Branding

For the most part, when your customer buys what you do, in their mind, it moves them towards the aspirational view they have of themselves. An adventurer who wants to discover things off the beaten track, a risk-taker getting the most out of life, or maybe a cultured person...

Picture yourself standing in front of a garage. There are two roller doors. Absolutely nothing sets the roller doors apart. They are precisely the same. Except, this. I tell you that behind the door on the left, is a car which costs $90K. On the right, a car which costs $50K. You...

More consumer choice means quality matters more, and brand matters more – Bob Iger Disney CEO.  Generally, it’s unhelpful to point out the apparent impact major shifts technology improvements have on the world. You know what the internet did to and for the world. You don’t need me to remind you...

It feels familiar, do-able to set up an ad for your business or work with a designer to create a brochure. You’ve touched and felt many brochures before. You’ve seen tons of ads on social and on Google. It’s familiar, and you can get right to it. Right? It is also...

How many times have you had the thought, are we too expensive? Or something similar. If you’re finding yourself wondering if bringing your prices down is a lever you should pull to attract more business, chances are you have a more significant problem than price alone. Chances are your tourism business...

Design a product or experience that delights your customer. It is the cheapest, most scalable path to business success. Focus on the details. They are crucial to create a delightful experience. You see - you don’t do split bills. Your customer sees an awkward interaction with friends about who pays and how...

This article is the last in a short series about creating a Brand Strategy for your tourism business. If you are new, start here. You have a shiny new Brand Strategy statement. One that you agree is genuinely you. You know that if applied, it can lead all decision making...

At this point, I suspect you are either thinking 'this person is a fool' or, 'here is another clickbait heading'. It is nothing of the sort, and I bet I can convince you I am not wrong. Answer this question. What is your brand strategy? If you can't quickly and accurately answer that...

Your brand belongs in the heart and mind of every individual that interacts with it. The idea that you don’t control your brand is a strange concept. After all, you created the logo, picked the brand colours, picked the bottle design and the business cards. Yet you don’t control what your brand...

Watching a brand strategy and design video last night, I was astonished by the number of logo concepts the agency mocked up before deciding what to present to the client. I’ve been working in agencies for nearly a decade and have never seen this level of commitment to challenging initial...

Create something. Advertise it. Expect it to work. That's the formula. Right? What if I set you a challenge. Not spend a dollar on marketing or advertising for two years. How would you change your current approach *to everything* in your business? My bet is you would do at least these two things a whole lot...

Because.... If you're a winery, they're not buying wine. If you're five star accommodation, they're not buying a room. If your a provedore, they're not buying boutique meats. If you're a tour operator, they're not buying a seat on the bus. So.... what are they buying? And why is it critical you have clarity...

You know them, the Mom-and-Pop businesses. They're often a joy to interact with because they're quirky, quaint or interesting. However, they are also often a mess behind the scenes. Their brand looks like it was created in MS Paint in 1994 or from clip art, and you look at them like...

Business is complicated enough. It's natural to have self doubt, and to be constantly searching for answers to questions you're asking yourself. Working with hundreds of small businesses, specifically in tourism, over the past decade one thing is clear. When a business is looking to improve what they are doing regardless of...