Z-Files

The intersection between gender and  toys is in the news, possibly spurred by Mattel’s new ad for Barbie, “Imagine the Possibilities.”   There has been a perception that Barbie is…

It turns out that self-righteousness martyrdom is not a quality we look for in our brands. Airbnb is apologizing for a series of billboards it put up in San Francisco,…

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 What brands can learn from Vin and Kim The Wall Street Journal has some social media advice for Corporate America.  The advice: learn from celebrities. Celebrities who use social…

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Redefining Under Armour A common client problem with which we are challenged is how to make a brand relevant to a new segment of consumers. Under Armour, traditionally known…

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 I had a great title in mind, but I forgot My memory is terrible. I have forgotten my suitcase in the trunk of a cab. I have left glasses…

The Harvard Business Review features an instructive article from the CEO of Bolthouse Farms – the company (now part of Campbell’s) that has successfully re-positioned its brand of baby carrots.…

I like to pass along examples of brilliant ads when I see them.  Thanks to OZ's Joe Plummer for this spot from J Walter Thompson in London. Do you think…

This TED talk goes back a couple of years, but I heard it for the first time on NPR this weekend and was fascinated. The speaker is Yale professor of…

The latest Deep Dives focuses on the promises and shortcomings of neuromarketing.  Brain scanning is still not fully reliable. This is true not only in marketing – it is simply…

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Olson Zaltman's Nick Kimminau shares an article from The Guardian that describes the phenomenon of “inner speech.”  We are talking to ourselves (in our heads) all the time. As…

Please read our Q&A with Jim Wardlaw of Stitch Brand & Culture about how insightful research can lead to a more creative and productive corporate culture. 

A thought-provoking Q&A with author Eve Turow appears in The Atlantic.  The topic is Millennials’ obsession with food. Turow suggests that, thanks in large part to technology, food is playing…