Good luck ignoring the alligator

In 1933 a German psychiatrist named Hedwig von Restorff did a study.

She presented human subjects with a list of categorically similar items, with one distinctive, isolated item on the list.

When their memory was tested about the list of items, the memory of the distinctive item as always better than the rest.

The phenomenon became known as the “Von Restorff effect”.

For example, if you have a list where one item stands out against the others, for example: desk, chair, lamp, table, rug, bed, alligator, couch, dresser, armchair.

“Alligator” will be remembered the most.

It also turned out that the effect happens when you alter things like size, shape, color, spacing, fonts and underlining.

In this case, let’s say you have a shopping list with 20 items on it including: eggs, milk, bread, apples, chicken, lettuce, onions and cheese, etc. Then you color the word “apples” with a yellow highlighter.

Almost everyone who reads the list will remember that the list had apples on it.

In trying to win in todays market, many brands focus their time and energy trying to create better products or deliver deeper functional benefits or more meaningful emotional experiences.

But the fact is - that in the war for consumer attention, the most powerful method of establishing brand recall is to be different.

Just somehow noticeably - different.

We are now all doing business in an “Attention Economy”.

So, if you can just stand out in a sea of sameness…

You win.

You Think it’s a Mistake but it’s Actually Perfect

At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey perfection was my goal.

I wanted to create perfect logos and websites. Upload perfect videos. Publish perfect blog posts. Send perfect emails.

But it was paralyzing.

And because of that, nothing was getting done.

Five years ago this month, when my finger was finally hovering over the “send” button for the very first issue of this newsletter, I was sweating.

What if I made some grammatical error? What if one of the links goes to the wrong page?

What if something is inaccurate and makes someone, somewhere, somehow irritated at me?

But it turns out I had it wrong all.

Since the 16th century, the Japanese have practiced an aesthetic concept that they call “Wabi-sabi”. It celebrates the slightly flawed, the not-quite symmetrical, the unrefined.

It can be seen in pottery with rough uneven edges or intentional chips, in architecture with off-center roofs, in the patchwork robes worn by Buddhist monks.

It embraces the idea is that imperfections are where the beauty lies.

That the true value resides in the flaws.

We should all remember Wabi-sabi when we go about our marketing work, design work, project work, our conversations with clients.

Because perfection isn’t the goal, it’s the enemy.

It’s the imperfections that make us relatable, interesting and authentic.

And they also help us get things done.

The Wrong Ingredients

There is a marina in Lahaina, a small town on the western coast of Maui, Hawaii and it's home to one of the best scuba diving sites on the island, Mala Wharf.

Mala Wharf is a collapsed pier that extends hundreds of feet into the marina. The submerged slabs and pillars of concrete create an artificial reef teeming with tropical fish, eels, rays, lobster and octopus.

The wharf didn’t collapse with age. It didn’t collapse because of a hurricane or some natural disaster. The wharf’s demise was the result of a bad recipe.

You see, when you make concrete with fresh water the material essentially becomes stone and will last for decades.

But when you cut corners and use salt water instead, the concrete seems OK for a few years, but then it begins to crumble.

Unfortunately, they used the salt water recipe for Mala Wharf.

After the wharf collapsed it was going to be far too expensive to clean it up. So they just left it there - and let the marine life take over.

Building a successful brand is like building something out of concrete.

You need to use the right recipe.

You need a solid brand strategy, a stunning brand design and to create an impeccable brand experience.

If you cut corners, before you know it things will start to crumble and cleaning up the mess gets expensive fast.

But if you use the right ingredients and a proven recipe, that brand will last for decades.

You Need a Megaphone

You wouldn’t think tree crickets have a lot to do with marketing, but they do.

You see, female tree crickets like two things in their mates: size and loudness. If you’re big male tree cricket with a really loud song, you’ve got it made. You get all the attention.

But the curious thing is there are a lot of smaller, quieter male tree crickets out there too. You’d think that their stature would have doomed them in the cricket gene pool long ago.

But if you thought that, you’d be wrong.

That’s because these smaller dudes figured out that if you find a cone-shaped leaf, chew a hole in it, stick your body through and sing your cricket song it’s like using a big-ass megaphone.

In fact, scientists have recorded song volume increases of up to 3x.

Which tends to get the attention of their target audience.

So if you’re a small player and you can’t compete with the marketing the big guys are doing what can you do?

You just take a lesson from the crickets. You find the right amplifier.

The good news is that there are plenty to choose from: LinkedIn, Twitter, Clubhouse, Instagram stories, YouTube.

Megaphones just waiting to make you seem bigger and sound louder than you actually are.

You just have to chew a hole and start singing your song.

We Have Lift-off

It was 1960 and we were in a race with the Russians to put a man into orbit.

Project Mercury was the name of our program that was eventually going to do it.

The operative word here is “eventually”.

The first Altas-type rocket exploded. So NASA switched to the Redstone rocket that had taken our first satellite into orbit.

The test flight of the new spacecraft and its recovery systems was scheduled. They wheeled the rocket onto the launch pad...3, 2, 1. Ignition!

