Binge Doesn't Flow Binge-watching is growing and content creators are rising to meet the demand. But making it profitable presents a few specific challenges.	in media	about 3 minutes
11.12.2016	Why trolls troll As America reacts to a divisive election, many are flaming and unfriending on social media. What drives a friend to become a troll?	in culture	about 7 minutes
11.05.2016	When Men Decide Together, Compromise Takes a Hike A new study reveals that men are more likely to reject compromise when they make decisions with other men.	in research	about 6 minutes
11.02.2016	Burberry uses cinematic trailer to tell its story Burberry released a three minute Cinematic Trailer to celebrate its 160th anniversary. But the real story revolves around what's missing.	in storytelling	about 1 minute
10.30.2016	Nomen-culture You can learn a lot about generational differences by looking at how each cohort names its babies.	in culture	about 5 minutes
10.22.2016	A Field Guide to Lies Mark Twain claimed there were three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Best-selling author and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin's new book A Field Guide to Lies revisits this sentiment.	in interview	about 0 minute
06.06.2016	Grit: The Essential Ingredient Conventional leadership literature is obsessed with talent. Author Angela Duckworth argues such fascination is misplaced.	in interview	about 0 minute
12.07.2014	20 Minutes of Storytelling While it is easy to fall prey to writer's block, it is just as easy to unlock a good story. This exercise will get you to a beginning, middle and end in less time than it takes to watch a sitcom.	in writing	about 1 minute
10.11.2014	How Google Works Google is one of the world's most admired companies. I had the privilege of interviewing Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg on their new book How Google Works	in interview	about 0 minute
08.05.2014	Questioning the Decoy Price is an often over-looked brand touch point. And not because of what it says, but because of what it implies.	in marketing	about 3 minutes
01.23.2014	Brand Dependence It's often said that you are what you drive. The latest wave of Brand Dependence research indicates that might be more true than you realize.	in research	about 0 minute
11.09.2013	What your tech brand really needs For brands, awareness certainly matters, but it is a low-level measure of a brand's true strength. We suggest these five focus areas to truly ensure a brand's longevity and strength.	in branding	about 4 minutes
10.27.2013	What the world needs now: love-actions It's easy to get lost in the feeling of love. But love is also a verb. To feel it, you have to do it.	in essay	about 3 minutes
10.17.2013	The Maker Movement Manifesto: A conversation with Mark Hatch on a creative revolution Chris Anderson has called the maker movement the next big thing. Leading the way is TechShop. To learn more about how it is empowering a new generation of inventors and entrepreneurs I interviewed CEO Mark Hatch at Live Talks LA.	in interview	about 3 minutes
10.15.2013	A Historian's Thoughts on America's Identity When we think of brand identities we often forget that nations have them, too. Historian Joyce Appleby suggests a profound ideal that lies of the root of the American brand.	in identity	about 1 minute
10.12.2013	Telling a Story Without a Literal Narrative The word "story" makes many think of words. But a story can surface with images, sounds, even scents.	in storytelling	about 3 minutes
10.07.2013	Storytelling and Points of Relation When telling a story, clearly set your point of departure so that your audience can anchor in and relate from there.	in storytelling	about 3 minutes
10.04.2013	A Lesson in Storytelling from Ricky Gervais Ricky Gervais reminds us that whether you're writing a report for your job or penning a new novel, the key to good storytelling is relating.	in perspectives	about 1 minute
09.25.2013	Keep Pretending It's Jim Henson's birthday. And his note from the grave instructs us to focus on the things that really matter in this life.	in essay	about 3 minutes
06.14.2013	True Life Adventure A trip to Alaska reminds me of the adventures I imagined when I was a child and seduced by a forgotten Disney gem.	in essay	about 1 minute
06.06.2013	Dollar Shave Club: Part IV In my ongoing ode to Dollar Shave Club, I commend them for smart brand extension.	in branding	about 1 minute
05.11.2013	Dollar Shave Club: Part III Dollar Shave Club continues its track record of brand consistency with the launch of Dr. Carver's Shave Butter.	in branding	about 1 minute
04.14.2013	Branding by price While many think that price is the antithesis of branding, it is actually a powerful positioning tool.	in branding	about 2 minutes
03.12.2013	The Naming Exchange While the memorability of your brand name matters, there's another facet of naming that matters more.	in branding	about 2 minutes
03.02.2013	Brand Real at Drucker Family Forum I ventured to KPCC's Drucker Family Forum to chat with Matt DeBord about my new book, Brand Real	in brand real	about 0 minute
02.04.2013	In defense of Super Bowl commercials ... when executed well The death of advertising is a bit premature, especially when considering the category's standard-bearer: the Super Bowl spot.	in advertising	about 3 minutes
01.19.2013	Selling Well with Daniel Pink I interviewed Daniel Pink about his new book, To Sell Is Human for Live Talks LA.	in interview	about 1 minute
