In retail marketing, a successful strategy is about building a consistent and positive emotional connection with your target audience.

Privacy and personalization push us to rethink how we use data to protect patients in a highly regulated healthcare marketing space.

An annual tradition in which we weigh in on our top 10 ads that won the moments between the plays in this year’s Super Bowl.

When we challenge ourselves to strive for better, we create a ripple effect that impacts every aspect of our lives.

Reflections on how the sense of connection that emerged at this year’s holiday party is a living, breathing example of our company culture.

How to transform your home services marketing strategies by creating a loyal customer base that turns to you first in times of need.

When it comes to healthcare marketing, you can build trust and drive patient loyalty by crafting a distinctive brand identity.

In the crowded telecommunications industry, developing a strong brick-and-mortar retail presence can help challenger brands differentiate.

The ascent of Red Bull from obscurity to soft drink industry leader stands as a testament to the power of challenger brand thinking.

For healthcare marketers, patient acquisition is critical to patient retention. And a patient-first mindset is key.

Our takeaways from the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show and discussions around a need for foundational refinement.

How to track, analyze, and leverage data to optimize your home services marketing campaigns for maximum impact.

Takeaways from the 2024 Best Practices Conference to help re-engage restaurant customers by creating joyful experiences and human connection.

Challenger brands possess unique strengths and opportunities that can be leveraged to achieve remarkable success.

How can healthcare marketing deliver value in an evolving landscape? We explore emerging trends and technology to help achieve your goals.

A few members of the pack (and their non-ad counterparts) weigh in on the brands whose ads were winners in this year’s Super Bowl.

It isn’t easy for a restaurant to stand out. A strong restaurant social media marketing strategy can make all the difference.

The best advertising agencies know how to tap into the challenger brand power of storytelling to deliver breakthrough, memorable messages.

AI and virtual influencers garner millions of views and engagement. And while this isn’t necessarily bad, it’s not exactly good either.

LOOMIS hit Chicago for this year’s Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development Conference. Here are some of our top takeaways.

Company culture plays a huge role in shaping a brand’s reputation. And there’s a direct correlation between culture and business success.

Using the latest AI has to offer creates a serious competitive advantage that neither agency nor client can afford to ignore.

How do challenger brands build and maintain trust with customers, especially when they’re perceived as the underdog?

LOOMIS hit Chicago for this year’s National Restaurant Association Show. Here are some of our top takeaways.

Today’s QSR technology can capture massive amounts of data. To be successful, brands must have systems robust enough to harness it.

Loyalty programs can be game changers for challenger brands looking to build a strong customer base and increase brand loyalty.

Marketing and Human Resources might not seem like the most obvious pairing, but they have more in common than you might think.

Ad agencies are trying to get their heads around the impact AI can or will have on client work. We look into ways ChatGPT might be helpful.

What would it take for healthcare providers to create a comforting, certain, and reassuring patient experience?

True challenger brands are defined by how they approach their 3 States: State of Market, State of Mind, and State of Readiness.

Instead of just sharing our hot takes on the champion spots, we thought we’d include takes from the people whose opinions, if we’re honest, are the ones who really matter: the consumers.

This year, we’ve been good to each other and the people we work with. But there are a few more things that would really make us happy.

No matter how you approach it, building a meaningful company culture takes time, focus, and effort. The best time to start is now.

Bookstores are making a comeback—they are growing in number, popularity, profit, and against all odds, relevancy.

Our takeaways from the 26th annual Healthcare Internet Conference, an event focused on all things digital for healthcare marketers.

More and more, agencies of record find themselves in a position of collaboration. Here’s why that’s a good thing.

Trust is built on congruence. People buy in to your vision, your purpose, and your company culture when what you do and what you say match up.

Millions of Americans are overwhelmed by medical bills—but this challenger brand is using unconventional thinking to help the underdog win.

Minor League Baseball teams embrace challenger brand thinking—all for the love of the game and a chance to prove themselves.

Quiet quitting: pursuit of a healthier work/life balance or doing the bare minimum when the job and company culture requires more?

Great company culture brings purpose and meaning to employees’ lives. But to create that transcendent company culture, everyone has to buy in.

Every successful challenger brand builds a lighthouse identity so bright, consumers have to pay attention. Here are 4 ways to build your own.

North Star Leadership happens when leaders have clarity about who they are, where they want to take their companies, and how to get there.

BMW’s new campaign shows how AI can uncover fascinating insights and information agencies can use to create engaging and unexpected work.

Changing the way consumers think about them can be difficult for challenger brands, but that’s exactly what Ringling is trying to pull off.

Connection is essential in creating a transcendent company culture. But in a world of instant gratification, how do leaders build it?

The push for a 4-day work week is coming. And the change could be critical to attracting and keeping outstanding talent.

Building a solid company culture requires vulnerability — it’s essential for authenticity and trust. But opening up isn’t always easy.

Mark Cuban takes on his biggest challenge yet, going after big pharma with his new online venture. Will it work? Would you bet against him?

The Cannes judges rewarded two brands with this year’s Grand Prix Lion. One look at the spots and you’ll see why.

Many were highly skeptical about the metaverse, but its reality (actual and virtual) is no longer an IF. It’s a sooner-than-you-think WHEN.

No challenger brand leader has understood how to compete as an underdog better than Southwest Airlines co-founder Herb Kelleher.

Of all the foundational elements for a transcendent company culture, belonging may be the most crucial cultural building block of all.

Helping employees deal with well-being and mental health challenges may not be the default commitment, but maybe it should be.

Purpose is powerful. So powerful, in fact, that we’ve named it our third building block in creating a transcendent company culture.

Two years after filing bankruptcy, challenger brand JCPenney is mounting a comeback. Is their new message congruent enough to create success?

We continue to explore the building blocks of any great company culture by looking at creativity and its explosive potential.

Of all the business sectors with challenger brands (and that’s all of them), few are more fascinating or more populated with underdogs than the airline industry.

The Oscars have plummeted from beloved “Must See TV” to an annoying train wreck. Will Smith’s assault of Chris Rock didn’t help.

To create the company culture your employees need, you must first build a foundation of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual safety.

Over the years, there have been hundreds of advertisements featuring our furry friends. Here are our 18 favorite dog commercials of all time.

How does a company become the world’s largest brewer and one of the world’s most dominant creative powerhouses? For AB InBev, it starts with thinking like a challenger brand.

As we say goodbye to the 2022 Beijing Games, here are 20 of our favorite Winter Olympics commercials of all time.

2022 is a critical comeback year for restaurants. This year, finding successful restaurant marketing ideas requires thinking smaller.

After a year with supply chain disruptions, the Great Resignation, and total unrest, these marketing trends promise to save the day in 2022.

The Great Resignation may be the greatest challenge corporate America has ever faced. But it’s also an extraordinary opportunity for those willing to see it for what it is.

See how challenger brand service companies can speed up the relationship-building process and strengthen the traction they need from their customers.

Which four underdogs from 2000 to the present deserve to be the Challenger Brand Mount Rushmore? Keep reading and see if you agree with us.

If the health care sector wants to continue to grow, health care marketing can’t be an afterthought. It has to be the first thought.

Which four underdogs from 1950 to 2000 deserve to be the Challenger Brand Mount Rushmore? Keep reading and see if you agree with us.

It’s not easy to be an underdog. Believing you can win is essential. And hope is the rocket fuel that makes challenger brands go.

Taking on competitors with more money/resources/people/pull, fitness industry challenger brands were used to doing the heavy lifting. Then a pandemic redefined what it meant to sweat.