There was an incredible roar, the rocket disappeared behind a huge plume of smoke. The technicians thought the rocket had accelerated so quickly they didn’t even see it go.

That’s because it didn’t go.

It lifted off a full 4 inches and then dropped back down on the platform. Thankfully, still upright.

But then the escape rocket did take off. It shot up 4000 feet then fell to earth. Then the re-entry parachutes deployed and fluttered down beside the fizzling rocket.

It was a comical failure. But it was a start.

As marketers, entrepreneurs and business partners, whenever we have out-sized dreams fueled by a desire to surpass strong competition, we have to start. We have to pick the best rocket we have and begin testing.

Things might not go as planned. We might not get into orbit on the first try.

But a four inch flight is better than standing still.

Because eventually we’ll accelerate so quickly they won’t even see us go.

5 Big Branding Mistakes And How To Fix Them

"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

If you are like most professionals, you’ve put many hours of hard work into your brand. Building a brand is important, but even more critical is focusing on the right aspects of your brand building. Focus on the areas that have a huge impact on buying decisions. Zero-in on the things that will 2X your business. Most importantly, avoid eroding your hard work by doing things that can hurt your brand. 

Let’s zero-in on five things that may hurt your brand without you even knowing. Fix these, and you’ll be ahead of the game.

Number 1: Lack of Consistency: An inconsistent brand image can do more damage than you may know. It sends the message, “We care, but not too much,” or “Some details slide by us.” This perception will force you to leave money on the table; your clients will be confused and unwilling to spend more.

Brand Fix: A consistent brand inspires confidence and trust. It will cultivate client partnerships that easily bring in cash because people will know what to expect and gladly pay for your services. 

Consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue up by up to 23 percent Forbes.com

Build on these main design elements first:

• Color

• Fonts

• Logo

• Photography treatment

• Layout style

Gather all of your marketing and branding assets and check that each is consistent across all brand touchpoints: social media, website, content and media artwork, newsletters, emails, etc. Frequently it is a good idea to engage an outside partner, such as a branding firm or consultancy to provide you an unbiased opinion and fresh pair of eyes on your visual assets. 

Wherever your brand is, create a plan for how and when your branding elements will be used. Create a brand book that allows everyone in the company to know the guidelines and rules for usage. Showing up in the same way every time someone encounters your brand will build brand equity over time. 

Consistency breeds loyalty.

Number 2: Poor Website Design. Your website is usually the first place people look for your brand “heartbeat.” Unfortunately, some big mistakes can turn potential customers off. 

Studies show that people judge a brand as good or bad in as little as 0.5 seconds (Behaviour and Information Technology, 2011).

You have about half a second to look as professional as possible. 

If you’re not putting your best foot forward, you are losing money. Here’s proof:

• 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if it is unattractive

• 59% of UK consumers “would not use a company that had obvious grammatical or spelling mistakes on its website or marketing material” (cnewcomer.com)

• 75% of consumers admit that they judge a business’ credibility based on their website design (business.com)

Brand Fix: The design elements that erode credibility when executed badly are: 

• Overall visual branding and layout

• Navigation

• Content

• Customer journey/content/messaging

Some things to consider to improve your design and usability: 

• Add an easy contact form 

• Add a straightforward scheduling app like Calendly or SimplyBook.me 

• Create a visible, uniform pricing structure to avoid customer confusion

• Add social links to other channels so customers can find you where they hang out online

• Create links to quality content that is valuable or meaningful to your audience

• Fix all typos or broken links and make sure your site is free of 404 errors (One entrepreneur increased his Google ranking for one page by 486% after fixing all typos)

Number 3: Low-Quality Content. Inferior content is worse than no content at all. Customers want to see content that reflects their specific problem or circumstance. Let these statistics inform your content choices:

• 56% of marketers attribute higher brand engagement to personalized marketing content. 

• 45% of people say they would unfollow a brand on social media if it spends too much time talking about its products.

Brand Fix: If you are publishing articles and blog posts, high-quality means information that is valuable to your target audience. Be sure to represent your brand’s unique point of view so you stand out from the crowd. 

If you are posting video or audio files, consider things like sound quality, video quality, lighting quality, and editing. Get the best your money can buy, and your brand is on its way to being seen as a leader.

Make a commitment to posting and updating regularly.

There is a great quote by Chad Pollitt who said, “SEO is not something you do anymore. It’s what happens when you do everything else right.” Frequent posting of quality content will do more to boost your Google search results than  any back-end SEO metadata trickery will do these days. Keep in mind, a site that is not updated regularly looks “abandoned” to Google algorithms and is consequently downgraded in search results. 

Number 4: MeMeMe. Avoid the trap of talking all about yourself. Small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals do this frequently, and I understand. Talking about the product or service you built from the ground up comes naturally, but it doesn’t attract ideal customers. It turns them off.

Brand Fix: Businesses that have a line out the door have one thing in common: they are consumer-centric. They turn the spotlight on their customers and they keep it there. Here’s how you can put your customer center stage:

Get clear about your customer’s problem and how you fix it. 

