Note:  As part of this series, I offer market examples to illustrate each concept.  Some are fairly extensive, so I’ve chosen to exceed the four-minute mark in favor of quality (hopefully).  After all, they reinforce my points, and I like credibility.     Welcome, friends, to Part 3 of this three-part series on brand development. …

Whether you’re a comic-book buff or the furthest thing from it, you have to be in awe of what Marvel has pulled off.  Its Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU to the uninitiated, is an epic achievement.   Marvel’s strategy from the get-go was unprecedented.  Superhero movies have been around for decades, but they’ve always been…

I’m a big space nerd.  Documentaries, books, newsletters—fascinating stuff, man.   For example, it blows my mind what scientists know about planets outside of our Solar System.  They can measure mass, radius, tilt, orbit, surface temp, and even the chemicals in their atmospheres.  We’re talking about objects that are 150 light years away!   The…

Sales and marketing materials aren’t always easy to create.  If they were, people like me wouldn’t really have, you know, a job.  Granted, it’s not all I do, but helping companies position themselves as more attractive partners is a big part of my thing.   In doing this I tend to spend an inordinate amount…

Ever heard of the Doolittle Sales Pitch?  Probably not since I just made it up.  (Boom, trademark.)   I’m not referring to the guy who talks to pets.  I’m referring to the guy who bombed Japan.   Jimmy Doolittle was the WWII Medal of Honor winner depicted by Alec Baldwin in the 2001 Affleck flick…

It’s not always easy for sales teams to claw their way into the conference room (or onto the Zoom call as the case may be these days).  Once you’re there, you get one shot at that all-important first impression, so you’ve got to make it count.   Just as critical as knowing what to do…

Note:  In honor of our nation’s birthday, and given how in tough times it can be helpful to remember what it is that unites us, this piece breaks the 4-minute rule.      The list of How-To sales books is long and distinguished.  Most of them are highly salesperson-oriented.  They’ll of course go into understanding…

A common role for an agency of record representing blue-chip brands is serving as first line of defense for various types of B2B pitches.  I sat through hundreds of these over the years:  sports properties, entertainment promoters, celebrities and influencers, non-profits, tech developers, and the list goes on.  Even if we ultimately gave our client…