Brand strategy

That is: A person — often a founder, or someone similarly empowered — needs to have compelling ideas, establish a voice and perspective, and use it. Tools like brand books and style guides are important so agencies and partners know how to speak the same language. But the actual opinions and values can’t be algorithmically generated or offloaded to... See more

Positioning. Most marketers describe it interchangeably with a 'niche' or 'value prop,' which makes them look like they’ve never opened a marketing book. So what is it (and isn't) First things first: forget everything you thought you knew about positioning. It's not just a marketing tactic or a catchy slogan. It's the very DNA of your busin... See more

I was talking to a friend about why we decided to invite only paying believers to the Sublime private beta. My answer is that charging early for a product creates high expectations, and in aspiring to meet those expectations, we are held accountable to deliver a product you love and trust. My answer is that growing Sublime the right way is more imp... See more

We are unlikely to be able to sell “a group chat system” very well: there are just not enough people shopping for group chat system (and, as pointed out elsewhere, our current fax machine works fine).

That’s why what we’re selling is organizational transformation

For these brands, and many others, here is one theory on the Ralph Lauren formula: It’s about combining familiarity and desire.