We suspect one of the most intimidating challenges marketers face is the prospect of a rebranding effort. We’ve been contacted many times to provide expertise on the topic. This often comes from prospective clients whose business may be experiencing a sluggish period where they suspect their “brand” is the problem. The phone call to the agency goes something like, “I think we need to rebrand.” Then we’ll say something like, “Hmm, tell us more about why you think that,” then the conversation often veers into things like logos, TV commercials, slow sales, and “Brand X who is stealing our share because their branding is way better.”

In Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886), the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment applied to corporations, legally establishing what is referred to as corporate personhood.
While this decision was based strictly on legal reasons, nowhere does the personhood of a corporation ring truer than in its brand. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll look at three famous quotes about the importance of personal authenticity and apply them to brand authenticity.

Recently, we onboarded a new client with a rapidly growing technology company. The company needed help in several areas, but most importantly, they needed a new website. In reviewing their current website, we noticed a stock photo we laughed about because we were certain we’d seen it many times before. After a quick Google Images search, we found the same image on hundreds of similar and competitive websites. Understanding that even the biggest of brands can, at times, rely on stock photography, in this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll look at the two factors that lead to most stock photography fails. Plus, we’ll discuss how to best avoid stock photography and how to best maintain brand authenticity when stock is your only choice. Then, we’ll look at the present state of AI as an alternative.

You already know the importance of trust but are you thinking about this important form of capital the right way? In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explore brands looking at trust as something to be built rather than just simply something to protect. You’ll also learn how to build a trusted brand using five key insights.

Many of our articles are about tangible topics, with acronyms like ESG, ABM, or GBP. Marketing, though, is about the mastery of both the objective and the subjective to help you best sell your products or services. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss black and white advertising and seven reasons why your brand might choose to use this creative in our full-color world. We’ll also learn some of the psychological impacts it may have on your consumers.

In 1990, the Canon EOS Rebel camera ad featuring tennis star Andre Agassi boldly told us, “Image is Everything!” Back then, it certainly was something, but was image more important than it is today? You needn’t look any further than your friend’s and family’s social media pages to realize that the “ideal self” is still alive and kicking in 2022. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll juxtapose concepts that center on the concept of real self vs. ideal self in advertising and what we think that means for the future of brand relationships.

While we are still having trouble unseeing the awkward “hero” chip bags in the Lay’s and Doritos ads, Frito-Lay brands nailed their diversity efforts. Sam’s Club, InBev’s AB brands, Unilever’s Hellman’s, GM, Vroom, and others did as well. Additionally, it was no shock to see the metaverse make a debut of sorts in big-dollar ads by Meta, Crypto.com (with Matt Damon), and Bud Light NEXT. However, it was what we heard that really got our attention in this year’s Super Bowl ads. In this special Super Bowl LVI edition of Plain Talk, we’ll foot-tap our way through our thoughts on the growth of music nostalgia in advertising. We’ll explore how it supercharged big game commercials and what this could mean for you.

Brands globally worked to build or upgrade their websites and online stores in response to the pandemic, which is no surprise with the closures of brick-and-mortar businesses. However, what many brands did not prepare for was the impact that skyrocketing internet use had on the relevance of their digital image and video asset library. In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll explore how brands should use content assets like photos, video, and animation to maximize sales and value in digital channels.

In 2020, the home bar cart has taken on special significance because shrinking out-of-home social opportunities have created a boost in at-home consumption. This on-premise apocalypse we talked about in an earlier article means that brands need to find new and significant opportunities to drive off-premise volume. But the bar cart isn’t just ANY off-premise sale. It’s a place of honor in consumer homes but for the right brands, a lucrative one. In today’s Plain Talk article, we’ll talk about a few ways you can earn a coveted place on the millennial bar cart with the right beverage packaging design.

Today, dropping technology costs and faster production methods mean that video and CGI production is no longer reserved just for Super Bowl ads for many—even small businesses. Video consumption in the U.S. has skyrocketed thanks to COVID-19, so cheaper production costs may be worth considering. In today’s Plain Talk article, we’ll talk about why you may want to consider how CGI advertising fits into your digital marketing strategy and whether it’s a viable option for your e-commerce, B2C, or B2B content production needs.