Over the past two decades, humor in advertising has quietly disappeared. And that’s a big problem—because humor works. According to WARC’s 2024 report, “What’s Working in Humorous Advertising,” the world’s most effective ad campaigns have one thing in common: they’re funnier. Here’s why that matters to you: 91% of...
There’s creativity—and then there’s Cult Creative. The kind of creative that doesn’t just market a product but moves people. The kind that becomes part of the cultural conversation. The kind that inspires loyalty not with discounts or gimmicks but with meaning. At the heart of Cult Creative is a...
A long time ago, we started telling stories. Before we had words, we painted our stories on cave walls. Stories helped us make sense of the world before we could explain it. They still do. We’ve been obsessed with stories ever since—not just for entertainment but for survival, meaning,...
I’ve spent years helping brands build communities. And I’ve seen time and again that the brands winning today aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones that become part of culture. One of the most powerful recent examples I came across didn’t involve a real spokesperson or influencer.. It involved an...
If you’ve spent any time analyzing business performance, you’ve likely encountered the Pareto Principle—also known as the 80/20 rule. Named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, this principle suggests that roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. In branding and business strategy, this insight can...
Costco (NASDAQ: COST) just released its latest earnings report, and memberships are booming. Costco now has 78.4 million paid memberships, a 6.8% increase from last year, with an impressive 93% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada—even after a price hike in September. That’s brand loyalty at...
In my journey of helping build some of the world’s most iconic brands, one question keeps coming up: “What makes a brand thrive?” And my answer is always the same...
In an age where consumers are inundated with choices, why do some brands earn unwavering devotion while others remain forgettable? The answer lies not in discounts or clever marketing tricks but in something far more profound: Purpose. A purpose-driven brand transcends mere transactions. It builds emotional connections, ignites passion,...
Hey, I get it. When you’ve worked hard to get where you are, when you’ve built something meaningful, when people look to you for answers—it’s easy to start believing your legend a little too much. Success has a way of lifting us up, sometimes so...
Customer loyalty isn’t what it used to be. The old days of punch cards and generic rewards are fading, replaced by something far more powerful: AI-driven personalization. Brands like Spotify, Starbucks, and Sephora have mastered the art of knowing their customers—sometimes better than customers know themselves. When a brand...