Adventures in Publishing: Charlotte Cheetham

Charlotte Cheetham is a French curator in graphic design: her publications and exhibitions projects, about graphic design and art relevant issues, are thought-like spaces for experimental proposals. The blog she has run since 2006 proposes one possible reflection of a landscape and promotes a contemporary adventurous and transversal practice of graphic design that comes closely … Read moreAdventures in Publishing: Charlotte Cheetham

More branding and communications essentials

The Blake Project is a Los Angeles-based brand consultancy that helps companies design, manage and build brands that drive profitable revenue growth through differentiated customer experiences. Publishers of the book Brand Aid, the group also regularly stages Brand Positioning Workshops, and its principals share their considerable knowledge through their Branding Strategy Insider blog and newsletter. … Read moreMore branding and communications essentials

Sharing secrets: Fast Company

When I was an account manager for high-tech PR firm The Terpin Group in Los Angeles back in 1999 and 2000, my colleagues and I constantly set our sights on helping our clients place their stories inside the world’s leading business publications. Many of the media outlets then considered top-tier have come and gone, while one of them has continued rising and shining: Fast Company. Each phenomenal issue of the magazine is an education in itself, while its newsletters offer a steady stream of invaluable insights from world-leading journalists and business leaders. I am especially grateful for the 30 Second MBA series, where lessons like the video above featuring Kevin Prentiss, CEO of Red Rover, are short and always impactful. If you’re ever on-the-spot and trying to decide how to handle some pressing business matter, I highly encourage you visit www.fastcompany/mba to tap into platinum advice from proven leaders on key topics, like those listed below.

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Scion and ATTIK rev up…

So far, 2012 has proven to be a very exciting year for Scion, the automotive brand from Toyota Motor Sales USA developed specifically for the new generation of youthful buyers. Focused on providing distinctive products, opportunities to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level, Scion supports originality through its programs in the … Read moreScion and ATTIK rev up…

Joe Hutto, Passion Pictures and PBS: Thanks for the documentary

Almost eleven years ago, my wife and I moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and the small college town of Boone, North Carolina, which is home to Appalachian State University. Among many new family-focused joys of life we’ve experienced here, this move has truly immersed us in mother nature’s richness. Many species of wild flora and fauna flourish in the sprawling patch of woods right outside our windows. We can view wilderness each day, and when we’re especially lucky, we see wild turkeys.

Until recently, most of what I’d learned about these creatures had come from my personal observations of them; through different seasons over the years, our homestead has been a regular daily stop for flocks (sometimes with dozens of members), as well as the occasional lone wanderer. My basic curiousities were extremely well rewarded when I watched “My Life as a Turkey” late last year on PBS. Produced for the network’s award-winning Nature series, I highly encourage you to watch the complete episode now available online (in the U.S. and its territories), which I have embedded above. I promise you, it is a fascinating window into a secret world.

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Sharing secrets: Protein audience survey 2012

Each year Protein Networks surveys its global publication network of 18-35-year-old cultural innovators and influencers, asking what makes them tick, how they live their lives, and what they expect from their favorite brands. The results appear in the 90-page Protein Audience Survey 2012 report, a must-have resource for brands wanting to understand the behavior of … Read moreSharing secrets: Protein audience survey 2012

Successful kickstart for MIND ZONE

Last November, I received a request from my friend Christopher Cowen, who is VP of original programming for Herzog & Company, asking me to consider taking-part in a Kickstarter for his latest documentary film project. He wrote: “The film is called MIND ZONE: THERAPISTS BEHIND THE FRONT LINES and it’s the story of the U.S. … Read moreSuccessful kickstart for MIND ZONE

2012 ReCourses New Business Summit

On January 25-27, I had the pleasure of joining nearly 100 other professionals representing dozens of creative services firms in Nashville to attend the 2012 ReCourses New Business Summit (NBS). Hosted by ReCourses principal David C. Baker, and Blair Enns of Win Without Pitching, the event’s subtitle reads, “Using Your Positioning for More Reward, Impact, Control, and Fun.”

When it was all over, I asked many of my fellow attendees to provide two words that best describe their takeaways from the event, and the word cloud embedded above reflects their input. For anyone who has not spoken with me or others about our remarkable experiences at the summit, this provides quick insight into its powerful impact.For a bit more background,

Read more2012 ReCourses New Business Summit

Business and brand strategy alignment

For his recent post entitled “The Death of Branding and the Scam of Storytelling,” ghostwriter and author Jeff Haden reached out to the illustrious David C. Baker. David is the head of ReCourses, which provides consulting services and educational events for marketing firms. In Jeff’s story, David says a lot about branding and storytelling, including this.

“Alignment is simply telling the truth: To your customers, to your employees, and to yourself. When you do that everything else falls into place. Then your brand makes sense and the stories you tell support your brand — because your brand is you.”

Personally, I have long admired the dedication of my clients at global creative agency ATTIK focusing in on these critical areas of business. I believe their work for Perkins+Will featured above is a solid example of David’s ideas at work. I hope he agrees with me.

To learn more,

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Forces for Good: Al Gore

Three years ago, Nobel Laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore issued a powerful challenge to America: “Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100% of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon free sources within 10 years.”

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