What’s the Difference?

What’s the Difference?

by | Apr 9, 2015

Is any tired rhetorical trope more trite and trivial than making a difference? “We’re making a difference.” “Let’s make a difference.” “One person can make a difference.” “Our company is making a difference.”...
The Nose Knows

The Nose Knows

by | Apr 6, 2015

Ask a roomful of people (I’ve done it), “What’s your brand?” and most of them will quickly respond, “My logo.” It’s not a bad answer. It’s just incomplete. It lacks context. Your logo is, at most, an aspect of your brand. Especially in your advertising or on your...
The Case of the Frozen Feet: Part Two

The Case of the Frozen Feet: Part Two

by | Apr 3, 2015

Since it was clear I was more surprised than Biff was, I spoke up first; although, it was more a reflexive exclamation than a considered inquiry: “Is something wrong …?” “No,” Biff replied calmly. “What makes you ask?”...
The Case of the Frozen Feet: Part One

The Case of the Frozen Feet: Part One

by | Apr 2, 2015

Regular readers might remember the first case I reported in these pages. Hardcore masochists might even recall the second one. If not, don’t let it get to you. I beat the pavement as a private brand detective. The lion’s share of my cases have to do with...
Rhetoric vs. Results

Rhetoric vs. Results

by | Apr 1, 2015

According to a study recently concluded by The Chautauqua Center for Forensic Linguistics, two sentences occur together more frequently than any others in business contexts. The first is a simple declaratory: We need a plan. The second is a perplexed...