Tag: advertising

The Why’s of Advertising

If you work with me for a while, you’ll grow to learn that I have a favorite question, and that question is: “Why?” There are a couple of primary reasons for the power of why. First of all, I’m a curious person by nature (and there’s a big difference between curiosity and being nosy, but…
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Darren’s Diary: Get Your Business in Formation and Market Like Beyoncé

Dear Diary, I remember just like it was yesterday: on Friday, December 13, 2013, my brother turned 26 years old. That was a great moment for him, but I was more impressed with Beyoncé’s release of her fifth studio album, self-titled Beyoncé. I must admit, I felt a bit betrayed in the moment for several…
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The Fastest Way to Kill Your Brand

I don’t know what it is like at the Volkswagen offices as of late. But it must smell a lot like a funeral. A few weeks back, the news broke that VW had purposely tried to defraud their customers and governments with the environmental claims of some of their vehicles. Then they lied about doing…
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Super Bowl Ad Brand Stories & The Kolbeco Awards

I’m not reviewing ads this year. And it’s not because I lack opinions. But there are not new things to say about them. We have already heard commentary from Buzzfeed, ad agencies and pundits. We even know what the feminist bookstore owners from Portlandia think (and their thoughts are brilliant). Instead, I developed a few…
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Is Advertising Misunderstood?

I was talking with a client the other day about his advertising campaigns when a very interesting comment came up. My client told me that one of his customers had said something along the lines of “Well, I guess I don’t need me to refer any business your way.  Looks like you’re doing pretty well…
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A brand is more than a stereotype

We recently met with a prospective client that was referred to us by one of St. Louis area’s talk radio stations. We are always appreciative of the recommendation and referral. So why were we referred? They were looking for a new direction that was creative but was also thinking about the brand strategy. The problem…
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