PinnedYour company doesn’t need branding until it does.When I was a young entrepreneur, I was hungry to learn about the ad business. I asked the owner of a large independent ad agency if he’d be…Jun 25, 2022Jun 25, 2022
PinnedSimplicityI still smile when I recall, as a young designer, a client once insisted I fill the white space in his advertisement with ‘content’…Dec 7, 2022Dec 7, 2022
PinnedPositive thinking needs balanceMy first major failure as a young entrepreneur was far worse than it needed to be, because in the successful years leading up to it, I had…Aug 30, 20201Aug 30, 20201
The problem with policing via algorithms.Instagram has been threatening to shut me down after repeatedly violating its community guidelines. I am perplexed, what did I do? Mar 4, 2024Mar 4, 2024
Brands like to leverage cultureOnce a popular artist’s work enters the public domain, it seems it’s only a matter of time before it’s appropriated by some brand.Dec 7, 2022Dec 7, 2022
Dear (name goes here), please donate.Over the last few years, our team has been undertaking audience research for a number of institutions which fundraise.Nov 13, 2022Nov 13, 2022
The problem with aspirational brandsBeing a branding professional, something about Simon Sinek’s iconic book ‘Start with Why’ always felt a tad off.Apr 10, 2022Apr 10, 2022
The dark side of best practicesThe world advances on the collective learning and experience of previous generations. Likewise, in corporate culture, hard-won knowledge is…Jan 31, 2022Jan 31, 2022
Branding is about trajectoryOur best corporate branding engagements start with the CEO. If we are in the same room with the CEO, you can bet that branding strategy is…Jan 27, 2022Jan 27, 2022
Published inAegis Human InsightBrands are storiesStories are fundamental in branding. A story can differentiate what would otherwise be an unremarkable brand by anchoring its value…Aug 1, 2021Aug 1, 2021
Published inAegis Human InsightBranding is about having agency.I know of a CEO who believes branding is a low priority for her company, a private equity firm, because it enjoys a strong word-of-mouth…Jul 24, 2021Jul 24, 2021
Published inAegis Human InsightHow important are aesthetics in a market context?With the advent of design thinking, UX design and service design, design is becoming more situated in strategy and problem-solving — is…Jun 26, 2021Jun 26, 2021
Published inAegis Human InsightBranding is an aggregate of action—not an aspirational feel-good story.You have no control over what people say or think about you. But your actions, consistently executed over time, can either shape or…Jun 26, 2021Jun 26, 2021
Evaluating brand valueWhen selling a company, efforts to make brand value visible and measurable can have a positive impact on valuation.Jan 31, 2021Jan 31, 2021
Removing friction from trust-buildingThere’s a difference between earning someone’s trust and trying to earn someone’s trust.Jan 22, 2021Jan 22, 2021
Published inAegis Human InsightRebranding is a cultural exerciseRebranding isn’t always about a new name or logo. More often, it is about finding better fit between changing, interdependent cultures.Jan 14, 2021Jan 14, 2021
Crisis and communityEmotionally intelligent organisations prioritize relationships even in periods of stress and uncertainty.Jan 12, 2021Jan 12, 2021
Human-centered learningOur capacity to learn is fairly unbounded at any age if there is an intrinsic drive or purpose.Jan 5, 2021Jan 5, 2021
Brands and reciprocityBack in my college days there was a diner that I frequented. What still stands out in my memory even today was how the bill arrived —…Jan 4, 2021Jan 4, 2021
The power of narrativeI just finished binge-watching The Queen’s Gambit, and I’m reminded again of the power of good story-telling.Dec 30, 2020Dec 30, 2020
