I never knew the mission of the first organization I worked for. Throughout my career I’ve seen missions on elevator doors, on conference room walls, in small frames at front desks and on letterhead. But I always wondered, who were these external placements really for and was anyone stopping to really read and process?
Fresh From the Oven: Your Most Recent Good Idea
Surprisingly, bakeries innovate more than many businesses we interact with. They try a new recipe knowing that other constants will be true, that the scent will most likely be attractive and their reputation will continue to draw us in. What if one day, someone just came up to you and said “I want whatever your most recent idea is. Whatever just came out of the oven.”
Why Brand Strategy Matters
What comes to mind when someone asks you about your brand? Most likely it is your logo, followed by your product, maybe your name, and then your website. But your brand is not just these things, it’s all of this and much more. It’s the feelings someone has when they use your product or see your logo and the pride they feel when they’ve gifted or recommended a product or service you’ve created.
Strategy can feel like a big, confusing, multi-meaning word, and it is, brand strategy encompasses a lot of things. But here are four key components that live within brand strategy and why they should matter to you…
Ladder Celebrates Year One
Today marks Ladder’s official one-year anniversary!
As I thought about ways to celebrate this day, one goal and idea surfaced to the top. Inspiring others to give. I started Ladder with a simple driving goal, “Help Others Do Good.” In celebration of being in business for one year, I’m asking others to join the charge and do something good for someone else, to do good works.
Your Brand Audit: Where Resolutions, Plans and Goals Come From
January really is the best time to audit. The timing feels right to take a look at what has surfaced to the top of the list for this year’s priorities and goals and ask ourselves some big and important questions, such as “Does the current external perception of our brand match our internal intention?” and more.
On "Purpose"
The "King James" Standard: How Lebron Leads a New Era of Athlete Philanthropy
In a way that Chuck Taylor changed the landscape of celebrity-endorsed athletic shoes by improving, promoting and putting his name on a product, Lebron James has now done the same for endorsing philanthropic movements. I call it “The King James Standard” and it’s not only changing the game, but as a benefit, the world.
Brand Values in the Wild: How Madewell Does Well
Book Publishers and publicists alike are often saying a line that sounds something like “Do more of what you are already known for.” or “Capitalize on what your audience already comes to you for.” Choosing a philanthropic initiative for your brand should be no different. Don't just choose a random philanthropic initiative to check a box, create a meaningful initiative that brings your true brand purpose to life.
Even Your Yoga Pants Can Give Back: Brands with Social Impact
The millennial consumer and the ever-growing expectation for transparency and social impact have changed the way we shop. There’s never been a better time for for-profit brands to share their values. Consumers want to know what issues brands care about and what those brands are doing to use their power to create change.
What is your brand’s relevant and meaningful social impact and how are you making it known?
Starbucks: A Culture of Warmth and Belonging
Why does it continue to seem that things have to go wrong first, for people and businesses to talk about and more outwardly share their values?
We must have physical and external ways to show others the things we care about, the things that drive us internally. For Starbucks that external display is companywide closure, and this isn’t the only one that’s happened in my coffee drinking years. After all, many people go to Starbucks for a taste of community, not just a taste of coffee.