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(1257, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<em>In <strong>Part 2 of our 3-Parter</strong> blog series examining packaging design, <strong>Krisana Jaritsat</strong> discusses how thoughtful packaging can serve as a bigger marketing and media experience for consumers.</em>\r\n***\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in early 2016, when Evan Spiegel, the co-founder and CEO of Snapchat (or more accurately, Snap, Inc) was asked to describe his Gen Z and Millennial favored social media platform, he stated</span><a href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/30/according-to-its-cofounder-and-ceo-snapchat-is-mainly-a-camera-company/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“it was a camera company.”</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> According to a </span><a href=\"http://fortune.com/2016/04/13/snapchat-instagram-piper-jaffray/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Piper Jaffray Report in 2016</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Spiegel’s “camera company” was named the most important social network by teenagers. Not the company whose mission was to help connect the world </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(</span><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/building-global-community/10154544292806634/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that would be Facebook</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> nor the company cited years ago as an entertainment platform by its founders </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(</span><a href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/02/instagram-2/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that would be Instagram</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. No, the most important tool in a teenager’s arsenal was one that helped document and share their lives in ephemeral images (alongside a dancing hot dog) via their phone or a pair of circular $130 sunglasses.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now certainly, what a difference the past two years make. Once a darling of the tech world, the common conversation around Snap these days ranges from whether their IPO was overvalued, can the company innovate fast enough to compete with competitors or the increasing decline of their DAU’s amongst a slew of other topics. Regardless of whichever direction Snap goes, it is inarguable that the company has been one of the most influential companies in the past few years. And that such a company self-prescribes not to the technology, media, or entertainment worlds but instead, but as a visual documentation entity, should be a telling sign of demographical taste and behavior. And perhaps Spiegel senses a bigger opportunity for his brand in planting a firm stake in the world of visual communications.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For those aged 36 and younger (Millennials, Gen Z and ensuing demographics downwards), there has always existed some semblance of digital communications. For those skewing on the older scale, the painful sounds of dial-up connection were the route to connecting with friends and representing oneself through a clever AIM name. Those on the younger end have never known a life without carefully curated and discerningly filtered vacation pictures, feelings and statements expressed in 126 characters or less and seeing every activity of their friends and family represented in timeline-form. For the latter group, the habit of and familiarity with documentation has naturally progressed into that of self-representation.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The continued rise of social media platforms, in its increasingly sophisticated forms and features, have undeniably amplified both the means and desire to “self express” and the weight and benefits of those actions. Individuals who’ve figured out how to monetize these actions become “Influencers” with the rest of us following along, sharing our lives and those brands our lives intersect with. And those companies savvy enough to understand the opportunity this new mindset provides them? Well they get to see their brands live out in a myriad of additionally beneficial ways.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsurprisingly, some of the best examples of brands creating unique ways of integrating into their consumer’s lives and personal brands are ones whose founders are apart of these generations. Brands such as Glossier, Warby Parker, Kylie Cosmetics  and Alexander Wang all provide interesting examples of leveraging their customer’s appetite for self-representation through the brands they consume. Using design as the primary tool, the brands packaging and points of purchase are tailored-made to be photographed and shared, cultivating a loyalty and affinity from its users and those literally, “Following” them.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong><i>Packaging for the ‘Gramming</i></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glossier is a digital-first and youth-targeted led beauty and lifestyle brand. Google “Glossier” and you can read a myriad of glowing articles and reviews on its products, business model or Millennial founder. In the articles, a handful of “product as porn” photographs accompany the copy; face lotions and lip balms meticulously shot and angled, with sunlight bouncing off its container or sitting amongst other beautifully</span><a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/shortcuts/2017/mar/22/millennial-pink-is-the-colour-of-now-but-what-exactly-is-it\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“millennial pink”</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hued products. Most likely, you’ll see them set against a “millennial pink” place mat of sorts. It all looks professionally photographed. But, look again. See the familiar Instagram frame? The image isn’t from the company. It’s an image from one of the brand’s many countless fans.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#glossierpink and #glossierinthewild are only two of the many hashtags on Instagram its fans tag of their newly purchased products or sometimes, of a similar pink hue they stumble upon in the world that reminds them of their preferred beauty brand. While the products themselves, which are meticulously and obsessively reviewed on many blogs and more Reddit threads you can count, are supposedly the “hero” of the brand, what’s more interesting is the community the brand has built that evangelizes the brand all on their own and mostly on visually-driven social media platforms. Creating a fan of one consumer through thoughtfully made products is great; equipping the same consumer with boxes</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,</span><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/glossierstickers/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stickers</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and place mats so they can shout out their love to their followers…who in turn, shout out their love to </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">their </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">followers, that’s packaging that gets extra mileage.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong><i>Equity through Affiliation</i></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Savvy brands understand the start of the product experience doesn’t begin solely at use. More accurately, it begins at point of purchase regardless of whether the item is bought IRL or URL. Warby Parker’s in-store retail experience and customer service is consistently lauded; but the first sole experience the buyer has with the product is the retrieval of the glasses from the Warby Parker branded cotton tote bag the purchase comes in. The glasses are the star but the package its housed in begs to be re-used and why wouldn’t you? It’s re-usable, well sized and the cache of being affiliated with a millennial-friendly non-conglomerate, socially conscious brand (as oft-told, an additional pair of glasses is donated alongside each purchase) reflects nicely off your personal brand.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The packaging bypasses its designated life as a disposable container. Instead, it both contributes to a more premium “un-packaging” experience and gets an extended presence into the user’s life. The brand is carried around like a badge and the user reaps the benefits of functionality and cache. And to think, it could have just been a plastic bag.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong><i>Packaging as Access</i></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The popularity of the Kardashian family backed, Kylie Cosmetics line has not been without its controversy. It’s faced many accusations, amongst them</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-</span><a href=\"https://www.buzzfeed.com/danielacadena/people-are-accusing-kylie-jenner-of-repackaging-old-lip-kit?utm_term=.daM1MmPe#.ywXDP3BQ\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">re-packaging old colors and re-selling them</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to  </span><a href=\"http://www.allure.com/story/kylie-jenner-accused-of-copying-makeup-artist-vlada-haggerty\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">re-appropriating another artists’ work</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, the brand, since its introduction in 2015 (initially as Kyle lip kits), was a hit from the start, amassing long queues of overnight campers at its sporadic pop-up shops and racking up pages of press-hype salivating at each of the brand’s product launches. Products sell out within hours of launch and social media images pop up shortly of ecstatic buyers gleefully showing off their new purchases.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside the product itself, the branded packaging serves up opportunities for social-media driven/social-media worthy attention. Visit the brand’s</span><a href=\"http://www.kyliecosmetics.com\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">official website</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or</span><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/kyliecosmetics\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">official Instagram page</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and you’ll see as many product shots as you do packaging shows – all meticulously angled and beautifully lit. </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visit</span><a href=\"https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/kylie-cosmetics\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">any fan hashtagged paged on Tumblr</span></a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and you’ll find similar shots. The many distinct design elements that make up the brand- from its main lip logo to her cursive signature not only adorn the products and packaging but the promotional swag sold along side the products themselves.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product quality itself is oft questioned but it’s undeniable that its purchasers are buying the products,</span><a href=\"http://fashionmagazine.com/beauty/kylie-lip-kit-dupes/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which apparently have many “dupes” in the market</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for the brand equity. They’re not buying for the cosmetics, they’re buying the ability to flaunt access to the products. These coveted products are limited in quantity and only the diehard few get them…or more accurately, get to them.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product provides function but the packaging serves as social currency representing access. Currency to the ‘Insta-Generation’ isn’t necessarily about high prices or exclusivity beholden to those high prices; instead it’s about accessibility. Or more accurately, the ability to access and consequent ability to document the access on social media.  </span>\r\n\r\n<strong><i>Delivery as Brand </i></strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborations between perceived high and low fashion brands have increasingly permeated the industry the past couple of years. Billed as “exclusive,” the collaborations are typically released in limited supply leading to massive re-sales on websites like Ebay sometimes hours after a launch. Similarly, “sneakerheads” have perpetuated a similar re-sale culture but not necessarily for special collaborations but new releases in general. In both cases, while most brands were initially angered by their profit margin losses due to these re-sales, some have leveraged the unique “business model” to their advantage.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A couple of seasons ago, streetwear inspired fashion designer Alexander Wang collaborated with Adidas to create the ‘adidas Originals by Alexander Wang Capsule Collection.’ The line was inspired by a subversive take on the storied sport branding; for instance, the Adidas logo was turned upside down and one shirt had a screen-printed contract between Wang and adidas. The guerilla-style marketing was inspired by the sporting goods re-sell market; a truck driving around New York would make stops, buoyed by seemingly obscure flyers and well-timed social media posts a few hours beforehand. Hypebeasts queued to buy the items handed to them in very distinct packaging:  black plastic garbage bags. As in the garbage bags you throw out, well…garbage in.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The re-sell market is a peculiar beast; it’s not necessarily illegal but it’s undoubtedly frowned upon as 13 year-old teenagers scoop up the merchandise in droves only to later sell it at 10 times the markup.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The entire transaction of the Alexander Wang and adidas collaboration was a nod to the re-sale culture- beginning with underground-like marketing and ending with the final garbage-bag designed encased wink to the unauthorized nature of the transactions.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, brands miss out on integrating more deeply into their consumer’s lives when they fail to utilize aspects of the purchasing experience such as the transaction or packaging. It’s not a new notion that the brands consumers buy contribute to representing a certain image they want to convey; however, the proliferation of social media platforms has made self-representation easier to amplify and thus much more enticing. Last year, Instagram expanded its Instagram Direct messaging feature to incorporate a Snapchat-esque feature, Instagram Stories. When </span><a href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/11/instachat-direct/?ncid=rss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the company’s Product Lead for Sharing was interviewed by Techcrunch</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he stated “There’s a shift right now… with a generation where the main way they communicate is their camera.” If visual imagery is indeed the main way current generations are choosing to “share about” themselves, it would be in a brand’s best interest to figure out how to play a better role so they become more integral in their consumer’s day to day. And if the solution is through a more thoughtfully designed package, perhaps one ready to be photographed, what’s stopping a brand from participating?</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Stay tuned for part 3 where we look at how different design cues can serve a bigger purpose beyond \"packaging.\"</em></strong>', 'Design Packaging: Brand as Representation (Part 2 of 3)', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1108-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1108, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1108-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1258, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<em>In <strong>Part 3 of our 3-Parter</strong> blog series examining packaging design, <strong>Vannett Li</strong> and <strong>Krisana Jaritsat</strong> look at emerging design cues brands are exploring as they try to stand out on both a literal and digital shelf.</em>\r\n***\r\n\r\nPackaging’s role on shelf is to attract, engage, and sell. When brick and mortar was the de facto shopping destination for consumers, standing out on  sometimes, a literal shelf in a supermarket or grocery store was one of the primary goals of how brands approached traditional packaging.  Category cliches and functional claims were prioritized over the brand resulting in a sea of uniformity and neon violators shouting “NEW”, “ORGANIC”, “IMPROVED”. Physical constraints of the shelf discouraged innovative structures. An overwhelming amount of brands assaulting the consumer from every angle prevented marketers from launching bold and daring designs in fear that the consumer won’t be able to reliably find their brand. Shopping in store was purely transactional.\r\n\r\nHowever, as shopping migrated online and e-commerce exploding, new considerations had to be made by brands. Design decisions had to reflect and address such issues such as whether your goods were sold on websites like Amazon versus DTC on your own website or how your brands would spread via social media websites like Instagram or Pinterest. However, as result, it’s never been easier and cheaper for a new brand to speak to and build a customer base solely online. Suddenly, packaging design became free from the challenges of a crowded retail environment and the strict constraints of the shelf; instead it could solely focus on engaging the consumer. Brands began utilizing programmable algorithms and digital printing to create limitless design to delight consumers. Two great examples over the past few years was <a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/ad-day-absolut-143329/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Absolut Vodka</a>, one of the first brands to introduce a limited edition range of four million uniquely decorated bottles in 2012, and <a href=\"http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/summer-of-sharing-share-a-coke-campaign-rolls-out-in-the-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coca-Cola</a> which mass-personalize their bottles by replacing the logo with 250 of the most popular American names via their 2014 ‘Share a Coke’ campaign.\r\n\r\nMany other brands have taken advantage of the digital medium to create packaging that not only serves a function but further connect with their brands in interesting and experiential ways. We’ve identified three emerging visual codes – <strong>Personalized Flair, Unshackled Creativity, and No BS</strong>– that will be particularly interesting to keep an eye on.\r\n\r\n<strong>Personalized Flair</strong>\r\n\r\nWhen something is made especially for you, it is instantly more special than any mass design – no matter how many million variations may be out there. It’s exactly how you want it, no alternations or adjustments needed. More importantly you’ve invested the time to create it and the brand has invested time in getting to know you. That’s a pretty powerful bond.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.bearnakedcustom.com/BearNaked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kellogg\'s Bear Naked</a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> introduced their Custom Made Granola offering in 2016 with the help of IBM Watson. Consumers can choose from 50+ ingredients to create their custom blend or allow “Chef Watson” to suggest a blend based on their personal flavor preferences. After you finalized your custom blend, Bear Naked lets you to name your blend and select one of five bear illustrations to represent your creation.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without the challenges and constraints of an in-store environment, Bear Naked’s Custom Made Granola packaging has the permission to take on a much more confident design. The Bear Naked bear is bear is front and center without being overcrowded by claims. The plastic pouch with a window has been traded up for a premium tin as communicating taste appeal is not a necessity. Paired with bold box and a handwritten note, Bear Naked’s Custom Made Granola is a superior brand experience.</span>\r\n\r\nNew York based startup <a href=\"https://www.functionofbeauty.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Function of Beauty</a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is giving its consumers the ability to customize their shampoo and conditioner. Consumers start with a quiz to build your hair profile and tell the brand about your hair goals. Once your profile is complete, you can customize your formulas via scent, fragrance strength and color. A couple of days later, your shampoo and conditioner arrive in a beautifully designed box with directions for washing and conditioning, a full list of ingredients, and two pumps. The inside of the box reminds you to “celebrate individuality.\"</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>Unshackled Creativity</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The combination of digital disruption and the increasingly design-conscious consumer have both allowed and pushed brands to tinker with any traditional notions and constraints of packaging. A website like </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Dieline</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provide forums for design lovers to analyze and comment on every single detail of a package from the front choices of the ingredients list, the merits logo sizes to the specific Pantone hue chosen for a carton label.</span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://dirtylemon.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dirty Lemon</a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a New York based beverage company specializing in detoxifying beverages infused with collagen, ginseng and charcoal, houses its liquids in bottles seemingly inspired by the artist Piet Mondrian .  The bright colors and geometric designs of the package are tailored-made for the “Instagram generation”- which may be apart of the business strategy itself.</span><a href=\"http://www.thepathmag.com/beyond-the-conventional-dirty-lemon-zak-normandins-story/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an interview with the fitness and lifestyle blog</span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, The Path</span></i></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, founder Zak Normadin (who comes from an advertising background nonetheless) admits the beginning of his product research started on Instagram, analyzing how his targeted Millennial demographic’s behavior on the platform.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, with close to 60K followers currently on the platform, the brand posts very few images of the hero bottle itself and instead, choose to highlight wellness and aspirational living. However, a quick search of the brand’s hashtag reveals numerous images of the bottle, carefully art directed against a bare background or lovingly held in hand, by it consumers.  Who would’ve thought charcoal-infused water could look so beautiful?</span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dollar Shave Club</a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the razor and personal grooming products, began as a VC backed company with a humble value proposition. The brand, started in 2011 by founders who met at a party, delivered razors to consumers via a monthly subscription. The products had cheeky names like “The Humble Twin” or “The Executive” (razors) and “Boogie’s” (hair products); five years later, in 2016, they were acquired by Unilever for reportedly $1 billion in cash. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dollar Shave Club’s unconventional journey, beginning with a unique DTC offer was perhaps indicative of its overall unique marketing. The brand’s irreverent sense of humor is clear in its initial efforts with video marketing - one of its first videos is titled “Our Blades are F***ing Great” – to its social media-ready Welcome Kits and various packaging collateral . By understanding that not only does an unconventional brand deserve unconventional branding but that its brand voice must be consistent throughout its marketing ecosystem, Dollar Shave Club uses its packaging as a method of reiterating its brand time and time again- and often in hilarious ways. </span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://www.shethinx.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thinx</a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a brand challenging not just traditional notions of product category but of how a product category can be marketed. Self described as period-proof underwear, Thinx is attempting to compete against the entire feminine product category. The majority of marketing for menstruation products is focused on empowerment, activity or the “logistics” of how the product works itself. Thinx approaches menstruation straightforwardly in both its marketing and packaging, sometimes in a cheeky manner (i.e grapefruit and eggs as subject matter, illustrated cartoons as directions) in elegantly muted and sophisticated color tones and photography. While the packages itself may not be as Instagrammable as other brands (which may be more so a result of societal attitudes towards mensturation), they do challenge how a product, often treated as a taboo product, is creatively presented, marketed and communicated about.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>No BS</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside bespoke-ness and creativity, we can address the opposite end of the spectrum: straight-forward, to-the-point, no BS branding. Nowadays, we are repeatedly told of the lack of loyalty customers seemingly have towards brands. The culprit?  Possibly a number of factors- newer generations valuing experiences thus paying less attention to stiff  (and the name on the stuff), more competitive pricing as a result of the number of SKU’s available, consumer desire to align with a brand’s bigger value and purpose to the world, who really knows?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What we do know though is the marketplace’s reaction. Not just through products made and sold but how its marketed and packaged. A recent entry into essentially the private label business is Brandless. Launched in Spring/Summer 2017, the e-commerce DTC startup offered an interesting proposition: household and food items all priced at $3. Sans logo or “name” (Is Brandless the name or the notion? Both?), the company sells its products in minimally designed packaging with the product name “Maple Syrup” and “Gel Hand Soap” featured front and centered. Not to say the designs aren’t aesthetically pleasing, they are generic yet pleasant. In bypassing all traditional norms of what constitutes the beginnings of a brand- </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Logo? Name? Easily identifiable aesthetic? </span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">– instead, Brandless focuses its spotlight on its unique and peerless brand proposition. Perhaps the new emerging visual code of packaging is none at all?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new opportunities that digital provides for brands to connect is unprecedented and uncharted. The traditional functionality that packaging previously provided is now replaced with various ways to entertain, inform, and thoughtfully market not just the product or service being sold but additionally, the brand’s values, intentions and point of view. If done correctly, the experience and design of a package can also have a second life as an emblem for the consumer. If you’re lucky, you too may find your bottle or bag on a buyer’s Instagram’s page….and hopefully they’re remember to hashtag your brand correctly. </span>', 'Design Packaging: Emerging Visual Codes (Part 3 of 3)', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1110-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1110, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1110-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1259, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<em>In <strong>Part 1 of our 3-Parter</strong> blog series examining packaging design, <strong>Sarah Mitty</strong> explores the necessary evolution of packaging design in order to survive  our digital-driven times. </em>\r\n***\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is no secret online shopping creates an entirely new purchasing journey for the consumer. What was previously a physical experience of interacting with products has now become virtual as well. Nowadays, thumbnail icons are the new shelf-presence and 3-D zoom is the equivalent to picking up a product and holding it in your hands. Now, packaging not only needs to work on shelf—but also in the digital realm.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the online shopping revolution may make some nostalgic for the days of brick and mortar, online purchasing allows for exciting new opportunities in packaging functionality.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>From Shopability to Usability</strong>\r\n\r\n<i>In-store Functionality</i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When considering in-store shopping as the primary avenue for consumer interaction, the function of package design is to attract attention on shelf and enhance the experience of in-person interaction. The purpose of packaging for in store is not only to create a visual experience but a tactile one as well.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product packaging needs to physically work in a store context. This means that a shape-shifting bag of cereal requires an upright box to sit on the shelf, a 12-pack beer needs handles so it can be easily carried and blister packs are a necessity for select products to prevent tampering.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, package design must aim to attract consumer attention. Through maximizing shelf space with attractive colors and unique designs, a product can stand out from the crowd; functional packaging accomplishes the feat of brand recognition. When loyal customers scan store aisles for their favorite product, they are looking for the distinct colors, imagery, and structures associated with the brand. Drastically changing packaging can be a dangerous gamble for in-store shopping. Failure to recognize brand packaging can send a message of inconsistency and confusion over brand personality and values.</span>\r\n\r\n<i>On-line Functionality</i>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the imminent move to digital from all brands, we are not far from a full-blown e-commerce takeover. It’s hard to find something that cannot be purchased online, and more products are now exclusively sold direct to consumers via brand websites.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Package design now often lives on a jpeg, and delivery to doorstep is the norm. Many of those with store restraints can become non-issues if products are purchased online. Packaging no longer needs to work on shelf, which means goodbye nail breaking blister packs and hello clear plastic bags of cereal.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it may seem like an exaggeration, is there really problem with stamping your brand name on a non-descript bag and shipping it to consumers? Brand recognition online is all too easy—simply type “Cheerios” into Amazon and up pops every variation of the product you could ever dream of. If consumers see the iconic yellow box online, is it a problem if all they receive is a translucent bag with just the product?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are pros and cons to such an approach of online packaging. A few pros: It can be much more cost efficient; by removing the extra cardboard box, the same product can be sold at a lower price. Additionally, it is much more sustainable. Ditch the box, save a tree.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, it is not quite so simple. A possible con is that the product still needs to work in the home, and even if it doesn’t have to sit on shelf in a store, it has to sit on shelf at home. So maybe the flimsy bag of cereal will have to wait.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The shipping process also brings new meaning to functional packaging. Now, it is all about facilitating a speedy and damage-free journey for the product from manufacturer to consumer. Keeping products safe throughout shipping requires massive amounts of bubble wrap, cardboard, and other environmentally-damaging materials that would not have been needed in store. So, even if we got rid of the cereal box, we’d need an even stronger cardboard box around the cereal itself to protect it during shipping.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps playing with packaging structure in this way is something that can be explored by brands selling online. Maybe boxes for shipping can become the branded packaging itself. Or packaging can move on from the traditional box structure and take a different form entirely. Without the restrictions of the demanding store shelf, brands can become creative with package design by taking advantage of the opportunities e-commerce brings.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>Purely Function to Functional Experience</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On-line shopping both breaks down barriers and creates new ones for package design. Of those broken down, flexibility in package structure may be the most substantial. Although shipping a bag of cereal may not work (yet), the idea that packaging can break out of traditional molds is an interesting consideration. Product structure can be altered off shelf to better-fit consumer wants, such as ease of use, cost efficiency, and sustainability. While these practical advancements would undoubtedly improve the lives of consumers, even more exciting is the possibility for brands to play with structure in a way that reflects brand purpose.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A great example is <a href=\"http://thelmastreats.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thelma’s Treats</a>, a small company out of Des Moines. For their deliveries, Thelma’s uses an  innovative box structure that looks like an oven to reflect the fresh-baked cookies inside. This structure would never fit nor be effective on a store shelf due to its size and shape. Yet, since the cookies are sent directly to the home, the oven shaped package provides an exciting unboxing experience that emphasizes brand personality and values.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a similar vein,<a href=\"https://www.trunkclub.com/new-york\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Trunk Club</a> provides online personal shopping assistants that send hand picked clothing selections to homes in a trunk-shaped package. Consumers experience a unique unboxing moment when they open their trunk, revealing the surprise clothing pieces their stylist selected for them. Trunk Club uses packaging to enhance user experience in a category where packaging isn’t even entirely necessary. When you shop for clothing in store, there is no packaging involved. However, Trunk Club uses a combination of clever marketing and inventive packaging to send clothing to consumers in a way that is both interactive and exciting.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>From Excess to Eco-Friendly</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is also possibility to promote sustainability through e-commerce package design. While most brands opt to go the traditional route and ship products in heavily padded cardboard boxes, there is room for innovation to better resonate with environmentally conscious consumers. People want to purchase brands that reflect their values, so consumers who care about the environment may be more partial to a brand that emphasizes sustainable initiatives such as eco-friendly packaging. Zara, for example, recently launched their “boxes with a past life” campaign. When consumers order online from Zara, their purchases arrive in a 100% recycled cardboard box. With the parallel rise of digital commerce and environmental activism, sustainable campaigns are not only smart but culturally relevant. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While some brands are already taking advantage of the opportunities that e-commerce packaging provides, many have still not altered their in-store packaging. Although in-store purchases account for 91% of sales, on-line sales are growing rapidly and staying ahead of the curve could have major pay offs.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expect to see many more brands playing with package functionality and structure in the near future. With the unavoidable digital revolution materializing before our eyes, it is crucial to keep up with brands that are providing a superior consumer experience through innovative online packaging.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Stay tuned for part 2 where we look at the new and and unique media and marketing opportunities afforded by smart and thoughtful packaging design. </em>', 'Design Packaging: Package Functionality in the Digital Age (Part 1 of 3)', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1107-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1107, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1107-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1260, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Choosing a place to eat in the ever-evolving and expanding food scene of New York City can be a daunting task. There are thousands of choices, many of which are convenient, affordable, and pretty tasty. But for myself and many of my peers, choosing a place to eat is about much more than the taste and price tag – it’s actually about being a part of a thoughtful dining experience. In addition to good food and good service, that experience is a result of good branding.\r\nCreating a memorable dining experience (or any type of physical experience for that matter) is done by making connections; connections between the identity of the brand and the physical space, connections from that brand to the customer. From a restaurant’s mission statement to its décor, right down to the logo and the menu, our expectations have changed, and we want that connection in our day-to-day dining experiences.\r\n\r\nThere is a scale of breadth and depth at which restaurateurs are using branding to create a unique experience that’ll make them top-of-mind. On the shallow end of the spectrum, the experience may be primarily aesthetic – a restaurant is memorable because of its use of integrated design elements in both the two- and three-dimensional domain. There are a couple of great examples of this tactic just a stone’s throw away from our office.\r\n\r\n<strong>OXIDO</strong> – 23rd &amp; Broadway\r\nLoud and colorful, these guys aren’t taking themselves too seriously – which is what makes for such a memorable spot to grab a bite at lunchtime. The food is tasty, but it’s really the playful logo and menu, tone of voice (“Get sauced!” says too-cool mascot, El Jefe), and unconventional use of interior finishes that make this space a go-to spot for me.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled.png\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9143 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled.png\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"816\" height=\"542\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>INDIKITCH</strong> – 23rd &amp; Broadway (across the street from Oxido!)\r\nThis place does something that I’ve been hoping for since the dawn of assembly line style casual dining – it brings Indian cuisine into the mix! And it’s done in a really clever way. Indikitch uses simple illustration-style menus that make it easy for non-experienced diners by making the cuisine approachable. They also use their simple yet bold color palette of white, charcoal grey and red in a meaningful way to create playful queuing paths from the door to the counter.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9144 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled1.png\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBeyond the approach of aesthetics, some restaurants use their mission, or reason for being, to drive the design decisions that form your experience. They really make their purpose come to life in the space they live in – using all avenues to be memorable and meaningful. Again, there are some good examples of this right around the corner.\r\n\r\n<strong>DIG INN</strong> – 17th &amp; Broadway (with new shops popping up every few months)\r\nThe affordable “farm to counter” premise is not only brought to life in the wholesome food they serve, but also in its environments in many clever ways. One feels as if parts of the farmhouse have been dropped right into the surroundings. Reclaimed wood, country patterns and low lighting levels seem familiar and give you that warm &amp; fuzzy feeling, all while gobbling up a delicious plate of fresh food.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9145 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled2.png\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"817\" height=\"545\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnother lens that some restaurants use to make a connection to their customers is one of discovery – being that “found” neighborhood gem. With so many chain restaurants out there, the local connection can be a really strong one.\r\n\r\n<strong>PEL’S PIE CO</strong> – Rogers Ave &amp; Lincoln Rd, Brooklyn (my hood!)