Blog
The Popeye Principle
“I am what I am,” said the famous cartoon sailor. You have to admire an awkward, skinny guy who is as comfortable with himself as Popeye. It’s a terrific message and great advice for people and places. Destination branding is all about discovering what your community...
The role of logos in building a powerful brand
A ton of articles and web links come flying across my Twitter stream every day. I peruse some of them and re-tweet a few but I rarely blog about one. I couldn't let this go without comment because it is an excellent demonstration about the importance of logos and...
Imagining Brand Personalities
Last week I enjoyed a wonderful vacation that included hanging out with friends, visiting my father, and spending four spectacular days on the ski slopes in Vermont. It also included driving through parts of nine states between Virginia and Vermont. All that time...
My Tuesday in Covington
I spent Tuesday afternoon in Covington, Virginia, which no doubt causes some of you to ask, "Where the Hell is that?" I say, just wait and you'll be hearing more about it. Covington is part of the region known as the Alleghany Highlands on Virginia's...
Brands that make life better
A report on mediapost.com confirms a deeply held opinion of mine and provides some insights for all of us. The report states that the 50 fastest growing brands have something important in common. They publicly state their mission in terms of how they make the...
Shouldn’t travel and tourism advertising be the best in the world?
What industry has the best advertising? It's a tough question. Beer commercials can be funny. The automobile industry comes up with some clever advertising and also has some stunningly beautiful brochures and websites. With the exception of Apple, technology...
A simple truth about advertising
I heard some good business news on TV recently. Since good news is a bit of a novelty, it certainly stands out as memorable these days. Volkswagen reported that it delivered 8.16 million vehicles to customers in 2011, a 14.3% increase over the previous year. That got...
Just One Resolution for 2012
I could — and perhaps should — fill a notebook with New Years Resolutions. Heaven knows I have plenty of room for improvement in my life. Instead I am going with just one resolution although it's an ambitious one. In 2012, I have the same resolution for myself...
In praise of verbs
Most elementary and high school students across America receive essentially the same education in the English language. I don't think it has changed much in decades either. They learn about the parts of speech, sentence structure, grammar and punctuation. English...
Montana Sells Winter
It’s rare for me to be stricken with a case of agency envy. You know, that feeling advertising professionals get when they see creative work and think, “I wish my firm had done that.” I have a case of the envies right now, thanks to the State of Montana, which just...
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