Category: brand

BRAND ISN’T WHAT YOU SAY. IT’S WHAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE.

A lot of people think “brand” is just what you say.

Your messaging.
Your positioning.
Your promise.

But that’s only one part of it.

I think of brand in three layers – and only one of them is fully in your control.

Brand story is what you tell people to expect.
It’s how you describe what you offer, what you care about, and why someone should choose you.

Brand experience is what it actually feels like to interact with you.
The real moments – clicking around your site, waiting for a response, using the product, engaging with your team, asking for help, noticing the little things (or the missing ones).

And brand reputation is what people walk away with.
It’s the feeling they carry forward. The story they tell themselves – or others – about whether the promise was kept.

Reputation isn’t built by what you say.
It’s built by what people experience compared to what they were led to expect.

You can tell a great story and still disappoint if the experience doesn’t live up to it. And sometimes the most trusted brands aren’t flashy at all – they’re just consistently solid in ways that matter.

Your story sets the expectation.
Your experience either meets it, misses it, or exceeds it.
And your reputation is the result.

If you want a stronger brand, the question usually isn’t:
“How do we say this better?”

It’s:
“What does it actually feel like to be on the other side of us – and is that feeling aligned with what we’re promising?”

That’s where trust is made (or lost).

Change creates change.

“The duty of the artist is to strain against the bonds of the existing style.” – Philip Johnson

What’s the “existing style” in your world that keeps you up at night?

You must adopt the posture of an artist – even if you are a founder, operator, or leader.

Because the job is the same:

“strain against the bonds.”

Push on the lazy defaults.
Prod the obvious compromises.
Provoke the conversation your team is avoiding.

And then change something real:
– the question
– the process
– the message
– the standard
– the decision

Because here’s the truth:

Change creates change.
No change means nothing changes.

MOST OF OUR WINS GO UNNOTICED

Most of our wins go unnoticed.

Especially the ones where we’re not in the spotlight, but in someone else’s corner.

This week, two friends – both navigating long, brutal job searches – finally got offers.

Not flashy. Not fast. Just earned.

And somehow, hearing their news filled me with more energy than my own milestones.

Because I got to witness it. Support it. Nudge it forward.

Even if my name’s not on the offer letter, there’s a quiet kind of fulfillment that comes from lifting others.

Turns out, encouragement doesn’t just help them move forward. It reminds you what matters.

Who are you cheering on right now?
Text them. Tell them you see them.

THANK & DON’T SELL

Hey brands. Say “thank you.”
Really and simply, just say thank you.

To your customers. Your teams. Your communities.

Make them feel it – everywhere.
Maybe it’s a “thank you” day, all about them.

But f***ing mean it.

Then – do the hard part:
DON’T SELL. DON’T ASK. DON’T REQUEST.

Just give.

If you’re real about it, you’ll get what you’re after anyway:
A true community. The ones who stay.

A+ CREATIVE: Airbnb “Bedtime”

**3 reasons (and a bonus) why I love the new Airbnb ad creative**

First, the creative insight. It’s strong and right there in the ad: “When you share a hotel room with your kid, you also share a bedtime with your kid.” For parents that can be frustrating. This framing sets up AirBNB’s offering nicely.

Second, the creative direction is intentionally generalized. The illustrated and animated approach allows Airbnb to showcase their overall offering and not be stuck showcasing just one specific location or family in their ad.

Third, the creative testing. This is a new :30 national tv ad – but Airbnb has been using this creative direction for over a year through their organic and other channels.

Those low cost, low risk channels have likely given them confidence that this creative resonates with their target audience and it’s helping them achieve their business and brand objectives.

And now, the bonus reason

I have to be honest, I’m embarrassed that I missed this when I first watched and made a video about this ad. I was so focused on those first 3 things that I didn’t really see the message shown on screen at the end:

“Some trips are better in an Airbnb.” Super brilliant. And here’s why.

Based on what we observe in the ad, who’s the target audience? People with kids who travel and typically stay in a hotel. They likely haven’t stayed at an Airbnb property. And, they may be hesitant to give it a try.

But the genius of the line is right at the beginning: “Some trips.”

Airbnb is planting this seed of an idea: in the coming year you’ll have a trip with your kid(s). For that trip, see how much better it is in an Airbnb.

They’re not saying “All trips.” Or asking them to dump their Marriott Bonvoy rewards. But for the right trip, Airbnb might be a better option.

I love this spot so much. Great job, Airbnb team!

SILENT SIGNALS: The importance of visual decisions

Subtle visual signals can have a MASSIVE impact in creative work. All because they can help – or hurt – your message.

Let’s quickly breakdown an example :30 TV ad from Fisher Investments. And then I’ll share 3 simple questions to ensure you’re making the right visual decisions in your own work.

Fisher’s ad explicitly states they are “different from other money managers.”

Lucky for us, a comparison ad makes it easier to demonstrate these visual differences. Here are at least 9 signals they’ve used:

  • Relaxed professional vs. Buttoned-up professional
  • Natural environment vs. Urban environment
  • Collaborative culture vs. Isolated culture
  • Warm, inviting colors vs. Cold, stark colors
  • Personable (photos on desks) vs. Impersonal (sterile desks)
  • Unique, eye-catching carpet vs. Bland, boring carpet
  • Open body language vs. Closed body language
  • Stand with clients vs. No clients (maybe we can infer those clients just left for Fisher)
  • Elevator’s upward motion (growth with Fisher) vs. Downward motion (decline with other money managers)

All together, these visual decisions communicate that Fisher Investments is warm, inviting, collaborative and, as they state, different from their competition.

When thinking about your creative work, ground yourself in these 3 questions when considering visual decisions:

  1. Who am I trying to reach?
  2. What am I trying to communicate?
  3. What visual clues and signals would a) support the message I am trying to communicate (for example – speed, quality, freshness, uniqueness, etc.), AND b) connect and resonate with the intended audience?

Taking a moment to reflect on and refine your visual decisions will enhance your connection to the audience, reinforce your message, and help you better achieve your objectives.