We love building, following, and playing with brands and teams that exude excellence. College football’s best teams have a lot to teach us.

What does it take for underdog brands to go to war and beat the competition? These five essential weapons can help challenger brands win.

As — finally— the kids head back to school in person, here are 6 great Back-To-School restaurant promotions to drive traffic and sales.

Challenger brands are cashing in on NIL and NFTs, riding the front wave of innovation and cultural relevance without breaking the bank.

To succeed post-COVID, there’s one thing you have to get right: your culture. If you’re ready to start building and fostering a great company culture, or simply want to improve the company culture you have, here are the seven elements to focus on first.

For challenger brands, competing with the category leaders requires constant evaluation, steady improvement and taking an honest look at how you competed in the past to learn from that performance and move forward. That discipline has never been more important.

In the past year, one of the most intriguing narratives in the digital space has been the rise of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). NFTs may very well play a huge role in the future of marketing. And, as it turns out, the most exciting news in NFTs last week was happening at our sister company Luminous Sound Studios, right downstairs.

Choose any metric you like to measure success, and loyalty will be the catalyst for most any positive result. Here are 10 ways to turbocharge your loyalty program with challenger thinking utilizing nothing more than your database and email.

For more than a year, COVID tested customer loyalty like never before. To fight back, many brands improved and leaned on their loyalty programs to help drive traffic. Really smart brands dug in deep and got aggressive. So what is it that makes the best loyalty programs so effective?

How do you prime your company for success? You need a solid marketing plan. Here are six ways to take advantage of the coming growth opportunities in Texas.

A look at NFTs, blockchain, and the raging debate about whether the whole crypto-phenomenon is the future of capitalism or the emperor’s new clothes.

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, LOOMIS presents Reflections from Today’s Black Marketers, an interview series where Black marketing professionals discuss how the industry has changed since they started in the business, and how they’d like to see it change in the future.

In our last blog, we outlined the five things health care companies can do to thrive in 2021. Finding the right marketing partner to help shoulder the challenge is one of the smartest moves health care providers can make. To help with that search, here are the seven marketing partners we believe can best help health care providers prosper post-COVID.

While there is no magic remedy, successful health care companies will lean into rapidly evolving consumer needs with an openness to responsively scaling innovation in operations and smart marketing that engages consumers’ new behaviors. Here are five key things that will help health care companies not just survive, but thrive in 2021.

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, LOOMIS presents Reflections from Today’s Black Marketers, an interview series where Black marketing professionals discuss how the industry has changed since they started in the business, and how they’d like to see it change in the future.

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, LOOMIS presents Reflections from Today’s Black Marketers, an interview series where Black marketing professionals discuss how the industry has changed since they started in the business, and how they’d like to see it change in the future.

Before the pandemic, the true disruptors were the brands that looked at the status quo and found a way to turn their respective industries on their heads. If you’re a brand that’s ever wanted to disrupt, blow things up, or forge a new way forward, COVID set that process in motion for you. The question now is what will you do with the opportunity?

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, LOOMIS presents Reflections from Today’s Black Marketers, an interview series where Black marketing professionals discuss how the industry has changed since they started in the business, and how they’d like to see it change in the future.

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, LOOMIS presents Reflections from Today’s Black Marketers, an interview series where Black marketing professionals discuss how the industry has changed since they started in the business, and how they’d like to see it change in the future.

In our last blog, we looked at 7 operational things restaurant owners can do to be more successful in 2021. In part 2, we’re looking at 7 marketing and advertising ideas to help restaurants increase their traffic and revenue in the coming year.

We know it takes more than great advertising and marketing to really move the needle. We believe there are seven other key things that will help restaurants not just survive but thrive in 2021.

The companies and brands that emerge from 2020 with the greatest chances for success will be the ones that focus on their company culture first – not in neglect of clients and customers, but in service to them.

The truth about this famous Christmas poem and our take on it with a 2020 twist.

Influencer ad numbers have been picking up steam for the past five years and amid this year’s nationwide shutdown, the numbers are only accelerating.

The 2020 election is something many will be thrilled to see pass into history. But there are five key lessons challenger brands can learn from it, if they just look deep enough.

Every brand is hungry to start 2021 with new opportunities and increased revenue. Here are 4 things you can do right now to help your business grow in 2021.

Every brand is hungry to start 2021 with new opportunities and increased revenue. Here are 4 things you can do right now to help your business grow in 2021.

Now is the ideal time for challenger brands to grab the reins and go after the category leaders.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to make branding and creative work better, but despite all the indicators pointing to the benefits of AI, creatives are still apprehensive.

4 trends we think will continue disrupting Digital in the coming six months to a year:

4 trends we think will continue disrupting Digital in the coming six months to a year:

THE VOICE OF THE UNDERDOG delves into challenger branding and how challengers create distinction by thinking culture first. Co-authored by Mike Sullivan and Michael Tuggle, the book is filled with fascinating case studies, entertaining stories, and engaging insights about the true essence of what makes a company a challenger brand.

“I can’t breathe.” Two weeks ago, I couldn’t have imagined I’d hear that phrase outside the context of the coronavirus pandemic. But two weeks ago, I didn’t know the name George Floyd.

If there’s one universal truth about business in the age of the coronavirus, it’s that consciously, or unconsciously, every company is having to embrace the challenger brand mindset.

If there’s one universal truth about business in the age of the coronavirus, it’s that consciously, or unconsciously, every company is having to embrace the challenger brand mindset.

It’s been said that true character shines through in a time of crisis. If that’s true, over the past few weeks, our media partners have confirmed what we already knew – they are extraordinary people who work for equally extraordinary companies.

Culture is the fabric that holds your company together. You and your team built it together. You curated it together and keeping it healthy is non-negotiable. But what happens when something like COVID-19 drives you apart for weeks on end?

Culture is the fabric that holds your company together. You and your team built it together. You curated it together and keeping it healthy is non-negotiable. But what happens when something like COVID-19 drives you apart for weeks on end?

For most of us, our longest-lasting relationships go back 20, 30, or 40 years. And whether they’re romantic, professional, or with a favorite brand, they’re all built on the same foundation – trust.

We wrap up our celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth with commentary from four marketers who are part of the pack here at The LOOMIS Agency. It’s their hope to bring greater perspective to the conversation while challenging the ad industry to do better.

We live in a world of instant gratification, but when it comes to thinking and planning, we have to remember that faster isn’t always better.

We live in a world of instant gratification, but when it comes to thinking and planning, we have to remember that faster isn’t always better.

A few folks from the LOOMIS creative department weigh in on commercials from SuperBowl LIV that made the most (or least) of their big game appearance.

In this post, Mike takes a look at the five things challengers do to build and fortify the kind of connections between culture and brand that, in turn, deepen connections with their customers.

In this post, Mike takes a look at the five things challengers do to build and fortify the kind of connections between culture and brand that, in turn, deepen connections with their customers.

Back in 2009, I participated in a challenger branding workshop held at the Silicon Valley headquarters of YAHOO! that would fundamentally change the way I thought about what our advertising agency was all about.

Back in 2009, I participated in a challenger branding workshop held at the Silicon Valley headquarters of YAHOO! that would fundamentally change the way I thought about what our advertising agency was all about.

I’ve never worked for Krispy Kreme donuts and I don’t know a single person who works there. But I’ve got a pretty good feeling I’d like their management and culture.

Focusing on building brand distinction by offering great service translates to bottom-line financial performance.

Focusing on building brand distinction by offering great service translates to bottom-line financial performance.

Focusing on building brand distinction by offering great service translates to bottom-line financial performance.

