In today’s world, innovation often feels elusive. Creating a new offering, developing a concept, or designing an identity can require more than many companies are willing to invest. Resources, knowledge, ambition, initiative, and capital may all be table stakes—but none of them alone give an…

There was a lot of noise last week when Google announced it had given its visual identity system a complete overhaul for the first time in 17 years (we won’t count the tweak from a couple of years ago as anything more than what it…

“There used to be a time when we would create five or six creative pieces over the course of a year. That’s turned into 400, 500, 700. There is this insatiable thirst for content. I’ve seen RFPs that literally say, ‘We need an agency to…

Another year, another booth. You’ve committed the time, money, and energy to participate in yet another industry trade show. With such a sizable investment, do you really know what you’re trying to say? And more importantly, do you know whether anyone will care, or if…

Very few people in the world consciously dissect symbols to understand their impact and meaning, and that’s a good thing. Given how many symbols the average person in the developed world encounters each day, we’d drive ourselves mad if we analyzed every one of them.…

You say your offering is better than your competitors’. You say you deliver “world-class” products and “industry-leading” service. So why don’t you own the lion’s share of your market? It may be because those familiar platitudes, well-intentioned as they are, are quietly landing you in…

When you’re ready to position your company in the mind of your market, there’s one thing that will immediately set you apart: distill your brand and let that clarity power all your communication efforts. It’s a simple idea, but a difficult practice to begin. Here…

Storms happen. They’re an inevitable part of nature and the cycles of life. Sudden downpours catch us off guard without an umbrella. Snowy blizzards blow in and paralyze entire cities. Storms happen. The same is true in business. There are cycles of ups and downs:…

Audiences have A.D.D. It doesn’t matter what your product or service is, whether it’s a new engineering process, innovative downhole tubing, or some cool instrumentation, great creative is required to capture an overstimulated market and leave a favorable impression. Perpetually distracted by smartphones, deadlines, and…

If your offering feels more like a commodity than a prized jewel, follow this farmer through the maze of positioning and see what lies in his fields of gold. By all accounts, Brett was a hardworking man who longed to farm. It was in his…