\r\nServing up fresh pies and quiches daily is what this place is all about, but the charm of the shop and its design is undeniably a large part of why I keep going back, and it’s all related to their unique brand. This shop is located in a relatively sparse block of Brooklyn, and stands out as a one-of-a-kind friendly place to have a cup of coffee and a treat. The décor is that of a familiar country kitchen, but with a fresh color palette that feels bright and modern. A low long counter sits between you and the staff, where you can chat about what’s fresh and take your time choosing which treat to indulge in. The space also leaves one wall exposed to the original crumbling plaster, which brings you back to your urban locale.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled3.png\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9146 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Untitled3.png\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"815\" height=\"611\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnd there you have it – a few of this city’s finest examples of thoughtful dining experiences. Bon appétit!', 'Dining for Design’s Sake', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1043-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1043, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1043-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1261, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'I recently underwent the second most painful renovation a homeowner can experience: the kitchen remodel. (The most painful one, of course, is remodeling the only bathroom in the house.)\r\nAs somebody who works in a client services role, I found it interesting to be on the other side of the coin. Undertaking a home renovation served as a great refresher for some basic, client services tenets:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Have a clear sense of vision.</strong>\r\nOne of the best ways to ensure success of any redesign project is to have a strong sense of the end goal. In my case, I moved forward with the remodeling in order to enjoy the house for another decade, not to quickly upgrade and sell. That realization helped me tailor the budget, design choices and expectations.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Hire the right people to guide you through the project, and listen to them.</strong>\r\nHaving grown up with a carpenter father, and having done a number of smaller projects in my home and duplex, I was fortunate to come into this process with a pretty good set of expectations. But it was my first kitchen, and the people I worked with provided a wealth of additional ideas and suggestions. The end result exceeded my wildest expectations because of their input.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Know your budget, and know when to break it.</strong>\r\nIn looking at countertops, I had planned on going with the decent offerings at a local hardware superstore before finding a company in MN that serves as one of the only American manufacturers of quartz countertops. Through them I found a color and pattern I liked even better, and in the process, got the chance to support an American company and the local economy. It did increase the cost about 15%, but it was a triple win in my book.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Saving money is great, but sometimes you get what you pay for.</strong>\r\nFor the electric installation, I got estimates from two companies and one journeyman who came recommended from an acquaintance. The journeyman came in at half the price. Everything started great, but then made way to five broken deadlines, multiple no-shows and seven visits when he promised two. It’s now been five weeks since the rest of the project was completed and he’s still not done. The discounted choice cost me an immeasurable amount of personal time, which also has value.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Plan ahead, and work with all involved to stay on track with timin</strong>g.\r\nBeing three steps ahead of the next phase of your project is vital. You can’t install your appliances next week if they take 6-8 weeks to deliver. How will you cut the hole for the sink if you haven’t purchased it yet? Thinking through all the details before you begin will help you a ton in the end.\r\n\r\nOf course, now that I have a kitchen I love, I’m starting to look at those tired hardwood floors. And isn’t that how it always seems to go?', 'Dream Kitchen Nightmares: 5 Lessons My Kitchen Remodel (Re)Taught Me About Client Services', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1020-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1020, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1020-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1262, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-599\" title=\"DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb-e1271789991691.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By David W.<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Marketers have long been renaming and reclassifying products that are underperforming.  Instead of phasing out unwanted products or overhauling factories, smart branding can help convince consumers that products are new and beneficial.  Not that long ago, nonfat milk was called “skim milk” and low fat cookies, “diet cookies.”  Ugh, who wants a diet cookie?  Here are my top 5 favorite recent product reclassifications of once-unloved products:</p>\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-618\" title=\"Crossover\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Crossover1_11-e1271856104638.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"225\" />\n\nActual Description: Station Wagons\nReclassified Name: Crossovers\n\nCrossover to what?  Middle age?  Soccer practice?  They\'re not as boxy as they used to be, but they are what they are.  Station wagons.  Available from Porsche and BMW all the way down to Honda, these cars are all over the road.\n\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-624\" title=\"Netbooks1_1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Netbooks1_1-e1271791697503.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"235\" />\n\nActual Description: Laptops with minimal features\nReclassified Name: Netbooks\n\nIs this really a whole new category or just a watered down laptop?  We’ll have to wait and see as the shelf life of netbooks may be short, depending on how popular the iPad and other tablets become.\n\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-625\" title=\"Smoothie1_1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Smoothie1_1-e1271791783866.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"246\" />\n\nActual Description: Milkshakes\nReclassified Name: Smoothies\n\nSmoothie sounds healthy right?  Ok, there are some smoothies out there made exclusively from fruit, but more and more these things are filled with fat and calories.  Jamba Juice\'s Chocolate Moo\'d Smoothie, for example, has been ranked the Worst Drink in America with 166 grams of sugar.  That’s as much sugar as 4 cans of coke!\n\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-627\" title=\"JuiceWater1_1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JuiceWater1_1-e1271794602508.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"217\" />\n\nActual Description: Watered Down Juice\nReclassified Name: Juice and Water Blend\n\nJuice and water brands like Apple &amp; Eve built themselves on being 100% juice.  Recently however, juice has been getting a bad rap for its sugar contents.  So, several juice makers are touting Juice and Water blends.  Even the word \"blend\" make these drinks sound special.\n\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-628\" title=\"BreakfastCookies1_1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/BreakfastCookies1_1-e1271794651160.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"178\" />\n\nActual Description: Cookies\nReclassified Name: Breakfast Cookies ­- Are you kidding me?\n\nAs a parent, these things infuriate me.  Should anyone really be eating a \"Double Chocolate Chunk\" cookie for breakfast?  How about breakfast cake or breakfast ice cream?  Do we really need to fabricate a new usage occasion for desserts?', 'Dude, You Just Bought a Station Wagon!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '929-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 929, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/929-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES
(1263, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BrianBlog.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1180\" title=\"BrianBlog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BrianBlog.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> by Brian M.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/EasyDrinking.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1839\" title=\"EasyDrinking\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/EasyDrinking.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\nIn 1986, it was a Mad Dog 20/20… in 1997, a Natural light (or, that one time, when Colt 45 was on the menu)… in 2002, Mike’s hard Lemonade… and, as of last week, <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_%28energy_drink%29\" target=\"_blank\">Four Loko</a>.\n\nRecently, I had the chance to speak with dozens of patrons stopping in to convenience stores across the southeast. And I asked them what they thought.\n\nLove it  (“I am going to get effed-UP!”) or hate it (“That stuff is nasty!”), everyone had an immediate opinion.\n\nWhat strikes me is that during all these years of “it drink” evolution, nothing much about the target demographic has changed all that much: I am poor and I want to be drunk.\n\nFor some, that is a depressing reality of a life without hope, the coping with a disease without help. For others, it’s a young drinker’s need to budget dollars per percent alcohol, i.e., college.\n\nWhat has changed is the perfect storm of elements that then converged to form a <a href=\"http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/HealthIssues/1043185105.html\" target=\"_blank\">combination so effective</a> that it forced the inevitable – a ban.\n\nWith Four Loko, several key barriers to consumption were removed, maliciously or not, from our target demo’s path:\n\n1. The Image barrier. There is no perceived lower class stigma of consuming a large can of this alcohol—it’s a bright, fun, youthful looking can. The name itself suggests party not poverty.  Schlitz this is not.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4locolineup-copy.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1845\" title=\"4locolineup copy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4locolineup-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"498\" height=\"135\" /></a>\n\n\n2. The Taste barrier. Purply, fruity, bubbly and sweet. Why should you have to teach yourself to like beer?\n[media-credit id=  align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4locomix2-copy.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1874\" title=\"4locomix2 copy\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4locomix2-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" /></a>[/media-credit]\n\n3. The Potency barrier. Party time is now and later. Four Loko’s more juiced than a Red Bull and vodka. There’s no question that you will be well on your way after just one of these.\n\n4. The Difficulty barrier. No drinks to mix, no spirits to master. The whole stimulant-packed booze enchilada is a pop-top away.\n\n5. The Price barrier. At $2.50-3.00 per can—which breaks down to roughly 75 cents per serving of alcohol—it’s ideal for the cash-strapped.\n\n6. The “Placement” barrier. There, in the nether regions of the convenience store cold case—half way between beer and energy drinks—Four Loko lives in a perceptually gray area: not beer and sort of an energy drink with more. It’s only a few facings away from Heineken—surely one is meant to ingest the whole can just as quickly.\n\n[media-credit id= align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4cec99b1cda34.preview-300.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1853\" title=\"4cec99b1cda34.preview-300\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4cec99b1cda34.preview-300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" /></a>[/media-credit]\n\nIt’s not going to win any design awards or product innovation recognition, but Four Loko gets A’s for <a href=\"http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2010/11/05/Blaming-Alcohol-Brands-Makes-Everyone-Feel-Better.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">understanding the desire</a> of its target for cheap, easy to swallow thrills and delivering.\n\nHowever, people have died. Someone probably should have checked in with the FDA. But given that particular agency’s typical response time (it’s been <a href=\"http://www.ewg.org/Sunscreens-Get-Flunking-Grade-for-UVA-Protection\" target=\"_blank\">developing guidelines for SPF since 1978</a>!), it’s no surprise the higher-ups at Four Loko didn’t bother.', 'Easy drinking, cheap thrills.', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '861-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 861, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/861-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1264, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Ty_blog_thumb_nb-e1271796922229.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-654\" title=\"Ty_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Ty_blog_thumb_nb-e1271796922229.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Eatyourway.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2044  alignright\" title=\"Eatyourway\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Eatyourway.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"261\" height=\"265\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWho doesn\'t want to eat well? And for that matter, have great sex? Baby boomers are starting to age into their sixties and Americans are hitting retirement age in record numbers. This group will <a href=\"http://www.prlog.org/11181572-first-baby-boomer-turns-65.html\" target=\"_blank\">influence the majority of new products</a> which will be introduced in 2011, including food. Because of the economy, many of these individuals will continue to work and will require foods that provide their bodies with energy and stamina to get them through the day and night. As sales of Viagra and other sexual dysfunction medication are on the rise, boomers want to eat foods that help them stay in shape for their nighttime activities, too.\r\n\r\nLook for <a href=\"http://www.vendingmarketwatch.com/web/online/VendingMarketWatch-News/Food-Channel-Releases-Top-10-Food-Trends-For-2011/1$28884\" target=\"_blank\">food products to make bedroom performance</a> claims in the years to come. Obviously there\'s the old standbys of chocolate, wine and oysters.  However, there are many more foods that help keep the engine running. Honey, certain teas, figs and pomegranates are loaded with vitamins and minerals required to produce sex hormones. Nutmeg has gained <a href=\"http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6056178/nutmeg_the_viagra_for_women_a_fitting.html\" target=\"_blank\">press coverage</a> recently for its reputation as a female aphrodisiac. And some people find produce erotic—bananas, cucumbers and carrots really speak for themselves.\r\n\r\nThe term \"honeymoon\" supposedly came from Europeans who drank honey wine during the first part of their marriage to improve their sexual moxie. Although there\'s probably more old wives tales than proof of the link between food and passionate sex, that\'s no reason why you should shy away from these love potions and sex-enhancing foods. Can you really cook up a great orgasm in the kitchen? I\'d say the answer is, “yes.”', 'Eat your way to good health…and great sex', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '866-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 866, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/866-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1265, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Meow_Time22.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft wp-image-8574 \" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Meow_Time22.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"123\" height=\"261\" /></a>\r\nAs long-standing partners to Big Heart Pet Brands, we are often privy to their promotional events and activities. So on one sunny August day, a group of CBXers participated in Meow Mix’s “It’s Meow Time” event at Columbus Circle. We went to show our loyalty and support the cause. And boy did we show spirit… in the form of song.\r\n\r\nThe event was part of a broader <a href=\"http://meowmix.com/itsmeowtime/\" target=\"_blank\">“It’s Meow Time</a>” campaign, which has been a strategic opportunity for Big Heart Pet Brands to reinforce and modernize the classic heritage of the Meow Mix brand. The campaign launched with a video featuring a hilarious EDM version of the jingle, sung by rave cats and backed by DJ Ashworth’s exclusive remix. The event at Columbus Circle encouraged fans and consumers to enter a large, branded, recording booth truck and reinvent the beloved Meow Mix jingle to the tune of their choice.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"wp-image-8550 alignright\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Screen-Shot-2014-10-14-at-Tuesday-October-14-2014-10.53.48-AM-768x1024.png\" alt=\"brand loyalty\" width=\"202\" height=\"269\" />American Idol’s Kellie Pickler was on hand for the day to show us all how it was done, as well as to greet fans and sign autographs. Also there to join the fun was Cleo, Meow Mix’s iconic spokescat.\r\nOur group selected a hip-hop song, but we had the option to choose from country music, punk rock, classical or electronic as the backing for our wonderful jingle. We happily punished the audience with our terribly out-of-tune “meow meows” and then burst into peals of giggles. You can watch us embarrass ourselves in the name of brand loyalty <a href=\"http://www.photosfromyourevent.com/700/m2brbr/\" target=\"_blank\">here. </a>\r\n\r\nAnd thanks to the generosity of Big Heart Pet Brands, the event collected enough money to donate 100,000 meals to the <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/foodbanknyc\" target=\"_blank\">Food Bank For New York City</a> to help cats in need.', 'Embarrassing Ourselves in the Name of Brand Loyalty', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1027-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1027, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1027-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1266, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Have you seen him? He’s on-air and online, wandering through highway underpasses and baseball fields with a big bucket of chicken.\r\n<em>Why, hello. It’s me. The Colonel. </em>\r\n\r\nColonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), sold the company in 1964 but appeared in countless ads for the brand through the 60s and 70s – a big old-fashioned man with Southern fried charm. But Colonel Sanders was more than a real-life spokesperson for the brand – he became a larger-than-life brand equity, a Big Daddy Tennessee Williams style matriarch presented as master of his chicken universe. Even with cane in hand, the Colonel had a formidable power. You believed he was a trusted protector of real meals in the age of fast food, and a true chicken benefactor. In the days before Chick-fil-A and Church’s, when Americans wanted fried chicken, they went to the Colonel. They had a relationship with him.\r\n\r\nAlthough the Colonel passed in 1980, the power of his image continued as the central force in the brand’s identity – his smiling mug was part of the logo, on packaging, and in-store. But the meaning of the Colonel shifted with the passing of a real human presence. Gone was the man who built a business on a chicken recipe, and in its place was a genteel face that was no longer responsible for the chicken, just selling the chicken.\r\n\r\nToday, the Colonel is being resurrected in a 75th anniversary campaign where we are witness to a brand evolving, building new meaning from the old to evolve its brand equity.\r\n\r\nKFC is quite familiar with equity evolution. In the early 1990s, the company chose to drop the “Kentucky,” the “Fried,” and the “Chicken” in order to exist solely as KFC. Although the Colonel’s face still greeted us from every bucket, lost were those attributes that may have seemed culturally irrelevant (e.g. fried) or confining to a singular protein (e.g. chicken) or less meaningful to the brand (e.g. Kentucky).\r\n\r\n“That was a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” said Rachel Bernard, VP, Verbal Strategy at CBX. “The distancing from fried in a culture consumed by Subway Eat Fresh campaigns seemed sound, but abstracting to initials, or empty vessel naming, makes your other equities have to work harder.”\r\n\r\nUltimately, the Colonel became the ONLY thing that spoke to the KFC brand’s robust heritage. With his vintage glasses and goatee, his graphic presence communicated the authentic southern pride behind this brand. We still imagined Colonel Sanders as a man of dignity, a man trusted for many years.\r\n\r\nWell, adios equity dignity.\r\n\r\nIn the new campaign, Colonel Sanders tours the American landscape in a dementia-like state, snickering like a cartoon farmer in the big city, using his cane to pull up lady’s skirts. It’s a pretty serious move. The brand is playing the strongest equity card it has for potentially polarizing laughs, essentially risking the power of its value.\r\n\r\nFrom an equity standpoint, there are a couple of best-case scenarios for the Colonel: either enough people appreciate this character to engender positive brand meaning for a new generation, or he just fades away without doing any major damage.\r\n\r\nAs any 75-year-old brand knows, only time will tell.', 'Evolving Brand Equity: The Resurrection of the Colonel', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1046-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1046, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1046-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1267, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<em><strong>“All we want is to be treated like human beings, not to be experimented on like guinea pigs or patronized like bunny rabbits.” - Veronica Sawyer, Heathers</strong></em>\r\nThirty years ago, when Mark Zuckerberg was just another 4-year-old in Gymborees, the now cult classic movie, “Heathers,” hit the theaters. In it, a clique of quintessential mean girls, each named Heather, outwardly present themselves as the embodiment of well-intentioned social graces, while behind the scenes they fine-tune their expertise in the dark arts of social manipulation.\r\n\r\nToday Mark is one of the richest, most successful tech-entrepreneurs in the history of the world. And the company he created, Facebook, is a full-on Heather – treating the world as its very own Westerburg High.\r\n\r\nOver the past decade or so, we’ve seen Facebook go from being the cute and innocent new kid on the block, to the wunderkind for savvy marketers looking to connect with the young and educated, to the most dominant company in the world when looking to target…anyone.\r\n\r\nNow every brand out there wants Facebook as a friend or a fuck. They’re worshiped at Westerburg…. and they’re only a junior.\r\n\r\nBut their meteoric rise has come with some galactic-size problems. Journalists and industry insiders have been highly critical of The Social Network for some time now (see Kara Swisher, Jaron Lenier, Nikhil Sonnad).\r\n\r\nThoughts on the root cause of their troubles are many: a bad business model that’s predicated on manipulation, a naïve bro-culture drunk on their own Kool-Aid, the sheer unwieldy size of the global Facebook community (2B+ members). All these factors are undeniably key contributors to the hot mess the company has on its hands today. But I’ll offer up one more:\r\n\r\nFacebook is not a brand. And for those responsible for building brands, this should cause concern.\r\n\r\nUm, Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast? Interbrand listed Facebook as the 8th most valuable brand in the world (Lick it up, Disney. #14) And Zuck wrote a 6,000 word essay to introduce their wonderfully noble and ambitious purpose “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together” (which no doubt is memorialized in a super slick brand book, so there ya go).\r\n\r\nFacebook does, indeed, have the pieces in place to give it the appearance of being a brand. But it only exhibits the shape of the thing – in reality, it’s pure imitation. This is because, at its very core, Facebook is an algorithm. And the painful irony is that while the algorithm we call Facebook is highly effective at behavior modification and human surveillance, it has no more sense of what it means to be human than a slot machine or a satellite dish.\r\n\r\nSo, what’s your damage?\r\n\r\nFor starters, Facebook has never been willing to define exactly what it is. Insiders have described it as a social network, a social platform, an online community, even a utility. Many outsiders claim Facebook is a media company, pointing to content distribution and its ad model as evidence of its truest nature. But it’s this pattern of an unwillingness to commit to any clear definition that is most telling. The only true commitment the company has shown is to growth itself, which is a perfectly fine direction for an algorithm. But it’s deadly for a brand. Without a clear sense of self and the guardrails to keep you centered, you’re not a brand - you’re an opportunist.\r\n\r\nFacebook’s undefined “what” has led to questionable “hows.” In his new book, “10 Arguments Why You Should Delete Your Social Media Accounts Now”, Jaron Lanier, refers to products like Facebook as B.U.M.M.E.R. Machines - Behaviors of Users Modified, and Made into an Empire for Rent. Doesn’t have quite the pep of “bringing the world closer together,” does it? But it’s a much more accurate description of their model. Growth in users and time spent on Facebook is paramount. More people and more time spent means more data and more value to marketers and politicians seeking to connect with their target audience.\r\n\r\nSo how do they maximize engagement? By “exploiting vulnerability in human psychology” to make it more addictive, according to Facebook’s founding president, Sean Parker. Features such as the “like” button give you the high and positive feedback loop that makes you want to come back for more.\r\n\r\nBut even more addictive than hits of positivity are hits of rage. As J.D., the teenage anarchist in “Heathers,” points out, “The extreme always seems to make an impression.” Facebook’s algorithm is designed to continually adapt user feeds in ways that maximize engagement. And as humans, we tend to feel a greater sense of urgency to express our disgust than our gratitude. Therefore, bad behavior is often rewarded more than good. Given that, it’s no wonder the platform has been weaponized by bad actors like Alex Jones of Infowars and hostile foreign powers like Russia’s GRU. Facebook was designed for them.\r\n\r\nThe net effect has been clear. Studies show time and again that Facebook makes us feel bad. It’s become a genuine threat to liberal democracies around the world. And it has even been used as tool to distribute disinformation and hate speech that fueled mass chaos and murder in Myanmar. But hey, that’s life at Westerburg, amirite?\r\n\r\nTo be fair, Facebook has of late acknowledged the mistakes it has made and has taken some steps to address them. Alex Jones is no longer on the platform. They have invested in identifying and removing fake accounts and limiting the misinformation. But this has only come as a result of investigative journalists exposing, time and again, the glaring lack of responsibility and accountability (not to mention self-awareness) that we would ordinarily expect of a trusted brand.\r\n\r\nIn order to be a brand you not only have to state what you’re for, you have to take a stand on the things that you’re against. You have to have the courage of your convictions – especially when it’s most difficult. Patagonia’s CEO, Rose Marcario, in a recent Recode Decode interview stated, “You can’t call Facebook a community, and then say I’m the leader of this company but I have no responsibility to what happens in the community. You know?”\r\n\r\nBut I guess you can, if you’re not really a brand.\r\n\r\nWhich brings us back to their shiny new purpose: “To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” It has the sound of a noble ambition but substance of a lab experiment. Giving people the power to build community is not the same as actually building community – it’s not the same as defining what community should be and taking responsibility for its impact.\r\n\r\nDoes Facebook care about the type of communities being built? If they are true or false? Benign or malignant? Peaceful or violent? Is giving the power to build white supremacist communities on par with giving the power to build knitting communities? Shouldn’t the quality of communities matter more than the sheer volume?\r\n\r\nSimilarly, progress made in bringing the world closer together doesn’t automatically need to be measured in volume and scale. It could, and rightly should, be measured in the quality of connections and the positive impact made as a result of those connections. By these standards, Facebook is a complete disaster.\r\n\r\nAnd that’s because Facebook’s code is not derived from a universal human need for community, but rather from engineers tasked with trying to own every human connection in the world – a goal that is as hollow as it is destructive.\r\n\r\nSo now ask yourself: How tight should your brand be with this Heather? When another disaster hits – and it surely will – how long before the community at Westerburg not only looks to take down the Heathers, but their enablers as well?', 'Facebook Me Gently With A Chainsaw', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1130-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1130, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1130-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1268, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Social media platforms have begun to undermine conventional marketing strategies for traditional brands as Twitter feeds and YouTube parodies deconstruct and redefine their meaning via the almighty “world of mouth.” Where brand truisms were once decided over an afternoon Scotch with Don Draper, today we find ourselves belaboring over an Instagram hashtag to understand how it has so quickly re-purposed our brand essence without us. Not only must brands now continually keep tabs on their consumers but also on their clear and purposeful messaging across media platforms. If not, they risk having little impact or relevance, no matter how timely their Facebook responses or photo updates.\r\nAnd what about the influence of social media on our own personal brands? The same rules seem to apply.\r\n\r\nThe way corporate brands have sought to convey consistent messaging is similar to the way many millennials have begun to convey their own personal brands. And social media platforms have only fueled our desire to build social capital. The Web is no longer a place where anonymity rules or boorish alter egos come out to play. We now live in it and our identities have become bound and defined by it. Case in point: consider the amount of time we spend filtering Instagram pictures. Earlybird, Lo-fi, or Hefe? Alarming.\r\n\r\nThe world of nonstop status updates have forced us to be strategic and particular about the ways we self promote. How do we stick out? How are we going to be remembered? In the world of social media, lasting impressions are made only if we promote our brand consistently—across Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and now (drumroll) Tinder.\r\nNewly formed habits or unpredictable behaviors must be spared in order to leverage our ownable strengths. The Web is too big of a playground for people to showcase multiple areas of expertise. You can’t be seen as the funny friend if your personal media content ranges from self-deprecating humor to high-end fashion. Even more important than owning a descriptor is the integrity that’s at stake (albeit, online) with contradictory tendencies. Human beings are inclined to embrace consistency in their commitments, attitudes and actions in a variety of situations as it strengthens our identities. Nobody wants to bear the scrutiny of  “poser-like” behavior, especially online, where all of our worlds collide.\r\n\r\nFacebook’s imminent launch of “graph search”—a tool that allows users to locate any information relative to their friend’s photos and interests—will be akin to the ease of Googling a restaurant location nearby, and will further expose our online behaviors (assuming this information is shared, of course). These refined search methods will instantly reveal “Photos of Meg, from 2009-2011.” As our interests and online lives become more accessible and inextricable, will the pressure to withstand the creation of different online identities and images increase?\r\n\r\nAs is, our streamlined personalities are becoming self-contained and homogenous, reducing the reality of human complexity to “like” clicks, @ user names, RT’s and getting “linked in.”', 'Filter me this…', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '966-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 966, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/966-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1269, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Last week I took my Mom (at her request, of course) to see one of her favorite artists, Jason Mraz. Since I wasn\'t really familiar with his music, I found myself concentrating less on his melodies and more on his stories. There was one song in particular that really captured my attention––“Shine,” inspired by the short film Powers of Ten by Charles and Ray Eames.\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/0fKBhvDjuy0\" width=\"630\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nIn the film, Charles and Ray Eames use the system of exponential powers at a rate of 10 (or the effect of adding or subtracting another zero) to visualize the importance of scale. The film begins with a close-up of a man sleeping on a blanket; the camera zooms out and away from Earth and into the atmosphere exploring the depths of the universe. Eventually, the camera descends back to Earth, proceeds to enter the human body and explores the very DNA that makes us who we are.\r\n\r\nAfter viewing the film, I asked myself how often we look beyond what’s right in front of us. The film isn’t only about the relative size of things in the universe but about changing your perspective, taking a step back from your everyday landscape and finding inspiration through a different lens. We\'re all professional multitaskers, often having conversations and sending emails simultaneously. But sometimes, falling into these habits can limit our ability to look at the big picture.\r\n\r\nAs creatives, changing perspectives is something we need to do. If we continue to approach a problem in the same way, every time, we are only going to get the same results.\r\n\r\nSince the Jason Mraz concert, I’ve been making a concerted effort to break old habits, freshen my perspective and subsequently, my work. I’ve found that inspiration comes from unexpected places, no matter how big or small. Here are a few, simple changes I’ve made and recommend, which have helped me expand my horizon:\r\n\r\n• Change your commute. Turn off autopilot and see something different on your way to work.\r\n• Disconnect. Put down the cell phone; it\'s life’s biggest distraction. Be present and observe your surroundings.\r\n• Mix it up. Stop looking for inspiration in the same places. Pick up the latest issue of Vogue, go to the Whitney, see an independent film or shop around. Our surroundings have so much to offer and more inspiration is waiting to be found.\r\n• Get in touch with Mother Nature. Get out of the artificial cloud and admire the real clouds! Feel a part of something alive and constantly changing.\r\n\r\nI didn’t go to the Jason Mraz concert expecting to walk out with a new perspective on life and my career, but somehow it inspired me to rethink my journey. Keep your eyes open, because inspiration might hit you when you least expect it.', 'Finding Inspiration When it\'s Least Expected', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1026-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1026, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1026-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1270, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://www.cbx.com/blog/rebranding-a-person-is-it-possible/\" target=\"_blank\">Earlier this year</a>, I commented on how I would advise the team responsible for branding Hillary Clinton’s political campaign. Well, last month <a href=\"http://www.fastcodesign.com/3045490/how-to-build-a-brand-in-5-days\" target=\"_blank\">Fast Company</a> commissioned UK-based branding agency Moving Brands to rebrand Hillary after her 2016 bid announcement caused commotion in the design community. The hypothetical rebrand developed creative executions to bring it to life—and yielded a very similar conclusion to mine.\r\nI recommended applying a framework of the role, personality and behaviors that should be emphasized to create a unified presentation of Hillary’s beliefs. I said she should adopt the role of the “sage” and demonstrate personality traits of self-awareness, discernment and discipline to set herself apart from her contenders. Turns out, I was in good company.\r\n\r\nThe Fast Company article similarly suggests that Hillary demonstrate her role as the wise leader by showing that “there is a better way,” implying that she can help guide America there. Also, the main thrust of the campaign execution comes in the form of a tagline, “make it real.” This speaks to the personality traits I had suggested—discernment (being able to judge what people truly need) and discipline (making it happen). From a verbal style and tonality standpoint, using an imperative verb tense creates a command sentence structure, and the tonality of the language issues a confident challenge...as if encouraging readers to join a movement and take responsibility in being a part of the solution.\r\n\r\nWhat we can learn from the results of these efforts is that Hillary needs to convey authenticity, judgment, discipline, and assume the role of “wise leader.” There are different ways it can come to life creatively, but nailing her fundamental brand position is key.', 'First things first, nailing the brand called \"Hillary\"', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1039-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1039, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1039-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1271, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Growing fresh and healthy food is a founding value for the French. I grew up in a small town in the western region of France, and as a child, avoided eating processed foods until I moved to Paris at the age of 15. Even then, a healthy diet remained a part of my daily life. Paris today has 82 farmers’ markets and 3 organic farmers’ markets that run 2 to 3 days a week, all year round. The city also boasts around <a href=\"http://www.lepoint.fr/economie/grande-distribution-trop-de-magasins-casino-a-paris-22-12-2010-1278410_28.php\" target=\"_blank\">675 large grocery stores</a>.\r\nSo imagine my surprise when I first moved to the U.S. and learned that not everyone had equal access to healthy food. Neighborhood pockets in cities like New York seemed to offer little options for fresh and affordable food. (How’s this for a contrast: there are approximately 450 Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Manhattan alone; I could only imagine the impact each store might have should they carry pâté, cheese and other savory French delights instead!).\r\n\r\nCBX’s recent project for the hunger relief organization Philabundance—to design a prototype for <a href=\"http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/non-profit-store-open-pa-food-desert\" target=\"_blank\">Fare &amp; Square</a>, a not-for-profit grocery store in PA—has made me think about these inequities even more. In our work for Philabundance, I’ve also been introduced to phrases like “food deserts”—urban areas with little or no access to large grocery stores that offer fresh and affordable food choices necessary to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. According to <em>American Journal of Preventive Medicine</em>, the highest rates of obesity exist in areas that lack large supermarkets, while the lowest rates exist among residents who live close to (and thus have <em>access to</em>) these supermarkets. As filmmaker Byron Hurt recently observed in the award-winning documentary “Soul Food Junkies,” this disparity in access is tantamount to a “<a href=\"http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/18/1180182/-Food-Racism-What-Genocide-Looks-Like-in-the-21st-Centuryhttp://\" target=\"_blank\">21st century genocide</a>”.\r\n\r\nBut the good news is, trends are slowly shifting with a variety of new initiatives that aim to rebuild local food systems across the country.\r\n\r\nRecent initiatives here in New York City include:\r\n\r\n- <a href=\"http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2009/fresh.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">FRESH</a>, a city program that offers financial incentives to operators or developers who choose to open new grocery stores or help existing ones in neighborhoods that lack healthy food stores.