Focusing on building brand distinction by offering great service translates to bottom-line financial performance.

Focusing on building brand distinction by offering great service translates to bottom-line financial performance.

This month, we’re taking a look at how challenger brands use their most important communications channel to create extraordinary marketplace distinction and an unassailable competitive advantage.

What happens when a company’s brand cues and culture cues are misaligned?

Company culture tells employees everything they need to know about how to behave, and the way employees behave has everything to do with the way a brand performs. In this two-part series, we’ll share a couple of examples illustrating what happens when companies get this right, and what happens when it goes wrong.

After several years of success with sports activation for Papa John’s of North-Central Texas, we started hunting for the next audience. We had a hunch about gamers, and existing research told us what we suspected: contrary to stereotype, gamers mostly aren’t teenage boys.

After several years of success with sports activation for Papa John’s of North-Central Texas, we started hunting for the next audience. We had a hunch about gamers, and existing research told us what we suspected: contrary to stereotype, gamers mostly aren’t teenage boys.

This month, we’re talking about the impact a company’s culture has on its brand. For our final entry on the topic, we have a very different story about a very different kind of bank.

What does a company’s culture have to do with its brand? Everything.

What happens when a company’s brand isn’t aligned with its culture? Generally speaking, the outcome is less than optimal. Sure, the world is loaded with brands that say one thing but are run by people who do another.

For the past five years, one of the hottest discussions in media has been cord cutting and the frequency with which people are cutting their traditional cable subscriptions in exchange for internet or wireless options that are cheaper, or even better, FREE.

Any challenger knows, you can’t go it alone. At LOOMIS, we embrace the stakeholder model, believing in sharing success … and the load.

As we continue our discussion about what is and is not a challenger brand, here’s a hint: market position is table stakes. By strict definition, the only brands that aren’t challenger brands are market leaders.

As we continue our discussion about what is and is not a challenger brand, here’s a hint: market position is table stakes. By strict definition, the only brands that aren’t challenger brands are market leaders.

This month we’re talking about what it really means to be a challenger brand. Sure, you could argue that every brand except the category leader is a challenger. By definition, that’s technically true.

This week we pick up where we left off to finish our list of the top 10 upsets in the wide world of sports as we celebrate the inspired performances of challengers.

Give the people what they want. Surprise! That’s what people want. Whether it’s a movie, a sporting event, or even an election, an encounter with the unexpected gets people fired up.

It’s not a fleeting love. It’s not a flirtatious love we can take or leave. It’s not a love we ever really grow out of. As human beings, our love for the underdog and our want to cheer for the challenger against overwhelming odds isn’t simply a learned social convention, or a want to join the crowd. It’s a primal evolutionary trigger.

When “Avengers: End Game” hits theaters at midnight on Thursday, it will bring with it the beginning of the end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Here’s a true statement: the core work of marketing – crafting a message that resonates with the right audience and drives them to engage the way you want – hasn’t changed.

Once you start thinking like a challenger you start finding examples of brilliant challenger marketing in the most unusual places. In fact, the examples start to glow in the dark.

Once you start thinking like a challenger you start finding examples of brilliant challenger marketing in the most unusual places. In fact, the examples start to glow in the dark.

Once you start thinking like a challenger you start finding examples of brilliant challenger marketing in the most unusual places. In fact, the examples start to glow in the dark.

When you’re setting the criteria for your ideal advertising agency, does “wins awards” make the list? For some clients, it’s at the top. Others may not care one way or the other.

Once you start thinking like a challenger you start finding examples of brilliant challenger marketing in the most unusual places. In fact, the examples start to glow in the dark.

Raise your hand if you know this kind of manager: High achiever. Great with clients. Integral to the team. Understands that you’ve hired talented, trustworthy, responsible professionals and the best thing he or she can do is stay out of the way until there’s a crisis, or someone needs something.

If you’re a small business owner, there’s a chance that upwards of 80 hours of your life in any given week are totally booked. (And if you still made time to read this blog post – good for you, and also thank you.) To say you “wear many hats” undersells just how much you’re juggling at once, so it’s easy to let little things slide in service to the big picture. Social media, for instance.

It’s finally happened. I am what I thought would never be: virtually unreachable through traditional media advertising. And by this, I mean, of course, media that isn’t delivered through a digital device. What’s more interesting, perhaps, is that I’m not a millennial — my kids are. The shift in my media habits has been sneaky… Read more »

Today the value of a spot in the “Big Game” is as much about the pre-game buzz as the actual unit purchased. But this year there were some notable holdouts who kept their best for between kick off and final score.

New Year’s resolutions are a long-standing tradition – especially for business leaders and CMOs looking to add inspiration and accountability to the coming 12 months. But while most of us make them, according to the time management experts at Franklin Covey, more than a third of us won’t stick with our resolutions past the end… Read more »

If you’ve been hesitant for your brand to jump into Instagram with both feet, now is the time. But don’t take my word for it, just look at some of the stats. Last year, Instagram crossed the threshold into hosting nearly 1 billion active monthly users – trailing Facebook, but ahead of most other social… Read more »

All business comes down to sales and influence. Whether you’re selling a product, pitching a new idea, or trying to convince an interviewer that you would be a valuable addition to their team, your ultimate goal is to persuade the other party to buy into what you’re saying. And, as Peter Drucker once said, “Nothing… Read more »

Your brand is what people think it’s like to do business with you. That’s as simple as it gets, and it’s as concise and accurate a definition of “brand” as you’ll find. I wish I’d thought of it, but credit goes to Joe Calloway, author of, “Becoming a Category of One: How Extraordinary Companies Transcend... Read more »

As we near each new January, we love taking a look back at the year we’ve had and the blogs we’ve posted along the way. Some are serious, some are fun, but all come from the hearts, heads and souls of our company’s leadership. To end 2018, we thought we’d repost our favorite blog of… Read more »

As we near the end of 2018, we’re taking a two-part look at a common situation many challenger brands find themselves in when they start to get traction with consumers and revenue starts going up. Often, when challenger brands experience a healthy burst of growth, they find themselves in an exciting, but uneasy “marketing no… Read more »

As we near the end of 2018, we thought we’d take a few weeks to look at a situation we know a number of brands find themselves in heading into 2019 – that of being stuck in “marketing no man’s land.”  You might be a fairly young brand, one that’s just starting to hit your… Read more »

I don’t talk enough about it, but one of the things I love most about LOOMIS is that our circle of concern as a company and as individuals is far greater than ourselves. We aren’t anything close to perfect, of course, but our aspiration is always to operate in a way that honors all of… Read more »

If you want to know the truth about the life a person lived, listen to what people say about them when they’re gone. Because while moments in the present often fade away quickly, genuine legacy echoes. In the case of George Herbert Walker Bush, those echoes will be heard for generations. As much as any… Read more »

The reports of the marketing email’s death have been greatly exaggerated. While the digital marketing world is infatuated with new darlings and reinventions of old favorites year after year, email remains the steadfast pillar of any digital strategy — and one of the most significant communications investments your brand can make. According to Adobe’s 2018… Read more »

Last week had the whole country focusing on gratitude. As an ad agency, we did the same. Truth is, we give thanks all year long for our stellar roster of clients, the relationships we’ve built with them, and the opportunity they’ve given us to help strengthen their marketing and advertising with strategic, creative work. With… Read more »

For most of us, Thursday will bring the opportunity to sit around the table with friends and family, and the chance to focus on all the things we’re thankful for. It’s always a stark reminder for me that thankfulness isn’t passive. Thankfulness requires thought and action. And it’s something we should be conscious and intentional… Read more »

Robert Frost was right. In life, and when choosing an advertising agency, the road less traveled can make all the difference. If you’re like most CMOs, searching for a new agency is a balance of fear, hopeful expectation and risk management. Knowing that, it is understandable why many brands choose to work with agencies who… Read more »

Tis the season for reflecting on the year that’s past and for looking forward to a bigger, better, happier new year. We first visited this topic four years ago and since then, not a whole lot has changed. These 10 signs are still great measures to gauge whether your ad agency had a successful year and hopefully an inspirational list to get you primed for even greater success in 2019.