Articulate it plainly, in a voice that resonates with your audience. Ask them problem-focused questions in your copy such as:

•  "Are you looking for a new logo and don't know where to start?"

• "Need a video production company but you have no contacts or resources?"

• "Are the prices you're paying for website design too high?"

•  "Is your SEO failing and you don't know exactly how to address it?" 

These all pique the interest of a potential buyer because they focus is on the problem they are trying to solve. If customers have that problem, they will quickly read more. 

If you’re having trouble writing customer-centric copy, listen to what your customers are saying. Go where they hang out, online or in person, and take note of their problems or pain points. Mold your content and story around their needs, wants and desires. This is called mirroring; because you are “reflecting” what the customers see or say to themselves in their mind. 

Mirror how customers talk about their problems.

Mirroring draws the customer in and makes them want to know more. It helps them know that you understand their problem and you are the one to fix it.

(Read more about the art and science of mirroring and this Forbes article)

Number 5: Master of None. Trying to be everything to everyone is a brand-killer. Creating too broad an offering or having too vast of a target audience diminishes your ability to market effectively. If you're trying to address too many different customers or needs, people won't know how you're going to help them. Instead, they'll buy from someone else whom they feel better understands their problem.

Brand Fix: To create irresistible copy, be as specific as possible. There's a saying, "The riches are in the niches;" you can have a successful, money-making business if you focus on one specific target. The internet has made the business community global, which means there are almost limitless places that your potential clients can get the services they need. 

Position yourself as the “exact” service provider to solve their distinct problem. The more specific you can be about who your target customer is, the problem you solve, and how you can help them, the more successful you’ll be.

Building a brand takes effort over time, but with effort in the right areas, you can make your brand shine brightly. Avoid the pitfalls and you’ll be well on your way to having a line of clients out the door.

Become a Great Public Speaker With These Quick Tips

If you want to reach the next level of your career, you can’t gloss over your public speaking skills. Successful designers, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals must present their ideas effectively and defend their work convincingly to an audience. 

Honing your public speaking skills exponentially increases your chances of success in your career. 

The opportunity to directly influence an audience is invaluable and is certainly worth the effort to improve.

If you are afraid of public speaking, you are not alone. 25% of people in the world rank public speaking as their number one fear. As Psychology Today explains it, there are myriad physiological reactions, negative thoughts and false beliefs that instantaneously paralyze you with fear when you take the stage.

Even if you’re not paralyzed with fear, you’re bound to get a little nervous before you present. You need to accept the fear. Quietly acknowledge, “I’m feeling nervous.” If you try to fight it, it will make it worse. 

Use these tips to feel more confident about your preparation, presentation, and follow-up.

Preparation

Watch and Learn: Watching great speakers and deconstructing their presentations will help you understand the important components of an outstanding speech. TED has some amazing videos from some of the best speakers in the world. Watch as many as you can and ask yourself: 

• How do they start their talk? 

• How do they engage the audience? 

• How do they tell a story? 

• How do they walk and move? 

• How do they present the slides that are behind them? 

• What's the cadence of their speech? 

• Do they tell jokes or are they serious? 

• Are they quiet or loud? 

Here’s a list of the 25 Most Popular TED Talks Of All Time to get you started. If you want to go even deeper, this video from Chris Anderson, TED Curator, explains the one secret ingredient of all great TED talks.

Rehearse: Knowing your material is the most important preparation step. 

Write diligent speaker notes and know your slides cold. Memorize everything until your presentation is mistake-free. Many people find mnemonics are very helpful with memorization. 

Mnemonics are based on pictorial memory, so if you are a visual person, it may be the right solution for you. This video from Mike Michalowicz, author of the business cult classic, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, teaches you the basics of mnemonics memorization. 

Assess: Observe yourself, either in a mirror or on video, to perfect your presentation. Notice and correct any distracting habits like:

1. Using filler words like "um," "ah," “like,” and “so.”

2. Long pauses or a very slow speech cadence. This will make it difficult for the audience to stay with you.

3. No pauses or rushing your words.  This will make it difficult for the audience to absorb what you have to say.

4. Using your hands too much.

It’s easy to lose perspective when you are watching yourself, so get constructive criticism. Invite your friends and family to watch your presentation. Ask them for their impressions and tell them not to hold back. They will tell you what you can’t see. 

When You're In The Room

Always Be Early. Ensure that you have a few quiet moments before everyone arrives. When you first get to the room, take a moment to collect your thoughts and breathe. Relax and release any feelings of being rushed. 

Next, make sure everything works. Gather your visuals, laptop, projector, and anything else you’ll need during the presentation. Make sure your laptop is charged and has the right plugs for the projector. Laptops have been known to crash the second you're about to start your presentation, so make sure you have a backup presentation and note cards or printouts so you can present without slides. 

Preparing for a disaster is very important. 

When I was presenting to Disney years ago, I brought my laptop that had my presentation on it in my backpack. When my colleagues and I arrived, the Disney executives gave us bottles of water. I took a sip, then put it in my backpack and went on a tour of the corporate offices.