\r\n- <a href=\"http://www.healthycornerstores.org/the-healthy-bodegas-initiative-bringing-good-food-to-the-desert\" target=\"_blank\">The Healthy Bodega Initiative</a>, created jointly by the Department of Health and the Healthy Corner Stores Network, which educates local storeowners on the importance and benefits of <a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/04/the-healthy-bodegas-initiative-bringing-good-food-to-the-desert/255061/\" target=\"_blank\">selling fresh produce</a>.\r\n- The <a href=\"http://www.greenthumbnyc.org/about.html\" target=\"_blank\">GreenThumb</a> initiative, in which the Department of Parks &amp; Recreation assists in the development of community gardens throughout the city (today, GreenThumb oversees over 500 gardens, from schoolyard gardens to community gardens, and remains the largest urban gardening program in the nation).\r\n- The <a href=\"http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-17/lifestyle/35451714_1_green-carts-fruit-and-vegetable-carts-tisch-illumination-fund\" target=\"_blank\">NYC Green Cart</a> Initiative, another initiative from the Department of Health, which helps bring fresh fruits to underserved communities.\r\n\r\nNational food initiatives include:\r\n\r\n- <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_food_projects\" target=\"_blank\">Community Food Projects</a>, a federal domestic assistance program that offers one-time grants to nonprofit organizations that aim to develop local solutions to food access in under-resourced areas (grant awards can total $250,000.)\r\n- <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Food_Desert_Oasis_Act&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1\" target=\"_blank\">Food Desert Oasis Act</a> (pending). The bill identifies food desert zones nationwide and encourages individuals to open businesses in those areas; qualified businesses, in turn, become eligible for various benefits from the federal government.\r\n\r\nCreating awareness is ultimately the first step. The more people understand the issues and the consequences, the more progress can be made. First Lady Michelle Obama said it best in her address for the launch of the Let’s Move! campaign last fall:\r\n\r\n\"The physical and emotional health of an entire generation… is at stake. This isn\'t the kind of problem that can be solved overnight, but with everyone working together, it can be solved. So, <a href=\"http://www.letsmove.gov/\" target=\"_blank\">LET’S MOVE</a>.\"', 'Food for Thought', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '968-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 968, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/968-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1272, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Big news, food manufacturers, the FDA is making changes to the nutrition facts label. All food manufacturers will be expected to comply with these changes by July 26, 2018.\r\n<strong>What does this specifically mean for you? It means you’ll be:</strong>\r\n\r\n– highlighting calories and servings, so consumers can make more informed food choices\r\n– indicating “added sugars” instead of just “sugars”\r\n– disclosing “per serving” and “per package” calorie and nutritional information (because who ever really follows the recommended “per serving” information anyway)\r\n\r\n(as well as several other changes, but these three are the big ones)\r\n\r\nA few suggestions for you to consider when making these changes:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Stay calm and be true to your brand</strong>\r\n\r\nRemember it’s all about authenticity these days. Don’t try to reinvent your brand as something it’s not. Consumers buy your brand and love it for a reason. Continue to do what you do best – stay true to you.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Educate your consumers</strong>\r\n\r\nTell your consumers all the good stuff happening in your product. While many of the changes seem like doom and gloom (hello 45g of sugar in a 100% juice brand). There are a lot of great things to tell consumers about your brand too. Such as, despite being high in sugar, they get 100% of the daily value of vitamin C and there are 0 added sugars (zero, as in nada – nothing). You should also consider moving some of your brand’s positive attributes to the front panel.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Plan ahead</strong>\r\n\r\nInstead of only making the changes required by the FDA, think ahead. Remember points 1 &amp; 2 above (“be true to your brand” and “educate your consumers”), now is the time to plan and make global changes to your brand’s front and back panel labels at the same time. We see this as a time to get smart and maximize efficiencies.', 'Food for thought on the new FDA label', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1068-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1068, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1068-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1273, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Are graphic designers weakening their own artistic talents? Are new digital tools stripping away fundamental skill sets? Are we becoming an unoriginal, regurgitated production line?\r\nMy belief has always been that “design is a great idea.” Execution is important, but the process is paramount. To generate an idea, one has to shuffle through her imagination as well as outside influences. That’s the easy part. Translating that into a clear and tangible thought, and then onto paper, is the challenge. To be able to sketch what’s in one’s own head is far more convincing than just referencing other peoples’ work.\r\n\r\nAm I the only one who fears that the tools we use today are taking away from fundamentally important skill sets? For example, keyboards are now affecting the original art form of clear and legible handwriting. As Paul Bloom of Yale University notes, “With handwriting, the very act of putting it down forces you to focus on what’s important... maybe it helps you think better.”\r\n\r\nTo cap it off, the digital tools and programs of today are mesmerizing but poor substitutes for individuality and thought. This could be a trap into which the next generation of designers and artmakers is falling. We end up producing “robotic”, and often too similar, designs.\r\n\r\n“No one will be able to tell a machine-man from mortal.” - \'Metropolis\', film, 1927', 'Food for Thought: Man vs. Machine', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1021-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1021, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1021-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1274, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'It seems as if the frozen yogurt craze—and talk about a franchise frenzy with all the Red Mangos, Pinkberrys and Yogurtlands across the country—is finally slowing down a bit! As much as Froyo might pick up again this summer, there’s been a bit of a step back to the basics: good ole yogurt.\r\nIf you’ve taken a look at the dairy aisle recently, you couldn’t have missed the plethora of new yogurts that have hit the shelf (if you’ve always thought of yogurt as a bit bland or boring, think again). There are drinkable yogurts, fruit- infused yogurts, Greek yogurts, protein yogurts… the list goes on and on. What’s remarkable is that here in New York we’ve even had two yogurt stores open up in the last year: <a href=\"http://www.yogurtculturecompany.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Yogurt Culture Company</a>, which is a subsidiary of Dannon, and <a href=\"http://chobanisoho.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Chobani SoHo</a>, a Mediterranean yogurt bar.\r\n\r\nWith its “good” bacteria, yogurt is not only healthy but a great base to “dress up” and pair with accent ingredients for a snack, or be used itself as an ingredient to supplement another dish. But with the great number of yogurt options for consumers to choose from, how will each yogurt brand differentiate itself?\r\n\r\nHere are a few that stand out:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Yoplait Simplait</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-6001 alignleft\" title=\"Lucila3\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lucila3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"81\" height=\"117\" />\r\nIt has “just 6 simple ingredients” and reminded me of the gimmicky Haagen-Dazs Five by trying to reinforce the product’s purity and simplicity (which of course should always be consumed in moderation). The handwritten name is easy and uncomplicated, and represents how the product is made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Müller FrütUp</strong>\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-6014 alignright\" style=\"margin-top: -2px; margin-bottom: -2px;\" title=\"Lucila4\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lucila41.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"107\" height=\"139\" />They claim to have turned yogurt on its head with a “luscious layer of fragrant fruit mousse.” This “sumptuous” yogurt lured me in by exposing its contents, which you rarely see in the yogurt category. Just by looking at its fruit imagery on pack, you get a good idea of what you can expect the mousse to taste like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Chobani Bite</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6004\" style=\"margin-top: -5px; margin-bottom: -5px;\" title=\"Lucila5\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Lucila5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"190\" height=\"136\" />\r\nThis is a new way to enjoy <span style=\"color: #000000;\"> the already popular Chobani </span>Greek yogurt by dialing up its indulgence. The flavor variations of these little cups sure do pack a flavor punch. Adding a more premium flavor like fig makes this stand out from the rest.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Powerful Yogurt</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-6032 alignright\" title=\"a_190x190\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/a_190x1902.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"129\" />Aimed specifically towards active men, this Greek yogurt holds 20 grams of protein per cup. Hailing from Miami Beach, it’s no wonder that this yogurt is positioned to motivate men to eat healthy and achieve abs like those we see on Greek sculptures. The dark colors definitely pop off shelf amid a mostly female dominated category.\r\n\r\nIt’ll be interesting to see how these new brands tell their stories and communicate to their intended consumer audience. These trends also serve as a lookout for old yogurt brands to review their portfolios and do whatever is necessary to stay ahead of the incoming competition. Whether you make yogurt a daily habit or only choose to have it once in a while, I’m sure there’s something out there that will tickle your taste buds.', 'Forget Froyo, Yogurt is Back in Style!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '971-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 971, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/971-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1275, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3065 alignnone\" title=\"RachelK\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Target1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3814 aligncenter\" title=\"Target1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Target1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"432\" height=\"324\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIs it me, or does the new Target “Fresh” advertising campaign leave you feeling a little flat? I have walked by countless ads in subway stations, and driven by billboards on the BQE and West Side Highway, and for the life of me, I just can’t get over how bad they are.\r\n\r\nLet me clarify: By other brand standards, these ads would be fine – vast improvements, perhaps. They feature beautiful photography, Target’s trademark use of white space, and clean messaging. But because I have such high expectations for Target’s campaigns (and also because I am a copywriter by trade), I’ve been hypercritical about what I’m seeing. I guess my criticism says a lot about Target. How many brands consistently put out award-winning advertising campaigns, ones that make you want to immediately run out to the store and buy the latest products and capsule collections (see my past blog, “<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/?p=3605\" target=\"_blank\">Missoni Madness</a>”)? The fact that they consistently inspire such excitement in consumers is precisely what makes me wish they’d tried a little harder with these ads.\r\n\r\nBut let me give you a little history. Target launched the <a href=\"http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/target-offers-a-handpicked-selection.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">campaign</a> in 2010, keeping some of the copy lines universal while customizing others for specific cities, as Target started offering fresh food in their stores there.\r\n\r\nThe fresh campaign hit the New York metropolitan area this summer, and suddenly it seems like it is everywhere. The general lines, such as “Get ready, Get fresh” (or sometimes just, “Fresh”) are okay, but certainly not up to par with what I’ve come to expect from Target. And some of the more specific lines – like the one on a billboard on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that reads, “From the Sound to the Bay” left me perplexed for hours. What exactly does that mean? Clearly they are not insinuating that bananas and spinach come from the Long Island Sound?\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-3815\" style=\"margin: 2px;\" title=\"Target2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Target2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"185\" height=\"185\" />\r\n\r\n“Cut ‘em some slack,” you’re probably saying right about now. But my ranting is really just a word of warning to Target. Part of the reason why the Fresh campaign is on my radar in the first place is because of the terrific work CBX has done this year with Duane Reade and Walgreen’s, both of which have already ramped up their <a href=\"http://www.csnews.com/article-drugstores_continue_to_expand_fresh_foods-2111.html\" target=\"_blank\">fresh offerings</a>. So while Target has been a big box leader for many years, I think the retailer will likely need to look over its shoulder a little more frequently now that drugstores are infringing on their territory. In the meantime, I will keep my eyes peeled for its holiday advertising campaign, which is almost guaranteed to be awesome.', 'Fresh? I\'m not sure about that', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '903-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 903, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/903-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1276, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"../wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Sandra_blog_thumb_nb-e1271783381536.jpg\"><img title=\"Sandra_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"../wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Sandra_blog_thumb_nb-e1271783381536.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Untitled1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3409\" title=\"Untitled1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Untitled1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"432\" height=\"324\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWalking through Chicago O’Hare the other day I noticed a cute pop-up style shop for a fancy looking, seemingly imported chocolate brand called <a href=\"http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Vosges</a>. Much to my surprise, the back of the Mo’s Bacon Bar featured the story of the founder, <a href=\"http://www.womenonbusiness.com/katrina-markoff-named-woman-of-the-year-by-american-express-and-entrepreneur-magazine/\" target=\"_blank\">Katrina</a>, as well as her inspiration for the recipe and her company.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI checked the production location, expecting to see an exotic French address, given that Vosges is a department in northeast France. But alas! Vosges is from Chicago in the good old US of A!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo what can we learn from a Midwestern candy entrepreneur about branding? The answer is – a lot!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe overall branding makes Vosges seem exotic, artisanal and giftable, with an underlying nod to indulgent luxury mixed with approachability. This combination is what makes the brand stand out.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLet’s take a quick look at how Vosges does this in five easy steps.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStep 1: Use a foreign name, real or made up.\r\n\r\nLet’s be honest. Anything French that is related to food sounds tasty. Chocolate has long been part of the French elite, with King Louis XV eating it regularly at breakfast, and we have the French to thank for that irresistible treat, the chocolate croissant! Plus, the made-up name (intended to look Scandinavian) worked really well for Haagen-Dazs, so why not?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStep 2: Use supporting design elements.\r\n\r\nThe website conveys 19<sup>th</sup> century aesthetic and fonts with extravagant flourish, and the logo uses that 19<sup>th</sup> century French “metropolitain” font. The choice of purple signals luxury, and the gifting packaging (stripes, bows) suggest indulgence.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStep 3: Leverage language to the fullest.\r\n\r\nThe linguistic elements of the brand include prolific adjectives for embellishment, such as the description that “dark chocolate surrounds the molten, salt-spiked, soft caramel center.” Every aspect of the language makes the taste experience sound delectable.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStep 4: The product must support the brand objective (duh!).\r\n\r\nIn this case, Vosges uses exotic ingredients, some of which are imported (better stated – “flown in”) from far away countries, even if they might be ordered online and Fedexed in. Far away ingredients sound better paired with country of origin, like African rooibos tea, Tibetan goji berries, or even an appealing adjective, like the more common sweet Indian curry. Heck, even “local” ingredients sound exotic, like Michigan cherries or Black Hawaiian sea salt. All of these elements combine to form an air of excitement. However, part of the uniqueness of Vosges is conveyed through the pronunciation guide of the exotic ingredients (e.g., the phonetic spelling of “Oaxaca”). It’s not so fancy that you are looked down upon for not knowing how to pronounce what’s inside.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStep 5: Include a compelling story that connects with consumers.\r\n\r\nThe Vosges brand story is one of the unique aspects of the brand. Katrina shares her personal story and is pictured on the packaging itself, lending an intimate feel to the brand. This makes the chocolate seem real, hand-made -- not like something manufactured by a large corporation but by an actual human being! Plus she is promoting causes she cares about, which makes her seem like a good person who is not just out to make money. We live in an age where we want to know about people’s personal lives, so it is intriguing, compelling and refreshing to see this on a chocolate bar.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'From France (Er, I mean Chicago) With Love, Home Grown VOSGES Brand Gets It Right', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '891-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 891, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/891-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1277, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Gaining new insight on design and brand strategy is essential for us to continue to be experts and innovators in our field. That’s why we sent our Engagement Director, Damien Moore-Evans, to the Fuse 2018 conference to observe the latest tools and knowledge leveraged by some of the top performers in the industry.\r\nA spotlight on pioneers and scene-stealers from both well-known brands and design startups, Fuse set to “celebrate disruptors and game changers within iconic and startup companies. Those who are changing the face of design and the way consumers experience and interact with the brand.”\r\n\r\nWith the fairly unpredictable nature of this industry, we understand the need for brands to cater to the ever-changing consumer. Even the most well-recognized brands have to be open to modifications, and we’ve seen it firsthand with recent redesigns including our work for Cheerios, Land O’Lakes, and Pillsbury. Many speakers at the conference stressed this importance for change, and the conference also included a multitude of other tips on how brands can stay at the top of their game.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here are some of our favorite takeaways:</strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Data-driven content is the only way to avoid failing behind</li>\r\n 	<li>Pantone: Color is the first thing you communicate. Make it the most important part of your design strategy. It is a way to connect and reflects what is happening in a particular culture and time</li>\r\n 	<li>Microsoft: Human-centered Design thinking (HCD) Is more important than user-centered design (UCD)</li>\r\n 	<li>“We’re fortunate to be in the business of wanting and having not needing. We do what we do for the connoisseur - not the consumer.” –Nike</li>\r\n 	<li>L’Oreal’s tips for today’s design leaders:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Think of design not as a discipline, but as experience</li>\r\n 	<li>Understand the business and be curious</li>\r\n 	<li>Challenge the status quote by reframing</li>\r\n 	<li>Be a Design Nomad!</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n 	<li>Chobani: design is meaningful and inspires brand stories. It also speaks to the beliefs, wants, and means of customers</li>\r\n 	<li>Charity Water: choose to focus on hope rather than guilt. Photos should be rooted in hope, joy, and dignity.</li>\r\n 	<li>Hello Fresh: Do what’s right for your customers and don’t try to follow trends. They will pass.</li>\r\n 	<li>“We wanted to build a brand. Brands build relationships.” –Warby Parker</li>\r\n 	<li>User experience (UX) will be at the center of all activity driving marketing, technology operations and retail. One mustn’t forget that brand is likely to define UX, which means brands need to deliver a cohesive and coherent UX across all touch points.</li>\r\n 	<li>People remember stories, not ideas</li>\r\n 	<li>Two simple tips for great branding – Evolve and Surprise</li>\r\n 	<li>“If the story is compelling, people will build the road toward it.” – Robert Wong, VP Google Creative Labs</li>\r\n 	<li>Instagram’s approach to design thinking:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Consistency (across the product and UX)</li>\r\n 	<li>Clarity (use universally recognized functions and be clear)</li>\r\n 	<li>Constraint (limited and logically grouped functions)</li>\r\n 	<li>Design is the creation of desirable change</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n 	<li>Purpose brings focus to a business, rallies leadership around a strong sense of direction, and helps staff to feel involved and motivated.</li>\r\n</ul>', 'Fuse 2018: A Deep Dive into Design and Consumer Brand Experience', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1122-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1122, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1122-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1278, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-4857\" title=\"DaveW_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/DaveW_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" />\r\nHaving worked on \"Store of the Future\" gas station projects all over the world, I often encounter similar professional scenarios: Clients have an existing network, an old design and a need to attract new consumers to get more out of their existing one. They all want “a store design,” “forecourt design,” “new food offer” or “site plan” that “needs to start rolling out next year but also will need to be relevant in 10 years.” In other words, they want a store of the future.\r\n\r\nI love these projects. They are ambitious and necessary to help gas station companies and brands evolve. Reinvention is sometimes a goal, but moving the business is always a must. As creative director, one of the first things I aim to do is open a client’s eyes. After all, they may know their business inside and out and still not be students of the world. I caution them with this: \"If you want to reinvent the idea of a gas station but all you look at are other gas stations, you\'ll probably end up with a gas station.\" For example, if we were organizing a best-in-class tour, we’d begin with visits to Wawa, Sheetz, Litro, Topaz and Repsol (that is, if we can make it around the world). But there is much more to learn by looking outside the industry as well.\r\n\r\nAll companies need to ask themselves the same questions: How do we speak to our consumers? How is our business organized? Why are we developing these technologies? The good news is that someone else may have already figured out the answer, or at least the approach. And often, it comes from an unexpected place.\r\n\r\nWhile we plan and design stores, car washes and everything else at a gas station, I’d like to hone in on a few eye-opening, non-gas station innovations that we can learn from when thinking about forecourts:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Sonic Drive-In</strong>\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4988\" title=\"Sonic\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Sonic-chain-to-rekindle-drive-in-eatery-nostalgia-in-Toledo-area1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"100\" />What we can learn: Layout and Flow\r\nThriving Sonic locations can have, at times, more than a dozen cars pull up in a covered area, order food, be entertained by carhops or have the choice of patio seating or a drive-thru. And they do it all seamlessly.</p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Toll Booths</strong>\r\n<img class=\"wp-image-4989 alignleft\" title=\"e-zpasslane\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/e-zpasslane1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"100\" />What we can learn: Customization\r\nMotorists drive through E-ZPass lanes in upwards of 40 miles per hour. Can we leverage today’s sensors to reveal which drivers are at our pumps, how much gas their car needs, what music they like and what type of fuel they purchase without having them take out their wallets?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Fabric Architecture</strong>\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4990 alignleft\" title=\"Fabric-Architecture\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Fabric-Architecture-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"100\" />What we can learn: Material\r\nIf your station is located in a warmer climate and doesn\'t need to contend with snow, fabric architecture might be an interesting architectural trend to consider. It’s stable, cost-effective, and makes a bold brand statement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Airport Hangars</strong>\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4992 alignleft\" title=\"Airport\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/16a2655.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"100\" />What we can learn: Canopy Design\r\nWho said a canopy has to have columns in the middle? If airplanes can maneuver around in these structures, so can cars and trucks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>NYC Subways</strong>\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4993 alignleft\" title=\"Subway Sound\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/subwaySound.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"100\" />What we can learn: At Pump Experience\r\nThe New York MTA is piloting a large, touchscreen kiosk that gives subway station alerts, information, news, local maps and third party apps. Sound like something your customers would want to experience while filling up? Yup.\r\n\r\n(Innovation can also be inspired by the past. \"Reach New York\" is an installation from 1996 – and still active today – where simple motion sensors linked to musical sounds let waiting passengers on subway platforms entertain themselves and each other.)\r\n\r\n<strong>Arby\'s</strong>\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4995 alignleft\" title=\"Arbys\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ArbysSign1.033.033.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"100\" />What we can learn: Main ID sign\r\nThis isn\'t just an ordinary sign but a sentence about the brand that screams at the top of its lungs. It\'s got personality and impact and gusto. I love it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nClearly, I’m only talking about the forecourt here. Inspiration for store design, layout, food service, technology and customer service are around us, everywhere. My advice to oil companies: Get out there and look the other way. Then, and only then, will you truly be a “store of the future.”', 'Gas Station of the Future? Better Look the Other Way', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '949-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 949, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/949-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1279, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/LucilaBlog.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2072\" title=\"LucilaBlog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/LucilaBlog.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/checking-in1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2629\" title=\"checking-in1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/checking-in1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"302\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a ton of companies have popped up in the past few years that bank on people’s desire to broadcast their whereabouts. Unfortunately, a lot of these applications make it more confusing than necessary to do just that, begging the question, “What’s the point?”\r\n\r\nThe first time I ever used Facebook’s \"Check In\" application was when I was sitting at an airport in Argentina. It wasn\'t the best experience since, ironically enough, Facebook couldn\'t track down my location and I got an error message. The next (and only other) time I used it was when I discovered a really neat movie theater where the waiters brought food to your seat. I jumped on FB Check-In to let my friends know about it, but as soon as I did, FB shared with me all the other people that had also checked in and were only a few feet from me. That weirded me out, because I had no desire to let strangers in such close proximity know about my whereabouts and all my information.<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Facebook-check.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2618 alignright\" title=\"Facebook check\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Facebook-check.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"215\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAnother popular check-in company is Foursquare, which markets itself as a location-based mobile platform to help you \"explore\" your city. As opposed to Facebook, where you simply broadcast your location, Foursquare turned the whole idea of “being found” into a game, by allowing you to become the \"mayor\" of the location(s) you frequent the most and to collect an array of badges. But the whole concept, while unquestionably creative, ultimately left me feeling confused.\r\n\r\nAnd tons of other companies – such as  <a href=\"http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/5_check-in_apps_to_check_out.php\" target=\"_blank\">GetGlue, Shopkick, Foodspotting, Gowalla &amp; Tunerfish</a> – have also jumped onto this trend with targeted niches that allow you to not only share where you are, but what music you’re listening to and what TV show you’re currently watching.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/CheckingCo1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2616\" title=\"CheckingCo\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/CheckingCo1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"499\" height=\"130\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAll this seems a bit vain to me, but there are certain times when these applications are used for more than egotism. <a href=\"http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\">Google’s Person Finder</a> is currently being used to help locate victims of the horrific earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan. This user-populated search tool, in which people can post their location and report their status, was also set up for disasters in Haiti, Chile and New Zealand.\r\n\r\nIn these cases, it’s pretty amazing that technology can be used to find missing people; as of Monday afternoon, Google helped track down about 162,200 records. Can Facebook or Foursquare make such a claim? <a href=\"http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html\" target=\"_blank\">Google’s first core principle</a> for all its offerings is \"Focus on the user and all else will follow.\" They put their customers first and foremost, are quick on their feet in times of crisis and keep impressing people with their numerous projects. The company’s use of their software for <a href=\"http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/\" target=\"_blank\">humanitarian causes</a> should be an example to the rest of these \'check-in\" programs, whose applications just end up making me a little more lost.', 'Getting Lost in Being “Found”', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '874-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 874, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/874-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1280, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"></p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"></p>\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-593\" title=\"LaurenL_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/LaurenL_blog_thumb_nb1-e1271782659529.jpg\" alt=\"By Lauren L.\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /> By Lauren L.\n\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-226\" title=\"Blog_LaurenL_Google_pict\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Blog_LaurenL_Google_pict.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"272\" />\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bravo, Google. While I have always admired Google for their innovation and ability to simplify the complex, I am even more enamored with the brand now that they have done what very few other brands have done. They have demonstrated the confidence and guts to take a stand for what they believe in at the risk of losing money.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As many of you may know, Google recently threatened to pull their presence out of China due to assaults from hackers to it’s computing systems and China’s attempt to “limit free speech on the Web.” NY Times, “<a href=\"http://bit.ly/ar15Wl\">Google, Citing Attack, Threatens to Exit China</a>,”  After spending years in China to become one of the top three searches in Chinese, what it stands to lose by exiting the Chinese marketplace is what their competitors want: China’s 300 million Web users and the revenue that comes with them.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, what they have already accomplished by threatening to leave China is much more valuable – they have redefined what it means to be a leader in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century:</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">1. Honest: By taking a stand for human rights, they are being true to their company’s official motto, “Don’t be evil.”</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">2. Inspirational: By showing the world that they’re willing to forgo profits for ethics, they are doing what many of us wish we could do, but often do not – NOT SELL OUT. They have the confidence and guts to stay true themselves.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">3. Innovative: Their bold move has changed the game. A leader is no longer responsible for just creating profits for shareholders. A leader must now take ownership of their actions and the consequent causes and effects their actions have around the world.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In my mind there is now Google, and everyone else. In our increasingly complex and connected global society, consumers have more choice than ever and are voting with their dollars. While some organizations have gotten away with wishy-washy policies and talking out of both sides of their mouths, I think Google’s recent actions not only send a message to China, they send a message to corporations and consumers. Take a stand. Practice what you preach. Own your actions.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Go Google Go!</p>', 'Go Google Go!', 'Google grows a pair;  Redefining leadership; There’s Google, then there’s everyone else.', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '829-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 829, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/829-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1281, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"../wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\"><img title=\"RachelK\" src=\"../wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tumblr_lqgp8p8glX1qj44buo1_500.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3462\" title=\"tumblr_lqgp8p8glX1qj44buo1_500\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tumblr_lqgp8p8glX1qj44buo1_500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"440\" height=\"316\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLast week, the world took a collective gasp when Steve Jobs announced he would be <a href=\"http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904875404576528981250892702.html\" target=\"_blank\">stepping down as Apple’s all-knowing CEO</a>. People had anticipated this announcement for years, given his battle with pancreatic cancer and other ailments, but it still came as a surprise to hear that the man behind the iMac, iPhone, iPod and iPad would no longer be the head honcho.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was one of the gaspers, for I am an avid <a href=\"http://www.apple.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Apple</a> fan who often pops into the Soho Apple store just for fun. What would happen to my beloved brand? That announcement, along with the minor earthquake at the beginning of the week and potentially catastrophic hurricane threat at its end, seemed to signal the apocalypse for me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCall me crazy, but the day after Steve Jobs stepped down, my iPhone suddenly started to act funny. The screen froze, the microphone stopped working, my camera was on the fritz. (I admit, this may have had less to do with Steve Jobs’ announcement and more to do with having a two-year-old who thinks bathtime is iPhone time.) While resorting to any and every kind of entertainment for Ryder during the storm weekend, he “accidentally” broke my InCase protective shell, leaving my phone vulnerable to damage. Well, guess what happened? The next day, I dropped the phone on the street and the screen shattered into several dozen shards of glass.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/file_19_23.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3464 aligncenter\" title=\"file_19_23\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/file_19_23.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"258\" height=\"258\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo, at 3:30 on Monday afternoon, I found myself at the Genius Bar at Apple’s Meatpacking District location, along with hundreds of other New Yorkers who’d had problems with Apple products over the storm weekend. (The store was closed on Sunday.) After “checking in” with a cute employee, I waited at the bar for a half hour, until one of those awesome Genius Bar elves (I’m sorry, they have an elf-like presence to me) told me I would have to pay $200 to replace my phone. They didn’t cover damage this extensive, she explained. “Oh, Steve Jobs,” I thought, “where are you when I need you?”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd then – perhaps seeing this helplessness in my eyes – my “elf” (her name was actually Lauren) disappeared behind a door for a few minutes. When she returned, she informed me that I could have a new phone, free of charge! Since this was my first iPhone offense in three and a half years, they were giving me a “pass,” she explained. We synced my information (fortunately I had my laptop with me), transferred it to a new phone, and I was good to go, without spending a penny (although I did buy a new case…a child-friendly rubber one this time).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/3585103657_d47c9e4e0e.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3470 aligncenter\" title=\"3585103657_d47c9e4e0e\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/3585103657_d47c9e4e0e.