It’s been said the most important ingredients in building a lasting and successful brand are authenticity and continuity. You must tell the same story day in and day out, and it must be a story built on truth. If that is the foundation of every message you convey, you will build a strong brand. And,… Read more »

One of the best ways to ensure creative buy-in is leaning into something too many creative directors feel is outside their job description, and that’s client service. Specifically, the relationship building part of working with clients. Without question, having strong client service skills is as essential to the role of creative director as directing the… Read more »

“I don’t know where big ideas come from. I just pray they never stop coming.” I heard a partner of mine say that once. But it could have come from any creative I know. In advertising agencies, marketing firms, digital agencies, design studios and corporate offices, much is made of coming up with the big… Read more »

Your brand is what people think it’s like to do business with you. That’s as simple as it gets, and it’s as concise and accurate a definition of “brand” as you’ll find. I wish I’d thought of it, but credit goes to Joe Calloway, author of, “Becoming a Category of One: How Extraordinary Companies Transcend… Read more »

The bad news: Chances are your brand is doing social media wrong. Now the good news: I’m almost positive your brand can right the ship with just a little bit of thought and effort. Now, as a writer, it’s my prerogative to think I know what’s best for everyone. So, take what I say with… Read more »

Getting married is exciting. There’s the nervous energy that comes from starting your new life together. The anticipation for what the uncharted future will bring. And, of course, there’s the popping of the champagne to celebrate! On the flip side, divorce sucks. It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming and, emotionally, it can drain your life force. Fifty… Read more »

If you’ve spent any time in an advertising agency (or frankly, breathing air on this planet) you know there are few things that can instantly improve any situation more quickly than M&Ms. Regular. Peanut. Almond. Peanut Butter. Pretzel. Caramel. Take your pick. I’d have to check the AAAAs, but I’m pretty sure we’re forbidden from… Read more »

A national treasure. A once in a lifetime talent. The Queen of Soul. Nobody lives up to labels like that. Aretha Franklin did. Today, the world is a little darker and a little sadder, as we mourn the death of Aretha Louise Franklin, one the most iconic singers in the history of music. But while… Read more »

Advertising agencies trade on big ideas. The right idea at the right time has the power to help a brand explode out of the competitive pack, or put a fledgling agency on the map. And yet, finding “big” ideas remains the most elusive part of the advertising and marketing puzzle. In fact, for many agencies,… Read more »

You want to know a secret? Every agency has a favorite client. It doesn’t matter if you’re an award-winning creative shop, a big media firm, a social media studio, or a top 10 advertising agency. We’ve all got that one client that everybody loves and whose account everybody wants to work on. I suppose the… Read more »

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” – Henry Ford While there’s plenty of conjecture as to whether Henry Ford ever actually said those words, the sentiment behind them is no less valid. Consumers don’t always know what they want. But one thing is true – they know… Read more »

It’s been said if you want to know what people care about, look where they spend their time and money. If that’s true, in America, we LOVE our Superheroes! According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, the top 300 comics average more than $248 million in sales every month. That’s not surprising when you realize… Read more »

I once had a client tell me that choosing a new ad agency was like getting married after one date. She said the feeling was like “I’m attracted to you and the conversation was easy, but I really know nothing about who you are deep down.”  Finding the right partnership between client and ad agency… Read more »

Years ago, one of my partners gave me an analogy for hiring that has always stuck with me. He said, imagine you’re starting a company and that your starting pool of talent is represented by a can of white paint. In your mind, every person you hire to build your company is perfect for their… Read more »

School’s out! Time for suntans and swimming pools, hammocks and hot dogs, bass boats and baseball. And to give it all a soundtrack, here’s a new Spotify playlist from LOOMIS  Grab a cold one and kick back with “Endless Summer” – 30 tracks celebrating everything we love about sunny days, steamy nights and the dream… Read more »

It’s all Bill Bernbach’s fault. Or, at least, that’s where the problem started. Before Bernbach led the creative revolution in the 1960s and transformed the way agencies, clients, and consumers thought about conceptual creative work, advertising agencies knocked out hard working ads created by account people and copywriters. If art was used at all, it… Read more »

On Monday, Americans will observe Memorial Day in remembrance of the men and women who died while serving our country in the armed forces. It’s a national holiday we’ve observed every year since 1868 and a day that only becomes more sobering as years pass and more tombstones are required. Most of us will never… Read more »

There is a wave coming. It threatens to crush us, no matter what business we’re in, be it advertising, marketing, media, or something else. And we don’t even know it’s coming. Looking back, there have been warning signals blinking caution for years. But like the generation before us, we either failed to recognize the signs,… Read more »

Though we are all interconnected in this system we call Capitalism, at the heart of every company, every brand, every advertising agency, marketing company, and media firm lies the question “Why?” Why do we exist? Why do we do what we do? Why should I concern myself with leaving the world better than I found… Read more »

If you work in advertising, or marketing, or any other kind of business, you’re going to get it wrong sooner or later. We all do. If you’re lucky, nobody notices. But sometimes, the gaffe happens on a national, or even international stage. A month ago, that happened to Starbucks. They got it wrong. Really wrong.… Read more »

Bob Dorough died last week at the age of 94. Odds are you don’t recognize the name Bob Dorough. But if you’re in your 40s, or 50s, there’s a pretty good chance he helped you pass history, grammar, and math. Born in Arkansas and raised in Texas, Bob Dorough fell in love with music early,… Read more »

Daniel Coyle’s “The Culture Code” is all about what it takes for an organization to build an extraordinary culture. In the introduction, Coyle asks the question we all ask as leaders:  “Why do certain groups add up to be greater than the sum of their parts, while others add up to be less?” According to… Read more »

In part one of Daniel Coyle’s instant classic, “The Culture Code,” he lists “Building Safety” as the first of three skills every leader needs to master to create a healthy and thriving culture. Safety speaks to the primal survival need in each of us and, while physical safety is certainly important, what Coyle really advocates… Read more »

Companies talk a lot about building a great culture. But, for many, that’s where it stops. It’s not that their heart isn’t in the right place. Any leader paying a modicum of attention understands how crucial culture is to success. But as Daniel Coyle notes in his extraordinary new book, “The Culture Code,” “culture is… Read more »

There’s power in the word promise, both in having promise and in making one. Serious make or break power, capable of building and destroying companies, teams, relationships, people. Even brands. Especially brands. As kids, one of the first life lessons we learn is to keep our promises. Promises made and kept are the foundation of… Read more »

As advertising agencies, as marketing firms, as design shops, I think a lot of the time people know far less about who we are, what we believe, and what our intentions are than we think they do. And it’s not for lack of trying. It’s for lack of traction. Start at the beginning. Every agency,… Read more »

Move over Miracle on Ice. Take a standing eight-count Buster Douglas. Miracle Mets? Namath’s Jets? Valvano’s Wolfpack? Sorry, boys. When it comes to the greatest upset in sports history, you’re no longer in the conversation. As of Friday night, that distinction belongs to the Runnin’ Retrievers of the University of Maryland – Baltimore County. Coming… Read more »