When I got to the presentation room and opened my backpack, it was filled with 3 inches of water. My laptop was literally dripping as I pulled it out. It was soaked and destroyed. Luckily, I had a backup of the presentation on a thumb drive and was able to use someone else's laptop. 

Stuff happens. Have backup.

Setting The Stage: As speaker, you set the tone and mood of the presentation. 

Here’s a home-spun proven formula to start a speech and keep audiences engaged:

1. Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em

2. Tell ’em

3. Then, tell ’em what you told ’em.

Set your speech up with a very clear introduction about what you're presenting and why. 

This creates anticipation for the audience. After that brief intro, launch into your presentation. At the end, briefly review the key points in a concise conclusion. This structure grounds people in the beginning, the middle, and the end of a presentation. 

Own the room: This is the one time in your life where you want to be the center of attention. To do that, begin by asking the audience a question and then get them to respond by raising their hands. Some speakers even have people stand up, or tell them to clap or shout, “hell yeah!” They're taking control by forcing people to do something. That control makes them the de facto director of everything that’s happening in the room.

Avoid “Death By Powerpoint:” Keep your slides simple. Too much text, also known as "death by PowerPoint," makes it tempting for the speaker to just sit there and read through it, which will bore the audience to death. It also takes your face away from the audience which means you can’t control the room. 

Keep your slides super simple with minimal text so you aren't drawn to try to read them. 

Once Upon A Time: Stories are incredibly engaging. Tell a story or use a metaphor to make a point. Stories help people remember and internalize what it is that you're talking about.

Where’s Waldo: Be animated and lively when you are presenting. Walk around - don't pace frantically, but periodically move across the space. This keeps eyes on you and attention on what you are saying.

Make ‘em laugh: Have fun with your presentation and others will too. Don’t be afraid to tell a joke or put a funny or quirky slide in your presentation. I like to show a slide that is a red herring or doesn't fit in with the rest of the deck because it wakes people up. 

Having fun with your material is a great way to make sure the audience won’t be working on their phones or reading through their laptop during your presentation.

As You Are: Be human. Be vulnerable. People identify with the person who's presenting to them. They will, more often than not, give you some leeway to make mistakes or to say something that doesn't make sense. 

After The Presentation

Leave the last 5 to 10 minutes of your presentation for conversation and questions. This is where things really happen because you are interacting and connecting with the audience in a more genuine way. Speaking off the cuff forges a deeper connection; your audience can get a better sense of who you are with just a few minutes of candid discussion. 

If things don't go well - and it happens, don't make excuses but don’t get down on yourself either. Know you did the best job you could and move on. Don't admit that it didn’t go well when you're in the room. Always thank the audience for their time and attention and leave with your head held high. 

Perfecting your public speaking skills requires practice and patience. If you’re like most people, you’ll want to get better at it quickly, but be patient. Get practice by speaking regularly, either in an informal group of friends with public speaking goals, or through a formal organization like Toastmasters International.  If you are ready for the next level, this article from Inc.com will get you started with apps that can improve your public speaking skills. 

When we can all gather in person, someday soon hopefully, I hope to see you presenting at the next industry conference!

5 Biggest Mistakes Startups Make and How to Fix Them

Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of guts, grit and business savvy. The “mental game” can be hard, and the odds are stacked against them. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of all startups fail after five years. That is a daunting statistic, and my goal is to help change these odds, one entrepreneur at a time.

I’ve worked closely with many startups and seen them make the same mistakes over and over. By preventing some critical business errors, startups have a greater chance of making the change they wish to see in the world. 

Entrepreneurs can go farther by not stepping in theses potholes:

Big Mistake # 1: All product and no brand. Tech companies especially can get blinded by what their app or product does, making them completely forget about the brand. They get stuck in the quicksand of its features.

The functionality of the product is important, but without a solid brand strategy, you can’t clearly define the problem you are solving and who will use your product. This is painfully felt when you are ready to market. 

Without a brand strategy, many companies are chasing customers rather than attracting customers. 

Without a brand design, you are not instantly recognizable (which means you are instantly forgettable), and there is no way for customers to understand who you are and how you relate to their lives.

Larry Alton, of Entrepreneur.com explains, “Without that core identity, your company is virtually indistinguishable from your competitors, and even with a solid business model, it’s unlikely that your customer acquisition and retention programs will succeed.”

Big Mistake Fix #1: Evolve your brand and product in tandem. When the brand strategy is thoughtful and clear, it naturally leads to smart brand design, which leads to memorable naming for the brand and products, leading to breakthrough marketing. 

These “seeds” of a strong brand make it successful. In my mini-ebook, 9 Design Elements Your Brand Absolutely, Positively Needs, I explain how to create these seeds. As you go through this book, don’t be afraid to be bold. 

Yes, you may create brand concepts that “suck” at first. Don’t be discouraged. 

It will get better. Express your brand authenticity. Stand out and keep iterating.

Big Mistake #2: Be the perfect brand. Building a solid brand takes time. Famous brands took years, if not decades of iteration to become the icons we know today. 