12.07.2012	What it really means to be a Challenger Brand Challenger brands are a unique species identified by three essential qualities.	in branding	about 4 minutes
07.20.2012	From Mad Men to Brand Real Mad Men's Don Draper delivered compelling truths to his fictional clients. Today’s business managers need their own reality check.	in brand real	about 0 minute
06.18.2012	Typecasting and Brand Architecture Human beings are natural categorizers. Brand architecture is how a brand satisfies our need to sort.	in branding	about 3 minutes
05.14.2012	The Hunt for Real Creativity in Advertising It has never been more important for advertisers and brands to consider the story they want to tell consumers. The answer is not in the ads.	in advertising	about 4 minutes
04.25.2012	Great Brand Experiences Change Behavior The best brand experiences compel consumers to behave in specific ways.	in branding	about 2 minutes
04.10.2012	What Avon Can Learn from Instagram Avon just hired a new CEO to reverse an ongoing decline in sales. Her best advice might come from some unlikely digital sources.	in branding	about 3 minutes
03.31.2012	Stuck on You The real value of a brand isn't how much it is liked by people. It's how much people feel the brand is like them.	in brand real	about 1 minute
03.20.2012	The 2 Critical Story Skills They Don't Teach in School Storytelling is ingrained in the human psyche, yet we do very little to teach our children to tell stories or to find them in the world.	in storytelling	about 1 minute
03.19.2012	What If Hipsters Designed Brand Logos? Life in the hipster branding world is a sea of ironic ubiquity.	in links	about 0 minute
03.17.2012	Leading a Brand A new study finds that transformational and transactional leadership is better for long-term brand health.	in branding	about 0 minute
03.14.2012	Dollar Shave Club, Part II Dollar Shave Club is an excellent example of Brand Real. It marries a credible promise to a compelling experience.	in branding	about 1 minute
03.07.2012	The Folly of Standing Out Before Standing Up Authenticity and service-delivery are the gold standards by which brands are judged. The outdated premise of standing out first comes with a lot of baggage.	in branding	about 1 minute
03.05.2012	Scout's Honor There are many words used to describe a brand's platform. But one word is often conspicuously missing.	in branding	about 3 minutes
02.20.2012	Wage a Campaign Inside The campaign methods used by political entities are a good model for making change inside a brand.	in branding	about 2 minutes
02.20.2012	The Road to and From Memory Branding works on consumer memory. The best brands are easily memorized.	in branding	about 2 minutes
02.20.2012	Stake Promises, Not Positions Though they are often used interchangeably, a brand promise is very different from a brand position.	in branding	about 3 minutes
01.23.2012	Live or Memorex? There's a rebellion growing against brands. And it's driven by brands that think it's ok to fool consumers after they leave the cash register.	in branding	about 1 minute
12.12.2011	You Say Blackwater, They Say Academi In an effort to distance itself from recent history, Blackwater has rebranded. The business is the same. The name is now Academi.	in branding	about 1 minute
11.28.2011	5 Great Branding Books If you're looking to dive deep, here are five must-reads that capture critical perspectives in the art and science of branding.	in branding	about 1 minute
11.25.2011	Why is Black Friday Black? Color names can provide a powerful influence over brand identity--an influence that is often counter-intuitive.	in branding	about 1 minute
11.21.2011	Lifestyles of the Rich It's tempting to assume affluent consumers are shallow. But a new study demonstrates that the wealthiest favor brands that have a cause.	in culture	about 0 minute
11.21.2011	Laying Equity Several retailers have reintroduced layaway, and the results are surprising. Consumers value what you sell more when they work for it.	in branding	about 1 minute
06.05.2011	Answer the Question Great stories hinge on a question. This is as true for the great American novel as it is for a business report. To tell a better story, lean on your question.	in storytelling	about 5 minutes
06.19.2010	An open letter On the eve of a new iPhone, some heartfelt thoughts to Apple and his deadbeat friend.	in branding	about 1 minute
05.09.2010	Healthcare for Brands on A Budget In recessionary times brands need to monitor their health and make the most of every investment.	in branding	about 7 minutes
05.23.2009	Toward Sustainable Branding Is your brand a seasonal or a perennial? What does it take to brand for the long haul?	in branding	about 3 minutes
04.11.2009	Extensions and Deep Cues In a down economy many brand managers review their brand architecture to determine what to cut and what to nourish. A new study offers guidance.	in branding	about 3 minutes
03.06.2009	Branding in a Troubled Economy When times are tough, brands have new decisions to consider. Here's an overview of how to navigate the water.	in branding	about 0 minute
02.22.2009	Brand Preference, Experience and Memory Great brand experiences have a profound effect on the way consumers remember.	in branding	about 2 minutes
11.16.2008	The Dark Side How the US government seized control of a trademark to thwart a band of outlaws	in naming	about 0 minute
10.11.2008	Storytelling Architecture Narrative has an architecture. And it's the key to better branding.	in branding	about 2 minutes