In improv comedy, there’s one rule, but it’s absolute: when a fellow performer throws a situation at you, your response must always be, “yes, and…” No is an ending. It’s closure. A slammed door with nowhere else to go. “Yes, and…” opens doors. It allows for endless possibilities. It provides the foundation for unexpected connections… Read more »

In the 1970 film “Love Story,” starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal, MacGraw’s character Jennifer famously tells O’Neal’s character Oliver that “love means never having to say you’re sorry.” At the time, the line became a national catch phrase and the embodiment of authentic romance. But since then, the line has been criticized and parodied… Read more »

Have you ever noticed that interior designers never finish designing their own homes? Their homes could be featured in the finest design magazines and still there would be more to do. The same could be said of car enthusiasts who tinker for years on the same hunk of metal trying to restore it to its… Read more »

By a margin of 10 to one, I bet the question we get asked more than any other at Iluminere is “how do you make content go viral?” People want to know how to make communication contagious. How do we get 1,000 shares, 10,000 likes and a million views? Surely there’s a formula by now.… Read more »

Dear 25-year-old me, On this Valentine’s Day, there are so many things I want to tell you. Right now, you think you know where your career is heading but trust me, there are opportunities coming you never, ever dreamed about. Twenty years from now, you will look back at what seems like a bunch of… Read more »

Few things galvanize the country like the Olympic Games. On any given day, we’re a country richly divided by political ideology, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and a dozen other things that drive us apart. But for two weeks every two years, we magically find ourselves cheering for the same team. For the love of… Read more »

Recently, I stumbled across one of my favorite commercials ever—a United Airlines spot created by the great Leo Burnett agency in Chicago. The spot is called “Speech” and it opens with every company President’s worst nightmare. That spot ran in 1989. Back before everyone had email. And cell phones. And Instant Messaging. And Facebook. LinkedIn.… Read more »

For those of us in advertising and marketing, there’s an endless quest to find newer and better ways to drive success for our clients. To move from inertia to momentum we use big ideas, technology, strategy, media planning, new product development, promotion, and half a dozen other things. Whether we realize it or not, in… Read more »

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Your screaming toddler wakes you up out of a dead sleep with what appears to be a raging ear infection. As a new parent, you’re not entirely sure how to treat it so you grab your iPad and punch up a YouTube video that promises “a quick… Read more »

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches a parable comparing wise men who build their houses on solid rock to those who choose instead to build on sand. In the Bible, Jesus’s lesson is about souls and eternal life. But in a different context, the parable holds just as true for QSR brands that insist… Read more »

Ten years ago, executive coach Marshall Goldsmith wrote a now seminal bestseller called “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There” that explained why smart, educated, accomplished people often hit the wall when trying to move ahead. Each of us has our formula for success. And if we’ve reached a position of leadership in our… Read more »

One of the things I’ve always loved about working in advertising agencies is that every day presents a new challenge. New clients. New campaigns. New opportunities to create something great. The energy and the excitement that comes from that opportunity is the reason I chose this business. I imagine that may be the same for… Read more »

Life and Death. Love and Hate. Sex and Violence. For good or bad, these are the primal forces that shape and influence everything around us including advertising, marketing and media. Renowned authors like Hugo, Hemingway, and Haley understood it. So did composers like Beethoven, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky. Movie directors clearly get it. When was the… Read more »

As much as we want to believe in our superhero powers of efficiency and our ability to do two things at once, the truth is multi-tasking is a myth. It’s been proven in study after study. Test after test. The idea that we can do two things at once is just an illusion created by… Read more »

Throughout the summer of 1975, millions of Americans found themselves terrified by two simple things they never would have anticipated – an F and an F sharp. Two notes that had been sitting side by side for hundreds of years. Two notes included in thousands and thousands of pieces. And yet, it wasn’t until John… Read more »

If you haven’t seen the trailer for Pixar’s next blockbuster “Coco,” you will. The new feature from Disney’s animation juggernaut drops on November 22 and it’s already getting rave reviews. The visually stunning film tells the story of a young boy who magically finds himself in the Land of the Dead. The concept is wrapped… Read more »

While the rest of country gets to scare itself silly with Halloween horrors, if you’re the leader of a small to midsize ad agency, you know there’s more than enough to work your nerves the rest of the year. Clients who want more for less. Disappearing margins. Young talent who are often more concerned with… Read more »

It only took 113 years. For the first time in the history of Major League baseball, this year’s American League and National League Championship Series will feature teams from the country’s four largest cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. For major TV media, that’s like hitting the Superfecta at Churchill Downs. The… Read more »

Our digital agency partner, Iluminere collected the latest social media image specs, and we put them in one, easy to read infographic.

Every so often, an opportunity comes along to work on an iconic brand you’ve admired from afar for years. When that brand taps you to work with them on a special television project, it’s not only an honor but it tends to inspire quite a bit of joyful celebrating. That was our experience this past… Read more »

Above: Top YouTuber, Ingrid Nilsen  Social media influencers are giving celebrities a run for their money when it comes to product and brand-endorsement deals. Whether it’s a local foodie Instagramming their meal or a mommy blogger trying out a new product, digital content has become heavily trafficked by these influencers. For a few hundred dollars,… Read more »

A flashy celeb or athlete can add some panache to your brand, but at what cost? Between the talent fee, travel expenses, scheduling issues, and the potential for a crisis in character, a challenger brand needs to carefully weigh the pros and cons before aligning with a celebrity. A tried and true alternative is to… Read more »

It doesn’t get much bigger than billboards. Whether it’s the side of a building or the side of the road, billboards can be an effective tactic depending on how they are used. Rarely, billboards are the only campaign tactic. They are best used as supporting pieces for a strategic, overarching campaign that may also include… Read more »

The sizzle of fajitas or the soundtrack of Jaws evoke distinct and strategic emotions. Will your mouth water or will you hide your eyes? Both are effective, and challenger brands can also leverage sound and music to make a memorable experience with customers. The book, The Sonic Boom: How Sound Transforms the Way We Think,… Read more »

For some, the best ideas come to them in the shower. Other times, the ideas require more work, like mining for gold. When you need a flurry of new thinking, brainstorming can be an effective way to gather your best minds and generate multiple ideas in a relatively short spurt. Working fast can be a… Read more »

With all that goes into opening a new restaurant or retail location, the grand opening is the cherry on the sundae. It’s a great time to make a splash in the community while celebrating all the hard work that went into the opening the doors. Following are ways you can build anticipation among customers even… Read more »

Recently, some of our clients have been contacted by law firms asserting their websites are not accessible according to forthcoming rules under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Title III covers “nondiscrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations and commercial facilities.” So, how does this affect your website? If your… Read more »

I laughed out loud the first time I saw a Miller “Man Law” TV commercial. You know the ones featuring Burt Reynolds and the “Men of the Square Table” debating and then ruling on lofty issues such as leaving football games early to beat traffic, or whether or not the “high five” is officially played out.… Read more »

I can’t recall when I first heard the expression, “mind the gap,” but its origins apparently trace back to a 60s-era warning posted for London train passengers stepping from trains to station platforms. Makes sense. Gaps of all varieties can cause big problems. But, the flip side of a problem is an opportunity. Take, for… Read more »

  Tis the season for reflecting on the year that’s past and for looking forward to a bigger, better, happier new year. In that spirit, here are 10 signs you had a successful year and that you’re primed for even greater success in 2015. 1. Profits Are Up Naturally, the first place we all look… Read more »

