In 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton embarked on an ambitious journey to take 10,000 portraits of New Yorkers and plot them on a map of the city on his blog Humans of New York. The project quickly transformed, however, when he began including brief quotes and...
Outcompete: 70 Ways Great Businesses Add More Value
If you want to build trust with your audience, give them something valuable. If you want to outcompete, you have to add more value (for the price) than your competition. According to researchers, there are 70 ways great businesses add more value for their customers....
Why Culture Matters More for Challenger Brands
Imagine you just got a new job. You’re brimming with enthusiasm, only to discover that you’re expected to work 7 to 7 (on the dot!), your coworkers are cold and cutthroat, your boss micromanages you, your incentives are laughable and you sit in a gray cubicle in an...
FAQ: What’s the difference between purpose, vision, mission and values?
Do you have a mission statement? What's your vision for the company? What's your brand purpose? If you're not sure what all of those even mean, you're not alone. Ask 100 strategists and you’ll get 100 different answers. Here’s my take on the difference between...
How to Find Your Brand’s Purpose
If you’ve ever asked existential questions like, “Why are we here?”, discovering why you exist, even as an organization, can seem like a lofty undertaking. It may seem impossible or frivolous for anyone thinking, “I just saw an opportunity and I went for it.” But like...
3 Reasons Why Your Brand Needs a Clear Purpose
Your brand's purpose describes why you exist, above and beyond making money. But why does your brand purpose matter? Well, shifting the conversation from what you do to why you do it can have a profound impact on your business. When you focus on your core beliefs and...
What Is Brand Purpose and Why Does It Matter for Challenger Brands?
I was in the supermarket checking out the nutritional facts on a loaf of bread when something caught my eye. Every package of Dave’s Killer Bread includes a striking blurb about the brand’s story, and its purpose: “I was a four time loser before I realized I was in...
What Is a Brand?
One of the most common questions I hear is, "What is a brand?" Well, let's clear this up. Your brand is not your logo. It is not your value proposition. And it is not what you say it is. Your brand is someone’s gut feeling about your product, service or organization....
What I Learned from Helping Retirees Find Their Purpose
For 5 consecutive weeks, I led 30 retired LA City employees on a journey to uncover their WHY. While I was teaching them about the keys to fulfillment (purpose, financial wellness, health, community and social engagement), I was learning even more about life itself....