In this article, Business2Community reviews some iconic brands and how they have changed over time to adapt to the needs of their customers. 

Not one brand I know started out perfectly. 

It’s got to evolve.

Big Mistake Fix #2: Take the phrase “building a brand” literally. The keyword is “build.” Don’t waste time thinking it's going to be perfect right out of the gate. Going for the unattainable will delay your progress. 

Instead, have your partners agree on a cohesive brand idea that's good enough; a minimum viable brand. The software industry creates excellent minimally viable products (MVPs), and you can take a cue from them. They get the MVP out in the world and see how consumers respond. They observe what customers like and don't like, then alter the product as they go along. 

Startups have to do this with their brands. Develop a MVB (minimum viable brand). Iterate and evolve it over time. 

You can't hesitate, wait, or be frozen by the fact that you don't have the perfect brand right out of the gate. 

Begin building your MVB now.

Big Mistake #3: Keeping your head down. Entrepreneurs running startups are notorious for tunnel vision, which can be an asset. However, when it comes to knowing your competitors, you have to pay close attention. 

“While obsessing over the competition is not healthy, ignoring them was also a recipe for failure in 19% of the startup failures,” reports CBInsights.com. You must know your market and all the players. 

You would not believe how many brands and companies have a discovery call with me and can't name their top three competitors. If you don’t know your competitors, you can’t possibly know how to compete with them or where there is an opportunity in the market. You need to know how people will perceive your brand in relation to the others in your arena. 

Big Mistake Fix #3: Marketplace audit. You have to be aware of your competitors in order to be different and better. I recorded an information-packed video on how to differentiate your brand and created a downloadable audit worksheet to help you gather all the important information you need. 

In addition to the competitive audit, make sure your brand has a role model. 

Find three or four aspirational brands; brands that you want your company to be like when it grows up. They can be in or out of your category, it doesn’t matter. The key is that they exemplify the type of behavior, look, and success that you want to emulate. 

Aspirational brands will help you define where you are going, which will help you drive your brand to success.

Big Mistake #4: Chasing the wrong channels. One of the best and worst things about marketing is the number of channels available to market your brand. 

It can be easy to get hung up on a channel without thoughtfully assessing them all and choosing the best one for your brand. 

There will probably be more than one channel that is right for your brand. How do you pick?

Big Mistake Fix #4: Your Target Audience Has The Answer. Two simple questions will lead you to the most profitable channel for your brand:

1. Who are your customers?

2. Where is the best place to get their attention? 

This is why the brand strategy is so important. Once you define your customer avatar (Mistake Fix #1) you can determine where they “hang out” (e.g., social media, sporting events, trade shows, charity balls, etc.). This will inform you of where you need to show up - in other words, your channel. 

Here’s how to get started in marketing channels:

Spend a minimum amount of money on several different channels, and check your analytics over time. See where you're getting the most engagement and the most traffic, and grow your presence in those. Once you find one or two channels that work, leverage them. 

Showing up really well in just a couple channels is always better than showing up half-assed in a dozen of them. 

You don't want to be everywhere. It takes too much time and money. Start out small and build from there. Focus on what works for you.

Here is a short article from Hubspot that will help you start thinking about the channels that may work for your brand. You can also look at your competition. Be informed by what they are doing, but don’t copy them.

Big Mistake #5: “Et Voila” Thinking. We all love the stories of VC-funded startups with a hapless founder who sketches out some brilliantly simple app, and then months later cashes out for millions of dollars. 

The truth is that this rarely happens. 

Building a brand takes a lot of time, courage, and tenacity. There is no recipe to follow. You don’t add a little of this, a dash of that, pop it in the oven, “et voila! Success!“ 

It takes time to see the return on your investment. It doesn't happen overnight. 

Big Mistake #5 Fix: Don’t let ideas of overnight success rent space in your head. Instead, focus on evolving. Understand that it takes sweat equity. Remind yourself that success is a long game. Ultimately, there are two things a startup must do to be successful:

1) Start

2) Don’t stop

Your entrepreneurial success depends on so many factors, both internal and external. My advice and encouragement to most entrepreneurs is to be bold, start simple, iterate over time and learn from the mistakes of others. Let’s make our world just a little bit better. One startup at a time.

That's Genius Stupid

I’m trying to drink more water.

I have a tendency to sip coffee, Diet Pepsi, Red Bull, all sorts of terrible-for-you, caffeinated things all day long. Because unless you are in a sweat from exercising or something, water is...boring.

So I found a new product to help me, Mio. It’s a water “flavor enhancer” that makes your water more tasty - so you’ll want to drink more of it. I love the stuff (which means it is probably also bad for me in some way, but I digress...).

There are times in a marketers life when you come across something so incredibly stupid, it’s genius. That happened when I got an email from Petsmart the other day.

Petsmart is launching a new product, Nulo. Which is....a flavor enhancer for your dogs water. I literally laughed out loud. Stupid, no....genius!