  What’s holding you back from doing the caliber of work you know you’re capable of and want to do? No doubt there‘s a stout list of justifiable obstacles that range from minor distractions to impenetrable barriers. For those of us blessed with ADD, join me in doubling down. Concepting and executing great work has… Read more »

“Let The Sniping Begin” One of my favorite quips ever is “It’s a dog eat dog world and I’m wearing Milk-Bone underwear.” You can bet no one is feeling that more than the nine candidates running for the presidency of the United States. Today is a whole new day. The prelims are over. The calendar… Read more »

Hands down, the most clichéd request in marketing is for “out of the box” thinking. But what we often forget is that sometimes, the magic and the big ideas can come from thinking “inside the box.” One of the great tenets of challenger branding is that when other brands zig, challengers zag. And while much… Read more »

You don’t have to look too far to find article after article about the dilemma American workers are facing these days of too much work and not enough time. Increasingly, people are up early, staying late, and working weekends. Keeping up has become an all-day, all-night affair. But still, people have to eat—right? Apparently not.… Read more »

Nobody needs to remind restaurant marketers about the dark days of 2009. Selling discretionary products and services is challenging in the best of times, but when the economy slows dining out is one of the first luxuries to go. We saw the tremendous toll the Great Recession exacted on the entire restaurant industry and the… Read more »

Feeling like your challenger brand is in a social media rut? Have no fear, these apps are here, offering you endless ways to show your brand personality and serve up a more engaging experience for your users. 1 – Dubsmash was one of the top free apps in 2015. It pairs audio clips with your video—karaoke style. Ways to… Read more »

  More than just a meal accompaniment, crafted beverages are money makers for most restaurants, so knowing these 5 beverage trends for 2016 can help your bottom line. San Francisco-based hospitality consulting firm Andrew Freeman & Co. and London-based market research firm Mintel, have both made predictions for next year’s “it” beverages. Here’s our take… Read more »

  The kids are heading back to school and here are 5 of the best promotions we know to drive restaurant sales and target a variety of your market segments. 1 – Include the Whole Family Take it away – Offer take-away family-style meals specials the month school starts and promote the time-saving convenience. Apps for… Read more »

  If your marketing plan doesn’t include some level of digital media, you could be missing out on a powerful way of connecting with consumers. But before you get started, it’s important to pump the breaks by considering these key questions. What are your goals? Goals can vary from client to client, but they often… Read more »

You don’t have to tell restaurant owners the dining out landscape is more competitive than ever and getting more so. Every day, there’s a new concept, a new chain for development, another QSR location popping up across the street. Add to that the increasing costs for food, fuel and labor. Then top it all off… Read more »

Every restaurant needs both a digital and traditional marketing plan to be successful and here are 5 reasons offline advertising still works and 10 ways to do it.  After all, if Mad Men’s Don Draper could create successful advertising campaigns without the Internet, why can’t you? 1 – Traditional/Offline Ads Can Reach Your Target Audience Remember,… Read more »

  Halloween offers ample opportunities for restaurants to kick off holiday promotions, but it’s also a great chance for Challenger Brands to carve out a niche during this unique holiday. Halloween is not just for the kids. Adults who love it REALLY love it, so tapping into this market segment could be a bonanza for… Read more »

  Call it what you want: David vs. Goliath, Pint vs. Keg, Local vs. Global. But there’s simply no denying the fact that all across America, upstart craft breweries are thriving in a market once dominated by Big Beer. The birth date of the American craft beer movement is highly debatable. Some say it began… Read more »

  Our culture is making a swing back to the tradition of dinner at home, with a modern twist – dinner is from a restaurant. Here are 5 ways to capitalize on the in-home dining trend. 1 – Get in the Virtual Food Court. Partner up with one or more restaurant delivery services to access… Read more »

  In our last post, we talked about how to decide whether or not Snapchat is right for challenger brands, and now, here are 6 Snapchat secrets to promote your brand. 1 – Snap exclusive deals, passwords or coupons. Part of the appeal of Snapchat is its ephemeral nature, which allows challenger brands to tap… Read more »

  Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, and it’s quickly becoming a profitable daypart for quick-service restaurants. The Breakfast Wars Taco Bell rolled out a breakfast menu in March 2014, and the chain, owned by Yum! Brands,  says breakfast represents 6 percent of total sales. Recently, they added a $1 breakfast… Read more »

  Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. The seven deadly sins. Let’s face it, we’re mere mortals and stuff happens. For the religious among us, absolution awaits in the pews of our favorite places of worship. For the rest, who really knows? I don’t pretend to have the answers. But, what happens when… Read more »

Yesterday, we looked at the first four questions you need to ask before choosing a new ad agency partner, or a new client if you’re an agency. Just to recap, they were: 1. Historically, have they done good work that’s gotten results? 2. Are they like you and do they share your values? 3. Are… Read more »

Getting married is exciting. There’s the nervous energy that comes from starting your new life together. The anticipation for what the uncharted future will bring. And of course, there’s the popping of the champagne to celebrate! On the flip side, divorce sucks. It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, and emotionally, it can drain your life force. Fifty… Read more »

Our Democracy isn’t perfect. Without a doubt, we live in the greatest nation on earth, but there are still a number of incredible challenges and things that need fixing. Energy. Education. Health Care. Tax Reform. Tort Reform. The environment. The list is long. And often, pretty frustrating. Health care alone is a Gordian knot of… Read more »

  One of the great truths of a bracketed championship format like the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and now the College Football Playoffs, is that no matter how many teams you choose to include, there will always be teams on the bubble who miss the cut.  Last week, as the CFB Playoff Committee sent formal invitations… Read more »

One of my favorite college professors once said, “No generalization is worth a damn, including this one.” He made the remark in front of a class of 30 or so students, and I’m sure it sailed right past most of them. But it got lodged in my 19-year-old brain, and it’s been there ever since.… Read more »

  Dear budding graduates and new job candidates, As winter graduation grows close and June graduates start getting ahead of the curve, many of you will reach out to our agency and others seeking guidance, trying to get your foot in the door and wanting a chance. I know, because many of you have already… Read more »

I just left $80 at a local Kawasaki motorcycle dealer for a part the size of a turkey leg. But that’s nothing considering the small fortune I spend keeping the family’s dirtbikes running. The odd part is that I tried to leave that very same $80 at two different Kawasaki dealers before I found one who’d… Read more »

As it turns out, the Prom Queen lives in a trailer park. Last week, at the 2007 California State Fair Wine competition, the Charles Shaw Chardonnay, affectionately known to Californians as “Two Buck Chuck” because of its $1.99 price tag, took the top prize beating out 350 other Chardonnays from all over California. Second place… Read more »

The Atlantic ran an excellent piece titled, “The Irrational Consumer: Why Economics Is Dead Wrong About How We Make Choices.” If you have ten minutes, it’s worth reading, but I’ve summarized five key takeaways: Too much choice stops the decision-making process cold. It’s counterintuitive because people say they want abundant choice, but when presented with too… Read more »

  Consumers love brands that give back. There’s no question about it. That’s why theCause Marketing Forum predicts that cause sponsorship will reach $2 billion this year, a 3.7 percent increase from 2015. Millennials, in particular, are a socially aware bunch, but every generation wants to support brands that make them feel good. An alliance… Read more »

It would seem traditional advertising agency reviews are the best deal going for marketers looking for new agencies. Agencies invest hundreds of man-hours and thousands of their own dollars developing creative solutions to business problems for prospective clients. Then they take their place in line to show off their ideas for free, presenting research and… Read more »

