What You Can Learn From The Most Interesting Man In The World (Among Other Things)
When many companies first think of social media, they think only of what they can do directly through channels like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. But the truth is that while you can do some amazing things directly through any of these sites, the inspiration that your fans are looking for (that will get them to [...]
During Harvest Season, You Work The Fields
A generation ago, my family were farmers. Farming can be a hard life, and my grandfather is the definition of tough. Not in a Clint Eastwood way; there were no mean looks or quick quips, instead my grandfather had what I refer to as “grit”. He had the backbone and quiet fortitude to stick it [...]
The Anna Karenina Principle of Business
The Anna Karenina principle was popularized by Jared Diamond. It comes from a line in the book Anna Karenina. “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own unique way.” This principle states that evolutionary success doesn’t occur because of some particular positive trait, it is instead the absence of any [...]
You Are Not Your Target Audience
When creating a brand, design, or campaign strategy, it’s crucial to step out of your own head and remember: you are not your target audience. It’s easy to think, well, this is how I use Facebook and Google; it must be the way other people do, too. It’s easy to create an entire business model [...]
Why You Don’t Have Netflix Friends Anymore
Once upon a time, Netflix users had friends. Users could see how their friends rated movies, read their reviews, and see compatibility scores between current and potential friends. But, right before the Labor Day weekend, Netflix finalized a several month transition away from providing these features. Why? Well, when you find yourself becoming “The Facebook [...]