It comes in assorted flavors: Lamb, Rotisserie Chicken, Beef Brisket. It’s got vitamins, electrolytes and amino acids. Undoubtedly more good stuff than my Mio has.

Everyone knows we pet owners anthropomorphize our companions. But Petsmart’s innovation team took it to the next level.

When I run brainstorming sessions with clients, I have one rule: “No poo-pooing”.

Meaning no editing, shooting down, or poo-pooing ideas. EVERY idea is a good idea when brainstorming. The editing and rationalization comes later.

Because you never want to throw out ideas too soon. Ideas that on the surface seem totally stupid.

But in the end, turn out to be genius.

A New Playlist for You

The corona virus has everyone stressed out. Now, in week 4 of the lockdown everyone is getting a little stir crazy.

Everyone except our dogs that is.

That’s mainly because they’ve been jammin’ to a new Pandora playlist.

Let me explain.

Before the corona virus when we left the house we used to put on classical music for the dogs to keep them company.

That’s because we’d read that past studies showed dogs were more relaxed when they listened to classical music.

But the folks at the Scottish ASPCA observed by day 7 their stressed shelter dogs got habituated to classical and returned to restlessness. Just like us, they get bored.

So they did their own study. They wanted to know what genre of music dogs actually like best. So they used a playlist featuring 5 genres of music including classical, Motown, soft rock, pop and reggae.

Then they recorded the dogs heart rates, cortisol levels and behaviors that measure stress levels, like barking, panting, yawning or lying down.

It turns out dogs like...reggae. Bob Marley in particular.

When you have been operating under the same assumptions for a while. Serving up the same products, the same strategies and processes - talking about them in the same way. Your message might be falling on deaf ears.

You might want to switch things up. Try a new message, a new look.

Try jammin’ with a new marketing playlist.

What's It Sound Like?

One of the problems with electric cars is that they are almost silent. You don’t get much auditory feedback. When you press on the accelerator you don’t really hear anything. You just start moving. You don’t get that satisfying “Mrrrrr” sound like in a gas-powered car.

BMW calls this “a gap in the emotionality of the driving experience”.

I call it an opportunity. An insanely cool branding opportunity.

So BMW has hired some sound designers to create a series of sounds to integrate into its electric cars.

If BWM is smart, these designers won’t be limited to approximating car sounds. They should be allowed to consider any sound.

Now, what would an electric BMW accelerating sound like?

A growling panther? Gene Simmons of KISS hitting a E note on his bass? A steel saber hitting armor? Thunder? An avalanche? A galloping stallion?

The possibilities kind-of boggle the mind.

But that’s what we do as branding people and designers. We assign things. We create associations.

When those associations are repeated thousands of times, eventually hearing, seeing, smelling one thing makes you think of something entirely different.

Red and white means Coca-Cola. Brushed aluminum means Apple. Gold arches means McDonalds. The aroma of butter and cinnamon means Cinnabon.

And maybe one day, the sound of Gene Simmons hitting an E note might mean BWM.

One can only hope.

Put This On Your Radar

In December 1955, a marketer at Sears had an idea. They thought…”Let’s run an ad with a Santa hotline!”

That’s when it happened. They made a typo in the ad and listed the wrong number.

So who’s phone number did they actually print? NORAD, that’s who. As in strategic-air-command-nuclear-missile-button NORAD.

Oh, and not just any NORAD number. They printed the number for that red phone. You know, the one that connects directly to the Pentagon.

Oops.

So when kids started calling with their Christmas wishes, they were greeted with a soldier yelling “Is this some kinda fucking joke buddy?”

After discovering this response usually made the child on the other end of the line start crying, the hard-as-nails Air Force guys shifted their approach. They started sharing reports of mysterious flying objects on their radar that were shaped like a sleigh. Or updates on cities where reindeer had been spotted in the skies.

When radio stations heard about it, they started calling to get sleigh updates to share on the air. And so, this is how the “Santa Tracker” tradition got started. With a typo.

But more importantly, from a reaction to a typo.

Sometimes the universe throws you a curve ball. Something completely out of context. Instead of reacting in a knee-jerk way, how can you approach it from a totally different angle? How can you bring to it a dose of humor, a bit of personality, a level of humanity?

Because we’re all just people after all.

People with a wish we want to come true.

Are You a Deer in the Headlights?

I live in the suburbs about 2 miles from a 2000 acre park. It’s very wild, mostly woods and trials…and animals. Raccoons, groundhogs, turkeys, opossums, and lots and lots of deer.

The other night, my wife and I were driving home. Suddenly, frozen in the middle of the road in front of us was a 300 lb. buck with an 8 point rack of antlers.

We thought, “You nut! Why are you so far from the park?”

Then I attended a lecture on “Urban Wildlife” at our local animal rescue and learned that animals don’t see any difference between “city” and “country”. They just see “the world”.

To deer, there is “world with bumpy grass ground, trees and tasty shrubs”.

And there is “world with smooth rock ground, big wood boxes and tasty shrubs”.

It’s all the same to them. No boundaries.