What do my colleagues and I in advertising have in common with one of the most gifted men in the American museum profession? It might surprise you. But more on that in a minute. I had the pleasure of listening to a talk given by Dr. Edmund P. Pillsbury the other night. To be honest,… Read more »

If you want to beat the restaurant industry’s projected annual growth rate of just two percent over the next five years, spending more on advertising may not be the answer. I know that’s a shocker coming from an ad executive but we’re in the truth business, not the convincing business. And, the truth is many… Read more »

  If you’ve ever had anything to do with making a :30 commercial, you know what a miracle it is that two hour feature films get made at all. I don’t care if you’re making a small independent film about one character, or moving to New Zealand for seven years to make the “Lord of… Read more »

Once a status symbol, smartphones have now become the status quo. Pew Research reports that 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone, and many rely on their smartphone for accessing the internet. Thirteen percent of Americans making less than $30,000 a year are dependent on their smartphones, and 15 percent of Americans ages 18-29 are… Read more »

If you believe nearly every major entertainment publication on the newsstand right now, Jay Leno’s new show appearing nightly on NBC is the clearly ordained future of Television. And if that’s true, how sad is that? That’s not an indictment of Jay Leno – the quality of his show is as good as it ever… Read more »

There’s a quote about leaders and followers that suggests “If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.” For many brands, that’s certainly true. We all understand there are a limited number of spots at the top and that in each category, there can only be one market leader. It’s also true that most… Read more »

It’s official. The debate over product placement in TV programming is on. On September 26th, U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman, D-Cali., and Ed Markey, D-Mass. wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin concerned that the increased use of product placement in television programming was “blurring” the line between TV ads and TV content.… Read more »

  Beacons just might be the next big thing in mobile marketing. As the name suggests, a beacon is a small device that uses Bluetooth to detect and communicate with smartphones in range, typically within 150 feet; they can be used for everything from a simple welcome message to pushing out promotional offers. Beacons have… Read more »

Spring is in the air, and with it, NCAA March Madness. This 64-team tourney gives us fast-paced drama, incredible athleticism, fierce competition, and more reasons to skip work than the Internet has bloggers. But there’s something else that drives our passion for this annual bracket bowl: the underdog factor. ORIGINS OF MARCH MADNESS Before we… Read more »

  Do you know what the second biggest search engine is? YouTube. With over a billion users (only 20 percent of whom are in the U.S.), YouTube engages more 18–49 year olds than any cable network in the country. So, yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. (Sound smart at your next cocktail party by… Read more »

The California State Fair Wine Competition is billed as “the oldest, most prestigious wine competition in North America.” Established in 1855, it is the place where wineries have their carefully crafted pedigrees validated or refuted. Such was the case for Charles Shaw Chardonnay in 2007 when it bested 350 other entries and earned “Best of… Read more »

Blockbuster filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy today, putting an official stamp on what had been rumored for months. The move delivers yet another object lesson for leading brands that fail to view themselves as challengers. Whether hubris or incompetence is the culprit can be argued by others, but what is clear is that the once formidable… Read more »

The traditional, take-orders, shuffle-papers form of account service is dead. I wasn’t around to see it happen or watch the smoke clear after the Mad Men era, but I’ve heard plenty of stories and know for sure that a lot has change. (For one, I’m not asking someone to bring me coffee.) The good news… Read more »

  Unless you’re Meg Whitman, Howard Schultz, Larry Page, Marissa Mayer or another Captain of industry you, my friend, are a challenger brand. And, if you want to build your personal brand you need to embrace this truth and market yourself like the challenger you are. Living in the dawn of the digital era, it’s… Read more »

  We eat with our eyes, so professional food photography can mean the difference between driving customers to your door or steering them to your competition. If you choose to shoot your product, do it right. There is no point in spending the money if the images won’t sell your product. You want the consumer… Read more »

If you’re disgusted by the latest Carl’s Jr. TV spot featuring Paris Hilton and Hannah Ferguson, um … washing a truck, then I know something about you: You’re not the target audience. You can tell me I’m wrong only if you are a male aged 18 to 25. Not only does Carl’s Jr. focus exclusively… Read more »

  Pink may be the color that most comes to mind when you think about cause marketing, and there’s good reason for it. Connecting your brand with a non-profit sends a powerful message about your company’s values. But there are more than just warm ‘n’ fuzzy reasons to consider cause marketing. Cause marketing campaigns not… Read more »

If you think about it, moms and Challenger Brands have quite a few common characteristics. In honor of Mother’s Day, let’s take a look at some of the practices that make great moms and great brands successful. If the typical mom were a brand, she would definitely be a Challenger Brand. In fact, let’s just… Read more »

I’m a lifelong motocross fan, so imagine my delight whenYamaha served up a supreme example of challenger brand innovation with its all-new YZ450 for 2010. For years, Yamaha and all the other motorcycle manufacturers have been playing follow-the-leader behind Honda, the undisputed category heavy-weight with something like 50 percent market share. While their friends at… Read more »

Have you ever had to mix gas and oil for a two-stroke engine? That sort of opening line limited my dating success back in the day, but there’s a great marketing story in the answer today. I grew up racing dirt bikes powered by two-stroke engines fueled with a mixture of gas and oil. The blending… Read more »

Build a culture. And brand it. Four months ago, I stepped into the LOOMIS office for the first time when I interviewed for the position of Brand Manager. It’s an afternoon that will forever be etched into my memory. Upon arriving at the agency, I was greeted by a sweet blonde named Bella in the… Read more »

Quick – name the only NCAA Men’s basketball team from Indiana to ever make it to back to back Final Fours. Larry Bird’s Indiana State team? No. How about Isaiah Thomas’s National Championship Indiana team under Bobby Knight? Nope. The only team from Indiana to ever go to consecutive Final Fours is the Butler Bulldogs… Read more »

Ever wonder if your company is a challenger brand? There are lots of ways to tell for sure, but here’s one great measure. Take a challenge facing your brand and consider what the category leaders would do to solve it. If your solution goes against the grain, even when it makes your path that much… Read more »

Presidential elections remind me that advertising isn’t very effective at changing minds. In fact, I wouldn’t be the first to argue that advertising can’t change minds at all. That may sound positively blasphemous coming from an advertising executive. But take this election, for example, and the many millions spent by each candidate on all forms… Read more »

If ever there was a business that eats its own, it’s advertising. Last night during Game 1 of the World Series, Chevrolet debuted their new tagline/themeline “Chevy Runs Deep,” and already it’s getting torched. One critic said the line created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners was an overt attempt to sell people patriotic heritage. Another… Read more »

Our Cialdini series heats up this week as we take a closer look at commitment and consistency, the second persuasion principle that’s made up of two, closely related parts. As with reciprocity, marketers can harness the might of these two concepts to gain market share without having to resort to expensive ad spending. Commitment and… Read more »

Few books have had such a profound impact in the marketing world as Dr. Robert Cialdini’s stellar book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” has. First written more than three decades ago, the persuasion principles the book highlighted are extremely relevant in the 21st Century environment of digital marketing. Cialdini’s great hook was to get right… Read more »

We continue our Cialdini series this week by introducing social proof, a most exciting principle of persuasion in today’s digital marketing world. From psychology’s standpoint, social proof can be thought of as a “phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.” From a pure… Read more »

  They say that people like to question authority, but in the ad world, it’s just the opposite that’s true. People will listen to authority and be greatly influenced by it, as Cialdini knows all too well. Authority is such a strongly ingrained concept in the human psyche that people are programmed to obey authority… Read more »

