thinking out loud.
Practical ideas on brands, websites and marketing, from 27 years of doing the work. No jargon, just things you can use.
worth a read.
for business owners
branding or marketing? get the order right.
They're often treated as the same thing. They're not, and getting them the wrong way round is one of the most common reasons good businesses stall.
4 min read
for marketing leads
why isn't your website converting?
Traffic is up, content is going out, but enquiries aren't. More often than not, the problem isn't the website. It's the proposition behind it.
4 min read
for education
is your website answering questions, or creating them?
Students, parents, employers and partners all arrive with a question. If your website makes them work to find the answer, they leave.
4 min read
for business owners
diy branding or a professional? an honest answer.
Canva, Adobe Express and AI tools make it easy to design your own logo. So when is DIY good enough, and when does it cost you more?
4 min read
for marketing leads
how to get your emails opened.
Email is still one of the most effective ways to keep in touch and win new business. But only if people open it.
4 min read
for education
what do people say when you're not in the room?
Your reputation lives in conversations you never hear. Independent research is how you find out what's being said, and what to do about it.
3 min read
for business owners
a brand is more than a logo.
A logo is a signature. Your brand is everything people experience when they deal with you, and that's what they remember.
3 min read
for marketing leads
how to brief an agency and get better work.
The quality of the work you get back depends a lot on the brief you give. Here's how creative people brief each other.
4 min read
for education
rebranding without the drama.
A rebrand can feel expensive, slow and risky, especially with a merger or a new strategy in the mix. These eight steps keep it focused.
5 min read
for business owners
launching a new business? start with the brand.
The to-do list for a new business never ends. Your brand deserves to be near the top, because everything else you do will lean on it.
4 min read
for marketing leads
a shortcut to a clearer proposition.
The Business Model Canvas is usually seen as a strategy tool. It's also one of the best ways I know to find the foundations of a brand.
4 min read
for education
is your marketing accountable?
"We tried marketing and it didn't work" is something I hear a lot. Usually, it's one of three things, and all of them can be fixed.
3 min read
for business owners
can branding be personal?
If you are the business, is your brand really you? It can be, but there's a question to answer first.
3 min read
for marketing leads
design is strategy, not decoration.
Design is often seen as making things look nice. It's actually a way of thinking that solves business problems.
3 min read
for education
values people can actually use.
Mission, vision and values statements often end up on a wall and nowhere else. Here's a simpler way to find values that shape decisions and marketing.
3 min read
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