Dive deep into business, brand and strategy.
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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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What ‘experts’ get dead wrong about positioning
(And why it breaks my brain while costing you millions) Imagine you’re at a fancy marketing conference. I’ve been there, so follow along. The keynote speaker, a self-proclaimed “positioning expert,” takes the stage. “Positioning is all about finding your niche and crafting the perfect tagline,” they declare confidently. Now, I’m tuned out and imagining what’s…
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Pains AND GAINS of Positioning
Inside-Out (Business Strategy/IQ) Outside-In (Brand Strategy/EQ) Pains of Unclear Positioning Strategic Confusion: Brand Confusion: – Lack of clear direction for decision-making across departments – Customers struggle to understand what the company stands for – Difficulty in prioritizing initiatives and allocating resources – Difficulty in differentiating from competitors in customers’ minds – Inconsistent product development efforts…
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Why Your Team Can’t Explain What You Do (And How to Fix It)
Picture yourself in the following scenarios. You’re reviewing this quarter’s numbers. They’re not bad, but they’re not great either. You’re stuck in that dreaded plateau… again. Your inbox is flooded with emails from different departments, each urgently requesting resources for their “critical” projects. But which one actually moves the needle? In your last board meeting,…
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Does your business have a focal point?
Are you a founder/owner or C-suite? Let me ask you something: Does your company feel like it’s spinning its wheels? Are you struggling to stand out in a crowded market? Do your employees seem confused about what you really stand for? If you’re nodding along, I hate to break it to you, but you might…
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What’s the dirty little secret of billion-dollar brands?
It’s not luck. It’s not even just good marketing. It’s positioning. Most ‘experts’ get it wrong. They think positioning is about finding a niche or crafting a catchy slogan. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Let’s talk about Tesla for a moment. When Elon Musk co-founded Tesla, he didn’t just say, “Let’s make electric cars.” He positioned…
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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…
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Aristotle vs. Plato: Brand or performance?
Marketing often feels like a battle between two ancient philosophies. On one side, there’s brand marketing, which mirrors Plato’s belief in perfect, unchanging ideals. Plato’s theory of Forms posits that there are abstract, perfect forms of every object or quality, and that the physical world is merely an imperfect reflection of these ideals. Similarly, brand…
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The 4ps of apppple
The Seeds of Innovation Before we dive into Apple’s marketing revolution, let’s set the stage. Picture a garage in Cupertino, California, 1976. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are tinkering with circuit boards, dreaming of a future where computers are in every home. Fast forward to 1984, and Apple launches the Macintosh with the iconic “1984”…
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Dude, Where’s My Target Audience?
Performance marketingBrand marketingProduct marketingWord-of-mouth marketingDirect marketing And… the word salad list goes on. Feels like marketer gymnastics in my mind. I might be basic. Hang in there I might have a point. Read this LinkedIn post first. Customers don’t give two fucks about marketing categories or whether a message is “performance” or “brand” marketing. They’re…
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