Tag: marketing
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Of frames and feelings – why empathy is the difference maker
I recently stumbled into a quarrel in the comment section below a provocative but uncontroversial LinkedIn post. It was as unnecessary as it was predictable. (I’d tell you to read it for yourself but the comment in question has since been deleted.) It was an iteration of a popular debate in marketing strategy: how valuable…
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The value of community for brands and businesses
It’s easy to be cynical, important to be cautious, and worth being curious about the idea of community – and how it can help brands and businesses create more value and make better stuff (products, services, and ideas.) Disclaimer: I’m leading brand strategy at ScienceMagic, a creative and strategic company helping businesses and talent build…
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Nine things to do to grow as a strategist
One theme, nine things There are few topics that are as relevant for ambitious strategists as personal growth. It’s a topic that never gets old. Unsurprisingly, in a discipline that is only vaguely defined, there are hardly any frameworks for personal growth that are widely available. Every agency handles growth differently – and, to make…
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Unfollow. Why following each other won’t get us nowhere new
Over the past weeks I tried to get back a bit more into my old “reading interesting stuff the industry is talking about” routine. Staying up to date on strategy, planning challenges, the industry and their thought leaders is, after all, part of what enables a strategist do to their job. Or at least that’s…
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The Risk of the Customized Agency
And here it is: another ‘customized agency’ It’s been in the press for a while, but today it got some more exposure. ThyssenKrupp and Thjnk (where I’ve worked before moving to Amsterdam) are launching a new agency, a customized agency. Which seems to be the latest rage among bigger brands, not only in Germany (McDonald’s,…
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How Creativity Benefits From Noise. Or: Jump in the Pool
The past months have brought some changes in my life. Nothing dramatic, but still significant enough to allow some of these finding their way onto this blog in the next couple of weeks, because in a way #everythingisnieuw. About three months ago, I moved from Hamburg to Amsterdam, from a German agency to an international one: from thjnk…
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JWT’s Take On Marketing Trends 2015
With the new year right in front of our noses, it’s time to look at what 2015 marketing trends might hold. Thankfully, many agencies are happy to provide their predictions. One of the more extensive looks into the future (110 pages) is served by JWT Intelligence: The Future 100 offers a glimpse into trends in food,…
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The Misguidedly Targeted Flyer
Every now and then a little piece of direct marketing gets lost in my mailbox. This particular time it was a flyer from an online retailer where I had bought some technical accessory for a washing machine a while ago. They offered me a 10 EUR discount code for my next purchase. On the front page of…
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What A Priest Told Me About Lovemarks
Two weeks ago I attended the wedding of my cousin. I expected to hear a lot about love and faith and relationships. What I didn’t expect was hearing about brands. Most of you have probably heard of the lovemarks concept, introduced by Kevin Roberts some 12 years ago. That book made me think about the…
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Customers Catering to Customers
Converse is extending their campaign with a new sales approach onto Facebook. Users can design their own pair(s) of Converse and sell them to their friends and/or can even open their own store. Since the program only launches in the UK and US, I wasn’t able to try it, however, this post deals more with…