We say that an iconic, recognizable label needs three things: a clear visual that represents the name – an icon like the bison, the brand name and lastly the style of beer. This is what consumers are cruising for as they cover the shelves.

It’s easy to pick a brand color, right? Not as easy as you think. Depending on your industry, the message and focus of your brand everything can change. The color look and feel not only establishes what you are but who you are. This is why trade dress is so important. It’ happened several times [...]

Cisco, like many technology companies, thinks only linearly. What they do is in the context of their technological hold in the market, but the Flip does not fit this model

Large companies and even mid size to smaller can now get tons of data on you. How you shop, what you buy, what your age group does, what your neighborhood does – but do they really get you?

This focus on the customer built incredible loyalty and connection. They educated every customer, they increased their level of awareness and in the end they became the preferred choice in the category.

If you’re like me most of your banking is done online these days. I go the accounts area, pay bills, move money around and occasionally check out other services, all with no person involved. I then deposit checks at nonhuman ATM machines. I usually only interact when I need something fixed or just plain don’t [...]

Rule 1. in building brands is evolve value and keep building on what you have. Most companies that have dumped an old name for a new one to try to “reinvent” themselves have run head on into customer confusion.

The shocking part about the Gap’s disastrous misstep is that it shows their lack of connection to their own consumers, which is incredibly important.

The actual design of the new labels along with the methodology to change the names is a disjointed and confusing with sports illustrations that look like a collage gone bad. There are so many activities I can’t figure out what I’m supposed to be doing. The visual images are more evocative of an energy drink than a beer.

Three years after making a critical online branding mistake, Ask Jeeves in Great Britain is back with a fancy new suit and good advice. Yes, the Jeeves brand element, which we redesigned, has returned to center stage.