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"327\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe whole experience restored my faith in Apple as a company, and made me realize that just because one person is gone at the company – albeit, the most high profile one – doesn’t mean that the brand is going to crumble to the ground. In all likelihood, Tim Cook has likely been running the company for a while now, anyways, and the dude seems pretty damn capable. So while the world bemoans the lose of the Apple innovator who has changed life as we know it, I look forward to seeing how the inheritors of his legacy will carry his torch into the next several decades, and how they will continue to shape the life of my iPhone-obsessed toddler.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<!-- Start of StatCounter Code -->\r\n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\r\nvar sc_project=5709433;\r\nvar sc_invisible=1;\r\nvar sc_security=\"d2e30e30\";\r\n</script>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text/javascript\"\r\nsrc=\"http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js\"></script><noscript><div\r\nclass=\"statcounter\"><a title=\"counter for wordpress\"\r\nhref=\"http://statcounter.com/wordpress.org/\"\r\ntarget=\"_blank\"><img class=\"statcounter\"\r\nsrc=\"http://c.statcounter.com/5709433/0/d2e30e30/1/\"\r\nalt=\"counter for wordpress\" ></a></div></noscript>\r\n<!-- End of StatCounter Code -->', 'Gone, But Not Forgotten', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '893-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 893, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/893-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1282, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'If you haven’t had the good fortune lately of experiencing an extreme and adventurous POV video in one of your news feeds, you’re missing out. GoPro, a fast-growing, U.S.-based camera company, is revolutionizing the way people capture life experiences and see the world.\r\nTake this lion safari for example:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/MNCzSfv4hX8\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nIn 2002, Nick Woodman, GoPro’s 38-year-old CEO, created a waterproof wrist camera as a way for amateur surfers to photograph their antics riding waves (at the time, only their professional counterparts were professionally photographed). The tiny, portable device became affectionately known as “GoPro.” After selling initial GoPro models out of his van to surf shops all around California, he later raised enough capital to create a smaller, more technologically sound product.\r\n\r\nA budding entrepreneur, Woodman later used his GoPro to hone his video-making skills on the Formula One racetrack. While event staff tried to charge him $100 for a rental and recording fee, Woodman kept recording… and the rest is history.\r\n\r\nToday, the GoPro brand has risen to impressive heights with professionals and novices alike. It has secured high-profile athletic sponsorships with such legendary surfers as Kelly Slater, and remained a favorite among countless content creators on YouTube. It’s even being used for research and fieldwork at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA.\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/HrqXTHCGVEo\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe>\r\n\r\nLast November, 60 Minutes ran a segment on the rapid rise of GoPro and reported on some interesting tidbits. For one, GoPro has achieved nearly the impossible by attracting a self-promoting tribe of brand enthusiasts who are so passionate about their footage that they tag GoPro for the world to see and learn. GoPro has also made the filming of extreme adventures and sports, normally an expensive activity, affordable and accessible. GoPro’s cameras come on average with a $400 price tag and are used by network news programs like 60 Minutes for its efficiency and immediacy.\r\n\r\nWhat’s also noteworthy is how the brand’s been embraced by consumer culture and elevated the way people connect and interact in the age of digital gadgetry. It stands in contrast to the inaccessible, exclusive nature held by some early-entry gadgets.\r\nGoPro videos quickly go viral and become commercials for the brand itself. Even Woodman is amazed on a daily basis to find out how users are using their GoPro in creative ways. “I feel like in a world where we all try to figure out our place and our purpose here, your passions are one of your most obvious guides,” he told Forbes.\r\n\r\nWhat’s next for the brand? Let’s start with a Super Bowl teaser ad that led to this full length video below:\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"//www.youtube.com/embed/dYw4meRWGd4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe>', 'GoPro: A Marketer’s Dream Brand', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1005-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1005, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1005-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1283, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/JoeRuizBlog.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2464\" title=\"JoeRuizBlog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/JoeRuizBlog.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SugarPops.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2434\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"SugarPops\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SugarPops-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/cap_n_crunch.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2436\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"cap_n_crunch\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/cap_n_crunch-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/FrostyStarTrek.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2438\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"FrostyStarTrek\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/FrostyStarTrek-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Jello.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2440\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"Jello\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Jello-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pop-tarts.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2442\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"pop-tarts\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/pop-tarts-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Swanson-Fried-Chicken-TV-Dinner.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2444\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"Swanson Fried Chicken TV Dinner\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Swanson-Fried-Chicken-TV-Dinner-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Tang.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2446\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"Tang\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Tang-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Kraft_Macaroni__Cheese_Dinner_80s.png\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2487\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"Kraft_Macaroni_&amp;_Cheese_Dinner_80s\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Kraft_Macaroni__Cheese_Dinner_80s-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBeing a print production person, I’m not much for delving into the philosophy or science of branding.  Interesting, yes. At times compelling, absolutely. But you’re more likely to find me fascinated with substrates, structures and any number of tactile, 3-dimensional bells and whistles I can get my hands on that I can apply to a brand.\r\n\r\nBut, there’s no question that I have very fond memories of “growing up brand”, if you will.\r\n\r\nGiven that we are now literally flooded with messages from every conceivable venue, it’s clear that there were not all that many delivery systems in those days.  Just stop for a moment and imagine what your life would be like without the Internet. (Okay, you can peel yourself off the floor now.)\r\n\r\nIn a nutshell, you had TV, print, radio and the guy with the sandwich board.  Advertising was king, packaging the queen and a single advertiser sponsored an entire show. No Tang and no Pop Tarts meant no Star Trek, no I Dream of Jeannie and no Beverly Hillbillies (speaking of which, I still refer to a pool as “cement pond” now and then).\r\n\r\nTang was considered a reasonable alternative to orange juice. Pop Tarts was a breakfast food and a Swanson TV Dinner was a perfectly acceptable meal alternative on a Friday night. And for dessert: Jello with bananas, in that mold that looked like a flying saucer. Damn, was that good! Cereal boxes had toys inside them, for god’s sake, and this was back when you had to go to a toy store to get a toy! Kraft Mac &amp; Cheese was and still is its own food group; no other brand to this day can come close to the original Kraft Mac and Cheese.  It’s like Coke. You just can’t duplicate that taste.\r\n\r\nMy mom read all the magazines, and I would frequently find her in the kitchen, experimenting with any number of recipe clippings. To my father’s old country palate, this was sacrilege.  He wanted meat and potatoes.  But mothers of the Sixties, much like mothers of today, were looking to streamline the process any way they could.  So I ate my share of potatoes au gratin; thank you Betty Crocker.  Don’t get me wrong.  There were no microwaves in that day, so cooked meals were the rule rather than the exception, although breakfast was more than likely Sugar Pops and Frosted Flakes. Sugar was not a dirty word back then, and frozen pizza was a revelation akin to the invention of the wheel. I confess that my favorite was the Swanson Fried Chicken TV Dinner: all that goodness in an aluminum tray with perfect little compartments, plus you had to remember to fold over the ends on the potatoes and chicken so that they would brown. Pure genius! In 1968, this was good stuff, my friend.  Don’t make a face.  If you’ve ever eaten a chicken MacNugget or a mozzarella stick you have no right to criticize.\r\n\r\nYeah, back in the good ole days, you could always depend on your brands to deliver. So while we discuss brands as if they are living, breathing entities and deconstruct them and critique and obsess about them, for me brands have always been about trust, starting back when I was a kid.  That’s the emotional connection for me.  And in a universe that is largely indifferent to us here on this little blue planet, it’s nice to know that when I open up a pack of PopTarts (and yes, I occasionally still do), or share some Kraft Mac and Cheese with my kid, I can still get that warm feeling I had when I was a mere 10 year old, back in the stone age of 1968.', 'Growing Up Brand', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '871-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 871, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/871-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1284, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Routine: It’s a sweet spot for brand penetration, with some brands striving to fit into consumers’ daily schedules (Facebook), and others wanting to disrupt it (like Red Bull). However, for those who are part of a couple, it’s a scary word. It can mean a rut, pending breakup, or just uncertainty about the future, and it’s something to avoid at all costs. After all, newlyweds live by their prenuptial advice: Despite being married, never stop dating. So, the pressure is on.\nSlowly but surely, brands have begun to answer this call, beginning with the inception of LivingSocial and Groupon. While not specifically targeted to people in relationships, they’ve become a couple’s best friend, offering promotions that aim to get couples away from their computers and TV screens and focused on each other in creative ways. As a result, it seems the culture has shifted, and brands are speaking more directly and frankly to couples and their respective needs.\n\nThis shift is especially evident in the online dating world. At one time, dating websites were only skewed toward singles, with differing tastes and/or interests, as highlighted in my last article. Now, though, dating sites are popping up and speaking to committed couples in one of three ways: as potential swingers, as those desperate to keep the fire alight, and/or as those simply looking to spice up their habitual dating schedule.\n\nMy research into these sites revealed a few gems. The first is <a href=\"http://www.kupple.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kupple</a>, described as an “online community for couples seeking friendship, advice, or new restaurants.” Of course, next to this welcome description are two featured articles: “5 Phrases That Can Kill a Relationship” and “Why You Two Don’t Talk Anymore;” also, in bold letters, it reads “This is not a swingers site.”\n\nKupple is very much unlike <a href=\"http://www.swingles.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Swingles</a>, which is described as an “adult dating site for singles and naughty couples.” Plus, it’s a much more open community than <a href=\"http://www.christianswingers.com/\" target=\"_blank\">ChristianSwingers</a>, described as “devoted Christian couples who still want to have an active love life and share it with one another, in good faith!”\n\nThese dating brands, while speaking to specific preferences, don’t necessarily speak the language of 21st century relationships. Today, it’s all about being surprised, getting personal, and disrupting the norm. <a href=\"https://www.datelivery.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Datelivery</a> sings this tune with its birchbox-like approach to making a date at home more than just popcorn and a movie. The subscription services sends the necessary ingredients and instructions for a night at home once a month, ranging from an iron chef pizza challenge to a 70’s themed disco night.\n\nMoreover, <a href=\"http://couples.howaboutwe.com/datebook\" target=\"_blank\">HowAboutWe</a> — formally known for its unique dating platform of spontaneity and ideas — has extended its reach as a site devoted to couples. This site is described as a dating portal focused on “committed couples,” with offerings much like LivingSocial and Groupon, but with the perks of free dates and more unique excursions/events.\n\nEssentially, dating is no longer something for the lonely. Today, it’s very much about sustaining love for the long haul, but what does this say about the bigger picture? Are we so inundated with activities that we have zero energy to come up with our own date ideas? Have we just become lazy? Does relying on an online site make the act of dating less meaningful? How can we compete with a chef-led cooking experience and a private Broadway show viewing? I don’t have an answer yet, but what is clear is that now we all have to up our game — our dating game, that is.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Happily Ever After Online?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '998-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 998, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/998-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1285, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4815\" title=\"Lucila_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lucila_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" />\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4322\" title=\"LucilaApril2012_1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/LucilaApril2012_11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"454\" height=\"238\" />\r\n\r\nThere are many components to a brand, everything from a logo to a color palette to a positioning statement. These things fit together like a nice little puzzle and create one strong brand voice. And the more I started thinking about the metaphorical voice of a brand, the more it got me thinking about the literal one as well – as in, the voice-overs that brands use in their commercials.\r\n\r\nWhile many commercials feature unknown voice talent, today many of the ads we see are voiced by celebrities. For example, actor Billy Crudup has been the voice of the famous <a href=\"http://http://www.creditcardcommercials.com/mastercard/gas-station-priceless-with-billy-crudup/\" target=\"_blank\">Mastercard Priceless commercials</a> for at least a decade. George Clooney voices countless commercials, including ones for Chevy. Most of us recognize James Earl Jones’ voice in seconds. Even Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” does voiceovers.\r\n\r\nIn fact, having commercials with celebrity voice-overs seems to be the norm these days, no matter what the category. By lending their voices to these commercials, these actors in turn become brand ambassadors, even if they are not actually on camera, Their off-camera personalities, political beliefs and day-to-day happenings inevitably have a bearing on what the companies they represent stand for.\r\n\r\nA perfect example of this is the Aflac fiasco of 2011. Gilbert Gottfried got axed as the voice of the Aflac duck after posting controversial comments on his Twitter account about the Japanese earthquake and nuclear crisis. As a result, the duck’s voice was suddenly silenced – literally. Aflac’s first commercial after the firing was a take on a <a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/video/aflac-silent-movie-123978\" target=\"_blank\">silent black and white film</a>. Did you pick up on that?\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4328\" title=\"LucilaApril2012_2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/LucilaApril2012_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"447\" height=\"223\" />\r\n\r\nAllstate is a great example of how a company took their “voice” to the next level. In their commercials of recent years, they show actor Dennis Haysbert – who formerly played the President of the United States on hit show “24” – telling people in his deep and memorable voice how trusted you can feel with Allstate. In the company’s most recent commercials, they put a different spin on the campaign by showing actors opening their mouths to speak, with Haysbert’s voice coming out, in turn giving a wink to viewers who might miss Haysbert’s presence in the ads.\r\n\r\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DquD5dg4HMo&amp;feature=relmfu\r\n\r\nDo celebrities like Clooney, Haysbert, John Hamm and others find it insulting to be kept off camera in these commercials? Well, whereas you might think this is a low point in the careers, the truth is that actors are usually VERY open to this easy pay.\r\n\r\nHave you ever thought about what a particular voice communicates? Which actors’ voices make good brand ambassadors and why? Check out the commercials below and see if you can identify who is speaking. Do you think they’re a good match for the brand?\r\n\r\n<strong>Nasonex:</strong>\r\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrUF3JzD9P4&amp;feature=results_main&amp;playnext=1&amp;list=PL8FE0DDAE36B50FEE\r\n\r\n<strong>Duracell:</strong>\r\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIcRJGA_6eE\r\n\r\n<strong>Tropicana:</strong>\r\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbFGV-Rg53Q', 'Heard But Not Seen:  Voiceovers and Branding', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '917-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 917, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/917-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1286, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'It’s a typical Tuesday night and I am at work after hours trying to get that “one” project out the door, when the the phone rings. “Dad, what’s for dinner?” Ugh. Double ugh.\r\nSo, in my haste to rush home and get food on the table, I stop by my local Super Target. I grab a cart and push past the produce aisle. My sights are set on the frozen aisle, looking for a pizza or a bag of something, anything, my kids will find edible. As I pass by the deli, my eye is caught by something different, something new. A “Mix &amp; Match Meals” section. The package designer in me is compelled to take a closer look.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2-merch.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-8519 alignleft\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2-merch.jpg\" alt=\"2 merch\" width=\"650\" height=\"536\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy first reaction is, “Wow, this looks pretty good.” I see sauce pouches with hero end-dish food photography and packages showing off “fresh” cut vegetables, sliced meats and steamed pasta or rice. The messaging at point of sale is encouraging me to “chose, combine and create” to make dinner in 15 minutes. That sounds easy, sign me up!  ￼\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/3-lineup.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-8520 alignleft\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/3-lineup.jpg\" alt=\"3 lineup\" width=\"650\" height=\"503\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI make my selections and head home eager to see if the convenience and taste is worth the premium price I paid to have the work done for me. As I empty out the meal into the skillet and heat it up, I note multiple references to “cooking,” with step-by-step directions telling me to “heat, stir and cook.” Wait, am I cooking or just heating?\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/4-Directions.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-8521 alignleft\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/4-Directions.jpg\" alt=\"4 Directions\" width=\"650\" height=\"906\" /></a>\r\n￼\r\nIn the end, with the use of pots, pans and spoons, I feel victorious -- I just cooked that. Or, at least, that’s what Target makes me think. Thank you Target. ‘Til next Tuesday, \"Bon Appetit Chef Target!”\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/5-finished.jpg\"><img class=\"wp-image-8522 alignleft\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/5-finished.jpg\" alt=\"5 finished\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" /></a>\r\n\r\n￼', 'Heating is the New Cooking', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1025-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1025, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1025-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1287, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb-e1271797663335.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-671\" title=\"JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb-e1271797663335.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Jason H.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/article_photo1.jpg_full_600.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-824\" title=\"article_photo1.jpg_full_600\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/article_photo1.jpg_full_600-e1273179341200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\n\nDISCLAIMER: I am looking to you dear reader, to fuel my idea tank.\n\nSee, here’s the thing. I was born (professionally at least) right between the digital revolution and the current renaissance in retail design. I am comfortable talking social and know my way around an endcap. In the last week, I have clipped coupons, received tweeted sales in my twitter feed and have had friends and bots alike recommend things that they think I may want or need. I am steeping in all of it and yet none of it seems complete. Which leads me to the next series of blog entries for me in this space (I am pulling a @Kristof here): what’s important to you at the intersection of brand, media and bricks &amp; mortar? Use the comments to let me know and expect some opinions to flow in the coming weeks.\n\nAs fuel for the fire, here are my top 3 head scratchers:\n\nAugmented Reality portals that bridge my real world experiences with the terabytes of data and opinion online. I can’t have a cheat sheet of all my online research every time I go to buy something. Why can’t I take a geo-tagged photo of a UPC code and leverage all the great tools online to enrich my offline experience?\n\nA shopping social. Lot’s of bytes have been expended on this topic, yet no killer app, what gives? We’re all crazy busy these days and (unfortunately) I only get to interact with some friends online. I want to see in-store apps that enable the kind of (over)sharing I have come to expect in my life.  When I pick-up a bottle of shampoo in the drugstore, the shelf should detect me and retweet my friend Suzie’s comment about how it turned her hair green. My FB Friends and tweeps are my style council—I need them everywhere!\n\nStore folks—get to really know me.  A few weeks ago, the head tailor at Tom Ford in Las Vegas gave me a tour of the entire store. He knew (because I had told him) that I was just looking but he extended himself to me and got to know me. There are other sales people out there (interestingly, mostly apparel) who listen to me and even though I am not buying now, they get better and better with every interaction about showing me stuff I like, calling at the right time, etc. Then there are a lot of other sales people out there (mostly financial services and insurance) who can’t take a hint.  Incessant calls, pitches I neither want nor need, totally fake chumminess—BLECH! Lose My Number!!  Anyway, the rest of my sales universe (food, stuff for the kids, sporting equip, consumer electronics, travel) could learn from the tailor at Tom Ford. Spend some time with me—person to person. It doesn’t need to be deep and you won’t be my BFF but when the time comes for me to need your product or service guess where I\'m gonna go?  Use the great permission-based tools I have subscribed to online to build a real relationship with me offline.\n\nSo there\'s my rant for the day. And now its up to you to let me know what’s on your mind.  I’ll be digging in more on my examples in the coming weeks and I hope to be exploring what you write in the comments as well.', 'Help me, Help you!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '931-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 931, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/931-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1288, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3026 alignnone\" title=\"GreggLipmanBlog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/GreggLipmanBlog.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /> By Gregg L.<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Royal_wedding_3.jpg\"></a></p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Royal_wedding_3.jpg\">\n</a>Two weeks ago, the world watched in awe as Prince William married his love, Kate Middleton. And I did, too.  During the spectacle, I couldn’t help but think about the brand that is the royal family, and how Kate, William and Harry are ushering in a whole new phase for the royals. So, since I’m in the branding game, I decided to write down the names of the brands that came to mind when I thought about the key players in Friday’s big event. I also threw Princess Diana into the mix as well (RIP), because goodness knows her presence was strongly felt at the wedding. She, like her son’s new bride, fares well on this chart, as opposed to yawn-inducing Prince Charles, the equally boring Camilla and the fuddy duddy Queen (who we have to say, looked pretty good in her yellow suit and hat). What do you think of my choices?</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Royal_wedding_31.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3044\" title=\"Royal_wedding_3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Royal_wedding_31.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"629\" height=\"324\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><em>Click the image to enlarge</em></span></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</p>', 'Here Comes the Brand', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '880-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 880, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/880-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1289, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<strong>Our client services intern, Lindsey Case, shares her Millennial lens on \"old\" brands coming back in style. </strong>\r\nMarketing to Millennials is a hot topic across brand positioning and retail promotion. With lives founded in instant gratification and individuality, we’ve become a hard to reach demographic. What do we want? Where are we now? Millennials may be illusive, but are critical: now controlling half of all purchasing power in the United States, the engagement of young consumers is essential for success. As a 90’s kid, I set out to understand one youthful phenomenon in particular: Millennial obsession with what was, and how brands are repositioning things of the past for modern success.\r\n\r\nNostalgic marketing efforts strategically tap into romantic notions of old things . In building brand resilience with a particular audience, this is usually accomplished through wistful examples and emotions. More and more, in seeking to attract the attention of Millennials, brands are innovating products and perspectives. What was considered “old school” now reads on-trend. Outlined here are prominent Millennial preferences, how some reputable brands revamped, and how their work exemplifies the influence of reminiscence with Millennials.\r\n\r\n<strong><u>Fad Infatuation</u></strong>\r\n\r\nStyles from the previous millennium are cycling back around. The apparel company, <a href=\"http://www.champion.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Champion</a> – founded in 1919 as a producer of team uniforms – has come full circle from traditional gyms to trendy retailers. In the 1980s and 1990s, Champion produced sportswear for the NBA and NFL; their consumer-facing products targeted kid, teen and college-aged athletes. After league partnerships disintegrated, the apparel company sought to be accessible outside of sports retailers. Champion’s most recent push into the modern market came this April, announcing a collection with Urban Outfitters. The two brands collaborated to produce colorful sweats with vintage vibes, continuing Champion’s transition from active apparel to luxury loungewear. Positioning as high-end allows Champion to integrate with the mass of Millennials that value quality and exclusivity.\r\n\r\n<strong><u>Active &amp; Amplified Experiences</u></strong>\r\n\r\nAs consumer appetite for digital grows, brands are acting accordingly and leaning into the mobile app, e-commerce and social media spheres. This accommodation is the key to accessing young consumers – according to Nielsen, <a href=\"http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2016/millennials-are-top-smartphone-users.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">97% of Millennials are smartphone users</a>. Additionally, The Entertainment Software Association identifies that <a href=\"http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">56% of Americans under 35 play video games</a>. In short: gamer kids became tech-savvy twenty and thirty-somethings. Back in July 2016, The Pokémon Company and Niantic, Inc. launched <a href=\"http://www.pokemongo.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pokémon GO</a>, a game that swapped Game Boy consoles for smartphones. Pokémon GO adapted content from original editions into an on-the-go application. But to resurrect Poké Balls was not enough: Pokémon GO includes augmented reality and location-based features, resonating intensely with digitally-minded Millennials. Young adults were able to experience a childhood craze in a modernized method. More than one year later, the community hosts 65 million monthly active users worldwide. Harnessing nostalgia, tech and the power of Pikachu has allowed Pokémon to re-engage a dwindling demographic.\r\n\r\n<strong><u>Me &gt; We</u></strong>\r\n\r\nGratification and personalization are cornerstones of Millennial expectations. From subscription boxes to personal shoppers, brand experiences are evolving to meet the demand for quick customization. For the timeless name of Coca-Cola, the demand to blend classic and cool became apparent – the company needed to reposition a declining category, as only 18% of Millennials regularly engage with soft drinks. In a revival effort, summer 2014 brought <a href=\"https://buy.shareacoke.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">“Share a Coke”</a> to the United States. The campaign maintained the iconic red label and scripted brand mark, adding a name to each bottle or can. From “Anna” to “Zack,” Coke mass-produced personalization. Coke’s most recent extension now features 1000 first names, covering more than 77% of Millennials and teens. Just-for-me marketing is what brought the 131-year-old product sales growth for the first time in a decade. Ultimately, Coca-Cola set high shopper expectations for individualized experiences.\r\n\r\n<strong><u>Why This Matters</u></strong>\r\n\r\nSome companies are able to upgrade from grandma status to with-it mom. But what does this mean in the greater scheme of brand and product positioning? You <em>can</em> teach an old brand new tricks. In fact, being trend conscious and adaptable in practice is essential to maintaining relevance with Millennials and Gen Z-ers. Perception is reality, and their sentiments towards a brand are what solidify young adults’ decisions to engage or evade. The more positive the associations, the better.\r\n\r\nAs a Millennial, I believe there are two things that speak volumes about brands and their consideration of young consumers. 1) a keen understanding (and successful execution) of innovation; as well as 2) an effort to meet me where I’m at. In both respects, Champion, Pokémon and Coca-Cola hit the nail on the head.\r\n\r\nFirst, nostalgia is enough to draw in, but not necessarily to make the catch. Disney Channel tugs at my eight-year-old heartstrings, but I refuse to give into <em>That’s So Raven</em> and <em>Boy Meets World </em>remakes. Reminiscent brand experiences need to be for me today – not me yesteryear. Pokémon Red 2.0, still on Game Boy SP, would bust; Pokémon GO, offering digital immersion from your professional device, is relevant to a demographic that never leaves their smartphone behind. Coke deems an old-school product oh-so desirable through the illusion of customization. Champion overhauls dyes and designs to make loungewear a luxury. Simply put: Millennials won’t fit the mold, so adapt the model to attract young minds.\r\n\r\nSecond, the potential for progress and an excess of technology has made Millennials both forward-thinking and impulse-acting. To be in, a brand must be similarly structured. I already have a smartphone in my hand; make an app. I shop at Urban Outfitters; get on their shelves. Nothing catches my eye in the beverage aisle; make your product pop. With busy schedules – and a tendency for brand loyalty – young consumers are likely to try something that stands apart, but unlikely to go out of their way to do it. Drop into the pre-existing path to get noticed and notarized.\r\n\r\nOverall, positioning based on reminiscing shows an understanding of the Millennial mindset. Feeling and functionality can create the perfect storm. Bringing a product of the past back and making it relevant indicates a great deal of consumer consciousness, as well as brand awareness. And who knows, maybe the next generation will think what we wore and did was cool, too. Or not. Hopefully not.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Photos courtesy of Champion, Coca-Cola, Pokemon</em>', 'How Classic Brands Make a Comeback', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1087-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1087, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1087-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1290, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few weeks ago, <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-chief-wahoo-logo.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">it was announced that the Cleveland Indians would put an all-stop to using the Chief Wahoo logo on their uniforms by 2019</a>. The cartoon-like logo depicting a Native American was first introduced in 1948 but over the years, the team name and symbol have been called out as insensitive and racist to Native Americans resulting in many a debate and protest. In fact, pressure to remove Cleveland Indian brand symbology has been ongoing for the past 50 years. So why the change today?</span>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our highly connected and attuned society, it is more important than ever that a brand be keyed-in and connected to the fast moving cultural barometer at-large. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Culture inherently moves like an ocean, its forces and waves breaking as “a storm to the norm.” Think watershed or counter-culture movements.That’s why all brands, regardless of industry, should be paying attention to cultural conversations; and if brands are smart, they will be leading changes for good vs. reacting. When a brand doesn’t keep up with culture, it runs the risk of the worst brand offense: </span><b>irrelevancy</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We’ve seen our culture break many brands that were too slow to evolve. We’ve also seen culture reward brands that do-even if they were on the brink of extinction.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brands should keep three key things in mind when riding the cultural waves of relevancy:</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Brands need to be fast and flexible to stay culturally relevant</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Retail brands such as <a href=\"https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abercrombie &amp; Fitch</a> and <a href=\"https://www.jcrew.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">J.Crew</a> were once attuned to how people wanted to dress and even helped dictate the trends. But as we evolved how we think about our identity and ourselves, and how we dress to communicate that identity, both companies have been slow to adapt their brand. Abercrombie and J.Crew market identifiable branded looks to masses that no longer care for identifiable branded looks. See the crazy?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A strong brand point of view is good only if flexes with culture. A notable example is <a href=\"https://barbie.mattel.com/shop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barbie</a>. We witnessed culture do a number on Barbie, turning a lifestyle aspiration for countless girls into the poster child of negative stereotypes pertaining to women. In response, Barbie has been slowly shifting. We’ve seen changes in the dolls’ body dimensions, the release of a more diverse lineup and last year’s debut of man-bun Ken. Seems like Barbie is fighting hard for relevance and listening to culture...at a girl!</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Brands need to deeply know their audience to stay culturally relevant</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The teen-centric clothing retailer</span><a href=\"https://www.brandymelvilleusa.com/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brandy Melville</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> launched their \"one size fits all\" sizing that was perceived by many as exclusive, exclusionary, and contributing to negative body images of women. However, the brand remained steadfast in their stance, maintaining that offering one size was their way of speaking to their specific tribe. While controversial, the strategy has paid off and mobilized a loyal teen army (3.8 million on their</span><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/brandymelvilleusa/?hl=en\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">US Instagram</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> alone) who love how the sizing makes it easier to shop. These evangelical fans are not only shoppers but primary content contributors, shaping the brand they love so dearly. Brandy Melville continues to ride this particularly controversial wave alongside their fan base overriding a cultural swell that isn’t quite big enough to swallow the brand whole.</span>\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Brands need to play the culture card with savvy to stay relevant (or at least stave off a massive backlash)</strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ride culture well, brands have to really understand the how the sea moves. Today, brand opinions can turn on a dime if a culture lens isn’t applied with utmost savvy. Leaning in the wrong way could be disastrous. And it doesn’t take much to be in and out of favor. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, </span><a href=\"http://www.pepsico.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PepsiCo</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> waded into offensive territory with</span> <a href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/pepsi-ad-kendall-jenner-echoes-black-lives-matter-sparks-anger-n742811\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a television spot starring reality star Kendall </span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jenner last year, then stepped in it again when the announcement of their</span><a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/pepsi-ceo-says-its-targeting-women-with-doritos-that-are-cleaner-and-less-crunchy/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Doritos for women”</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> surfaced as a new snack platform.</span><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/business/media/mlk-commercial-ram-dodge.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dodge Ram released Super Bowl spots using a speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to sell cars</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the torrential blow back through social media was fast and furious.