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LDM (at) MerriamAssociates.com
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I was honored to work with the authors, contributing insight into a key entrepreneurial trait: How to do what you don’t know how to do and make money doing it. Read how to have the confidence, courage and grit to make a go of it. My quote from the book: ” ‘Fake it till you …
Isis or ISIS used to be a perfectly nice brand name–until it became synonymous with Islamic terror and beheadings. What to do with a tainted brand? ISIS trademark owners large and small are now rebranding to distance themselves from a word associated with evil. Isis, the U.S. mobile wallet platform backed by AT&T, T-Mobile and …
Watergate tops most top ten US scandal lists, which may explain the ubiquity of the ___-gate naming meme for scandals. Gruber-gate is only the latest in a long list of scandals with “gate” in the name. Scandal Naming–The -Gate Construct The -gate construct for scandal naming got its start shortly after Watergate and Nixon’s impeachment …
Branding Scandals: Gruber-Gate and Gate Scandal Naming Since Watergate Read More »
Adweek reports today that Converse has sued 31 companies in U.S. District Court for infringing on its Chuck Taylor All Star brand shape and appearance. Brands are not just about names and logos–they also encompass brand shapes; 3D branding. Coca-Cola was a pioneer in recognizing brand shape and appearance as a key asset to protect. …
Converse Lawsuit to Protect Iconic Sneaker Brand Shape and Appearance Read More »
Creating branded content is an increasingly important part of brand building. The demand for more and more branded content makes it tempting to hire cheap writers. How hard can it be to write a tweet? Does the daily blog really need Mark Twain quality? ABSOLUTELY: I offer some insight in this well-written branded content article …
Content Marketing and Cheap Writers: Don’t Cut Corners on Your Branded Content Read More »
Brand sponsorship requires a rush to judgement. Though Adrian Peterson has not been found guilty of a crime, brands can’t afford to serve as a backdrop to the drama of indictments and investigations. Radisson’s brand did literally serve as a backdrop to yesterday’s press conference by Vikings general manger Rick Spielman as he discussed child …
Adrian Peterson and Vikings Brand Sponsorship: Guilty Until Proven Innocent Read More »
The “King” has a new country. Burger King becoming a Canadian brand has some people up in arms, screeching about lack of patriotism and even calling for a boycott now that it is a foreign brand. (Oddly, the same people complaining about Burger King benefiting from “tax inversion” and questioning its patriotism are totally fine …
Burger King Brand Damage–Does Being a Foreign Brand Hurt? Read More »
Google Doodles have become part of the Google brand. BBC News Magazine interviewed me about how whimsically changing the Google logo defied standard “brand police” rules about brand consistency. Too Many Google Doodles During the World Cup, it seemed Google had a new Doodle every day. While some change works for Google, too much defeats …
Too Much Spoils the Brand: Google Over-Doodles the World Cup Read More »
Working with start-ups is a special joy. Client BattleFrog Obstacle Race Series held their inaugural event May 31 – June 1 at the Atlanta International Horse Park. It was run with the precision and integrity you would expect from Navy SEALs who started the BattleFrog and who designed and built the course. The BattleFrog is …
Congratulations to BattleFrog Obstacle Race Series by Navy SEALS Read More »
Yesterday, GM announced yet more recalls that brought the total number of vehicle call-backs to an all-time record. The damage to an already hurting brand–see “Switchgate”–is incalculable. The idea of a “new GM” is taking a beating. Toyota suffered similar negative press several years ago, but the strength of its brand, built over decades, helped …
GM Smashes Its U.S. Recall Record and the Idea of a “New GM” Read More »