“It is time to re-think the relationship between brands and society,” says branding expert Jane Cavalier, author of The Enchanted Brand: Strengthening the Human Side of Business in the Age of New Essentialism (2022, Indie Books International).“Traditional brands have sold without any accountability for their cultural impact, which is now being challenged by the cancel culture,” says Cavalier. “Brands can no longer do what they want without considering the negative and positive effects on people and society.”Prior to founding her own firm, BrightMark Consulting in Westport, Conn., Cavalier drove strategic planning for clients of McCann-Erickson worldwide, the world’s largest advertising [...]

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” -Warren Buffet Over my 30-year career, people often pull me aside for casual brand advice and to hear the hilarious and occasionally outrageous stories behind great brands. I encounter the same questions and problems over and over again, so I thought I’d take a moment to share my top five tips for creating a powerful brand. 1. Understand It’s All About Them The brand is built for your customers. Embrace the idea [...]

“Sea Shepard Pirates are the first pirates of compassion that the world has ever seen” – Paul Watson, founder, Sea Shepard Conservation Society Branding on the High Seas Pirates have long been compelling characters for storytellers and brands alike. From Captain Hook to Captain Morgan, pirates remain potent symbols of freedom and adventure. But piracy is much more complex than Disney-style swashbuckling or spiced rum would have us believe. One activist group has embraced that complexity and assumed an unexpected brand identity: the compassionate pirate. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society takes inspiration from the history of piracy. [...]

“A lot of art is lacking a sense of humour... It's a fun thing to be able to draw and create your own world, and sometimes it is funny. I'm not afraid of people laughing at me or if they don't get it.” – Sam Cox, AKA Mr. Doodle The Importance of Artist Branding An artist—no matter how brilliant, eccentric, or hard-working—is only human. An artist laboring in a studio is confined by physical time and space. An artist can only do so much in a given time. But an artist brand? An art brand [...]

Sara Schnadt, artist and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory staffer. Photo Jauren Jeter. Source: Artnet News “The gig economy is empowerment. This new business paradigm empowers individuals to better shape their own destiny and leverage their existing assets to their benefit.”– John McAfree Many of us have become “talent” products in a vast talent marketplace. As with any crowded marketplace, a brand helps to authentically differentiate, resonate and connect with those that matter. This means crafting your personal “professional” brand. I know, some of you are saying, really, do I have to? Read on. The [...]

Henry DeVries Contributor Leadership Strategy Attracting high-paying clients by marketing with a book and a speech. "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution." -Albert Einstein Today, we are featuring editorial published last week by Forbes where Forbes Contributor Henry DeVries interviewed Jane Cavalier, CEO & Founder of BrightMark Consulting and author of Overhead Space, on brands and social accountability. Read about the challenges brands face with the "cancel culture" and growing public demand for brands to serve the greater good. [...]