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as fast, </span><a href=\"https://www.pirelli.com/global/en-ww/homepage\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pirelli Tires</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> switched gears, trading in their traditional girlie pin-up style calendar for more meaningful culturally driven content. The</span><a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/fashion/the-2016-pirelli-calendar-may-signal-a-cultural-shift.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2016 calendar shot by Annie Leibovitz</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> became a brand game changer that stuck, and they’re not looking back.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can a brand always know when their culture card will be misplayed? Yes. And big brands have no excuse for appearing tone deaf when they have the resources and cash to obtain perfect pitch.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brands either move with culture or die. If they are flexible, deeply understand their tribes, and play their culture cards with utmost savvy, they will thrive.</span>', 'How Culture Drives Brands', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1113-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1113, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1113-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1291, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'When Bic for Her hit it shelves, its intended audience did not rejoice. “Finally, a pen that’s designed just for lady-hands!” said absolutely no one. Instead, it was rightly ridiculed.\r\nWhen a brand tries to cross the gender divide, the number one rule is to make sure there actually is a divide. (And as far as science can tell, there are no differences in how men and women use pens.) After all, in the personal care category brands gender-bend all the time—for instance, Gillette crossing over to deliver razors for women when it was known primarily as a man-brand. There are enough perceived differences in how men and women care for their bodies to warrant these gender-specific products.\r\n\r\nSo how can a brand swing both ways, and do it well?\r\n\r\n<strong>Focus on the new benefit\r\n</strong>Communicate the benefit in a way that’s appealing to whoever you’re targeting. The shapewear brand Spanx touts that its body-hugging under-shorts are soft and slimming when it’s speaking to women. But, its Spanx for Men line talks about making men “stand taller and feel stronger.” The brand is getting directly to the results that the different audiences (allegedly) want: Women want to feel slim and sexy, and men want to be strong and confident.\r\n\r\nThe key is to keep it positive and to focus on the outcome. Rather than messaging to hair loss, for example, speak to the luminous locks or the full head of hair that awaits. Latisse, an FDA-approved lash-treatment brand (“for inadequate or not enough lashes”) doesn’t spend all its time with medical-speak. It’s upfront about what you get when you use it: “Longer, fuller, darker” lashes. And isn’t that what everyone wants?\r\n\r\n<strong>Make it just for them\r\n</strong>New audience? Try new packaging. Using an innovative structure or a new design not only communicates difference to a new audience—it also says that a brand’s put some thought behind the product. Dove, for example, built a new design system for its Men + Care line; its basic soap line and its women’s skin and hair care line have different looks as well. Women’s Rogaine, however, is sold in a box that is nearly identical to Rogaine for men. Graphically and structurally, it doesn’t look like a new product, and it doesn’t look like it’s been formulated for a new audience with new needs.\r\n\r\nIntroducing a new name could also signal a different product. Gillette—which we were told was the best a man could get—wanted to show it could please women as well, and so it gave us Venus. The name itself never stands alone (it’s always endorsed by Gillette), but it signals both more of an investment as well as more of a product difference. This is a razor that glides more smoothly, that addresses the unique problems that women face with shaving. (An article on the Gillette Venus site is alarmingly titled “<a href=\"http://www.gillettevenus.com/en-us/how-to-shave/hair-removal-methods/dont-share-his-razor\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Share His Razor!</a>”.) <strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Change the conversation\r\n</strong>Just a few shorts years ago, men wearing eyeliner would have been novel. Now, guyliner is totally normal. Brands like Calvin Klein are making mascara for men (or “manscara,” which apparently is interchangeable with guyliner) and changing the conversation around what is socially acceptable. Spanx is doing something similar, using targeted messaging to make men comfortable with wearing garments originally designed to address women’s insecurities (which, ironically, are traditionally inflicted upon them by men). Likewise, Rogaine has an opportunity to take a condition commonly seen as male—hair loss—and making its solution relevant to women. It’s an opportunity to transform a stigma into an innovative beauty product.\r\n\r\nMen may be from Mars, and women may be from Venus, but they both come to Earth to spend money. Brands that want to make a play for a new audience better have something different to offer—and show that audience number two is not just an afterthought. As long as they look both ways before they cross, they might just pull it off.<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/seinfeld/comments/391eha/happy_88th_birthday_jerry_stiller/\" target=\"_blank\">Reddit</a>.', 'How Do Brands Cross the Gender Divide?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1052-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1052, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1052-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1292, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'As legacy brands continue to expand into different verticals and technology offering more choice and points of purchase for consumers, brands in all industries must reckon with the old adage faced in the modern business era: <strong>What comes next?</strong>\r\nThe concept of disruption is not a new one. But typically, it refers to a\r\nbrand attempting to make waves in a market it exists in. However, some of the biggest innovations in the past decades have been brands willing to foray into creating products and services not in their direct wheelhouse- who would’ve thought a computer hardware maker would have disrupted (and possibly saved) the music industry so massively and drastically? The act of disrupting your own brand- your value proposition, your core offering, your target demographic, the list goes on-is a harder path for brands. Understandably so, why would a brand risk the equity they’ve accumulated over the years in their category? Because, as Ted Minnini points out, <a href=\"https://www.packworld.com/article/package-design/strategy/disrupt-being-disrupted\">“If a brand stakes out its ground as a disruptor, it has to build a culture that will keep on disrupting. Because if it doesn’t, another brand will come along and disrupt the disruptor.”</a>\r\n\r\nAt CBX, we work with brands across the spectrum of food, health, retail and cosmetics just to name a few. Our specialties include everything from packaging design, branded environments, product innovation and experiential engagements amongst others. While our legacy is built on tackling these individual touch points, our bigger purpose has always been to architect strong brand universes. Whether it is naming a product, designing an identity or helping build stores, it is always apart of a bigger brand story built to be resilient over time. Essentially, the building blocks we help create for a brand are anticipatory of the fact that brands might want to disrupt themselves one day.\r\n\r\nSo how do you build a resilient brand? As an example, we’ll look at the typically tradition-adherent world of private labels. Most private labels work from the inside out: creating and designing products in service of financial goals and quantitative cues. Often, this means, products are rolled out with secondary regard to qualitative considerations and how much of a unique value proposition the item provides to the consumer other than price. Consequently, these private labels resonate with the consumer in generic less meaningful ways.\r\n\r\nHowever, there are standouts like Trader Joe’s, Sam’s Club and <a href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-wal-mart-is-worried-about-a-german-grocer-1494927001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lidl, the German supermarket chain that recently announced their official US entry</a>, who allot themselves enough space to continually expand into different categories meaningfully but stay true to its core brand values. By diverging from the typical private label mindset, instead they begin at the foundation of their brand: <strong>Does the product perpetuate what we, as a company stand for?</strong>\r\n\r\nTrader Joe’s is a prime example of what is essentially a private label brand creating products that are competitive and differentiated with national brands (80% of its product bear the ‘Trader Joe’s’ brand name). As a brand, it is unified in its strategy, positioning, execution and marketing. Their product offer rollouts operate within clear guardrails of the brand while respecting the operational logistics of a private-label enterprise. Their merchandising is unique and diverse and the product rotation is swift and consistent. Trader Joe’s is able to innovate quicker than others because they think like a small manufacturer but operate like a big retailer. This can perhaps be attributed its current owners, Aldi, who operate over 10,000 stores in Europe with a similar model: private label focused and on-trend merchandise sold at lower prices presented in a well-designed setting.\r\n\r\nSimilarly, Member’s Mark from Sam’s Club is another brand built for resilience in both its operating structure and how it merchandises and markets products to consumers. With its recent “A Wonderful Quest” campaign, which emphasizes their commitment to sourcing unique and high-quality products in its Member’s Mark line, Sam’s Club has turned the mundane activity of grocery shopping into a journey of discovery for consumers.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, they use packaging not merely as a design exercise but a brand vehicle. The design, from a jar of olives to a pack of pasta, references a bigger story – whether it be the origin of where it came from or why it was unique enough to be selected for Member’s Mark.\r\n\r\nFrom its wide and eclectic product offering to its discerning packaging design, Sam’s Club has elevated private label items by introducing each item with a narrative whether be its origin, creation or otherwise. Because of this smart strategy, shoppers aren’t just buying another item, they are going through a culinary experience.\r\n\r\nLidl, the German grocery giant, entering the US market as of last week is another great example of a brand operating along the same lines as Trader Joe’s and Sam’s Club. The private-label based company’s approach to brand, design and product is driven by extremely high quality standards and limited but relevant variety. Simplicity and value are the cornerstones of their operating model and its packaging design is unique unless it’s used to call out a specific product value proposition like gluten-free. Its presence in the US will undoubtedly impact the aforementioned brands alongside numerous others.\r\n\r\nThe growth of omni-channel and blurring of retail channels is making brands redundant- in either operations or more literally, in its existence. Those brands failing to evolve and reinvent themselves within the changing shopping landscape are quickly disappearing. On the other hand, the ones who have designed their brands to be resilient by remaining focused and targeted on their core values and creating strong brand universes have been able to quickly expand and pivot as need be. Technology continues to enhance convenience making the need to physically step foot into a store obsolete. In the overwhelming choice-filled digital world, product differentiation is less clear and it is those brands that create experiences from their brands- through environment, packaging and unique value proposition- that will come out on top.', 'How Do You Create Brand Resilience?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1078-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1078, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1078-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1293, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', 'Gotta catch ‘em all? Since its release, Pokemon Go has reached over 30 million downloads worldwide, with over 11 million downloads in the US alone. Aside from breaking records as the most downloaded app within 7 days, the Nintendo game has sparked a contagious Pokemon fever, spreading through the nation one iPhone and Android at a time.\r\nWith this timely frenzy, it’s no surprise that brands and retailers alike are looking to capitalize on this trend and incorporate it into their marketing efforts. But how does one use this game as a tool? The easiest way is to purchase a “lure” for 10 dollars—these attract Pokemon to wherever the lure is placed for about 30 minutes. A manager at L’inizio Pizza Bar in Long Island City, Queens, told the NY Post that over the course of one weekend his shop saw a 75% increase in sales, just by attracting Pokemon and “trainers” (players of the game). It certainly makes sense: if trainers are out all day catching Pokemon there’s no time to stop home and feed themselves. The smell of pizza alone was probably enough to get them to stop for a slice.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-21-at-1.50.49-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10061\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-21-at-1.50.49-PM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 1.50.49 PM\" width=\"686\" height=\"856\" /></a>\r\n<em>A sign outside of L\'inzio Pizza Bar enticing Pokemon trainers</em></p>\r\nIn addition to lures, other retailers are offering discounts to successful trainers that have caught Pokémon in their stores, and a café in Pennsylvania even offered a 10% discount to people just for having the app on their phone. Doughnut Plant in NYC used Facebook to promote their “Pokeseed” doughnut, while also emphasizing the fact that two of their locations are PokeStops (where trainers can get free pokeballs), and one is a gym (where trainers can battle other trainers with their Pokémon). With the upcoming launch in Japan, McDonald’s will be the first paying sponsor of the game by making 3,000 of its locations gyms.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-21-at-2.06.20-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-10062\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-21-at-2.06.20-PM-1024x495.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 2.06.20 PM\" width=\"1024\" height=\"495\" /></a>\r\n\r\nHowever, with all the good it’s done for businesses that’s not to say using Pokémon Go as a marketing tool doesn’t come with some challenges. Some retailers have complained that these “trainers” have interrupted regular shoppers by blocking space without any awareness of their surroundings. The trick is to offer an incentive—if a retailer has Pokémon in their store then great, but it’s important to get trainers to stop playing the game and actually buy something. Formulating a solid plan of rewarding players for entering their location has thus far been proven successful, as well as incorporating Pokemon-themed food and merchandise. Brands should take note of these retailers, and use the advantages of this craze while it lasts.\r\n\r\nHappy hunting--for trainers, that is.', 'How Retailers Are Catching Trainers Instead of Pokemon', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1066-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1066, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1066-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1294, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '&nbsp;\r\n<a href=\"http://www.twitter.com\">Twitter</a> did it. So did <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8\">Instagram</a> and <a href=\"http://fab.com/\">Fab</a>. Some of the most successful technology startups in recent memory have one thing in common: They’ve applied principles of creativity, innovation and design to their process in order to arrive at a winning idea.\r\n\r\nIf you’re wondering what’s in these companies’ secret sauces, just know that the ingredients are exactly what we practice in the creative agency world. Here are some centered design principles used by recent Silicon Valley startups to turn their brands into huge successes.\r\n\r\n<strong>#1. Don’t be afraid to create a beautiful experience.</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5404\" title=\"Fab\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sandra1Fab.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"87\" height=\"80\" /><img class=\"wp-image-5405 alignright\" title=\"Sandra2table\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sandra2table.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"168\" height=\"293\" />Fab was originally a niche social networking site, but they later pivoted based on a single insight: People want beautiful design in their everyday lives.\r\n\r\nThe fact that we are multisensory creatures should be a lesson to brands: When developing a new idea, prioritizing how design can enhance the overall experience is key to success. This might encompass the website experience itself, or the presentation of that experience (e.g., the look, tone, and feel of any and all of the brands’ visual elements). Fab capitalized on this fact, as did Pinterest, and both became online sensations as a result.\r\n\r\nKey takeaway: When thinking about how to innovate your brand, design should play a key role from the outset\r\n\r\n<strong>#2. Know what you are good at and build on that asset.</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-5406 alignleft\" title=\"Sandra3screen\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sandra3screen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"132\" height=\"204\" />Instagram famously started as a Foursquare-like copycat called Burbn. But by watching and listening to users, Burbn found that their users were taking advantage of the app’s photo-sharing feature and not much else. Recognizing they were savvy at enabling users to take and share photos, they scrapped the original concept and rebuilt it to be the best photosharing app it could be.\r\n\r\nKey takeaway: Knowing what you are good at is the first step to building something consumers love. Building on what drives users to your brand is a terrific starting point for making something even better—don’t chain yourself to your first idea.\r\n\r\n<strong>#3: Validating new ideas can be quick and painless.</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\" wp-image-5407 alignright\" title=\"Sandra4bridge\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sandra4bridge.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"153\" height=\"270\" />Twitter started out as Odeo, which was essentially a podcasting company. But when they realized podcasting was a dead end offering, they began ideating around what else they could do, and be.\r\n\r\nThe company held rapid-fire ideation sessions where they listened to their staff members’ ideas and realized several of them as low-fi prototypes.\r\n\r\nHere are the future multi-millionaires in action:<img class=\" wp-image-5408 alignleft\" title=\"Meeting\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sandra5meeting.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"169\" height=\"106\" />\r\n\r\nThe site that eventually grew into Twitter was tested by only 50 people for qualitative feedback.\r\n\r\nKey takeaway: Ideation sessions can help brands quickly come up with concepts that can be prototyped and tested, sometimes with just paper sketches. All you have to do to test them is “get out of the building” and talk to people. And keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be a huge, significant number of users to let you know you’re onto something.', 'How to Innovate Like a Successful Startup', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '952-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 952, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/952-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1295, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4817\" title=\"Crosby_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Crosby_web2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" /><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like the saying goes, houses are money pits. New houses are deeper pits. Having recently moved into a new house, I’ve been spending a lot of money. Doing my part to drive the economy. Now, I understand why retailers savor new house formation, because it really does drive a lot of purchases. Here’s a sampling of what I have bought in the last three weeks: a drill, hangers, lamps, a vacuum, light bulbs, lots of light bulbs, an ironing board and iron, a thingy to hang up the iron and ironing board, towels, beach chairs, sheets, a couch, stools, outdoor cushions, towel racks, rug pads, a step stool, window blinds…okay, are you tired of this list? So am I, to be sure.</p>\r\nWhat’s interesting and noteworthy is that I bought all of this stuff online. It’s not that I’m just now waking up to the fact that you buy things on the Internet, but it’s that I spent so much money and none of it was spent on traditional retailers. Retailers rely on people-like me-but I went Prime. Amazon Prime. With free shipping, even the most mundane of goods were easier and cheaper to buy through Amazon. From tennis balls to totem poles, with just one click, they delivered them to me. The thing is, I am just one of five million other “primers.” And the group is growing at more than +50% a year.\r\n\r\nThat spells a heap of trouble for big box retailers who are paying rent on hundreds, if not thousands, of expensive locations and doling staff salaries to run those stores. Just ask Best Buy, JCPenney, Sears, Rite Aid, Staples. If I don’t have to, I don’t want to drive, park and search the aisles of warehouses (which have the ambiance of a hospital, by the way) to get what I can get cheaper, easier – and delivered! – from Amazon.\r\n\r\nDoes this mean our Main Streets and malls will become ghost towns? No, but most likely there will be a very painful transition for many unless they start selling goods, and especially experiences, which we can’t get anywhere else. To get me offline, my downtown will have to have places like a wine store that lets me taste before I buy. Or a hardware store with old wood floors that creak and crotchety men who will tell me what kind of latch to get and how to apply varnish correctly. It may be all in my head, but that hardware store I still drive to takes me back to some vague Jimmy Stewart-esque movie where the world was nicer, simpler and cozier. That’s something that I can’t get on Amazon – even with my Prime membership.', 'I Went Prime', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '945-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 945, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/945-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1296, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KarenSmith_Blog.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3085\" title=\"KarenSmith_Blog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KarenSmith_Blog-300x299.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tree-falling1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-3084 aligncenter\" title=\"tree-falling\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tree-falling1-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"445\" height=\"355\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRecently, a client asked me what it took to get innovation through to activation. Insight-driven idea – check. Consumer validation – check. Alignment with strategic objectives – check. But many times, great ideas just languish on the shelf, never making it out of the concept phase. If innovation happens, and no one listens, is it truly innovation?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Pckg_Mkt_FridgePack_article_pic.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-3087 aligncenter\" title=\"Pckg_Mkt_FridgePack_article_pic\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Pckg_Mkt_FridgePack_article_pic-300x249.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"249\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe name of the game is synergies. It takes a village to raise an idea – marketing, operations, sales, legal, finance, plus a route to market that sets the idea up for success, and a strategy that everyone can understand. When I helped launch the <a href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2002/08/05/story5.html\" target=\"_blank\">Coca-Cola Fridge Pack</a> in 2003, all the right elements were in place:\r\n\r\n-    A strong consumer insight. We’d done a packaging <a href=\"http://www.marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=3696&amp;Itemid=78\" target=\"_blank\">A&amp;U (Attitude and Usage)</a> study that led us to a number of insights, including the fact that consumers wanted an easier way to store and use soft drink packages in the refrigerator. They couldn’t tell us how to solve the problem, but they could tell us what they wanted.\r\n-    A convergence of business needs. The Coca-Cola Company had just invested heavily in <a href=\"http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0UQX/is_9_66/ai_92725133/\" target=\"_blank\">packaging innovation insights</a>, and was looking for a return on that work. There was a bottler who had extra production capacity and who was open to investing. And there was a supplier who had ideas in the pipeline that met the consumer objective.\r\n-    An irresistible story. Once upon a time, there was a package that fit more easily in the fridge, generated huge consumer interest, and was proven to increase sales while improving consumer perception of the brand.  I literally walked the halls of Coca-Cola, carrying a sample of the package and a deck of talking points about the positive impact to the business, getting people excited about the idea, and collecting team members along the way.\r\n-    A senior evangelist. We had the support and ear of the president of Coca-Cola North America, as well as the head of the bottling organization. We were making a game changing move, and having senior teams on board reinforced our goals and helped rally the idea within the organization. Everyone knew it was a priority, not just a project.\r\n-    A compelling solution with few compromises. We had a structural design that worked well, both as a strategic solution and as an operationally sound solve.  Consumers overwhelmingly told us that they preferred the new design of the Fridge Pack over the existing square box, and in-market results backed up this information. Best of all, it worked the way it was supposed to work.\r\n-    A partnership of marketing, manufacturing and suppliers. We had an engaged, highly cross-functional team, from the earliest stages of the project and from the top down, that was willing to provide resources, support and help break down barriers to success.\r\n-    A great story for retailers. Who isn’t looking for new news? And Coke had the advantage of strong retailer partnerships. The launch of the Fridge Pack required complete overnight store resets in the early markets. We were able to build a story around increases in sales, margin and consumer interest that enabled the bottler to sell the package in (taking on new slotting fees), and convinced retailers to agree to the resets. Without that partnership at the retailer level, the whole project would have come to a grinding halt.\r\n-    A scalable small market test.  We were able to launch in one market in a repeatable way, testing communications, packaging structure, consumer preference and perception, giving us guidance for how to execute a larger launch. Test results within the initial markets gave Coca-Cola the confidence to move forward and lead the charge in launching nationally.\r\n-    Realistic objectives that helped us eat the elephant. As a team, we knew that launching the Fridge Pack with a brand as large as Coke, in a system that produces millions of packages a year, was a daunting task. By working with small markets at the outset, setting attainable but challenging goals for the launches, and then measuring and reporting regularly on results, we were able to demonstrate success, account for corrections and build a compelling story for a broader launch.\r\n\r\nThere’s no shortage of great ideas. But as this proves, ideas need someone with them in the forest in order to be heard.', 'If a Tree Falls in the Woods…', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '882-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 882, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/882-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1297, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '<strong><a title=\"What Does Your Business Stand For?\" href=\"http://www.cbx.com/blog/what-does-your-business-stand-for/\" target=\"_blank\">Last week in our series of 2016 predictions, we took a look at B2B companies to see how they use verbal strategies to communicate what they do in a more meaningful way.</a> This week, we’re turning our attention to the new communication that’s emerged from the latest and greatest trends in healthcare. </strong>\r\nWe’ve seen a new wave of trends emerge that are changing the way we think about healthcare. What’s driving this change? People. As consumers, people are empowered by choice and are used to being heard. We’re now seeing patients engage with the healthcare system with their consumer expectations. While the industry has received a great deal of political attention with policy changes and debate over regulation, what’s remarkable, is that if we move past the political chatter, the healthcare industry’s voice is optimistic.\r\n\r\n<strong>Evolution MD</strong>\r\nOne company that’s leveraging smarter, more customized care is <a href=\"https://sherpaa.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sherpaa</a>. Through their app, you can send a message to a physician to see if an emergency room visit is necessary or not. As the name cleverly suggests, this service acts as your guide to “smarter healthcare” and to hoping it’s not as bad as it looks. The company <a href=\"https://www.medicast.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Medicast</a> has shown that empowering caregivers can make a world of difference. With seamless mobile technology, the company provides caregivers the tools to offer home health services that are “extending care beyond the four walls.” The name itself is suggestive of the medical industry breaking through the traditional environment and casting the availability-of-care to a wider array of people.\r\n\r\n<strong>Hidden In Plain Sight</strong>\r\nThe California start-up, <a href=\"https://getheal.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Heal</a>, paints a picture of a very promising outcome. They provide physicians that do on-demand house calls to your home in less than 60 minutes. What’s astonishing is that they were able to trademark their name. The healthcare industry is so used to having complicated, cryptic names (for example Pfizer, AstraZeneca, etc.) that are very hard to get approved by regulatory. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a name that’s going back to basics in a simple way that still holds meaning. I also can’t help but wonder if the name is a double-entendre for being “at your heel,” or at your beckon call. Another company that’s big on being clear and straightforward is <a href=\"https://www.pillpack.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=%5BAL%5D%20-%20%5BBranded%5D%20-%20PillPack%20-%20Search&amp;utm_content=PillPack&amp;utm_term=pillpack&amp;asid=1000001&amp;c3api=0802,74786523739,pillpack,e&amp;gclid=CIzVhuHnn8sCFQYuaQodDaUIHg\" target=\"_blank\">PillPack</a>, the online pharmacy. Their descriptive name really reflects how easy they want to make the experience for people. The full-service pharmacy sorts your medication by day and time and puts it in a convenient on-the-go pack. Simplicity at its finest.\r\n\r\n<strong>Take the Alternate Route</strong>\r\nIt’s too often we hear people say, “there has to be a better a way.” Finding a doctor, getting referrals, understanding drug tiers, etc. There are many complexities when dealing with the system and people really value painless experiences (pun intended). The company <a href=\"https://betterdoctor.com/\" target=\"_blank\">BetterDoctor</a> is doing just that. With such a straightforward name, they can quickly and clearly communicate to people that they are here to help find and connect them to not just any old doctor, but a better doctor. By providing information on doctor’s education, experience and other patient’s reviews they increase transparency to help you make an easier decision. Taking a slightly different naming approach, the new health insurance company, <a href=\"https://www.hioscar.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Oscar</a>, seeks to reinvent the way we think about health insurance. Their minimalist, but inviting communication takes insurance to a more humanized level. By using the name of a person, they help people think they’re dealing not with a money-hungry company, but more like a friend that’s looking out for you. It’s a service you’d actually want to opt in to.\r\n\r\nAs you can see, we’re hearing a different tune in the healthcare industry. Smart, simplified solutions are exactly what people are asking for and they’re being delivered in a more refreshing and break-through manner. As the industry continues to innovate around consumer-driven expectations, we expect to keep seeing companies push into more emotional and creative communications that are a departure from what we’ve traditional seen in the landscape.\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://leadershiphq.com.au/10-tips-for-confident-leaders/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership HQ</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'In 2016, Healthcare Is All About Optimism', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1059-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '2018-09-24 18:48:57', '', 1059, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1059-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1298, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '&nbsp;\r\nCBX is proud to sponsor the 100th lap of the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.\r\n\r\nWho do you think will win?  Will Power?  (what a NAME!)\r\n\r\n#indy500 #100thlap #100x100', 'Indianapolis 500:  100th Running, 100th Lap', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1065-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1065, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1065-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1299, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271797755263.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-672\" title=\"JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271797755263.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Jason H.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/rear-window.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-745\" title=\"rear window\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/rear-window.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\nWe picked this up just now from Fast Company, <a href=\"http://www.rearwindowmedia.com/\">Rear Window Media</a>\n\nThis has to be one of the least intelligent uses of technology for generating awareness that we have ever seen.\n\nCan you imagine the litigation that will ensue from crashes caused by distracted drivers?  What\'s next, advertising on the rear view mirror?', 'Information Wide Load', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '930-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 930, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/930-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1300, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'It’s no secret that Nike is a marketing titan among the many sports brands that dot today’s competitive landscape. The activewear giant pioneered the idea of driving awareness through brand sponsorships by enlisting professional athletes to endorse its products. Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase, track star Steve Prefontaine, basketball god Michael Jordan and golf great Tiger Woods all paved the way for Nike to become the international conglomerate it is today.\nFrom a brand perspective, introducing new products to the market is much easier and effective when you can hang your hat on a high-profile spokesman like LeBron James. But while that formula has proven successful for Nike, the brand hasn’t stopped there. It continues to innovate around the very sneakers, apparel and accessories these athletes use to compete and succeed at a high level, and has managed to stay on top by doing so.\n\nOver the years, Nike has strategically integrated specific proprietary technologies and created naming conventions that play a large role in establishing a unified portfolio architecture model and sustainable brand equities. If you visit nike.com, it’s easy to get lost in myriad styles, models and colors in the brand’s sneaker portfolio. But thanks to a smart and savvy research and development team, Nike has developed advanced products and subsequently coined sub-brands that convey athletic and technological superiority.\n<img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-6184\" title=\"Sub-branding2\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Sub-branding2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"156\" />\n\nThe first such example is the Nike “Air Max.” Introduced in 1987, the sneaker uses a large visible “air cushioning unit” at the heel for additional support. Since its inception, close to 50 different models have launched under the “Air Max” sub-brand. During the 25+ years of innovation, “Tube Air”, “Tuned Air” and “Total Air” have also emerged as iterations from Nike. The semantics behind “Air Max” is quite simple. Max is short for maximum, implying the greatest or highest amount possible to be attained. As a result, the consumer is buying into the notion that they are receiving the maximum amount of air in a sneaker. Either that, or the appearance of the shoe is just aesthetically pleasing to them. Regardless, the nomenclature is worth noting.\n\nNext up is the sub-brand that utilizes the word “Hyper.” Nike has really blown this one out of the park, incorporating apparel into the new innovation pipeline. Products include sneakers under the names “Hyperdunk,” “Hyperfuse,” “Hyperposite” and more. Clothing lines such as “Hyperwarm,” “Hypercool” and “Hyperstrong” can be purchased internationally for training and performance during extreme weather conditions. Hyper can be defined as “unusually energetic,” another word that feels on-brand for Nike given their athletic associations.\n\n<img class=\"wp-image-6186 alignright\" style=\"margin-bottom: -3px;\" title=\"Sub-branding4\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Sub-branding4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"230\" height=\"150\" />\n\n“Lunar” foam is yet another technology created by Nike, and has now been integrated into the formerly Nike-owned company Cole Haan. According to Nike, “Lunar cushioning system comes in a \'bottomless\' carrier construction that delivers a lightweight, springy sensation and responsive yet soft shock absorption.” Does Nike believe it really feels like you are walking on the moon? Who knows, but they sure are comfortable. Models such as the LunarGrand Wingtip and Penny can be purchased on ColeHaan.com for a cool $248.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-6185\" style=\"margin-bottom: -3px;\" title=\"Sub-branding3\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Sub-branding3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"227\" height=\"227\" />\n\nThe most recent technology to be unveiled – and at the 2012 Olympic Games, no less – was Nike Flyknit. The technology features “yarns and fabric variations that are precisely engineered only where they are needed for a featherweight, form fitting and virtually seamless upper.” In other words, Nike balances the fine line of using an efficient amount of materials that provide enough support for world-class athletes. Furthermore, the sneaker is so light it feels as if you are wearing a sock, all the while communicating the intricacies of a high quality knitting process. Given that they were worn by Olympians Michael Phelps and Serena Williams, the volt/neon-colored “Flyknit Trainer+” sneakers ate up a ton of publicity during the games.\n\nThese four sub-brands illustrate how important nomenclature is when developing a portfolio architecture system. Associating complex and advanced technologies with simple yet relevant model names allow consumers to identify each sub-brand with ease.  The difficult part of leading an industry is sustaining the established equities you have built to date. Nike does an amazing job at bridging the gap between launching new innovations and creating a consumer experience. They even merge these sub-brands with one another: Witness the Nike Lunar Flyknit Chukka (red) and the 2013 Air Max with Flyknit technology (pink).