  When a brand is liked, that can lead to more sales, success and popularity for said brand. It seems to be a pretty logical proposition, doesn’t it? The more a brand is liked, the more positive qualities like trustworthiness are attributed to it…which in turn leads to more sales and influence in its industry.… Read more »

  We’re here! It’s the end of the road for our exciting Cialdini principles of persuasion series. While we enjoyed bringing you ideas about the best ways that brands can use persuasion to get an advantage in their industries, we still have one, final principle to tell you about: scarcity. Scarcity, of course, is when… Read more »

I’m not a big fan of Cocaine, but I respect the bold marketing strategy behind it. And the distribution is impressive, too. I was stunned to find it in an East Texas country gas station last weekend. I picked some up just for grins. I might resell it on eBay. Of course, I’m not talking… Read more »

Back in February, shortly after the Super Bowl, CareerBuilder.com unceremoniously dumped their agency of record, Cramer-Krasselt, because the TV spot they produced for the client failed to make it into the Top 10 Super Bowl ads as rated by USA Today. Apparently, the incredible work Cramer had done for CareerBuilder previously, or the results post-Super… Read more »

How do you create a deeply relevant consumer brand from scratch with no advertising in an extremely crowded and competitive category? One thing is certain: You don’t do it by trying to copy the market leaders. When his first gym opened in 2001, the fitness category heavyweights couldn’t have foreseen the “functional training” revolution Greg… Read more »

There’s a long list of marketing pundits and authors who’ve made their fortunes selling the idea that putting customers first is the sure way to retail success. They might take issue with a piece of advice dispensed the other day at a conference on retailing. It was offered up by one of the founders of… Read more »

  A better question, perhaps, is ARE you differentiated at all? In reality, most companies are not. In large part, this is because most business owners don’t really understand the concept of differentiation in branding. Without differentiation, all businesses that sell the same product or service would be in direct competition with one another. That… Read more »

  In part 1, I discussed the basics of differentiation. If another brand differentiates better, your customers won’t have any reason to value you for it, unless you happen to be cheaper. If customers aren’t singing your praises to friends and associates, your challenger brand could be missing its point of differentiation. To help you… Read more »

Your banner ad is one in a billion; 5.3 billion last year to be exact, according to ComScore. The same study also reports that the typical internet user is served 1,707 banner ads each month. The digital advertising landscape is cluttered, crowded and not slowing down any time soon. In fact, eMarketer predicts that digital… Read more »

  Ever heard the expression “Meetings for Meetings?”  I think we’re all in agreement that’s not a good habit to get into. But how about this one – “Buzzwords for Buzzwords?” Ever told someone you feel like a firefighter? Not a literal hook and ladder with the Dalmatian kind of fireman. But due to the… Read more »

Woody Allen once remarked that it’s not a “dog eat dog world,” it’s a “dog doesn’t return other dog’s phone calls world.” As chief business development dude at LOOMIS,I can certainly relate. It feels like we’re all getting dogged by the persistent economic challenges lately, and I think more of us are feeling like underdogs,… Read more »

Any kid with a Lemonade stand can explain the sales impact of poor traffic, but something far more complex lies at the heart of the matter. In fact, when it comes to understanding the dynamics behind declining traffic it may take a team of researchers to help sort it out. In recent years, the study… Read more »

The average American spends a little less than $7 dining away from home every single day. Competition for those dollars is intense, and the pressure to compete drives all sorts of interesting restaurant innovation. Bright, shiny new restaurant concepts pop up like dandelions in spring. But, depending on who you ask, roughly a quarter of… Read more »

If you are a sports fan, you remember the famous hockey game played during the Lake Placid Olympics. It’s the game they call “The Miracle on Ice.” Almost 30 years later, people still refer to the U.S. amateur Olympic team’s victory over the Soviet team’s professional players as the biggest upset in sports history. In… Read more »

Not every challenger brand has the budget to hire the likes of Gisele, but with some innovative thinking, you might find your ideal spokesperson in an unlikely place. Here are some examples that fall outside the realm of the usual and predictable—if not boring—celebrity endorsers and genuinely relate with consumers on a deeper level.  … Read more »

  I should probably begin this blog by acknowledging that the topic is not what you’d normally see on BARK! You won’t find any marketing advice or best advertising practices within this post. But at LOOMIS, we have a strong familial culture – this is my second family – and I couldn’t think of a… Read more »

How do you feel about your 401K these days? Amazingly, most people aren’t exactly clicking their heels over the 50 percent gain in the stock market since its March low. And most probably fill up their tanks without much thought to the relatively low and sustained mid-$2 price of gas. People seem to be taking… Read more »

  Mobile has officially trumped desktop. Google confirmed the tipping point in May 2015 by reporting that more Google searches take place on mobile devices than desktops. The same was true internationally as well, with nine other countries joining the U.S. in their tendency to search on mobile. That’s good news for challenger brands who… Read more »

  While everyone wants to grab the Millennial generation’s attention, the smart Challenger Brand is marketing to Baby Boomers. Here are five reasons why targeting this “forgotten generation” is still a smart strategy and three tips to attract Baby Boomers to your restaurant. 1 – Baby Boomers Have More Disposable Income. According to a recent… Read more »

[Part five of six] 1. Always start with the customer. Create a customer personification that includes key demographic and psychographic information. Include critical learning and insights about the customer’s desires and dislikes. Use this as the basis for creating the optimal customer experience. 2. Describe in specific terms the kind of customer experience your brand… Read more »

  You only need to look at the 30-year success of the McRib to know limited time offers (LTOs) work, and here are five ways Challenger Brands can effectively use a limited time offer. 1 – Create the Right LTO for Your Brand As a challenger brand, you’ve got to customize your LTO to not… Read more »

Unless your company dominates its category, it’s a challenger brand. It may or may not be a strong challenger brand, and the difference often comes down to marketing. Unfortunately, one hallmark of challenger brands is that their marketing ambitions generally outstrip their resources. They don’t enjoy the benefits of big ad budgets, so challengers have… Read more »

As the digital world expands, consumers are spending more time online. Early trends among Millennials show that media habits are changing and online streaming is gaining momentum. Pre-roll, the ads that run before online content, such as YouTube, represent a new frontier and can capture the attention of users in new ways. But it’s nothing… Read more »

I’m convinced one of the telltale signs of fresh, brilliant work is seeing it, slapping yourself on the forehead and saying, “Of course! That’s genius! Why hasn’t anyone else done that?” And why is it so often the smaller, more underdog brands who look at a project from a completely new and wonderful perspective with… Read more »

At 46-years-old, I’ve aged out of the core audience for stadium supercross, and my taste for carbonated beverages has shifted from sugary sodas to sparkling mineral water. Still, I dig AMA Supercross events almost as much as I love riding my own dirtbike. And, with the drop of the gate at the Supercross opener for… Read more »

  You’ve heard “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” While that may be true, it’s also a lousy long-term strategy for taking on market leaders if your ultimate goal is to beat them. Playing the imitation game is certainly understandable. There are hundreds of “me too” companies who have done very well “knocking off”… Read more »

It may not be time to break out the party hats, but there’s no doubt the economy has been improving – albeit quietly. In fact, important indicators such as disposable income and real retail and food service sales are back to pre-recession levels. But, there’s more. Consumer spending for February cranked up to the highest… Read more »

It’s now become a rite of summer just like going swimming, shooting fireworks and eating Watermelon. With this weekend’s release of “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrance Howard, the summer blockbuster movie season is officially under way. And with it, the barrage of corporate tie-ins that are guaranteed to… Read more »