Brand Thinking
Dark Patterns
Users hate them. They are bad for business. So why do business STILL use them?
John Brownlee writes: “The reason dark patterns don’t work in the long term, explains Loranger, is that a loyal customer is always more valuable than a new customer. “Loyal customers are willing to pay more for your products, engage with your brand on social media, and recommend you to their friends,” she says. Dark patterns might result in a boost in new customers, but they’re less likely to be loyal customers because they’ll soon realize they’ve been tricked.”
Read the full article here >
7 Learning Strategies to Borrow From Your Kids
They can’t tie their shoelaces, and they may not have that whole hand-eye coordination thing down just yet, but there are still plenty of life skills grownups can pick up just by mimicking little kids. The strategies children use to learn about the world around them are especially worthy of closer inspection. Read More >
How to Name a Business
At a time when almost every existing word in the language has been trademarked, the option of coming up with a good business name is tough. On the flip side, made-up words aren’t the right solution for every situation. New words are complex and may create a perception that the product, service or company is complex, which may not be true. Plus, naming beginners might find this sort of coining beyond their capabilities.
Still stumped? Need some inspiration? Check out Naminum, an online name generation tool that helps you discover interesting options to get your creative juices flowing.
The Future of Branding is Debranding
As branding is, fundamentally, just a form of communication, it will never disappear. And it shouldn’t. But the focus will shift. It will shift from branded products to branded places: stores and their owners who select and sell the products they like. Branded content camouflages what companies have been trying to do since time immemorial: Sell you stuff. This excellent article by Jasmine De Bruycker is an excellent 5-minute read worth your time. Read More Here >
Question Storming vs. Brain Storming
Warren Berger (the author of the new book A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas) writes:
Brainstorming has developed a fraught reputation, perhaps deservedly so. When groups of people are thrown together and expected to come up with original ideas, there is often too much pressure to be creative—resulting in ideas that are anything but. (more…)