The Curious Case of the Human Brain, a Cup of Tea, and the Suspiciously Comforting Logo. There is a peculiar habit among human beings which has puzzled philosophers, economists, marketing strategists, and at least one mildly confused Labrador for centuries. It is this: People overwhelmingly prefer things that feel familiar. Not better, necessarily. Not cheaper.…
Why do people stay with your brand long after the discount code has expired? There are many things that persuade a customer to buy from a business. Price is one. Convenience is another. And occasionally a particularly persuasive photograph of a sandwich. But none of these, on their own, explain why people remain loyal to…
A slightly irreverent exploration of metrics, meaning, and mildly panicked marketing meetings. There is a particular moment in every business owner’s life when they sit across from a marketing agency and hear the words: “Of course, brand-building is measurable.” At which point the business owner nods in the same way one nods when a dentist…
There was a time, a gentler, more cardigan-friendly time, when a business could simply make something decent, charge a fair price, and rely on word-of-mouth to spread the news. You made a good pie, people told others about it, and society functioned beautifully. That system has since been replaced by what can only be described…
Marketing is one of those curious human inventions that, when properly understood, can transform a modest small business into something approaching a minor galactic presence. When misunderstood, it can also result in a great deal of frantic posting, several regrettable taglines, and a lingering sense that one has spent money shouting into the void. For…
Imagine, if you will, that social media is a vast cosmic ocean except infinitely noisier and full of kittens, memes, and the occasional existential crisis. In this ocean, every like, share, save, and emoji is a tiny ripple which, when squinted at very, very carefully, may just tell you where the next great marketing wave…
If you’ve spent any time in modern marketing, you’ll know it can feel a bit… overcooked. Every week there’s a new must-follow strategy, a new platform you have to master, or a guru promising to 10x your growth before breakfast. Meanwhile, many of us are just trying to do good work, build meaningful brands, and…