Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/the-magic-of-the-cultural-brand.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/the-magic-of-the-cultural-brand.html 1. Define the basic difference between a cultural brand and a plain old run-of-the-mill brand. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/5-steps-to-building-a-cultural-brand.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/5-steps-to-building-a-cultural-brand.html Successful cultural icons like The Grateful Dead and contemporary brands such as Starbucks and Patagonia exemplify the cultural connection between the brand and the consumer world. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/the-new-brand-mindset.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/the-new-brand-mindset.html The other day, the obvious smacked us right in the face. In spite of all the talk by marketers about the power of creating cultural brands and customer experiences, there aren't many brand groups who really believe that experience marketing matters. Or at least they don't act that way. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/soul-logic-&-the-art-of-keeping-it-real.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/soul-logic-&-the-art-of-keeping-it-real.html The classic mid-century sci-fi image of the future assumes that humans will become more cerebral, more like the brainy aliens whom we imagine from advanced civilizations in other worlds. We picture them as hairless and sexless, evolving out of any connection to their animal origins. We see them with their huge heads signifying the extra room needed for their massive brains. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/telling-stories-the-brand-connection.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/telling-stories-the-brand-connection.html Today, we're interested in stories, and not particularly interested in facts. Every story needs facts, of course, but they are secondary. The facts are there just to provide some ballast for the story. There are always so many facts that don't fit into the story, and insofar as they don't fit, depending on our commitment to the story, we have a tendency to disregard them. Every good story has some connection to the truth of our experience, but the story's the thing. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/grow-your-business-like-a-weed.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/grow-your-business-like-a-weed.html On my way to the office Monday, I heard a story on NPR about WeedShare.com, a company out to solve the file-sharing problem in the music industry one song at a time. For those unfamiliar (as I was until Monday morning), Weed is a software license service of the Seattle-based Shared Media Licensing, Inc., that allows people to download music files and try them out by playing them up to three times before prompting them for purchase. But it's the next step that's truly innovative, they don't restrict the number of copies the end user makes, and they actually (financially) encourage file sharing. As Weed's website reads, "Weed has a different view on Internet file-sharing. Instead of trying to shut down file sharing, we think people should be paid for it. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/trader-joes-cracking-the-code-of-lifestyle-brands.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/89/trader-joes-cracking-the-code-of-lifestyle-brands.html In a recent edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, we encountered a clever story examining the "unique" dating practices of a group of educated, single professionals. Frustrated with the bar scene and tired of being, well, single, these people formed a social group - a community - based on a unique common interest. In this case the interest wasn't mountain climbing, backpacking, sailing or wine tasting. No, the common interest that united this group of singles was their fondness for Trader Joe's. That's right, these singles gathered to celebrate their mutual interest in, of all things, a grocery store while scouting for potential mates. As one of the participants of the group (Trade Joe's Love!) suggests: