Category: Positioning
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What Other Regulated Sectors Can Teach Canadian Banks and Fintechs About POSITIONING
Canadian banks face a problem that balance sheets can’t solve. They hold the deposits, own the charters, and pass every stress test. Yet when you ask customers what each bank stands for, you get the same tired words: trust, convenience, innovation. Every player claims the same concepts. Nobody owns anything distinctive in the mind. This…
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Why EQ Bank’s Next Move Decides Who Owns the Customer in 2030
This article builds on the first one. EQ Bank began in 2016 as a low-cost deposit engine for its parent, Equitable Bank. High rates, no branches, clean app, good funding for the mortgage book, job done. Seven years later, the playbook feels crowded. Neo Financial, Tangerine, and even credit unions now copy the same perks.…
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THE mammalian brain
Most brands chase the wrong thing. They spend millions on awareness campaigns and wonder why sales stay flat. Then, they pivot to relevance. “We need to be more relevant to Gen Z!” Still, nothing moves. Here’s what they miss: Awareness and relevance are Level 1-2 games. Ownership is Level 3-4. And your mammalian brain (the…
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Protected: Who Owns What in Canadian Minds? The Battle for Banking’s Mental Territory
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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YOUR BRAND IS THE SUM OF LEADERSHIP CHOICES
Introduction Why I wrote thisToo many leadership teams keep changing logos, websites, and campaigns yet feel stuck in the same competitive mud. I see wasted budgets, confused employees, and customers who shrug. The fault isn’t creativity. It’s a missing bridge between inside decisions and outside perception. I wrote this guide to build that bridge. Who…
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From can to content: selling superhuman
In 1992, a jet-lagged Austrian businessman slumps in a Bangkok hotel room. Dietrich Mateschitz, a toothpaste marketing expert, reaches for a local energy tonic, Krating Daeng. The effect is immediate, almost miraculous. “I was jet-lagged, but suddenly, I was wide awake,” Mateschitz recalled. At that moment, a global phenomenon was conceived — not just an…
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How One Woman Flipped the Script on Dating Apps
In 2014, Whitney Wolfe Herd stood at a crossroads, both personally and professionally. A co-founder of Tinder, she had just left the company after a tumultuous departure. The world of dating apps was dominated by a culture that often left women feeling disempowered. Harassment was rampant. Women were inundated with unwanted messages. Was this really…
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When a Climber Built a Company to Save the Planet
Yvon Chouinard stood at the base of a mountain, both literally and figuratively in Ventura, California back in 1973. An avid rock climber and surfer, Chouinard saw an outdoor industry that prioritized profit over the planet. It was cheaply made gear that wore out quickly. And, companies exploited natural resources without a second thought. Was…
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How Tesla Outpaced, Outperformed, and Outlasted the Skeptics
Back in 2003, in Palo Alto, California, a group of innovators stood on the brink of a revolution in a small office. They weren’t just dreaming of creating another car company. They were positioning Tesla as the future of transportation itself. Soon, Elon Musk would join them, catalyzing a vision that would electrify the world.…
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the skate shop that turned streetwear into a $2.1 Billion empire
Welcome to New York City in 1994. A young James Jebbia stands in his small shop on Lafayette Street. Frustration etches his face. Why? The skate scene lacks authenticity. It’s missing something vital. Something real. Then it hits him. A revelation that would change streetwear forever. Enter Supreme. Not just a brand, but a movement.…
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How a frustrated cyclist built a global lifestyle Brand
Simon Mottram was frustrated. He loved cycling but hated how it looked. Garish colors. Loud logos. Cheap fabrics. Was this really the best the sport could offer? Mottram saw a gap between cycling’s rich heritage and its current image. He faced a choice: accept the status quo or reimagine what cycling could be. He chose…
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James Dyson was fed up with mediocre vacuum cleaners.
Clogged bags.Weak suction.Dust everywhere. So he did what any reasonable person would do: he built 5,127 prototypes. Yes, you read that right. 5,127. This wasn’t just about making a better vacuum. It was about redefining an entire industry. And that, folks, is positioning in action. Dyson didn’t just want to be another vacuum brand. He…