Author: Colin Finkle
-
What is Brand Awareness?
Understanding Brand Awareness Photo Credit: Model photo by Wayhome Studio. Background by zephyr_p. Both via Adobe Stock. Design by Colin Finkle. Brand Awareness is a count of the people who know about your brand. Brand awareness is the number of people who dedicate at least one neuron to a brand. If they have any awareness…
-
Introduction to The Brand Cycle
The Brand Cycle is a helpful framework for your customers’ journey with your brand. I have yet to meet an entrepreneur or executive who has a handle on the entire customer journey. Marketing and sales oriented people know what leads up the the sale, engineers know how the product is used, and customer service and…
-
What is Brand Dilution?
Have you watched a brand you love just mean less and less? A tragic tale! Brand dilution is the act of making a brand weaker via overuse. When a product doesn’t meet its brand promise, the brand loses it’s meaning
-
“The Talent Brand” book review
Build a strong brand while attracting top talent, reducing HR costs and increasing the loyalty of employees and customers. The good. Talent Brand Thesis Strong thesis: strong brands are built from the employees out. Up Your Game Use some of the paradigms directly in your business or consulting. Tried and True Branding Principles Classic branding…
-
Top Minds in Graphic Design Discuss Holiday Coffee Cups
Alex Center, Jacob Cass, Chuck Anderson and Daniel Brokstad and Kelli Anderson comment on the holiday cups of 2017. Executive Summary | Abstract | TL;DR They didn’t invent the concept of holiday coffee cups, but Starbucks has increased the expectations of the designs with their twenty years of great holiday cups. Colin Finkle has assembled a…
-
Jody Ordioni interview
Wake up, executives. You have a brand with your employees, and it is affecting the bottom line, big time. I, Colin Finkle, am guilty of this: when the industry, including me, talks about branding, we mean an organization’s brand with its customers unless we explicitly say otherwise. The consumer brand is the fun bit, and…
-
Lifestyle brand case study: Arc’teryx
Arc’teryx’s shared values with outdoor enthusiasts attract other niches and the broader market. Executive Summary | Abstract | TL;DR Arc’teryx’s odd name and logo refer to the earliest known bird, which evolved wings to adapt to its hazardous environment. Arc’teryx uses an evolutionary design process to create outdoor apparel that helps their customers overcome hazardous…
-
What is a lifestyle brand?
Some of the most powerful brands are based on lifestyles that we aspire to. Most of us, including me, live pretty boring lives; enjoyable, lovely, but boring. But wearing a t-shirt, scent or hand bag allows our imagination to put us in that lifestyle, and associate ourselves with the cool people who embody that way…
-
What is brand frame of reference? What is brand scope?
The definition of brand scope or brand frame of reference is what customers expect from your brand. Have you had an experience like this? Let me know in the comments. I was shopping at Costco and pulled into the relatively quiet towel aisle because my toddler was disruptive. I noticed that they had a six…
-
Brand Standards Guide
How to create an effective brand standards manual. Executive Summary | Abstract | TL;DR The purpose of a brand standards is to build consistency. They are forward-looking. Think about what the users of your brand standards are looking for. Users of brand standards include designers, copywriters, marketers, business development, staff, and vendors. Plan out your…