BLOG, NEWS & RANTS
WHAT ARE WE
THINKING?
While we are hired for thinking about a client’s business and marketing strategy, we sometimes have thoughts on other topics. Check out the below for news, blog posts, book and movie reviews, rants and random other takes.
Book Review: The Evolution Of Useful Things
I recently re-discovered a fascinating book that served as a great travel companion a number of years ago. It is a 1994 book called The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski. The author skillfully explores the drivers of innovation and invention by examining the history and, well…evolution…of some everyday objects to prove his point. In this …
Train Wreck Review: Tiger King
What would a quarantine edition newsletter be without a Tiger King review? Where the heck did this show come from?! Out of nowhere the Netflix-reaching world was collectively binging, and then talking about and creating memes for a limited-series documentary about big cat owners. Now, we’re not talking big cats like Maine Coons (look it …
Why Prescribing Brand Authenticity Needs To Stop
There are lots of different formats for creative briefs out there. We’ve even helped a couple of shops come up with a template for briefs: what sections need to be completed, how things should be covered, what helps inspire the thinking, what doesn’t, etc. However, in my experience, nearly all briefs include a section on …
Book Review: Hellhound On His Trail
I got really into Hampton Sides recently, reading four of his books in 2018. One book called In The Kingdom Of Ice was incredible but just as riveting was Hellhound On His Trail, about the senseless assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the hunt for his killer. The book didn’t pull a lot …
Quick Book Review: ‘Almost Interesting’ by David Spade
I couldn’t help but seize this book immediately when finding out Spade had written a bio. I am a fan. I own Tommy Boy, not in some Netflix queue or on Blu-ray…I own it on VHS. Plus we just have a lot in common. He is snarky. He was always a smaller guy (as was …
Quick Book Review: ‘Shoe Dog’ by Phil Knight
I am a huge non-fiction fan and a big memoir fan too. Being also a fan of capitalism, I was interested to read Phil Knight’s book on three levels. Okay four actually if you count that I enjoy reading about sticky brands. I wasn’t disappointed. A few things really stood out so—in lieu of a …
For The Love Of All That Is Holy On This Earth, Please Stop Using Apple As A Parallel To Your Brand
I was recently in a strategic planning meeting when the inevitable happened. Guess what it was. Everyone in this “all opinions are equal” session quickly deferred to the CMO? Well yes but that’s not what I’m talking about. Everyone professed to take a fresh look even at things that had been done one way for …
Wishing I Knew Then What I Know Now: Advice for Young Professionals
You know when you hear a song and say to yourself, “I gotta get that on iTunes.” That happened to me the other day. There is a song by The Faces called Ooh La La. (Watch video/hear it here). The chorus partially goes “I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger.” …
