Big Words Don’t Equal Big Ideas

Big Words Don’t Equal Big Ideas

I had a meeting with a prospect last week. He was eager to brand and launch his start-up. And he was excited for the opportunity to discuss its positioning and promotion. He was so enthusiastic when we spoke on the phone that I was as fired up as he was on my way to...
The One and Only

The One and Only

In the summer of 1971, I was 17 years old. My friend, Bruce, and I went to see B.B. King at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut. We may have been the only two white dudes in the place. We most certainly were the youngest. And we were in no way prepared to...
All Things to All People

All Things to All People

One of our former clients was a software-development shop. It created core-processing systems for insurance companies. Its stock answer to the question, “Can you do that?” was: “Yes,” followed quickly by the first of a series of invoices for...
The Zen of Mannix

The Zen of Mannix

Don’t you hate it when you wake up with the theme from Mannix stuck in your head? I used to. It was awful to find myself humming it while I made breakfast. It was frustrating to find myself singing the melody out loud in the shower (although, the acoustics are...
Happy Trails

Happy Trails

A long time ago in a land far away, a man — we’ll call him Nimrod — founded a company. He knew everything about founding a company. But he knew nothing about promoting one. He knew nothing about assimilating people and letting them embody a brand in their own...