In business, we make decisions about what customers to pursue, what industries to focus on. We set artificial limits and boundaries on where we will “feed”. But what if we saw the business landscape with no barriers? No big companies vs. small companies? No B2B vs. B2C?

Who says we have to limit ourselves? Who says we can’t go to where the customer landscape is a little different?

Because maybe there are some tasty shrubs there, too.

Are You Adrift?

I’ve read Adrift, by Steven Callahan six times. In 1981, Callahan survived 76 days alone at sea in a six foot inflatable raft after his 21’ sloop was struck by a whale and sank in the middle of the Atlantic.

Before it sank, Steven was able to retrieve a few survival supplies including a small spear gun and a second-hand solar still that produced fresh water from condensation.

But in the brutal sun the solar still deteriorated to bits. The spear gun broke. He accidentally punctured his raft and spent days rigging a plug to keep it inflated. Nine ships passed him by, oblivious to his flares and signals.

I think what lead me to read Adrift six times is Steve’s persistence. When he was hit with a problem, he got busy. Failure was truly not an option. He survived because he just would not give up.

When we build a business, we set off expecting fair winds to guide us to lands of plenty. But the sea of competition is cruel. Brands can break, strategies can wear thin. Marketing holes need to be plugged, opportunities can pass us by.

But we must be persistent. Determined to survive. When adversity strikes, get busy. Because giving up is not an option.

Top 5 Reasons To Join A Mastermind Group

Masterminds are an incredibly powerful business accelerator tool. I’ve been a member of several masterminds during the last four years and am constantly amazed by how much they have helped my business grow. I’ve gone from zero to a thriving branding consultancy with an international roster of clients across a range of categories including healthcare, medical technology, health and beauty, fashion, architecture and lifestyle startups.

The upward trajectory I’ve experienced as a result of a mastermind is not unique to me. Historic icons like Franklin Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison each had mastermind groups helping them achieve their goals, and many modern-day CEOs and entrepreneurs are using them too. In the age of growth hacking and business incubators, mastermind groups are among the best tools for business advancement.

What is a mastermind group?

Simply put, a mastermind is a group of people who help one another sharpen their business and personal skills. These peer-to-peer groups are a forum for members who solve their business challenges by:

• Brainstorming

• Sharing personal experience and resources

• Educating each other

The members support each other in reaching their business goals by:

• Creating a system of accountability

• Inspiring and challenging each other to push their limits

• Cultivating networking opportunities

Napoleon Hill, known as the father of masterminds, wrote, “No mind is complete by itself. It needs contact and association with other minds to grow and expand.” That growth and expansion are exactly what most entrepreneurs and designers need to achieve exponential results. Meeting with a mastermind group helps you consistently tap into this power.

How Do Mastermind Groups Accelerate Business Growth?

Hill, who wrote the famous Think And Grow Rich, introduced the idea of masterminds in his Master Keys To Success principles. In the 1960’s Master Keys To Success became a multi-part television series. In this episode, he explains:

“[In a mastermind] you may borrow and use the education, the experience, the influence, and perhaps the capital of other people in carrying out your own plans in life. It is the principle through which you can accomplish in one year more than you could accomplish without it in a lifetime if you depended entirely on your own efforts for success.” (excerpt from The Success Alliance)

This is very true. Using or “borrowing” the education and experience of the others in your group is the “secret sauce” of a mastermind. Getting the perspectives, opinions and input from everyone in the group gives you the extra confidence and courage to make decisions faster, see results sooner, and achieve your goals more quickly.

It has been true for me; I have accomplished more with my mastermind groups than I could have on my own. I started a YouTube channel that now has over 180k subscribers, publish an industry-leading newsletter to 15k subscribers and I’ve appeared as a featured guest on 30+ podcasts and virtual conferences. I could not have done even half that without my mastermind groups.

The 5 Benefits of Mastermind Groups for Entrepreneurs and Designers

Here are some of the benefits I’ve experienced from my mastermind groups:

1. Community: One of the hard parts of being an entrepreneur is the “mental load” of being the chief decision-maker. The group helps lessen that weight. It takes the edge off of the isolation most entrepreneurs experience.

2. Accelerated learning: You learn from others’ knowledge and experience. The mastermind is a confidential space that allows you to ask questions, experiment, and discuss challenges specific to your business.

3. Building a network of business partners: Develop trusted relationships and increase your connections across a broad range of industries.

4. Inspiration and motivation: Hearing what others are doing will push you to do more in your business. Learning about the wins and even failures of others will spur you on. You’ll share in their successes because you’ll have offered them advice, held them accountable and cheered them on. Being a part of others’ success boosts your confidence; something that takes a beating as an entrepreneur.

5. Goals & Accountability: Goals setting on steroids. You’ll see how others set and accomplish goals. Share goals with each other and hold each other accountable so everyone gets more important work done. Studies have shown that people perform better when others are watching (Johns Hopkins University, 2018). A small audience, such as a mastermind, may be just the thing to kick your business growth into high gear.

I created a video called “The 5 Powers of Mastermind Groups,” where I discuss these benefits in more detail.

Where will the power of the group take you?

