Trends

Staying Top of Mind — and Top of Shelf

A popular saying tells us that getting to the top is easy, it’s staying there that’s the hard part. That certainly holds true for a consumer packaged good (CPG) entering our home. We might grab the closest roll of paper towels (easy) and find out later that their absorbent qualities are, well, leaky at best. … Continued

Trends

Don’t Just Tell Me, Show Me

Trust is central to the success of a consumer packaged service. If the consumer cannot hold the product they are about to purchase in their hand, they need to be reassured—by the appearance, structure and logic of your website—that the product is what you claim it is. And when you’re a consumer packaged service, your … Continued

Trends

Urban Pride

I’m from Chicago. The suburbs, to be exact. When I was a teenager, I saw my first concert at the United Center, and that started a lifelong love of this city’s acclaimed music culture. I’ve been to most venues, most record stores and most festivals, and all are important to me—they’ve become part of my … Continued

Trends

Brand Butlers

As consumers get busier each day, they demand more from their brands in return. And, being constantly connected, consumers also expect better ongoing support from them. As such, brands rely less on brand loyalty to retain consumers. They need to meet consumers where they are, helping to ease challenges in their busy, chaotic lives. Which … Continued

Trends

Pricing Pandemonium

Avocado toast has, strangely, made its way into the news lately. I have only ever had the stuff once. One of my good friends, a coworker, rather loves it. But, despite the cries of certain CEOs, if either my friend or I have any financial difficulty, it owes absolutely nothing to what we’re putting on … Continued

Trends

Functional

There are two items that I use nearly every day: a uni-ball Onyx red pen and a Swiss Army knife, built circa 1980, a gift from my late grandfather. The pen I use for work, marking up documents as needed, and the knife I use at home, opening mail and plastic packages, tightening screws, cleaning … Continued

Trends

Nostalgia Marketing

The Greeks had a very precise meaning for the word ‘nostalgia.’ Let Don Draper tell you all about it. Today, though, nostalgia is more loosely defined, and we can find everywhere. On a daily basis we’re broadsided with new pieces of ’80s and ’90s nostalgia, whether we want it or not. A Lisa Frank movie? … Continued

Trends

Internet of Better Things

My younger sister is a nurse. She is, without question, the most amazing person I know. She spent all of 2015 working at an orphanage in Kathmandu, Nepal. The orphanage itself was just as people might imagine: no running water, spotty electricity on a good day, understaffed and overcrowded. This all, of course, made practicing … Continued