\n\nOther sub-brands include the Nike+ (activity points system based on movement), Pro Combat (Deflex foam to help you stay fast and explosive through impact), Dri-FIT (high performance, microfiber, polyester fabric that has the properties and build quality to wick sweat away), Nike Free (a revolutionary sole that lets your feet move naturally and ultimately perform better) and Nike Shox (four circular columns in a square formation to provide cushioning).\n\nBrilliant branding or a simple marketing tactic to get us to spend more money on sneakers, apparel and accessories?', 'Ingredient Sub-Branding', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '983-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 983, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/983-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1301, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/LaurenL_blog_thumb_nb1-e1271782659529.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-593\" title=\"LaurenL_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/LaurenL_blog_thumb_nb1-e1271782659529.jpg\" alt=\"By Lauren L.\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lauren L.<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/LaurenL_blog_thumb_nb1-e1271782659529.jpg\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sun-chips.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1614\" title=\"sun chips\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sun-chips.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"618\" /></a>\n\nEighteen months ago, Frito-Lay launched advertising and PR campaigns proudly touting their new compostable SunChips bags, and even wrote in big bold letters on their packaging, “World’s First 100% Compostable Chip Package.” At every turn, consumers were reminded that the package was 100% compostable.  But just last week, Frito-Lay announced that due to consumer complaints about the noise of the packaging, they would revert to the original packaging for five out of the six SunChips flavors.\n\nMy first reaction was to roll-my-eyes, sigh, and think, “Spineless SunChips, how can you let a few grumpy consumers force your hand? Who cares if they’re upset about the noise of the bag, they’ll get used to it. People don’t like change, but they’ll come around…”\n\nThen I did more research, reading consumer opinions from what I’ll call the environmental left, right and center…\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">• From the left: “<em>Because some people can\'t deal with a little noise, they\'re going back to polluting the planet that much more. Selfish.</em>”</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">• From the right: “<em>Who consumer tested these bags? Im guessing 70-80% of people eat chips while watching TV. How are you supposed to do that when you can’t hear the TV? I bought a bag every week until they changed the bag, then my wife made me stop buying them because she couldn’t hear the TV.”</em></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">• From the center: <em>“I told \'em the very first time I got them (before the official release) that I wouldn\'t buy a single bag like this ever again. And I haven\'t; my husband misses them but oh well. It\'s not worth it. I\'m pro-environment, and my family of 4 (including infant but not counting the pets) throws away less than 2 bags of trash a week; everything else is recycled, composted, reused, or just not used in the first place. But the SunChips bag was SO noisy it woke up my son. In another room. Down the hall and around a corner. NOT acceptable.”</em></p>\nAnd the facts…\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">• There is an active Facebook group with more than 44,000 friends named “Sorry But I Can’t Hear You Over This SunChips bag”.\n• SunChips sales have declined more than 11% over the past 52 weeks.\n• Frito-Lay moved one-third of its 32 plants to \"zero landfill\" last year—the rest will achieve that goal by the end of 2011 (all plants, not just SunChips).\n• These “zero landfill” plants use innovative practices such as solar energy, water recovery, food-scrap recycling, and stack heat recovery.\n• Over the past five years, Frito-Lay has eliminated 150 square miles of packaging by reducing the materials by 10%.</p>\nAnd now, I think of Frito-Lay as an innovative pioneer in sustainability. An 11% sales decline is a big deal – it’s not just a few grumpy people complaining– and   Frito Lay is not abandoning their effort altogether. As Frito-Lay spokesperson Aurora Gonzalez said, \"We are on a journey with compostable packaging… Frito-Lay is showing its commitment by sticking with the noisy but compostable packaging for the sixth flavor, its top-selling Original… We are applying what we have learned from this first generation to get to the next generation of environmentally-friendly packaging.”\n\nAnd while they haven’t marketed it as much as their compostable packaging, the fact that Frito-Lay is investing capital into green technology to change their production plants to “zero landfill” shows their dedication to sustainability. What are other mass CPG companies doing? A lot of companies talk about being “green” and wish for “innovation” but are not willing to make the effort. They’re all talk and no action. Not Frito Lay.\n\nInnovation, progress, never comes without pain, and those who are first to market will inevitably experience some bumps in the road, only to pave the way for future followers. We (Americans) will eventually have to change how much waste we create – it might not be in the next 10 years, or even in our lifetime, but we’re living longer and there is only so much land for landfills. I applaud Frito-Lay for thinking long-term, for taking the initiative and risk to lead positive change. Innovation, after all, is about living in beta. As Henry Ford said, “\"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.”', 'Innovation ain’t easy (Just ask SunChips)', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '855-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 855, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/855-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1302, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Karen-Smith-blog1-e1278536954548.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1125\" title=\"Karen Smith blog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Karen-Smith-blog1-e1278536954548.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2476\" title=\"dudethinking\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/dudethinking.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"481\" height=\"326\" /></p>\r\nMuch has been written about innovation at places like Apple and 3M. We love companies like these who live and breathe innovative cultures, making it a part of their core identity. Sure, Apple has Jobs and a cadre of uber-techies, while <a href=\"http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663137/how-3m-gave-everyone-days-off-and-created-an-innovation-dynamo\" target=\"_blank\">3M has an almost 40-year legacy of allowing employees to dedicate 15% of their time to side projects</a>. Theirs are corporate values that are challenging to replicate yet viable to use as a model.\r\n\r\nThere’s a fundamental dilemma with innovation. Companies crave it for the new consumers, categories and channels it can open up,  but also revert to the basics when trying to improve the numbers— cutting costs, improving efficiency, directing resources to the traditional revenue streams. This problem becomes even more pronounced when companies remain traditionally operations or sales-focused because basing their business decisions proactively in consumer insights isn’t second nature.\r\n\r\nWhen taking risks that involve the resistant steps toward innovation, many companies are looking for assurances that their investment will pay off. Though a reasonable concern, it can stifle true innovation through “analysis paralysis” and attempts to put real numbers against conceptual ideas.\r\n\r\nBut even if companies aren’t ready to take the business and cultural steps necessary to foster innovative environments, they can take a page from the playbooks of the leaders.\r\n\r\nTake Apple. Steve has a personal hand in every new product that Apple launches, and when things don’t soar (like Apple TV), the company moves on. Does it make sense for the average corporation to have one person managing these decisions? Perhaps not. But what companies can do is introduce a “board of innovators” or decision makers who can act as de facto venture cap financers: Make a convincing pitch and win the prize of committed resources. By having leaders in place to make these decisions, particularly, cross-functional leaders, there are assurances that innovation is being resourced with the full knowledge of management, which in turn helps move projects along with fewer barriers. In addition, an internal venture-cap model can help establish a set criteria that projects need to meet in order to be considered for funding and resourcing.\r\n\r\nIn the case of 3M, they’ve had a successful strategy of allowing employees to devote 15% of their time to outside projects since the mid 1970’s. The beauty of this policy is that employees get to see its real results. Every year, 3M sponsors a school-style science fair, where employees make posters that explain their ideas and present them to the company. This offers opportunities for inventors to not only get input and build on their ideas, but also for the company to demonstrate their commitment to the program.\r\n\r\nBut dedicating 15% of time is easier said than done. There are sales meetings to prepare for, management presentations to make, P&amp;Ls to run—it’s often not practical to dedicate this much time on a disciplined basis.  What companies can do is allow employees who have great ideas to ask for the time to develop them, like a kind of “working vacation.” Make it culturally acceptable to pursue ideas outside of the usual objectives, and create rewards for people who do, whether their ideas are successful or not. By demonstrating a simple commitment to fostering new ideas, companies can be a more fertile ground for innovation.\r\n\r\nIt\'s the steady state of dedication, and by walking the walk, companies can build a real culture of innovation.', 'Innovation Conundrum', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '870-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 870, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/870-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1303, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'Well, it’s over. The most wonderful faux-holiday of the year, National Donut Day, has come to a delicious close. Now that the powdered sugar has settled, let’s take a moment to loosen our belts and reflect on the biggest triumph of this faux-holiday season, the cronut. Part donut, part croissant, all kinds of crazy delicious, the cronut not only stirred all of NYC into a gluttonous frenzy, it also stirred up quite a bit of controversy.  May we present to you the cautionary tale of the cronut, with two valuable lessons brands should know when it comes to defending trademarks and intellectual property? </br><strong>Lesson 1: </strong>Being first to market is a blessing and a curse</br>\nThere’s a lot of debate on who was first to market with the cronut. Most media outlets covering Cronut Watch 2013 attribute the innovation to Dominique Ansel, a humble bakery in Greenwich Village. However, Najat Kaanache, chef at Private Social restaurant in Dallas, Texas, has recently taken to twitter to stake her claim as the true inventor of the cronut. While that social media debate rages, there’s the emergence of the knock-off versions calling themselves doissants, crowbars, or even fauxnuts, all trying to prove that a cronut by any other name can be just as sweet. All of this controversy proves that it’s not only a blessing to be first to market, but it’s also kind of a curse. </br>\nFirst-to-market innovators bear the responsibility for educating consumers. Which is what makes descriptive names like “cronut” so appealing; they help clarify what the heck this flaky fried concoction really is without a lot of additional education. The problem is that these names quickly become generic, and people start using them to describe the category rather than a specific brand. </br>\nLet’s think back to the SillyBand craze that captured our imagination a couple of years ago. “Silly bands” is the descriptor we all use to describe those colorful, adorably shaped rubber bands, but “SillyBand” is also a trademark. While the trademark may force other brands to call themselves FunBand or CrazyBand, it doesn’t force consumers not to call them “silly bands.” And that’s how it happens, the gradual process whereby brands lose their trademarks. It’s a process called “genericide,” where a term no longer stands for a brand but for the category at large. And trademark law is clear—no one can own a generic term. If consumers use a company’s trademarks descriptively for too long, they’ll lose the right to carry the trademark at all. Zipper, Aspirin, Kerosene, Escalator are all victims of genericide. And it looks like the cronut is well on its way to meeting a similar fate. </br>\nFirst-to-market brands that successfully avoid genericide do one expensive but worthwhile task —they invest in two names, not just one. They create an industry category descriptor and a brand name, and continuously message to consumers that they are very different things. At launch, Tivo invested as much in the DVR category name as it did in its own brand name. Same with Intel and microprocessor; Google with search engine; RollerBlade with the in-line skate. It’s a headache, but them’s the breaks when it comes to being first to market. </br>\n<strong>Lesson 2: </strong>A trademark is not a patent</br>\nAnd finally, to close out the conversation on cronuts and branding best practices, let’s offer a quick point of clarification. A trademark is not a patent. While they live in the same intellectual property world, they offer two different kinds of protection. A patent will prevent other brands from making the same product. In the case of a cronut, it would prevent other brands from making any donut-meets-croissant hybrid at all. A trademark will prevent other brands from using the same name for their product. In the case of a cronut, that’s why we see the emergence of doissants and fauxnuts, because Dominique Ansel’s innovation is protected by a trademark, not a patent. That said, patents are very hard to get, and it may be the case that the cronut doesn’t qualify for one. But for any innovation that does qualify, it’s always a good idea to seek trademark and patent protection. </br>\nIn the meantime, the countdown to the next National Donut Day begins (for those counting we have a little under 360 more days to go). ', 'Innovation hurts, donut?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '991-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 991, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/991-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1304, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Josh_web.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-4835\" title=\"Josh_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Josh_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" /></a>\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4365 alignnone\" title=\"Josh1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Josh11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" /><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4370\" title=\"Josh3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Josh31.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\nThe $1B acquisition of Instagram by Facebook a few weeks ago is testament to how valuable digital space is in the 21st century. Brands of all different natures are jockeying for additional awareness across a multitude of social networks. 50 million users have downloaded Instagram, for free – and that’s not stopping anytime soon, gaining approximately five million more users per week. Like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, Instagram has become a creative vehicle for communication and interaction, globally.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4354 alignleft\" title=\"Josh2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Josh2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"289\" />Everyone from Kim Kardashian to Cole Haan to the Boston Celtics have Instagram accounts. I recently attended a concert series called Cosmic Opera that ran a contest in which Instagram users who tagged #CosmicOpera and posted theatrically dressed photos of themselves at the show could win tickets to future concerts. And thanks to the application, I can wake up on Monday morning knowing that electronic music artist Skrillex ate mashed potatoes and asparagus on his tour bus in Dublin at three AM, then smoked a cigarette.\r\n\r\nAll this begs the question: Does having an identity (like Skrillex or Cosmic Opera or even Joshua Books) in the digital space make you a “brand,” and are your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn accounts extensions of your master umbrella-brand?\r\n\r\nI believe the answer is, yes.\r\n\r\nUploading an image to Instagram freezes time. Using a hashtag connects your story to your brands in the digital space. In a sense, we are transcending the way traditional marketing has operated. Sharing these photographs makes the brands and the stories we tell real, relevant, and current.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4368\" title=\"JoshMainpic\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/JoshMainpic1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"277\" />After using Instagram extensively for six months, I have built up a portfolio of over 400 photos and 150 followers, half of whom I don’t even know. Although these users do not pay to witness my above-average-iPhone-4S-camera-skills, they are investing their own time to follow me and include my photographs on their Instagram “timeline.”\r\n\r\nFor their viewing pleasure, they have essentially bought my brand.\r\n\r\nWhich leads me to another question: If we really all are brands, who are we selling ourselves to? Friends? Family? Popular Culture? Employers? Mark Zuckerberg? Or are we just channeling our creative curiosities that Instagram has helped us discover?\r\n\r\nFeel free to discuss amongst yourselves (and your Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and LinkedIn followers). And by the way, the W Hotel is holding the first ever <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/instagram-spotlight_n_1464457.html\" target=\"_blank\">NYC Instagram Exhibtion</a> this month.', 'Instagram or Instabrand?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '918-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 918, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/918-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1305, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'At CBX, we create brand experiences designed for cultural and commercial impact. What does this mean in our ever-changing landscape of evolving business, technologies and consumer interests? On a daily basis, we’ll continue to investigate and explore this notion through the brands and leaders we both work with and are inspired by. In a more straightforward and IRL experience, we decided to dig further into this via our first event series, <strong>#StraightTalk.</strong>\r\nPlain and simple, we see #StraightTalk as an opportunity to connect with disruptors and provocateurs in their industries to converse on all topics relating to business, culture and commerce. #StraightTalk is our way of facilitating an exchange of ideas from people spanning the spectrum of industry. We will be experimenting with different formats, video content and unexpected guests along the way. We don’t necessarily know where the road is headed but we promise, we’ll keep the talk straight and everything else crooked as hell.\r\n\r\n<strong># 1: The Catch 22 of Big </strong>\r\n\r\nIn <a href=\"https://www.cbinsights.com/reports/CB-Insights_Dining-on-Disruption-Webinar.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a recent study from CB Insights</a>, global food and beverage funding since 2012 has added up to $5.9 billion across 1300 deals. Take a look around your grocery store and you’ll see hundreds of new brands with about $2 billion in fresh funding that didn’t exist 5-10 years ago. Unicorns like Sabra are on their way to $1 billion dollars in revenue while Chobani, heading towards a cooler $2 billion, is barely a decade old and currently sitting as the top yogurt company in the US. Retail channels like Trader Joe’s, Lidl and Aldi continue to disrupt the traditional supermarket and grocer category while eye-raising mergers and acquisitions such as the recent Amazon and Whole Foods deal promise to profoundly impact brand and consumer behavior and expectations.\r\n\r\nAs an agency that has worked with brands, big and small, up and down the shelf and aisle, we couldn’t help but wonder how these radical changes are affecting them. Whether you’re a legacy brand looking to evolve or a start-up looking to scale, the new landscape of seemingly limitless choices, new shopping platforms, and endless competitors encroaching your product and category territory, the old ways of maintaining and growing your companies are being challenged at every turn.\r\n\r\nIn our first #StraightTalk, we invited one of leading purveyors of the healthy snacking movement, Noha Waibsnaider, founder of <a href=\"http://peeledsnacks.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peeled Snacks</a> for a conversation with her old friends, CBX’s CMO Dustin Longstreth to discuss their perspectives from opposite vantage points and answer: <em>In the world of food, how do you think small when you’re big…and how do you go big when you’re small?</em>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Dustin: \"There is a paradox happening, big brands having to act small because small competitors are fiercely coming after them. It’s death by a thousand cuts.\"</strong></p>\r\nThe conversation kicked off with Noha addressing her pre-Peeled days. Prior to starting her company, she worked at a conglomerate that made products across categories. Interestingly, she mentioned interacting with food scientists in a lab that stated, in reference to the “foods” they were creating, that they “wouldn’t eat this stuff.” While at its inception, these “foods” might have been quality products, as each year progressed, engineering them to be more cost-effective was the recurring pattern with increasingly less consideration towards quality. Her experiences led to her lightbulb of an idea to create healthy, natural and importantly, real snacks.\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Noha: “When I started Peeled Snacks, people didn’t understand what I was saying. For instance, they didn’t know there was a difference between added sugar versus real sugar from fruit.”</strong></p>\r\n</blockquote>\r\nWhen she introduced Peeled Snacks back in 2005, it was just the beginning of more health-conscious eating attitudes. We forget that not long ago, items like Cheez Whiz where routinely featured at the forefront of the supermarket. While we believe this might have to do with <a href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/15/millennials-like-small-food-companies-but-big-brands-arent-dead--yet.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a certain generation</a> (and their mindset when it comes to brand values and money spent towards experiences,), both Dustin and Noha agreed the uptick in higher quality products was clearly reflective of the shift in consumers desiring more socially-conscious and purpose-driven brands. And bigger food conglomerates acted, and are continuing to act accordingly.\r\n\r\nBeloved “small” brands we’ve come to know and love such as <a href=\"https://www.kindsnacks.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kind Snacks</a> and <a href=\"http://www.annies.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Annie’s</a> are no longer independently owned. The rise of these acquisitions are due to these companies understanding the shift and realizing their abilities to leverage their infrastructure to support these growing companies. Noha stated for a company like Peeled, which is still independently owned, that this is exciting for her as bigger budgets, operational capabilities and people are dedicating themselves to scoping out companies like hers. She maintains that savvier consumers nowadays demand trust from brands they consume which may be harder to cultivate from the ground up with bigger brands. The key with seeking out a smaller brand to align with is commonly shared roots and values that the consumer will then feel comes from a more authentic place.\r\n\r\nHowever, when a small company goes “big,” what happens to the culture? Dustin raised this issue as this is often a challenge CBX tackles for many of the brands we work with- how to maintain a bespoke culture while scaling. From the perspective of a smaller company, Noha was adamant that a successful company needed a mission aligned and driven purpose her employees understood and got behind. She brought up Peeled’s unique offer of additionally compensating her employees with stock options, as she truly wanted people to literally, feel part of the company.\r\n\r\nThe pattern of conversation seemed to follow that as companies grew, their behavior needed to harken that of much smaller, agile and employee-conscious brands, leading Dustin to ask, “Is the era of mega brands over?’ Our observation on the numerous grocer brands we work with, is that we’ve noticed the growing power of those brands at the perimeter of the stores, less so the center. The prevailing mentality of the consumer is the desire to <em>discover</em> within the store, or as Dustin put it, “Help <em>me</em> find <em>you</em>.” Because of this new mindset, the competition amongst both big and small brands to stand out on shelf and connect with the consumer is much more fierce. For a brand like Peeled, Noha stated that maintaining differentiation through a consistent stream of conversation with their consumers, specifically through digital channels like social media allows them to remain competitive.\r\n\r\nThe conversation wrapped with a Q&amp;A session with audience members for Noha:\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Q: As a smaller brand without a lot of capital, what drives your decision-making?</strong></em>\r\n\r\nNoha: It has to be more qualitative than quantitative. As a smaller company, we don’t have the time to do long drawn out studies, layers of committee or board members to go through or as much money for R&amp;D. We behave more agile for instance, innovating around what we discover at trade shows or teaming up with an array of partners.\r\n\r\n<em><strong>Q: Trends such as kale and charcoal have usurped the market lately. Do you believe consumers or brands are dictating this?</strong></em>\r\n\r\nNoha: Brands have some of the power but not all of it. I learned early that that brands alone can’t change the conversation, it requires many and much bigger parties. Peeled was one of the first brands to put “No added sugar” as a call out on our labels but everything didn’t change because of us. That involved government intervention about educating consumers on what this meant; additionally, doctors, nutritionists, retailers also had to get on board. Power comes in numbers and when many brands get together to try to make a change, grocers listen. Its less about a sole product but more “portfolio” based thinking. We’ve come to understand the importance of having really strong competitors because strong players make a strong impression and you can make a bigger impact when you’re not just a product, but also a category.\r\n\r\nThe importance of <strong>product</strong> differentiation, <strong>brand</strong> equity, and a strong business <strong>culture</strong> were the key takeaways of the night. A steadfast conviction in your unique product offer, and maintaining its integrity and quality as your company grows is a non-negotiatible –especially at a time when competition is so fierce. Ensuring your brand value is clear, both internally and externally, is integral; a company needs to focus on being purpose-driven so its activities aren’t dictated by fleeting trends or shaky markets but instead continually contribute towards what the company wants to stand for. To do this, it must create an infrastructure where a strong culture is cultivated with its talent truly understanding and feeling part of the company’s growth and well-being. Whether it be offering stock options like Peeled or creating other ways for employees to feel invested in the company, the old ways of employee engagement and interaction are no longer relevant especially as younger generations increasingly crave values from their employers similar to their own.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Introducing #StraightTalk', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1085-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1085, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1085-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1306, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271797755263.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-672\" title=\"JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JasonH_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271797755263.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Jason H.\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-499\" title=\"ipad-cart\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/ipad-cart.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"447\" height=\"333\" />\n\nFull disclosure: I don’t get the iPad.  I am an early adopter, tech-savvy creative type who used to worship exclusively at the <a href=\"http://www.apple.com/\">Altar of Jobs</a> AND does not froth at the mouth like so many of my ilk.  I won’t go into it here, but I am pretty much in line with Jeff Jarvis’ <a href=\"http://bit.ly/bKkuG6\">blog entry</a> on the subject.\n\nAs someone who spends his day thinking about retail and brands though, I am fascinated.  All my colleagues in media saw the (obvious) opportunities for them and had one pre-launch.  But I think there is an opportunity here for those of us who build brands and ask people to shop in our stores.  As brand creators and marketers, it’s our job to tell a story that drives awareness and creates engagement.  Check—no new news there.  Assuming the iPad (AND <a href=\"http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/06/the-hp-slate/\">HP Slate</a> AND <a href=\"http://gizmodo.com/5514989/google-preparing-ipad-rival\">Google Tablet</a>) are harbingers of a sea change in how we consume media and interact with the world, we have a clear need to be on that platform in full force.\n\nThese 1st gen devices signal the arrival of “Interactive TV.”  No longer an elusive chimera tethered to a remote, the multi-touch tablet revolution will allow us to interact with content in a way that TV producers have pitched, since I had a <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_%28platform%29\">Newton</a>, but have never been able to fulfill.  What shoes is Serena wearing?  Tap them, find out and get three options to buy them.  What else happens in the Biggest Loser house when I am not watching (carry it with you 24/7 to know and learn more about their sponsors).  It’s like the promise of the web with a natural input device (your fingers) and extreme portability to boot.\n\nIt gets even more fun in-store as the ultimate retail tool (especially when the cheaper version with a camera comes out in the spring).  Put it on a stand and it’s interactive signage.  Attach it to a cart and it’s a navigation and promotion aid.  Hand it to a salesperson and they can show you all the different styles, check inventory, show you how it would look on you (need the camera though, right?) and check you out.  It makes even bricks and mortar retail personal, customizable and interactive.  It’s a consumption device today, and as a computer geek, it bums me out.  But as humanity ultimately asserts itself, let’s all look out for how it can make our commercial experiences in the real world more personal and more fun.', 'iPad Bites Man', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '927-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 927, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/927-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1307, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'Marvel’s new Iron Man will be called…Ironheart. Well done, Marvel. You could have taken the well-worn and clichéd path for naming female superheroes by calling Riri, the new female hero wearing the iron suit, Iron Woman or Iron Maiden. And while my heavy metal heart may secretly yearn to see Iron Man (a well known Black Sabbath song) together with a hard rocking reference like Iron Maiden, Ironheart bounds over old-fashioned naming conventions and soars into the future.\r\nIronheart is a name that focuses on the history and soul of the franchise over gender—after all, Tony Stark first put on the iron suit to save his heart and Marvel indicates that Riri will also put it on for not-yet-disclosed heart-related reasons. A gender-neutral name like Ironheart says, this is a superhero. A gendered name like IronWoman would say, this a girl superhero. The implication being this is a franchise designed for a female audience only. By avoiding un-necessarily gendered naming, Marvel signals to a new generation of boys and girls that we can all look up to female superheroes.\r\n\r\nNow if only other brands would take Marvel’s cue. Ahem, I’m looking at you Bic Pens for Her and Forbes Woman.', 'Ironheart: Vanquisher of Pointlessly Gendered Names', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1067-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1067, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1067-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1308, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'I\'ve recently become all-too familiar with Kickstarter since the recent launch of my boyfriend’s campaign for his brand, <a href=\"https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anglero/the-dream-hoodie\" target=\"_blank\">The Dream Hoodie</a>. His goal was to raise enough funds (using a flagship product) to incorporate the company, develop more product samples and get a website up and running.\r\nTo the untrained observer, the process seems pretty simple: make a video, fill out some information about your project and share the living daylights out of the campaign (with every human you\'ve ever interacted with… since your pre-school teacher). Because I wanted to be a good boyfriend, not to mention the fact that  I make my living as a marketer, I became his Kickstarter partner-in-crime.\r\n\r\nWe did a lot of research on what makes a successful crowdfunding campaign and learned a lot along the way. Here are my key takeaways:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. You aren\'t just launching a product, you’re launching a brand:</strong>\r\nOn Kickstarter, you need to create a video and a website. After an initial first crack at writing copy, we realized that in order to succeed, we needed to take a step backwards and figure out our purpose – what was our reason for existing in peoples’ lives? Technically, we were just selling a product but in reality, also introducing a new brand. We realized that while some people would give just because they liked us, more of our network needed a real reason to believe. Our true task was to first create a brand, then sell the product.\r\n\r\nOnce the brand foundation was set, we were able to start developing copy for the website, a script for the video and supporting imagery for online communication.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. You must do a LOT of planning before launching a campaign:</strong>\r\nWe\'ve all heard about the $1 million+ campaigns. Recently, for example, crowdfunders donated a million bucks to get LeVar Burton back on TV doing “Reading Rainbow” (a personal childhood favorite). But most of these high-dollar campaigns have something else going on. “Reading Rainbow” was a success because it made people nostalgic for their childhoods (and had a huge celebrity endorser).\r\n\r\nIt’s a different ball game if you are just a regular person trying to start a personal campaign because you have to appeal to a new and wide audience. It\'s true that the people you know will make up the bulk of your pledges, but you must do some serious legwork if you want to be successful. We found that having a PR strategy BEFORE launching the campaign was an incredibly useful tool. My advice: have a press release ready to go, and line up bloggers and news contacts to be prepared for the campaign’s launch. And again, you have got to be clear on what your brand is all about and why consumers should care about it, ahead of the launch.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Prepare yourself for a new, full-time job:</strong>\r\nNot only does it take a boatload of time to prepare for the launch, but once you launch, it becomes your life. You are a human, social media-and email-marketing-5 texts-a-minute machine. People will be constantly asking questions and you have to respond in real time.\r\n\r\nThe bottom line is that it takes more work than you would think to launch and successfully fund a Kickstarter campaign. It is essential that you start by developing more than just a product but a brand idea, and have clearly defined why it should exist in people’s lives. Be prepared to use a language and tone online and in-person communications that are consistent with the brand message you are trying to convey. Have the time and resources set aside to properly handle the set-up and preparation time, along with the active pledge period.\r\n\r\nI\'m proud to say we did get funded in the end, and that the total funds came in just hours before the pledge period was over. After that, my boyfriend and I definitely needed the Dream Hoodie to relax and escape (and about a gallon of vodka).', 'Is it really that easy to raise money on Kickstarter?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1018-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1018, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1018-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1309, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'SoulCycle, Reebok, Equinox… Oh, My!\r\nSo New Year’s came and went—as did our resolutions. I think we can all begrudgingly confess to having put more gym time on our lists. It’s the redheaded stepchild of all resolutions. Most loathe the thought of including it but feel obligated to anyway. Yet, year after year, while resolutions have stayed the same, the gyms have changed.\r\n\r\nIn New York City—a place once synonymous with prohibition, Studio 54, Times Square strip clubs and overall indulgence—gyms were a rarity. Today, they’re no longer just for the fitness obsessed. They say more about us than Facebook, LinkedIn or OkCupid.\r\n\r\nChoosing a gym is about as personal as choosing a doctor or church. No longer just an experiential brand, gyms have become your personal brand. They shape how you wake up in the morning and how you go to bed at night. You loathe it. You love it. You pay your dues. And you keep coming back.\r\n\r\nWhen I first moved to NYC as a naïve, spirited and broke college grad, I envied those who held the magical card that granted them access through the glamorous entryways of Equinox, Health &amp; Racquet, Reebok Club and Soho House. My options, however, based solely on price, were limited to New York Sports Club (which was still a stretch), Crunch, and Boom. And naïve, I was—opting for a yearlong membership to New York Sports Club.\r\n\r\nYears later, due to stubborn loyalty, I’m still a member. It might be because New York Sports Club is the Starbucks of all gyms—I can’t go 10 blocks without one at my disposal. Or, maybe I feel like I’ve devoted too much of my time to the brand to give it up. Whatever the reason, my loyalty today is more questionable than ever. Boutique gyms are popping up everywhere. And not just their retail spaces but their cult-like followings, stylish apparel and social prestige.\r\n\r\nSoul Cycle, with its exclusive classes, bags, t-shirts, and general coolness, and CrossFit, with its warehouse-style, invite-only hardcore sessions, are two of many. Even Lululemon, which has in-store classes, pop-up sessions, and their  ‘Shit Yogis Say’ YouTube channel, is giving me second thoughts on my blind devotion. Yes, I may just want to be a yogi, but is it too late?\r\n\r\nWhat’s clear at NYSC is their lack of tribe. Rarely do I meet someone gushing about the gym or wearing branded apparel. NYSC doesn’t seem to get that gyms are no longer just a place to sweat—they’re now a social venue, as shown by Equinox’s cafes and Crunch’s quirky dance classes. Reebok, once exclusively a sneaker and apparel brand, now stands for NYC gym exclusivity and <a href=\"http://reebok.sportsclubla.com/services\" target=\"_blank\">offers use of its unique Paul Labrecque Salon &amp; Spa</a>. Even less pricey gyms like Planet Fitness understand the “new gym normal.” Its rec<a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/business/media/planet-fitness-sheds-aspirational-approach.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">ent ad campaign mocks fitness crazed folk</a> and totes its “judgment-free zone.”\r\n\r\nSo, what does this mean for us? Whether spinning, lifting tires, pole dancing or yoga is your thing, there’s a gym for you. But remember, choose wisely.', 'It’s a jungle gym out there', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '964-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 964, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/964-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1310, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<img class=\"size-full wp-image-678\" title=\"Christina Papale_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Christina-Papale_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271798258107.