So Here’s Your Challenge

If you are listening to this Podcast, the chances are very high that you understand English. But what if you didn’t? What if your target audience didn’t? Or what if your target audience did understand, but felt more comfortable in their own mother tongue? The obvious solution: translate your content.  

Have you wondered why an organization’s rebrand doesn’t seem particularly right? That maybe they missed something along the way? A bad rebrand can mean that at best, that the expected benefits aren’t delivered, and at worst, the brand is ridiculed in the market.

Have you ever been in a conversation when the other person spends more time talking about themselves than the subject at hand? They pepper the conversation with me, myself, and I, assuming that you (and others) are held spellbound by their perspective and accomplishments.  

Whether real world or on the web, trust is a powerful factor. Yet there are still websites that advertise themselves as "Not Trusted" — and this is totally avoidable.

In your professional field, who is the best at what they do? Chances are, you didn’t name yourself. This is not surprising – between personal modesty, and our competitive instinct to look over our shoulders, we will usually make the comparison to others.  

Have you ever been gulled into reading an article, blog post, or viewing a video because of the headline?  Not the descriptive type of headline (such as Clickbait Headlines Lose Trust), but the kind that reels you in, like a helpless fish on a line.  

DOS, Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS are all names of computer operating systems. They control the computer chips, memory, and give the device its unique personality. While we are certainly not computers, we too are controlled by a system: a Brain Operating System.  

Have you ever wondered why companies choose to rebrand? A few years ago,Microsoft, after more than a decade, has changed it’s logo to one that evokes the new “Metro” look-and-feel of its latest Windows operating system. But why? And what should the criteria — and costs — of this type of decision?

Have you ever been in a situation where your personal reputation has been called into question online?  Or your organization’s brand is under attack from a special interest group, and it is emerging somewhat battered? Not good. Of course, the best way to build a great reputation is to do everything “right” in the first place. But no organization (or person) is perfect, and sometimes reputational a...

In just about every organization, the focus is on action. The connotations of words such as goals, objectives, action plans, and status updates are all positive, and are viewed as necessary for organizational, professional, and personal success.   Yet is the path to achievement exclusively achieved through action? Or is action necessary, but not necessarily sufficient? And if so, what precisely is...

A recently promoted executive confided in me that the pressure of time was increasingly difficult to manage: especially the conflicts between work and home responsibilities. This is a very common issue — not just to the recently promoted, but to most people who are serious about their professional success — and their family. One approach to solving the conundrum is to master your schedule — and no...

Most people spend years getting good at what they do. They become superb analysts, salespeople, engineers, or managers. They are rewarded for their efforts. But is the reward worth the effort? What separates the most successful from those that merely just become “good”?  

Beyond ads, media mentions, and the web, is there another mechanism to build your organization’s brand? One that might cost significantly less, yet yield powerful positioning advantages? Brand Transfer is the “borrowing” of another organization’s brand to better convey — or even amplify — your own.

What is the one rubbish statement that single-handedly limits our creative potential? “Some people are incredibly creative, and others are not. I am more analytical than creative.”  Rubbish!

There has always been a fringe element in society; and now, Social Media has provided an unwitting channel to help advance their agendas. Can anything be done about it?

You probably recognize that successful communication is partly based on the words you use, but also your tone of voice. And most people recognize that body language trumps both. But how does it do so?  

Marketing and sales are at the core of almost every organization. Whether it is writing a proposal for a prospect, encouraging a person to join your organization, or selling an internal team on a concept, the act of gaining alignment and commitment is critical. Why then, do so many organizations completely miss the mark?

Graphic designers know that if you have one element on the page, and lots of white space around it, the eye is drawn to that one element. Professional speakers know how to use a pause — silence — to emphasize a point. And musicians know that a break in the music creates anticipation. This is white space. So how can we use the concept of white space?

After arriving at an event and noticing a few people you know — and hundreds that you don’t — what is your first inclination?  

Too often, organizations see an arithmetic connection between the resources allocated to a task, and the return on investment from it. Chasing the digital holy grail of engagement seems to be no different. But is it?

Ask your CEO, and they will say that your greatest asset is your people. Ask your marketing chief, and the answer will be your brand. And ask your CFO, your value is determined by your revenue or EBITDA. But is it possible that they may all be wrong… or may soon be? (Hint: how would your CIO answer?)

Have you ever heard the expression “you’re only as strong as your friends”? Nowhere is this more true than with digital marketing.  

When you are faced with an unexpected delay or a long line-up, how do you deal with it?

Are you involved in your professional association? Or do you run one — either as a director, staff, or volunteer? If so, you’re probably concerned with one aspect of today’s digital world, and particularly social media: How do you compete with free? 

One of the more popular thought leadership “strategies” is to create relevant, provoking, leading-edge content. Not only does this provide evidence of the thought leader’s special knowledge, but it also helps attract new followers, through sharing (social and real-world), and through discovery (Google, conference speeches, and publicity.) So far so good, but who has the time to do all of this work...