Recovering from knee surgery and realizing that I’m never going to be a pro-skateboarder was a painful journey. Being in recovery has given me some time to look back at the last year and what I’ve learned so far. I wanted to share a few thoughts that might help you in your journey of understanding brand strategy. — There’s always a new mountain to climb: After learning graphic design, I started looking at identity design and eventually started looking at the complete brand experience. After that, I wanted to understand business and how markets work. Each time I thought I was reaching the end, a new mountain appeared…

The whole premise of ‘how brands grow’ by Byron Sharp is about companies wanting to capture market share. A lot of people get upset when you tell them that ‘differentiation’ isn’t going to help them do that (alone). Or that focusing on loyalty instead of acquisition isn’t the right strategy. Or that brand purpose might not help them get there. — Especially smaller companies or solo-entrepreneurs get upset when I talk about this. But I think there is a misunderstanding here. You first need to answer this question: Do I want to take more market share? Do I want to become the ‘market leader’?

I cringed when I wrote ‘agency shopping’. Please don’t! But seriously, you know, I know, when you are looking for an agency, you probably won’t talk to only one. I understand and I even applaud it for you! You need to weigh your options, get a feel for what’s a right fit for you, dip your toes and all that. Here are 9 red flags to watch out for when you start talking to agencies. — After years of experience in dealing with entrepreneurs and their businesses, there are a few myths that I’d like to debunk about branding. This is just one of the articles on branding myths by entrepreneurs that will follow. If you’re interested in what else I talk about, look here.

Do you want to increase sales? Maybe you want to reposition yourself? Maybe you’re having trouble reaching the right audience. Or you feel like your brand could use a ‘revamp’. Usually, you start looking for a marketing agency, a branding agency, or something along the lines of ‘a full-service agency’. — After years of experience in dealing with entrepreneurs and their businesses, there are a few myths that I’d like to debunk about branding. This is just one of the articles on branding myths by entrepreneurs that will follow. If you’re interested in what else I talk about, look here.

There are stories of rebrands costing millions (you may have heard of Paul Rand). There are also stories of rebrands costing a few bucks (you’ve heard of fiver). But what is the right amount of budget to allocate for a rebrand? Let’s take a look at some important factors that will drive the investment. — After years of experience in dealing with entrepreneurs and their businesses, there are a few myths that I’d like to debunk about branding. This is just one of the articles on branding myths by entrepreneurs that will follow. If you’re interested in what else I talk about, look here.

Business owners are always looking for ways to increase sales. To do this, they turn towards creative agencies, marketing agencies and specialists. One of the most fundamental services in this realm is brand strategy. When is it time to invest in brand strategy? What are the reasons to do so? I’ve bundled 6 reasons on why you might need a (new) brand strategy. — After years of experience in dealing with entrepreneurs and their businesses, there are a few myths that I’d like to debunk about branding. This is just one of the articles on branding myths by entrepreneurs that will follow. If you’re interested in what else I talk about, look here.

While there a lot of stories about ‘accelerating growth’ and disrupting marketplaces at light speed, in reality, brand growth takes time, effort and yes, money. — After years of experience in dealing with entrepreneurs and their businesses, there are a few myths that I’d like to debunk about branding. This is just one of the articles on branding myths by entrepreneurs that will follow. If you’re interested in what else I talk about, look here.

I know. You’re busy and are not in the mood for another pitch. But either way, I’m going for it. There is one question I need to ask you: do you listen to your customers? No, but really, do you truly listen? I mean face-to-face, listening to his story, his…

Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to see what’s left of the logo after all the ‘end of the year’ design write-ups and opinions. It has been bashed, celebrated, crushed and anything in between. In this article, we take look at 10 evolutions that will shape the future of the logo as we know it.