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /> By Christina P.\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-577\" title=\"JCrewarticle pict\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JCrewarticle-pict.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" />\n\nTimex® … Redwing® … Levi’s® … quintessentially American brands that in their current state fall within a spectrum of relevancy.  They all have the polish (or valuable tarnish) that age gives them.  And J.CREW is banking on it with a co-branding strategy that rehashes classic items—hence, brands—nearly from the dead to pepper its own brand with a skewed, vintage authenticity that actually (gulp) works.\n\nJ.CREW may not own 100 years of brand cache or iconic pieces built into the American lexicon, but they know their audience well.  By exclusively reissuing classic apparel and accessories from here and across the pond—hello Belstaff® and Baracuta®—J.CREW is post-modernly celebrating the borrow with a bizarrely fresh “In Good Company” collection.\n\nMaybe you’ll fall in love with the reissued pieces, or maybe you’ll fall for J.CREW’s oddly charming and transparent brand honesty.  There’s never been a more authentic approach at something so completely inauthentic.', 'J. CREW says it&#039;s the company you keep', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '926-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 926, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/926-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1311, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-727\" title=\"lucienv2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lucien E.</p><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-254\" title=\"JambaMenu\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/JambaMenu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"121\" /></p>\nWell, I certainly didn’t expect this. There is a line out the door.\n\nI can tell upon approach that the store is quite small in size but there are about 10 people waiting outside? on the street? for Jamba Juice? It’s 52 degrees right now! I’m a little taken aback. This particular location is right in the heart of white collar Midtown Manhattan, so everywhere you look guys in drab poorly fitting suits and women in unimaginative careerwear are flitting about with impressive speed and steely resolve. We are squarely within the confines of the lunch hour. So this quantity, this surfeit of people might be a little deceptive. I make a note to come back later in the afternoon.\n\nAfter a few minutes, I finally make it inside the door and take in the Jamba Juice story in all its finery. First impressions: not impressed. Orange is the base color for everything, but it’s the shade of orange you’re more likely to see in a penitentiary, on actual prisoners. The guts of the operation i.e. the juicers and raw materials, as well as the cleaning supplies are out in the open for everyone to see. It is cramped in here. And it is loud. The juicers are going at aircraft carrier volume. The staff are moving at a mildly frenzied pace.\n\nThere are, suprisingly, more men than women in line currently. 2 to 1 ratio at least. The menu is, well. vast. And very confusingly laid out. It’s an elaborate task trying to pick out individual items from the board, I order a ‘Pomegranate Pick-me-up.’ Mostly because its the longest flavor name in the ‘Jamba Classics’ section and stands out the most. I don’t even like Pomegranate. I get to add a ‘boost’ to my chosen smoothie. The free ones are pretty standard: calcium, daily vitamin, immunity, energy. The ones that warrant a 50 cent premium include the decidely virile ‘weight burner’  and ‘3G Charger’ super boost. I choose the ‘Heart Happy’ boost, because really who wants an unhappy heart? Unlucky-in-love Jennifer Aniston should add ‘Heart Happy’ boosts in everything she eats. It really couldn’t hurt.\n\nAs I walk out I notice the line outside has gotten bigger. The smoothie is pretty good.\n\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em>Have you got a Jamba story to tell? Please share them with us by posting a comment.</em></span>\n\n<ins datetime=\"2010-03-23T18:59:15+00:00\"></ins>', 'Jamba Juice 1st Day', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '837-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 837, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/837-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1312, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-727\" title=\"lucienv2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lucien E.</p><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-324\" title=\"Jamba_Razzmatazz2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Jamba_Razzmatazz.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" /></p>\nThere are only two customers in front of me this afternoon. One of them is a personal trainer type. You can always tell by the bald head and the fancy sneakers. And the t-shirt that says ‘trainer’ on it. This particular gentleman even had a Jamba loyalty card.\n\nSince its not so busy at this hour, I have time to really study the menu. And it...it is just too much. There’s too much stuff on there. The Jamba Juice menu as it stands today a RIOT of words and rubrics and product descriptions and flavors and calorie information and promotional deals and fonts. Unless you have a regular smoothie you always get, you are guaranteed to spend a solid 3-4 minutes taking in all this in order to having the slightest hope of making an informed and deliciously refreshing decision. The staff while unfailingly polite are not particularly fluent in the Jamba Juice vocabulary either i.e. ‘Hi. Can you tell me what’s in a Razzmatazz?’ “Um...not...sure let me ask a manager.”\n\nI’ve fallen prey to the post-lunch but not quite quitting-time doldrums and am definitely in the mood for a pick me up. I notice an item under the ‘Creamy Treats’ section of the menu called ‘Matcha Green Tea Blast’. I notice specifically that this item promises an avalance of antioxidants and more a-propos, 75mg of straight caffeine! (a can of RedBull has 80mg). This is perfect. I might just levitate back to my office after that. While waiting for my order I notice a prominent display of MightyLeaf brand tea products available for purchase.\n\nGet my order, take a sip and as I walk out, fully expecting to be blasting off any moment, I quickly realize I am not terribly pleased with the flavor profile. It’s the soy milk. I am the picture of vexation.\n\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em>Have you got a Jamba story to tell? Please share them with us by posting a comment.</em></span>', 'Jamba Juice 2nd Day', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '838-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 838, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/838-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1313, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-727\" title=\"lucienv2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lucien E.</p><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-337 aligncenter\" title=\"Jamba_Oatmeal\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Untitled-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"544\" height=\"305\" /></p>\nI’m switching it up today. Headed down to Bryant Park to see if the Jamba consumer demographics change depending on location.\n\nBryant Park is of course right across from the terrifying Condé Nast building, home of the skinniest, blondest and highest-heeled ladies on Earth. Would any of them dare show their expensively dewey faces in a Jamba Juice? The answer is no. No, they wouldn’t. At least not today. There are lots of tourists in this location. I discern several different languages being spoken. And even though I cannot understand what most of their speakers are saying, the body language betrays an unmistakable befuddlement: “Was ist die Coldbuster??” That notwithstanding, they are doing brisk business here. Brisk.\n\nI try the steel-cut Blueberry/Blackberry oatmeal with the brown sugar crumble. It’s not bad, but again with the soy milk? Ah, it’s not bad though.\nGood sized portion for the money. And more filling than you would expect. I didn’t feel hungry for the next several hours.\n\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em>Have you got a Jamba story to tell? Please share them with us by posting a comment.</em></span>', 'Jamba Juice 3rd Day', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '839-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 839, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/839-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1314, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-727\" title=\"lucienv2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lucien E.</p><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-290 aligncenter\" title=\"jamba-flatbread\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/jamba-juice-california-flatbread2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"355\" /></p>\nJamba Juice has made a big deal out of their food menu and I wanted to get involved, see if tasted good and made sense. There are pretzels, mini cakes, cookies and California Flatbreads®. All pretty standard except for the latter which i quickly decided to try my luck with.\n\nThe serving box for the Flatbreads is tiny. The size of a CD. Maybe. And at $4 a pop, it begged many questions, the main one being “Are you kidding?”\nThese flatbreads are laden with fanciness however. In fact, each of the 4 flatbreads features no less than 5 different ingredients, ranging from diced artichoke hearts (in the Tomo Artichoko) to smokehouse roasted corn (in the Smokehouse Chicken) to Mediterranean-style grilled zucchini (in the inexcusably named MediterraneYUM). I asked one of the staff members what exactly made these flatbreads ‘Californian’ and was met with smile and a delightfully candid: “Sir, I have no idea...I-I’ve never been to California.”\n\nI got the MediterraneYUM primarily because I was appalled by the name and wanted to tear into it vengefully, as well as an Apple Cinnamon pretzel. A quick spin in the heating contraption thingy behind the register and $6 later, off I went. There is no seating at all in this Jamba Juice by the way. And it is empty a little after 5pm and they’re open until 7pm. Business must taper off significantly after lunchtime.\n\nThe Apple Cinnamon pretzel is nice and soft, not a ton of flavor but its decent. The California Flatbreads is, alas, betrayal personified. You will eat the thing in no more than 3 bites! All the toppings are mashed together in a paste/spread type consistency. I didn’t mind the taste, it was better than I expected actually, but the portion to price ratio is nothing short of extortionist.\n\n<em><strong>\n</strong></em>\n\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em>Have you got a Jamba story to tell? Please share them with us by posting a comment.</em></span>', 'Jamba Juice 4th Day', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '840-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 840, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/840-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1315, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-727\" title=\"lucienv2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lucien E.</p><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-305\" title=\"Jamba_?\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Jamba-3.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"360\" height=\"360\" /></p>\nJamba Juice uses lots of organic ingredients. This is good. Consumer continue to clamor for those. Some of their smoothie offerings are sweetened with Splenda. This is also good. They are all concentrated in a category called ‘Jamba Light.’\n\nThe wheat grass patch used to make those horrible tasting wheat grass shots is still there, and people, to my infinite consternation continue to order them (there is nothing so objectionable as a wheat grass shot, there just isn’t).\n\nAs is the 4 foot tall metal juicer, filled with mashed and discarded rinds and other matter. Its not appealing but there it is right behind the counter.\nFor a company that proclaims to be a unique ‘experience,’ this is a disappointing sight.\n\nBut overall, I enjoyed Jamba Juice Week. Despite the insipid cramped store layout, lack of seating, and ambient loudness, Jamba Juice offers good tasting, reasonably priced, healthy, filling options for lunch or a quick snack at various points throughout the day. No small feat.\n\nStill and all, their recent emphasis on the food service portion of their operations begs a supplemental question, namely “What are the implications of keeping the word ‘Juice’ in the name? The brand stands for much more than Juice now. The holding company is already called Jamba, Inc. Can a name truncation/modification, successfully performed by brands such as Fedex (from Federal Express), KFC (from Kentucky Fried Chicken) nationwide and The Hut (currently being tested in several markets by Pizza Hut) be far behind?\n\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em>Have you got a Jamba story to tell? Please share them with us by posting a comment.</em></span>', 'Jamba Juice 5th Day', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '841-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 841, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/841-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1316, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'When you’re born, you’re given two things: a smack on the butt and a name. Whether you like it or not, that name is forever a part of your identity. And while we may like to think that our name bears no part in defining who we are, how we act and what we do; truthfully I don’t believe that’s entirely true. Have you ever heard something like this before?\r\n“She looks like a Becky.”\r\n“Really? She looks more like a Courtney to me.”\r\n\r\nWhile I can’t speak for everyone, I know that I’m guilty of it. By nature, humans lean towards association. We want to connect dots and make sense of the world around us. That’s what leads us to taking those ridiculous <a href=\"http://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/what-does-your-name-say-about-your-love-life#.fp8vOywx2j\" target=\"_blank\">quizzes</a> and watching <a href=\"http://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/gentle-lucases#.mvbN65yQgd\" target=\"_blank\">videos</a> that try to explain how our names impact our personalities.\r\n\r\nWhen you see a little baby called James, doesn’t that feel a little off? To me, ‘James’ is associated with power and presence, not cute and precious. It feels wrong for a baby. So, we nickname baby James to baby Jimmy. But then what about when baby Jimmy grows up and becomes adult Jimmy? Adults need to be taken seriously, to shed the baby fat of childhood, so baby Jimmy transitions to grown up James where he’ll likely remain.\r\n\r\nIn a similar vein, brands can have nicknames of their own. PricewaterhouseCoopers, a truly global institution with a name full of prestige often goes by the much more approachable nickname PwC. The names can be used interchangeably depending on the situation. While PwC might be the name of choice when recruiting college students on campus, take a moment to browse the latest news reports they’re cited in. The vast majority refers to PwC by their formal name, PricewaterhouseCoopers. When the name is shortened to PwC, it loses that same sense of power you felt just as it was with Jimmy and James.\r\n\r\nSometimes, it’s not just a nickname that informs an identity. Sometimes, it’s the pronunciation altogether.\r\n\r\nMy name is Ankur, pronounced “un-koor.” Like most kids with foreign names, I’ve had my name butchered beyond recognition: anchor and acorn most notably. Eventually I grew sick of it. Educating people on the correct pronunciation became too painful, so I now introduce myself as “encore,” a mispronunciation that I have come to love. When asked my name I’d say “It’s Encore, like ‘encore, encore!’” and what started as a way to get around incorrect pronunciations turned into a core part of my very own personal brand. I wasn’t Ankur the little Indian boy; I was Encore the fun kid down the block.\r\n\r\nMispronouncing brand names can have an equally powerful effect on their meaning. I’m an avid Target shopper. I love the deals, the bright colors and the fantastic ads they put out. It’s also the closest superstore in relation to my University. I don’t shop at Target because of its prestige; I shop there because it’s cheap and convenient. Where I’m from, it’s a common joke to switch the pronunciation of Target to “tar-jay.” Suddenly, Target no longer seems like a discount brand, it is said with the same air of superiority as any other luxury brand (jokingly, of course). A slight switch in pronunciation can drastically impact the perception of a brand, just as it did for my name.\r\n\r\nOwn your name. It’s part of who you are. And maybe think twice before naming your kid “Sauerkraut Applebottoms” because who knows what that’ll mean for their future identity.', 'James > Jimmy > James > ?!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1048-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1048, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1048-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1317, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'I love James Bond movies. All of them. Even the bad ones (think anything with Denise Richards or Tanya Roberts). And I have now done something either completely horrible—or fantastic and empowering—by introducing my tween daughters to Bond. We have been trolling the catalog together on Friday nights.\nAnd so it was to my horror that I found myself completely unable to name a whole swath of Bond films, despite the fact that I have probably seen each and every one of them five times or more.\n\nThere were the films that jumped to mind quickly:\n•    <em>Goldfinger</em>\n•    <em>Octopussy</em>\n•    <em>Moonraker</em> (yes, I know, horrible)\n•    <em>Diamonds are Forever</em>\n•    <em>Casino Royale</em>\n•    Even On <em>Her Majesty’s Secret Service</em> (you know, the one with the Bond actor no one can ever remember – it’s George Lazenby, BTW)\n\nAnd then there were the films I just couldn’t call up, although I had the vague recollection that they each had the words Live, Die or Tomorrow somewhere in the title. I even struggled with the recent Daniel Craig offering, <em>Quantum of Solace</em>. I mean, seriously, if you’re going to go there, why not just call it <a href=\"http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spooky_action_at_a_distance\" target=\"_blank\">Spooky Action at a Distance</a>?\n\nThe difference for me between the memorable and the less memorable is imagery. The Bond titles with words that sparked imagery, creating visual cues, simply stuck better. The highly generic and abstract titles, ones that don’t intuitively connect to an image, or even a sensation, are simply less memorable—less sticky.\n\nThis lesson is not new, but it is one that bears repeating. As marketers we often wade into our naming, copy and other verbal communications with high order ideas, and we use lots of abstract language to get them across. And it is a particular danger in the world of B2B.\n\nSo what is a brand to do?\n\n<strong>First off, talk like a human being</strong>. Imagine that you are talking to another person, not broadcasting a message out to the world.\n\n<strong>Use simple language</strong>.  I love big words. But save “peripatetic,” “precipitous” and “pernicious” for your diary.\n\n<strong>Finally, use imagery – create a mental picture</strong>. Don’t be afraid to use metaphors or similes that connect to the tangible world to help bring your ideas to life.\n\nA quick example: I recently saw a new product offering from Xerox called <a href=\"https://www.mybenefitwallet.com/\" target=\"_blank\">BenefitWallet</a>, a tool to help people manage multiple health accounts. The name does a nice job of leveraging an imagistic metaphor, the wallet, to help communicate that the product is going to help organize things and be intuitive and simple. I’m just guessing here, but this is no doubt going to be stickier than “Health Aggregator,” “SimpliHealth” or any of the other more abstract, on-strategy names that Xerox could have developed.\n\nNow, that is not to say that there aren’t other tools that can be used to create memorability—sometimes sound or other disruptive elements can really help a name or an idea break through. But imagery is a great tool to have in the toolbox. So go forth and be imagistic. And definitely watch <em>You Only Live Twice</em>, even though it has a hard-to-remember name.', 'James Bond and the Power of Imagery', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '990-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 990, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/990-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1318, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Rick-Fox_blog_thumb_nb-e1271798170415.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-676\" title=\"Rick Fox_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Rick-Fox_blog_thumb_nb-e1271798170415.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Rick F.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Beattles-RF1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1293\" title=\"Beattles RF\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Beattles-RF1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"380\" /></a>\n\nBrand names have the ability to transform everyday commodities into sought after, premium-priced luxuries. Or, they can destroy the value of an otherwise rather useful product. My recent <a href=\"../?p=1024\">posting about BP</a> tries to prove the latter.\n\nEveryone knows and loves <a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT6325bmcsQ\">the Beatles</a>. If they don’t, they are lying. However, the Beatles would have been significantly less popular had their beloved drummer Ringo been relegated to his given name of Richard. Or worse, if they’d kept <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Best\">Pete Best</a> around. The Ringo brand name added significant value to the group, distinguishing the band’s image, and later, solidifying its legacy. Ringo gave the Beatles a comedic point of difference; he even wore four rings on each hand to reinforce this positioning.\n\nJUST FOR FUN: (Who can name all of the Rolling Stones? Really interesting here, guys: Mick (twice), Keith, Brian, Charlie, oh and Bill…and Ron. Real zany bunch of blokes, don’t you think?)\n\nTiger Woods, whose brand <a href=\"../?p=519\">I also touched upon</a>, owes much of his initial popularity to his name as well. When he gained traction in 1996, my 11-year-old self was enamored more with his signature “Tiger” head cover than his talent. <a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Tiger-Woods-2008-Buick-Invitational.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1298 alignright\" title=\"Tiger Woods - 2008 Buick Invitational\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Tiger-Woods-2008-Buick-Invitational.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"180\" /></a>\n\nI will even throw my name into this discussion. Introducing myself always as “Rick Fox” has been much more memorable and differentiating than just “Rick.” A hearer’s inevitable confusion with a <a href=\"http://www.rickfox.com/\">championship basketball player</a> doesn’t hurt, either.\n\nJUST FOR FUN: (Visit <a href=\"http://www.rickfox.com/\">www.rickfox.com</a> and <a href=\"http://www.theotherrickfox.com/\">www.theotherrickfox.com</a>)\n\nOK, let’s dig a little bit deeper, still. The recent debate surrounding the “<a href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20014737-503544.html\">Ground Zero Mosque</a>” is more an exercise in branding than it is anything else. The proposed building is neither a Mosque nor is it at Ground Zero. It is evident that an Islamic Cultural Center built in the Financial District would push less paper than the current media-preferred nomenclature.\n\nAnother interesting example was last week’s <em>New York Times</em> article stating that <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/18gehrig.html\">Lou Gehrig probably didn’t have Lou Gehrig’s disease</a>. What? How can A.L.S. garner the same support without the association of a famous ball player’s touching story?\n\nOh, and in closing, just a friendly reminder that Madison Square Garden is nowhere near Madison Square Park.', 'John, Paul, George and … Richard? What a name can do for you!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '847-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 847, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/847-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1319, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4274\" title=\"David_Horowits\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/David_Horowits.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" />\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4258\" title=\"edd460\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/edd460.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"460\" height=\"276\" />\r\n\r\nThis week I visited “50 Books, 50 Covers,” the AIGA’s annual exhibition of the year’s best book design that explicitly challenges the familiar expression “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Of all the product packaging I buy, there’s none I notice, appreciate and enjoy more than the packaging of a book. A book’s packaging—its cover, as well as binding, paper, typeface, and ink—have always been part of how books communicate their message. And when well executed, it can capture, express, elevate, interpret, and enliven the contents within.\r\nAt its finest, a book cover is actually the first “interpretation” that the reader encounters of the author’s work, and it provide clues to the setting, the character personalities, mood, and themes he or she finds within. But, you ask….aren’t physical books dead?\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4245 alignleft\" title=\"DavidH_cover1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DavidH_cover1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"178\" />It’s true that as e-readers proliferate and the percentage of books bought and read digitally increases, we do and will continue to own and read fewer paper books. Ironically, the digital transmutation of the publishing world may end up creating a niche for the book-as-object, as paper books appear to us less as commodities and become more elevated, creative and cherished art forms. As a result, publishers, authors and artists will be challenged to push the boundaries of book design in new and exciting directions. Below are several of my favorite covers from the AIGA exhibition, ones that hint at the ways publishers and designers are already addressing the challenge to give printed books a renewed beauty, meaning and relevance:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4249\" title=\"DavidH_cover2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DavidH_cover2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"138\" height=\"209\" /> <img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4250\" title=\"DavidH_cover3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DavidH_cover3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"138\" height=\"209\" /> <img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4251\" title=\"DavidH_cover4\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DavidH_cover4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"148\" height=\"198\" />\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4252\" title=\"DavidH_cover5\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DavidH_cover5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"154\" height=\"197\" /> <img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4253\" title=\"DavidH_cover6\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DavidH_cover6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"123\" height=\"185\" />\r\n\r\nMoving forward, the physical books we own and read will work harder in transforming their content into fully immersive visual, spatial and tactile experiences. They will become more cherished objects and more intimate expressions of our identity.\r\n\r\nI actually think this is a very exciting time for book design. One visit to the AIGA exhibit and you’ll see just how promising the future is, and what a unique challenge awaits the designers, authors and readers of actual, physical books.', 'Judging a Book By Its Cover', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '915-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 915, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/915-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1320, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4823\" title=\"Meg_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Meg_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" /> \r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4594\" title=\"100207_sex01_400X400\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/100207_sex01_400X4001.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"460\" height=\"337\" />\r\n\r\nI’m a classic Gen X’er: a latchkey kid turned cynical parent. One comforting constant of my past (make fun of me, please) is TV. I just love it all, from PBS to USA. Thankfully, a little goes a long way for me these days.\r\n\r\nWhen I click past MTV, wanting so much to ‘get it’, it occurs to me that I’ll be turning 45 next year and slowly becoming obsolete, at least culturally speaking. Heck, even looking at the top songs on iTunes, I only recognize half and choose to listen to 70’s love songs instead, a true indulgence.\r\n\r\nSo, it begs the question: Just how generational is culture?\r\n\r\nAs one example, I look to HBO’s passing of the mantle from Candace Bushnell - \"Sex and the City\" - to Lena Dunham - \"Girls\". While both shows recount the trials and tribulations of four women living in NYC, the similarities end there. Or do they? It’s no secret that \"Sex and the City\" is a classic Gen X vehicle. All a bit edgy, not quick to trust but quick to judge. <img class=\"size-full wp-image-4598 alignleft\" title=\"hbo-s-girls-is-the-best-new-tv-show-of-2012-470x313\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/hbo-s-girls-is-the-best-new-tv-show-of-2012-470x313.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"465\" height=\"308\" />\r\n\r\nWith <a href=\" http://www.hbo.com/girls/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Girls</a>\", the characters seem like vessels for a broader cultural account of what it means to be a Millennial (spoken from the POV of a Gen X so please, take it with a grain of salt). A strong sense of narcissism is at play in \"Girls\", but these characters are younger by comparison, too – twentysomethings to the largely thirtysomethings of \"Sex and the City\". As a result, they are on a steeper learning curve. More entertaining for us, more challenging for them. And unlike \"Sex and the City\", these girls appear to come from a more exclusive monied world and have connections (in real life as well FYI), so their egos seem stronger, less afraid of failure.\r\n\r\nWhen <a href=\"http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/movies/27sex.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_moc.semityn.seivom\" target=\"_blank\">\"Sex and the City 2</a>\" came out, it flopped on many levels. The franchise had clearly lost its steam and the glitzy, gold-laden world they lived in seemed like a fairy tale that stung like an insulting slap to the face amid a recession that still lingers to this day. They were not lockstep with culture, something so important to us at CBX as we work diligently to retain brand relevance for our clients. \"Girls\" fills that cultural void with a hyper reality of grit and mistakes, STD’s and leechy husbands. They celebrate the desperation of their lives instead of hiding it. With \"Sex and the City\", there was a sense of embarrassment to their struggles, a posturing of sorts. Is it too much of a leap to say \"Girls\" is the post-recessionary \"Sex and the City\"? Culture is a mirror; we see realities whether we want to or not.\r\n\r\nDo I relate? Sure, a bit. Am I entertained? Most definitely.\r\n\r\nIt is important not only to know your audience’s stats but what makes them tick. We have a definition for culture here at CBX: where motivations and opportunity fuse in mass behavior. Only once we understand consumer need and what is culturally satisfying that need do we see how to fill the void. This void does not begin and end with demographics  but lies along a spectrum of emotion that helps tell a much deeper and interesting brand story.', 'Just How Generational is Culture? From &quot;Sex and the City&quot; to &quot;Girls&quot;', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '943-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 943, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/943-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1321, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb-e1271789991691.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-599\" title=\"DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb-e1271789991691.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/GasIsTrue.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3208\" title=\"GasIsTrue\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/GasIsTrue.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"490\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI often encourage strategists and designers to hold on to design material that inspires them or may help as reference on future projects. Tags, invitations, clippings, packages, annual reports...they are all valuable resources. I try to collect stuff from every project I work on and then add it to the pile. This inspiration can come from literally anywhere, so it helps if your eyes are always on the lookout. I still find that magazines are one of the easiest and best ways to get a quick view of the world.\r\n\r\nMagazines are relatively cheap and flimsy, so you don\'t feel bad ripping out their pages. Most importantly, new issues come out every month, enabling them to capture the cultural and visual feel of the moment. New ad campaigns, new products, points of view and color trends, photographic styles, typefaces -- these can all be found in a single issue.\r\n\r\nI know, I know. There\'s a thing called the World Wide Web out there. I\'ve heard of it, and I am an avid user. Google Images, Flickr, FFFFOUND, siteinspire, The Dieline. And they are updated several times a day, if not up-to-the-minute. There are a million sites out there, and they\'re all valuable.\r\n\r\nHowever, there is something invaluable about discovering material on your own, rather than having it curated for you and meant to be viewed by thousands, sometimes millions, of people. Not exactly personal, eh? I guarantee you that if ten designers picked up the same magazine and ripped out five pages, everyone would have a different take. That is powerful.\r\n\r\nIt is important to have inspiration that speaks to you. You get to decide what\'s important, what is good and bad design, what is truly inspiring. You get to judge a logo in its natural habitat, and a typeface in use, a color palette from an unexpected place.\r\n\r\nOf course, everyone finds different things inspiring. Here are some clippings I\'ve had for years that I keep coming back to from project-to-project:\r\n\r\n<em>Click on the pictures to view the sideshow, then click the arrows that appear to the left and right of each slide.</em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine21.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3185 alignnone\" title=\"Magazine2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine21-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine31.jpg\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-3186 alignnone\" title=\"Magazine3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine31-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine41.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3187\" title=\"Magazine4\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine41-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine51.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3188\" title=\"Magazine5\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine51-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine61.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3189\" title=\"Magazine6\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine61-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine71.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3190\" title=\"Magazine7\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine71-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine81.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3191\" title=\"Magazine8\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine81-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine91.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3192\" title=\"Magazine9\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine91-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine101.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3193\" title=\"Magazine10\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine101-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Magazine8.jpg\"> </a></p>', 'Keep Magazines Alive!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '885-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 885, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/885-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1322, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Geoff.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3226\" title=\"Geoff\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Geoff-e1309894577653.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Main-Photo-For-Blog.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3227\" title=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Main-Photo-For-Blog-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"347\" /></a>\r\n\r\nOver the last few years an interesting phenomenon has been sweeping across Manhattan and spreading to other boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens. It is a new kind of culture; a culture that is satisfying the rumbling of everyone’s tummies.\r\n\r\nThe people responsible for this culture have decided to not follow a traditional route nor stay in one location for a lengthy period of time.  These people are our beloved Independent Food Truck Vendors, and there are more than 30 of them in Manhattan alone. And those of us who are food lovers have become part of the culture.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/group-of-food-trucks1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3229\" title=\"group-of-food-trucks1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/group-of-food-trucks1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"310\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat is it about these trucks that has us searching on Twitter and Facebook for their locales? Is it an internal drive to be one of the select few to discover their location, like a character in some Hardy Boy or Nancy Drew mystery novel?  For those of you who are not familiar, I invite you to do a Google search.\r\n\r\nThese savory and sweet vendors each have something in common: they specialize in one particular kind of food.  In some regards they have a monopoly on the market.  No two trucks are alike.  Their owners follow a similar path to branding as the one we at CBX do when establishing a brand for our clients.  Each truck is branded with its own identity, and the colors, graphics, words and logos are all selected with the intention of differentiating the brand.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Big-Gay-Ice-Cream-Truck.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3230\" title=\"Big Gay Ice Cream Truck\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Big-Gay-Ice-Cream-Truck-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe cost of entry into the market is slightly different than brick and mortar restaurants or CPG brands. Because the market is not (yet) saturated like, say, the snack food category or corner bodega, one can create a food truck to one’s own liking.  Take, for instance, grilled cheese.  <a href=\"http://gorillacheesenyc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Gorilla Cheese NYC</a> sells a plethora of variations on this childhood favorite. Another truck, the <a href=\"http://dt-works.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Dessert Truck</a>, has dedicated this craft to making restaurant-worthy confectionery delights. And they are one of the few trucks that has expanded into a brick and mortar location. The storefront on the Lower East side has allowed them to extend their line, something not so easy to do in a grocery store (there’s no battle for shelf space here).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Dessert-Truck.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3231\" title=\"Dessert Truck\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Dessert-Truck-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"307\" /></a>\r\n\r\nEarly June marked a momentous occasion for foodies nationwide: the first food truck in the USA received a liquor license. <a href=\"http://www.peranyc.com/tacosatcentralpark.