The only way to know is to join a mastermind and find out. I am certain you will feel the compounding effect of having 4 or more brains working on your business, more meaningful professional connections, and accountability. Don’t wait another minute.

Want To Be Likable? Do This.

I recently came across a list of words that give a name to emotions that are hard to explain. My favorite one was “anecdoche”.

Anecdoche (n.) [ah-nek-duh-kee] is a conversation in which everyone is talking but nobody is listening.

I was immediately reminded of a scientific study I’d read about.

In the experiment, they sent two people into a networking type of gathering. Person #1 was instructed not to talk about themselves at all. They were instructed to only ask questions about the person they were conversing with.

Person #2, on the other hand, was allowed to share what they did, how they liked their job, their industry, the clients they were working with.

When the participants who had conversations with these two people were interviewed afterwards, something strange happened.

When asked which of the two people was the most interesting, accomplished and likable, they invariable chose Person #1. The person who only asked questions — the one who had not actually shared anything about themselves at all. 

When you ask questions and show genuine interest in someone it actually makes you seem more interesting, accomplished and likable.

At this point, I’d usually ask: So how can you use this method in your business? 

But instead I’ll just say: Stop having freakin’ anecdoches with your clients.

Your Mind, Blown

My friend Adam got a Tesla. An $80,000 Tesla, to be exact. He ordered every bell and whistle. He said, “I went down the list of options and just checked every box”.

After we had dinner Saturday, Adam asked if I wanted to drive it. I can’t say I was dying to. But O.K., let's see your new toy.

Out on the street, Adam pulled out his phone, hit a button and the car drove itself over to us. Then I stepped into and literally drove the future.

Tooling down the road at 40mph Adam says, “Take your hands off the wheel and foot off the pedal”. It was freaky. Not only can it drive itself, it can pass cars and change lanes completely on its own.

When you read that a car goes from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds that’s impressive. But then it also goes from 20 to 60 in 2 seconds. Two. Until you press a pedal and feel a car do that, you can never truly understand. I mean - Holy. Shit.

Have you ever had an experience with a product that made you reevaluate the very conception you’ve always had of particular thing? This Tesla did that.

How can you Tesla-ize what you do?

The Big Ask

It was hard to say positive with just $87 in the bank.

Brothers Bert and John had a T-shirt business. For years, they’d been traveling hundreds of miles in their mini-van trying to sell shirts at every university and street fair on the East Coast.

But nothing clicked.

They wondered, maybe our designs are bad? They didn’t know the answer. They needed to ask. To get feedback, they started to throw keg parties at the end of every trip and asked students what designs they liked.

With money running out, the brothers confided in each other how hard it was to stay positive. Bert asked, “What if there was someone who was always happy no matter what was happening?" So John did a doodle. A bohemian guy with a beret and sunglasses and a big smile. This is that guy. So, they put it on a shirt.

The college kids at the next keg party loved the bohemian guy design. The first run of tees sold out in an hour.

Today, Life is Good, has 160 employees and does $100M/yr in tee-shirt sales.

You may think your products are great. You may be putting in the miles. But the secret to success isn’t in your head. It’s in your customers.

You just have to ask.

Looking for a Greener Pasture?

A landscaping company in Idaho had a problem last week. They offer a service that clears unwanted brush and growth from your property - with a twist. They don’t use mowers, blowers and trimmers. They use goats.

We Rent Goats trucked in their workers, a herd of 118 eating machines to help a client who needed to clean up around a pond. Let’s just say that the crew didn’t really like the “flavor” of the work. Instead of clearing the pond grounds they decided to tramp over to the adjoining suburban neighborhood and snack on the much tastier flowers, scrubs and gardens of it’s residents.

It’s a classic example of “If you don’t give them what they want, they will go someplace else to get it.”

I often work with clients who have designed businesses, products and services who have taken the “If I build it, they will come.” approach. And often they wake to find that what they are offering is not what people really want. 

An early investment in consumer research and the competitive landscape will tell you what you need to build. Because not even a bottomless marketing budget can keep your customers from tramping over to the competition if what they offer is tastier. 

Sunken Treasure

Remus 6000 spends most of it’s time deep below the surface. An underwater robot, Remus’ long-range sonar scans the bottom and then goes back to take pictures of anything it finds unusual. 

In May, Remus took pictures of what the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is calling the “holy grail of shipwrecks” 2000 feet down in the Caribbean. The San Jose, a 310-year-old Spanish galleon carrying gold, silver and emeralds worth as much as $17 billion.

You can’t see the bullion, cannons and artifacts scattered across the ocean floor from the surface you have to go deeper. And you need Remus 6000 to get there.

When speaking of brand value, many talk about how recognizable the logo is, how innovative the product is, the imagery used in marketing. But that stuff is what we see on the surface. The things today’s customers take for granted. You have to go deeper. And you need an agency partner to get there.

Below the surface is the realm of customer journeys and experience. Below the surface is where relationships are forged, where customer satisfaction is created and true brand evangelists are born. 

Below the surface is where the brand value treasure lies.