RECENT INSIGHTS
Of the 3 main ways to purchase a product or service – through a retailer (think of an REI store), an online-only marketplace (such as amazon), or directly from a brand (such as adidas) – which would you choose, assuming the price was the same in each channel? That’s one of the questions asked in […]
Viewbooks are demanding, resource-draining, black holes from which neither light nor budgets can escape. They’ve been around in various forms since the 1860s, and yes, someone actually composed a history of viewbooks if you’re in an odd mood. Today it’s still an article of faith among many that having a sharp, hi-quality viewbook is a […]
Did you hear about the Zoe Kravitz Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra? The spot uses the sounds of near-silence – whispers, tapping finger nails, carbonated fizzing – to draw viewers into the ad by their ears as much as their eyes. The auditory phenomenon Michelob was leveraging is called ASRM, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian […]
A recent pro bono engagement with Mount Snow’s adaptive ski program reminded us of a few central (but not always visible) truths regarding the ski resort industry. And life in general. If ever there was an industry that needed to adapt to change, it’s the ski resort industry Climate change. The slow eclipse of Baby […]
Boating in transition: A Progressive point of view As Progressive Insurance leans into its 2nd five-year stint as lead sponsor of NMMA’s 18-event boat show circuit, it’s worth asking the question: What does Progressive – a bellwether consumer brand – see in its crystal ball? Consider the following: Progressive is one of the […]
Greetings, ski resort marketers. It’s midseason. We hope you’re getting steady snow and that your most serious resort problems are related to lift-ticket lines, maxed out lodging, and instructors tired from teaching the a parade of new skiers to your slopes. But our advice at this time is: Avoid falling into a recumbent marketing state […]
Boat and equipment OEMs are missing a content marketing opportunity In our collective experience with major brands in the boating industry (Hinckley, Lewmar, Raymarine, Sabre, and Ritchie Navigation to drop a few names), we learned this: Emphasizing control tends to be good for sales and good for the brand. That’s why we scratch our heads […]
The Destination Medical Center: Is this where healthcare is heading? There’s a relatively new term being used among specialty hospitals and large health systems: Destination Medical Center. It’s a fairly self-explanatory term. But we think it points to the larger issue of the rising tide of consumerism in health care, and healthcare marketers’ efforts to […]
Raise your hand if you dread the viewbook We understand. We work with many schools that still agonize over whether to continue to pour resources into what has become an article of blind faith: Thou shalt have a Printed Viewbook and It Shall Be a Thing of Beauty. Here’s our two cents on the viewbook, […]
Nonprofit hospitals can profit from today’s marketplace Hospitals are in the midst of a slow motion pivot in their business model. The movement is glacial, but it’s there. Still rooted in a fee-for-service reimbursement model that emphasizes quantity, hospitals are now under pressure to move toward a qualitative model driven by outcomes. (And better branding, […]