Villing Branding Articles
Which Comes First, the Culture or the Brand?
Thom Villing (January 27, 2012)
When considering truly iconic brands, like Nordstrom, Zappos or Apple, a classic chicken-and-egg question arises: Which comes first, the culture or the brand?
The BCS: Brand Championship Series
Andy Fuller (January 23, 2012)
The elegance that was once found in names like the Citrus Bowl, Orange Bowl and heck, even the Tangerine Bowl seems to be lost forever, buried under a pile of awkward sponsor-touting titles.
Competitive Brand Names: The Importance of Planning Ahead
Nathan DeSelm (May 27, 2011)
If we can learn anything from Apple's recent "App Store" trademark silliness, it's the importance of planning ahead when launching new products and services.
Error Ball: NBA Shows that Ad Campaigns Can't Cover Defective Products
Andy Fuller (April 7, 2011)
No ad campaign is a slam dunk, but marketing a defective product will always be a brick.
NFL, You Are Breaking My Heart
Lesley Langfeldt (March 28, 2011)
Besides over $12 billion of lost revenue, the NFL brand image is also at stake if there is no professional football season this year.
Is Your Brand Talkable?
Lesley Langfeldt (December 22, 2010)
"Talkable Brands" are companies that do things that are worthy of being talked about, of being shared via word-of-mouth.
Forging a Brand: Do It Right or Watch the Sparks Fly
Thom Villing (December 14, 2010)
Forging a company or organizational brand is fraught with hazards. Executed properly, branding can pay remarkable dividends. But failing to do it right can cause some serious sparks to fly.
Fix Your Broken Windows
Lesley Langfeldt (November 24, 2010)
Fixing your company's "broken windows" may be the best way to start building your brand.
Does Your Brand Have 'Refrigerator Rights'?
Andy Fuller (November 1, 2010)
The word "community" is a buzz word in marketing circles. Often I see it used in some sort of ambiguous way by folks trying to sound hip, especially in the social media space.
Go All In, But Know How to Get Out
Andy Fuller (September 29, 2010)
When it comes to marketing campaigns, charge in with steadfast commitment, but keep mindful of what may be around the corner.
What We've Got Here is a Failure to... Differentiate.
Thom Villing (September 24, 2010)
Differentiation is like the weather. Everyone in marketing talks about it, but no one does anything about it. And for good reason. It's hard. Brutally hard.
Short or Long Taglines? Maybe That’s Not Even the Right Question.
Lesley Langfeldt (September 15, 2010)
Take our quiz to see if you know which brands these taglines belong to. You may find the length of the tagline doesn't necessarily determine its memorability.
"Fox in Socks" and Other Lessons in Values Marketing
Andy Fuller (July 20, 2010)
Every brand, every company has a set of values, and many are finding it as important a selling point as the performance and quality of their tangible products.
Golden Goal and Golden Opportunity: U.S. Soccer's Product Test
Andy Fuller (June 25, 2010)
In our country, sports-obsessed as it is, soccer has never been given much of a place at the table. Recent wins have given the sport an opportunity to improve the relevance of its brand.
Branding with "Style": The AP Rethinks "Web site"
Andy Fuller (April 26, 2010)
On the afternoon of April 16, you may have been surprised by a spontaneous, boisterous round of cheering and applause. The reason: The AP announced it was changing the accepted style of the term "Web site" to "website."
Marketing to Your Employees: Say What?
Jeannine Villing (February 26, 2010)
Employees are often the direct link to customers, which is why it's important for them to understand their company's brand. Here are two examples of companies that understand the importance of internal marketing.
Do You Have a Brand Cause?
Thom Villing (November 13, 2009)
Lately I've been very involved in several projects and discussions involving what we refer to as brand trust. Fortunately, there are ways to increase the value of your brand and they are as elementary as the golden rule.
'Tis the Season: How the Holidays Provide a Perfect Branding/Image-building Opportunity
Scott Tingwald (October 23, 2009)
For most marketers, the holidays represent a unique opportunity, but the nature of that opportunity varies by business and deserves careful thought and consideration.
Breaking Through the Clutter
Mathew Siecker (September 30, 2009)
Breaking through the clutter in marketing and advertising these days can be a huge challenge. After the big Kanye West hoopla that went on, I came upon a statistic that made me think about branding.
All Branding is Local.
Thom Villing (July 10, 2007)
I believe it was Tip O'Neill who said "All politics is local" – the implication clearly being that people care most about what affects them directly. Seems to me, the same can be said about branding.
People Don't Answer the Door for People They Don't Know.
Thom Villing (July 2, 2007)
There's this wonderful ad created by McGraw Hill back in the 30s. Perhaps you’ve seen it. (OK, maybe not in real life, but possibly in a marketing textbook.) The ad features this very stern looking man – your classic crusty CEO type.