I've been working with Latino author Robert Renteria since early in 2006 when we began work on his memoir "From the Barrio to the Board Room." Since then Robert and I have been on an adventure that neither of us could have expected (see www.fromthebarrio.com). We've published English and Spanish versions of his book, created a curriculum to help schools and youth prisons to utilize the book in the classroom (and one for churches, too!), and founded the From the Barrio Foundation to further the message … (0 comments)
branding: Don't Let a Tight Economy Make You Stingy About Connecting With Customers
- 12/03/10 06:06 AM
How many times a day do you hear a radio or TV ad with rueful, obvious acknowledgement of the recession? You know, the ones with over-earnest voice-overs that begin something like this: "These days, we're all cutting back on expenses," or "Now every dollar has to stretch a little farther"? As true as the message might be, commercials like this continue to amp up the fear factor. The fact is that your customers are nervous about spending money. They're afraid of becoming one of the tens of thousands who have been losing their jobs every month. If they've been laid … (2 comments)
branding: How to Approach Branding like a Game-- and Win.
- 12/03/10 05:57 AM
Is it a coincidence that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt (a.k.a. the founder of Google) are all avid chess players? Probably not. Building a brilliant brand is a game of strategy-a game that these men have mastered with awe-inspiring results. Take a cue from their (and my own!) hobby, and start building your branding strategy by adapting a few basic chess rules: Avoid moving a piece twice during the opening Okay-In chess, once you've developed a piece, you should leave it in place until you've developed other pieces. In building a brand for your business, this translates to: Don't … (0 comments)
branding: Opening Doors: The Power of Networking
- 12/03/10 04:50 AM
The first step to creating a successful brand is having a product that works. For example, we know that From the Barrio works; it inspires people to change their lives and the lives of at-risk youth around them. But we can't just sit around and hope that people find the book on their own. We have to give it to people, physically put it in their hands, and let them use it. We need to talk to people and share their results with others. We need to network like the life of this book depends on it-because it does. The most … (2 comments)
branding: Big in 2010: Our Corporate Identity Program
- 12/03/10 04:45 AM
One of my goals for this year is to work with more businesses to develop and refine their corporate identities. Just as we're launching authors, we love helping companies launch their brands. Any conversation about corporate identity or brand building starts with core values. What are yours, as a company? What drives the heart of your business? What inspires the owner to get up every day and spend his or her time and money on this business, these projects? Once you understand your values, the first year is all about building the product-and an evocative visual identity that's going to attract … (0 comments)
branding: Launching a National Brand Part II: SmarterComics and My Changing My Business Model
- 12/03/10 04:22 AM
I liked Larry Winget from the start. He appreciated that a comic book was a cool extension of his brand and it fit his image so naturally. Coming to terms on an agreement was fairly straight forward. We did have to work out an agreement with his former publisher Wiley and Matt Holt and Adam Levison over there were easy to communicate with and were good guys. It took some time, but ultimately we came to an agreement that allowed us to work with Larry and create the comic version of Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life. It … (0 comments)
branding: To Strike a Branding Balance, Leave Your Ego at the Door
- 07/12/10 06:56 AM
Every company and every product has a face behind it. That's how it should be, especially in a business environment that is focused on relationships. With our company, I'm the face of the storytelling division, while Sue is the face for our marketing clients and Nathan is the face of the design division. It's important that we're consistent about this. If I tried to step in and exert my power in Sue's department, it could profoundly damage our relationships with clients and with each other. The same would happen if she suddenly tried to assume command of the story based work … (1 comments)
Launching a National Brand Part IV: Mi Barrio and the birth of Relevant Comics
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