In our work as brand excavators and strategists, we are not working to shoehorn your brand or business into a pre-set market position that we’ve deemed advantageous. That’s Old World branding. What we are ultimately working to do is to inspire you to overcome your fear. Fear is the main dynamic that keeps you from truly becoming a brand. The fears you have may feel monstrous ...
The Off-The-Record Factor: Share Stories You’d Normally Hide
If you were being interviewed by The New York Times about the success of your brand, what would you say? (I’ll give you a moment). Would you explain how you made some smart investments? Would you describe your strong work ethic? Would you acknowledge all of the things you did correctly? Yes, I’m sure you would. As you should! Undoubtedly, if a national newspaper has recognized you as an ...
BrandLab Attendee, We’d Like You to Meet Someone. Yourself.
When is the last time you raced against your buddies to make and fly a paper airline? Or when have you last handwritten something sacred and private, folded it up carefully and discreetly passed to a friend? How about taking the time to sit back and let someone read aloud to you? Has it been awhile? I’d venture to guess it’s because you’re an adult and most of us haven’t done these things ...
Rethinking Branding in the Age of Reimagined Capitalism
By Emily Soccorsy + Justin Foster One of the greatest pains of modern thinking is our addiction to dualism. While we are used to seeing this us-versus-them, black-or-white approach in politics or religion, it’s also incredibly prevalent in businesses. This is where we encounter it the most. Too many Old World leaders still believe that for-profit companies should be run with lightning ...
An Open Letter
We believe every great brand is a spiritual experience. A movement. A brand is the only place in business where your inner world is experienced by the outer world. For too long, we have accepted the belief that these worlds are supposed to be separate. We say no. When these worlds are kept separate, dissonance occurs. Identity crises emerge. Leaders drift from the mission. Employees feel ...
What is your brand’s MLE (minimum level of excellence)?
By Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster A brand is an organic, living thing. It is both a practice and a discipline. And yet there is also a baseline, or minimum, level of organic environmental excellence to create for your brand to grow and thrive. Without this brand primordial soup, you may inadvertently stunt the growth of your brand and reduce its vibrancy and reach. Most people begin ...
Synthesis Episode 10: Ron Price + Stacy Ennis on Growing Influence
LISTEN HERE (audio + video) Synthesis is a Root + River hosted webcast featuring nonconformist leaders whose ideas make them — and us — see the world differently. Our tenth episode features Ron Price and Stacy Ennis, authors of Growing Influence: A Story of How to Lead with Character, Expertise and Impact, which was recently published and is now available. Growing Influence is a modern ...
Why Ego Kills Brands
By Emily Soccorsy + Justin Foster To be a leader you need a healthy ego. Leading with your ego will kill your brand. Discuss. Not sure what to discuss? We got you. First off, we need an ego. It keeps us alive and moving. It looks out for us and spurs urgency. This is why the ego makes a great employee but a terrible boss. Leaders who allow the ego to lead are making themselves highly ...
Market As You Would Like To Be Marketed To
By Emily Soccorsy + Justin Foster In our world, the most egregious violators of the Golden Rule are marketers. By in large, they do not market unto others as they would like to be marketed unto. Sadly, the marketing industry supports this disconnection between humanity and marketing. Way too many marketers go for tactics that use the ball peen hammers of coercion, scarcity, and intrusive, ...
3 Corporate Habits that Will Crush Your Entrepreneurial Spirit
We heart entrepreneurial people. We heart them wherever they may be, and whenever they might find us. In the last year, we’ve seen an increasing number of what we term ATLs, or “about-to-launch,” folks who have finally found the corporate structure too oppressive to their souls to abide any longer. As they prepare their escape, they reach out to us. We meet at the junction and help ...