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Pera Turkish Taco Truck</a>, parked outside the Tavern on the Green in Central Park, will now serve beer, wine and cocktails. There is one catch: those wanting to consume an adult beverage with their taco can only do so in a small seating area. Still, could this be a sign for trucks to come? Can they take market share away from restaurants that aren’t mobile? Only time will tell.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/truck-big.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3232\" title=\"truck-big\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/truck-big-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"308\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBottom line: You cannot deny that the food truck category is growing and expanding. As establishing a brick and mortar location is becoming ridiculously expensive in NYC, independent food proprietors are turning to trucks to create and sell their mouth-watering delights.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Schnitzel-and-Things.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3237\" title=\"Schnitzel and Things\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Schnitzel-and-Things-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"148\" /></a><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sweet-Treats.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3238\" title=\"Sweet Treats\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sweet-Treats-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"253\" height=\"148\" /></a>\r\n\r\nPerhaps this post will inspire you to open your own truck. Read the article from the link below; it gives a nice estimate on the costs incurred: <a href=\"http://bit.ly/hOLkGF\" target=\"_blank\">http://bit.ly/hOLkGF</a>. You can also contact the <a href=\"http://www.nycfoodtrucks.org/\" target=\"_blank\">NYC Food Truck Association</a> for more information.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Keep On Truckin’', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '886-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 886, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/886-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1323, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<em><strong>Our strategy intern, Sarah Mitty recounts her most memorable sessions at the <a href=\"http://northsidefestival.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Northside Festival</a>. </strong></em>\r\n\r\nOur culture is constantly evolving. Each day is a whirlwind of new consumer behavior trends, technological achievements and political updates. Keeping up with our world is challenging enough, how are brands supposed to ensure their output is culturally relevant? Last week, I attended the Northside Festival where some of the brightest minds in innovation discussed how to accomplish this feat.\r\n\r\n<strong>Think Tech</strong>\r\nThe amount of exciting new technology discussed at the conference was mind blowing. From artificial intelligence to augmented reality platforms, a hyper-technologized future seems very close to the horizon.\r\n\r\nAlex Chung, the CEO of <a href=\"https://giphy.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GIPHY</a>, was confident that augmented reality would be standard in four years. This means it will likely be integrated into all parts of life from music (a hologram Justin Bieber performing a concert in your bedroom) to sports (player statistics popping up in front of your eyes) and beyond. This leaves the question: <em>What is the cultural value that AR technology will provide?</em> The panelists, Alex Chung (GIPHY), Sofia Dominguez (<a href=\"https://svrf.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Svrf</a>), Raj Advani (<a href=\"https://viromedia.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Viro</a>), Bill Marino (<a href=\"http://uruvideo.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uru</a>), and Matt Hartman (<a href=\"https://betaworks.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Betaworks</a>) debated the ideals of communication versus entertainment. Should research and marketing aim to make long distance communication more immersive? Or should the focus be gaming and user excitement? I believe the AR industry needs to narrow down its niche in society before biting off more than they can chew.\r\n\r\nJesse Redniss and David Beck of TNT/TBS are already excited about their idea of how to put AR/VR technology to use: personalization and immersion in television programming. Previously, creating a personalized experience through TV was nearly impossible as the purpose of TV programming is to appeal to large audiences. However, with the development of AR/VR technology, there are endless opportunities for after-show immersive experiences. Perhaps programs will create AR experiences bringing viewers into the story where they can interact with the environment and characters. This will allow diehard fans a personal experience to become more involved with programming, while not isolating viewers who cannot afford or don’t have interest in AR/VR equipment.\r\n\r\n<strong>Think Action</strong>\r\nShort and long-from documentaries were discussed as an effective form of communication increasingly on the rise. Documentaries have developed from art for art’s sake into agents of education and change. <em>VICE</em>, a long-form documentary platform (amongst many other things) has added a feature where after watching a segment, viewers are directed to a space where they can enact real change regarding the issue in the documentary - this may be a petition they can sign or a place to donate money. In whichever capacity they choose to act, viewers feel like they are making a change, which gives them greater purpose and keeps them coming back to <em>VICE</em>.\r\n\r\nThe newly heightened political atmosphere has also left certain groups needing to speak out now more than ever. In a panel entitled <a href=\"http://northsidefestival.com/northside-2017/schedule/speakers/3462/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\'Shutting Down Sexism: Women in Media Get Loud,\'</a> prominent female journalists including Liz Plank (<em>Vox</em>), Lauren Duca (<em>Teen Vogue</em>), Rebecca Carol (<em>WNYC</em>), and Jessica Bennet (author and writer, <em>The New York Times</em>) discussed how to combat sexism and racism in today’s society and how using social media could enact serious political change. Whether it is engaging with more diverse women or creating and participating in a social media movement (e.g. the “<a href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23notmylockerroom&amp;src=typd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#notmylockerroom</a>” campaign), the tools of our modern society can be used to rally mass voices and promote equality.\r\n\r\nAs different forms of media and technology continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, it is encouraging to see it also compel people to act, engage and participate in conversations and issues in positive ways.\r\n\r\n<strong>Think Culture</strong>\r\nConsumer preferences and expectations are changing at a rapid speed. What may have been all the rage last year may now be outdated, even for large-scale ideologies.\r\n\r\nIn a fireside chat, <em>Fortune</em> and Ian Schrager, creator of the “boutique hotel” concept, discussed how culture changes and as such, definitions of ideologies change alongside it; for example, such as what luxury means today (and to what groups of people). In witnessing the continued rise of the more economical Airbnb platform, Schrager has started reevaluating the role of hotels in society. He foresees an evolution of hotels as places for community and face-to-face interaction. Schrager mentioned the idea of country-club style hotels in the future, made to promote networking and social interaction. Perhaps he had in mind <a href=\"https://qz.com/1002728/the-man-who-invented-the-boutique-hotel-has-a-new-concept-of-luxury-for-all-for-the-digital-age/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his recently opened “luxury for all” hotel PUBLIC in New York when discussing this subject.</a>\r\n\r\nAs culture continues to progress, there are so many more ideas and tools for us to juggle. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of technology, current events, and consumer preferences. What I took away from the conference is this: <strong>It is crucial to make sure new products and experiences stay up-to-date with the changing times.</strong> Staying culturally relevant can bring any new development to the foreground of contemporary society, where it can make the most impact.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Photo courtesy of Northside Festival</em>', 'Keeping Up With Culture: How to Stay Relevant', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1076-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1076, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1076-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1324, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'I was feeling lazy on another lazy spring afternoon. I had just finished watching \"The Lazy Song\" by Bruno Mars on YouTube. My kids love that song and the irony is that it\'s actually pretty clever with a well-choreographed video. I\'m not sure exactly why the monkeys are in there. Maybe to imply that Bruno \"monkeys around\" on his days off? What the monkeys do provide though is innocence. They don\'t know any better. Instead of judging Bruno for being lazy, they\'re just happy to be there, having a good time and eating things out of each other\'s hair.\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLexgOxsZu0\n\nThe next video I clicked on was a commercial for AT&amp;T. It was one of many in their \"It\'s not complicated, faster is better\" campaign. Not quite a universal human truth but OK, I\'ll nod. It shows a man in a suit sitting with 4 kids and asking them simple questions like, \"Is saving money better than not saving money?\" and \"Is being fast better than being slow?\"\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l61LjTwME7w\n\nThe kids are as funny as kids can be when you get them talking. They are answering questions correctly and incorrectly and saying funny things like \"pickle roll\" when they should be saying \"pick and roll\" when answering a basketball question. Much like the monkeys, the kids are there to get a point across––to play innocent, to play dumb. AT&amp;T is telling the world that they are by far the best and even kids understand that (or don\'t). It\'s actually quite debatable whether AT&amp;T is the fastest or the biggest. I\'m sure Verizon would take issue. Either way, by using kids, the AT&amp;T campaign is telling us adults that what they are saying is soooo simple, soooo obvious, and if we\'re smarter than our kids, then we shouldn\'t even think twice about it. So just sign on the dotted line.\n\nJimmy Fallon stars in a similar spot for Capital One where he\'s trying to convince a sweet little baby that more cash is a good thing. And I\'ll be darned, but that baby just will not agree. How silly!\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyMSTfJEZfM\n\nA few years back, Ally Bank also used a similar construct using the tagline \"Even kids know…\" to highlight competitors\' hidden fees.\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkQR19WlqQE\n\nWhether using kids or monkeys, having an audience that doesn\'t understand your value proposition is an easy way to get your point across. Instead of coming up with a smart or clever way to talk about features or benefits, just tell your audience that if they don\'t buy what you\'re selling, they\'re dumb. Are using kids in commercials a trend? It\'s always a fine line between trend and laziness.\n\n\"Today I don\'t feel like doing anything.\" I love that song.', 'Kids are dumb and that\'s funny', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '984-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 984, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/984-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1325, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'We’ve all experienced embarrassing moments; a clumsy misstep sends you tumbling to the floor; an errant turn of the fork transforms your new shirt into a Jackson Pollock painting; a faulty wheel on a push cart sends half a pitcher of sangria to the ground outside the elevators on CBX’s fourth floor… (OK, maybe that last one was just me).\r\nIt’s important to remember that embarrassing moments only define you when you let them. Compose yourself when your face is flushed and your ears are burning so that people laugh with, instead of at you. Being able to play off the moment and laugh with everyone demonstrates an authenticity that people find endearing.\r\n\r\nThis idea is not exclusive to human-to-human interactions. In a marketplace where consumers are constantly searching for real connections with brands, a little self-depreciation can go a long way.\r\n\r\nBrands using humor in their messaging is nothing new, but lately we’ve seen more brands turn the focus of the jokes back on themselves. Things that marketing teams would have once worked hard to hide are now leading the conversation.\r\n\r\nTake Dressbarn’s Fall 2015 campaign. After decades of battling consumers’ hesitancy to bridge the gap between women’s fashion and a place where animals live, Dressbarn decided enough was enough. The new campaign, photographed by acclaimed fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, shows Dressbarn’s newest clothing modeled by Hilary Rhoda posing with a variety of barnyard animals. The tagline informing consumers, “It’s our name. Deal with it,” showcases not only the brand’s ability to poke fun, but also a humanness that helps consumers see beyond the joke. The campaign demonstrates that honesty and openness can help create meaningful connections with consumers, and turn embarrassing perceptions into positive equities.\r\n\r\nBut keep in mind that being silly is not where the conversation ends. Words on a page fall flat when there’s nothing to support them. For example, taking a moment to laugh and dust yourself off might defuse an embarrassing situation, but people are still going to expect you to clean up the sangria you just spilled.\r\n\r\nDressbarn’s campaign works simply because the new collection is able to stand its ground against the embarrassing perceptions of the joke. The defense: Dressbarn actually sells nice clothing. Would this campaign have worked if Dressbarn only sold overalls and straw hats? Of course not. But by using a notable fashion photographer and model, Dressbarn is able to build credibility for their products and reinforce the fact that the only thing funny about the brand is the name.\r\n\r\nTake a few moments to watch <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrX8OTFSFZI\" target=\"_blank\">South Dakota’s most recent economic development campaign</a>. The campaign jokingly attempts to convince audiences that South Dakota is a better place to live than Mars. The narrator highlights some of state’s major selling points, including breathable air, to convince consumers that living in South Dakota is better than dying on Mars.\r\n\r\nHere’s why nobody is laughing with South Dakota; the advertisement doesn’t say anything to back up the claim that living in South Dakota is actually better than living on Mars. This campaign only leaves consumers questioning, “How bad is living in South Dakota that they would even compare it to living on Mars?” or “Why would I choose South Dakota over all the other places I could live that aren’t Mars?” South Dakota’s failure to follow up the joke with any serious claim leaves the audience with nothing more than unintended associations with words like “barren,” “cold,” and “dying.”\r\n\r\nUsing humor at your own expense can be a clever way to deflect and even correct embarrassing shortcomings. But before going there, make sure to ask yourself, “Will my consumers be laughing with me, or at me?”\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.dressbarn.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DressBarn.com</a>.', 'Laughing (With or) At You?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1053-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1053, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1053-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1326, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Ty_blog_thumb_nb-e1271796922229.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-654\" title=\"Ty_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Ty_blog_thumb_nb-e1271796922229.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Ty T.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/whifpressphotocropped.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-972\" title=\"whifpressphotocropped\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/whifpressphotocropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\nIf you\'re like me, you buy a bar or bag of chocolate with the intent of rationing it throughout the week. But in reality, you sit down and eat the whole thing at one time. A stop at <a href=\"http://www.dylanscandybar.com/\">Dylan\'s Candy Bar</a> in NYC introduced me to Le Whif - little pieces of heaven.\n\nIf you\'re the type of person who craves chocolate every day, Le Whif is the answer for you. Created by Harvard professor <a href=\"http://artscience100k.org/people/index.html\">David Edwards</a>, Le Whif is a chocolate inhaler that allows consumers to enjoy all the treats they can handle for zero calories. The gadget allows users to breathe in chocolate to curb cravings and satisfy their sweet tooth. It\'s a new, delicious way to eat by breathing! By inhaling the chocolate through the whif, the little bit of powder that ends up on your taste buds gives you all the flavor that a chocolate bar would—minus the calories. The current slate of Le Whif flavors include chocolate, chocolate mint, and chocolate raspberry—and all are less than a single calorie.\n\nSo, indulge your guilty pleasures without putting on any weight. In addition to the chocolate whiffers, you can actually purchase coffee Le Whifs, too. A new way to experience coffee and getting a bit of the caffeine high without the need for a Venti cup. Where will \"whiffing\" go next?\n\nVisit David Edwards\'s <a href=\"http://www.davidideas.com/\">site</a>.', 'Le Whif-Chocoholic&#039;s Dream Without the Calories', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '934-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 934, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/934-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1327, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'A recent trip to Kitty Hawk proved to be a lesson on how pioneering inventors make their innovations real. The Wright Brothers changed the course of history. Through insight, mechanical ingenuity and sheer determination, they brought people into the realm of flight. The world got smaller the day they flew.\r\nHere are 6 key takeaways from Wrights’ innovations for any marketer:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Be Driven, Not Intimidated</strong>\r\nOrville and Wilbur were not the only ones who were working on powered flight. Many had come before them, and contemporaries had raced to see who could figure it all out first. Early pioneers also had to experiment with (and on) their new equipment themselves. Failure often meant death. Get it wrong once and you might not get a second chance. But rather than be intimidated by these consequences, the Wrights drew more fuel for their fire, giving their work an urgency to help other would-be aviators.\r\n<em>Failure is more than \"not an option;\" it\'s a motivator.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Build On What You Know</strong>\r\nOrville and Wilbur\'s fascination with flight began as children with a wind-up toy helicopter. They later made their living building bicycles, giving them a skill set in manufacturing, mechanics and fabrication. They also became self-sufficient, often building new machinery when none suited their needs. This proved invaluable when it came time to building a machine that had never been seen before.\r\n<em>What you do today should inform and improve what you do tomorrow.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Don\'t Trust Anyone</strong>\r\nOne of the Wright Brothers’ contemporaries was a German gliding expert named Otto Lilienthal, who had completed over 2,000 documented glider flights before 1900 and written extensively on rules for successful flight. The brothers used his work as a foundation for their first tests, all of which proved unsuccessful. Turns out, Herr Lilienthal\'s work was wrong––he ended up perishing during one of his test flights. Orville and Wilbur started fresh and came up with the rules of roll, pitch and yaw, the three critical flight dynamic principles that are still used today.\r\n<em>Don\'t rely on experts; become one.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Allow For Trial &amp; Error</strong>\r\nThough the Wrights lived and worked in Dayton, Ohio, they had to find a location to test their new invention. They sent a letter to the Smithsonian asking for the windiest locations in the country. Though Chicago was at the top of the list, it proved too dangerous for a takeoff or landing. In the end, they chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (Kitty Hawk was sixth on the list). Kitty Hawk was windy but also coastal, giving them sand to land on that might help soften an inevitable crash landing.\r\n<em>Plan to make and learn from mistakes.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Never Give Up</strong>\r\nThe Wright Brothers worked for years before they had a successful flight, pouring all of their financial resources into a task that most thought would never succeed. The summer of 1902 was the year they almost quit. On their way back to Dayton following a glider crash, Orville was quoted as saying, \"Man will fly, but not for a thousand years.\" But after returning home, they got right back to work on their prototype. Twelve months later, they returned to Kitty Hawk and changed the world.\r\n<em>Failure is not when you don\'t succeed but when you stop trying.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>6. There Is No Finish Line</strong>\r\nThe Wright Brothers\' story does not end after their first flight. They continued to refine their invention, making their plane go higher and faster, and enabling the pilot to have more control. Their early secrecy led to skepticism, with some journalists doubting their claims altogether. Legal wars over patents hurt their public image. They also had to find buyers (not an easy task when nobody in the world had ever been trained as a pilot). Safety problems with later models didn\'t help.\r\n<em>Real innovation is a never-ending journey.</em>\r\n\r\nInnovation is achieved on many different scales, and your challenge may not be to change the course of human history. But the lessons we can learn from those who did may help you reach your goals. Like Orville and Wilbur, the sky might quite literally be your only limit.', 'Learning to Fly: Principles of Innovation', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '965-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 965, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/965-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1328, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<img class=\"size-full wp-image-647\" title=\"Gregg_blog_thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Gregg_blog_thumb_nb-e1271796602237.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /> By Gregg L.\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-313\" title=\"Health Matter\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Health_matters_logo1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"442\" height=\"210\" />\n\nDear President Obama:\n\nDespite the daily media hand-wringing and furor over your Administration’s ambitious attempt to overhaul the American health care system, one of the most significant obstacles you and your Ivy League All-Star Cabinet face has gone unnoticed: you don’t have a <em>cool name</em> for your plan.\n\nHow excited can one possibly get about something called “The Obama Plan” that features something called “The Public Option?”  The name doesn’t brim with galvanizing energy; it’s so vague that detractors are simply distorting the meaning of both ‘Public’ (likening it to Stalin-era communism) and ‘Option’ (taking what obviously means ‘a voluntary choice’ and implying that the government will force their will upon the people).\n\nBranding consultants know the crucial importance of a unique and differentiating name for consumer products in all categories. Selling a sweeping political initiative to Congress and ultimately to a 300+ million strong nation should not be treated any differently.\n\nSo Mr. President, allow me a little friendly counsel on behalf of the branding community if I may.\n\nThe health care reform proposal needs a great nickname.<!--more-->\n\nNot convinced?  Take a lesson from the history books.  The American political landscape is rife with notable popular names for Congressional Acts, bills, laws and presidential initiatives. Some of these were blessed with killer nicknames that overshadowed their <em>official</em> name, and became part of the American cultural vocabulary and DNA, i.e. Prohibition, Medicare and Social Security.\n\nHistory shows that while a catchy name won’t necessarily get a bill passed, it nevertheless gives you a pretty good head start (see there’s one! Lyndon Johnson started the Headstart program for low-income families in 1965).\n\nIn 1983, the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan, actually got smart people, big time scholars and scientists to consider, for a little while at least, the feasibility of a Strategic Defense Initiative. The plan in its first iteration called for the deployment<em> </em>of a<em> </em>curtain of x-ray lasers powered by nuclear explosives launched into space. From <em>submarines.</em>\n\nIt became widely known and ridiculed as ‘Star Wars.’ Since it was a fantasy, Star Wars is not really the kind of name you want attached to a multi-billion dollar military program.\n\nGeorge W. Bush had better luck. Just look at <em>No Child Left Behind</em>. Now that’s a name! Even better than a name, that’s a call to action. Its official name was ‘<em>An act to close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so that no child is left behind</em>’ but it’s the last bit people remembered and could relate to. And did they ever. Congress increased its funding to nearly 25 billion dollars.\n\nAnd he didn’t stop there. W’s administration was brazenly acronym-happy: passing the PROTECT (<strong><em>P</em></strong><em>rosecutorial <strong>R</strong>emedies and <strong>O</strong>ther <strong>T</strong>ools to end the <strong>E</strong>xploitation of <strong>C</strong>hildren <strong>T</strong>oday</em>) Act, the CAN-SPAM (<strong><em>C</em></strong><em>ontrolling the <strong>A</strong>ssault of <strong>N</strong>on-<strong>S</strong>olicited <strong>P</strong>ornography <strong>A</strong>nd <strong>M</strong>arketing</em>) Act, and in perhaps the greatest illustration of just how far you can go if you have a catchy nickname/acronym, passing the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. The Patriot Act stands for <strong><em>U</em></strong><em>niting and <strong>S</strong>trengthening <strong>A</strong>merica by <strong>P</strong>roviding <strong>A</strong>ppropriate <strong>T</strong>ools <strong>R</strong>equired to <strong>I</strong>ntercept and <strong>O</strong>bstruct <strong>T</strong>errorism</em>.\n\nI have no doubt you have talented people on your staff that are more than capable of coming up with a great name for your health care reform bill.  But, Mr. President, may we submit the following options for your consideration?\n\nThe “Health Matters Act.” It\'s crisp and sounds powerful, as in \"health matters, damn it!\" and \"Let\'s deal with our health matters, people\".\n\nOr what about: \"Healthy America Act.\" This implies that Americans have health coverage – not only that, they’re healthy. If Americans are healthy, then America as a whole will be healthy -- a healthy workforce breeds a healthy economy.\n\nIf those don’t work, we’re working on a few that would work as acronyms now.\n\nSincerely,', 'Letter to the President,', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '831-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 831, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/831-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1329, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Christina-Papale_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271798258107.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-678\" title=\"Christina Papale_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Christina-Papale_Blog_Thumb_nb1-e1271798258107.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Christina P.\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/trucker-blog-main-1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1442\" title=\"LEVCORM10034_ww_good_sp.indd\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/trucker-blog-main-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"295\" /></a>\n\nI’m simply fascinated by the latest Levi’s marketing work and recently stumbled (or so I think) on their mini-docu-series, advert, whatever, for Braddock, PA on IFC. Levi’s has opted to hitch their brand onto a dying town and dig into its trashy, worn authenticity to gain brand value.\n\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Braddock-PA-image.jpeg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1430\" title=\"Braddock-PA-image\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Braddock-PA-image.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"499\" height=\"305\" /></a>\n\nI love it. Levi’s is providing the town (near 15% unemployment) with a million bucks and a “Ready to Work” ad campaign hoping to turn the town around. It’s the perfect commercial set featuring real, built-in tragedy with a positive spin.\n\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/41582_123015821074560_4672_n.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1433 alignright\" title=\"41582_123015821074560_4672_n\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/41582_123015821074560_4672_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"286\" /></a>\n\nI don’t know whether the brand is doing something amazing for the town or vice versa. Maybe by bringing awareness in a warped Michael Moore-ish way, and raising a blue-collar brand flag at the same time, Levi’s is serving everyone involved. Or maybe using the “ready to work” message of the town’s unemployed to sell clothing is really just brand exploitation. What I do know is that this gritty, dark and dreary effort fits perfectly with the down-to-earth, in-the-earth (as in death, like the Burroughs sounding voice-over in recent campaigns) mentality of the current Levi’s brand re-do.', 'Levi’s knocking on death’s door…in a good way', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '851-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 851, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/851-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1330, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"../wp-content/uploads/2011/07/KarenSmith_Blog.jpg\"><img title=\"KarenSmith_Blog\" src=\"../wp-content/uploads/2011/07/KarenSmith_Blog-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nResearch methodologies have evolved tremendously since my first days in package design.  <a href=\"http://www.programevaluation.org/focusgroups.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Focus groups</a> were pretty much the only game in town back then, and the only revolutionary ideas were group location and discussion flow. Now, we have great options for <a href=\"http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualdeb.php\" target=\"_blank\">qualitative, quantitative,</a> and even hybrid qual-quant methods, all designed to get into the consumer’s head.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mad-man-focus-group.tiff\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-3768\" title=\"mad-man-focus-group\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mad-man-focus-group.tiff\" alt=\"\" /></a><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3769 alignnone\" title=\"mad-man-focus-group\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mad-man-focus-group.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"294\" />\r\n\r\nThere are pros and cons to every type of research. For deep-dive insights into attitudes and behaviors, personally, I’m still a big fan of traditional focus groups and one-on-one interviews, particularly in the beginning stages of brand exploration. Brand managers know the data behind their consumers, but the needs, desires and concerns of the consumers change over time. Digging into these insights become much more meaningful through qualitative research.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-3770 alignleft\" style=\"border: 0pt none;\" title=\"greenworks01\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/greenworks01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"89\" height=\"182\" />\r\n\r\nEconomic trends, life stage changes, and “keeping up with the Joneses” can change behaviors and attitudes, creating important shifts in purchase behavior. Or, more importantly, can encourage an attitude, but not a behavior. For several years, natural, organic and better for you have been key trends that the media, consumers and brands have been talking about with great interest. Brands like <a href=\"http://www.greenworkstools.com/\" target=\"_blank\">GreenWorks</a> helped to redefine how companies could play in the “green” space, and based on what consumers were saying attitudinally in segmentation studies, it should have easily been a game changer. Consumers were saying they wanted products that helped them live greener lives, and that they were buying organic or naturally-based products about 50% of the time.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen we actually talked to consumers face to face though, and had a chance to probe their real behaviors, the reality was vastly different. We surveyed consumers who, attitudinally through quantitative questioning, indicated that they were “hybrid” greens, looking for natural solutions to their everyday needs. When we talked to these consumers, though, unsurprising they were much more concerned about efficaciousness than how natural a product was. Many went so far as to say that they trusted their usual brands, and the risk of trying a natural product, and potentially being disappointed, was too great. Most of the people we talked to weren’t hybrids, they were light green and they were unlikely to change from that point of view. But we would have never known that if we had not gone to talk to them face to face.<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/women_talking.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3771 alignright\" title=\"women_talking\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/women_talking.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"137\" height=\"130\" /></a>\r\n\r\nQuant research has a place. But so does qual. There are few cut and dried answers about when to use which. Having the right discussion about learning objectives and use for research will help agencies and clients figure out what’s right for each situation.', 'Look Me In The Eye When You Say That', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '898-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 898, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/898-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1331, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'When we create brand and product names, we think about how they will travel—across different consumers and even across continents. We make sure they translate appropriately in all the languages that exist in targeted markets. But sometimes, even when you manage to tackle obvious linguistic disasters (no need to remind you of the Nova or Mondelez mishaps, right?), the subtlest pitfalls still lie in cultural savvy. Cultural fluency is key to relevant branding.\r\nLet me give you a personal example.\r\n\r\nAs a non-English native speaker and semiotician, I am constantly learning, observing, searching, studying, and dissecting new words and expressions that not only expand my vocabulary, but also uncover hidden meanings in my adopted culture.\r\n\r\nEverybody knows the importance of idioms when learning a new language. Idioms are your way into a culture; colloquialisms are your linguistic passport. I came from France to New York City seven years ago with the level of English you get out of schoolbooks. But as I was working my way up in my new linguistic environment, I knew I finally got street cred the day I heard myself commenting on my colleague’s work: “It’s awesome!” No more “<em>zees eez hinteresting</em>” or “<em>zat eez not bad.</em>” It was awesome. Now that I was seamlessly using this little trivial word, I thought I was on the right path to master the American culture and English language. But I realized my street cred was only relevant where I gained it. When I relocated to London a few years later, things were not “awesome.” They were “lovely.” No more awe, but love right away. Love from everybody: men and women, youth and less youthful, taxi drivers and the Queen. There, I was experiencing what George Bernard Shaw once said: “England and America are two countries separated by a common language.”\r\n\r\nSemiotics helps uncover the hidden meaning behind language in different cultures and environments. When looking at “awesome” versus “lovely”, it helps to identify the cultural gap between the use of each word. The intent is the same⎯to express excitement⎯but the cultural meaning is different.\r\n\r\nEtymologically, “awesome” means something impressive and/or inspiring. Pronounced in the US, the first syllable is usually heavily accentuated, coming directly from the back of the throat, like an onomatopoeic, emphatic, liberating sound for satisfaction: “awwww.” Then the teeth happily hiss the “s”, and the “m” nasally relieves the intensity of the word. From throat to nose, “awesome” is a multisensory adjective, and linguistics meets culture in the way Americans experience it: “awesome” acts like a rallying cry that reflects all the genuine enthusiasm that Americans can express spontaneously. Now across the pond, the origins of “lovely” are tightly linked to affection and desire. Embraced by British people, the word itself is a delectation: the alliteration of the “l” makes it a sensorial and delicate vessel to express enjoyment, and the final open “y” closes in a flight of lyricism. Here too, the content joins the form in a physical execution that fits the culture: the emotion is contained in the intimacy of the word, like a poem, which ties into the values that British culture is about⎯courtesy, politeness and self-control.\r\n\r\nNow back to not-so-candid naming faux-pas.\r\n\r\nI won’t go into such a detailed analysis of the following, but what could American consumers think they’re getting when they order Saag’s British Bangers (pardon my French) on Amazon? And on the other hand, what do you think comes to mind when a British audience hears about <em>Wet Willies</em>, an Alaskan car-wash company offering two different packages (pun unintended): the <em>Little Willie</em> and <em>Big Willie</em>?\r\n\r\nLanguage is <em>fantastique</em>.', 'Lost in translation', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1047-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 1047, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1047-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1332, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<em><strong>“You’re not on OkCupid? Why the hell not?”</strong></em>Two years ago, a colleague of mine, her mouth agape, eyes widened and brow furrowed, posed this challenge about dating in an online age: “How else are you going to meet people?”\n\nAt the time, her concerns, and the prospect itself, seemed ridiculous. Little did I know that swarms of New Yorkers had already hooked up via digital means.\n\nSo here goes my “Hi, my name is Eliza and I have ‘dabbled’ in online dating” (cue awkward shrug and eye roll) confession.\n\nDuring the time that it’s taken me to become just partially cool with the whole thing, online dating has rapidly transformed.\n\nNo longer are people motivated out of desperation, a hook up or dare we say, companionship. Now, it’s all about the tribe. It’s about knowing what you want and clinging to people most like you. It’s about the shared band (or brand) of people. The mystery for the most part is gone (#tear). Just look at the new, tribe-specific sites popping up today:\n\n- If you consider yourself a classy lady (their words, not mine), specifically, an Ivy League student, aspiring model or young actress, and you want a sugar daddy, see seekingarrangement.com or richhookup.com\n- If having an affair is your thing, you’re amongst friends (well, more than friends) at ashleymadison.com\n- If you want a well-endowed man (yes, no lie), try 7orBetter.com (male measurement is required)\n- If you’re a music snob, find someone to share your mixed tape with at tastebuds.fm\n- If politics are your thing, try politicalmate.com\n- And if sports gets you hot, try MVPdate.com\n\nSo what happens now after vetting your prospective date through and through? Well, sadly, we risk losing our self, our personal brand. We put so much credence on belonging to the right cyber matchmaker that we forgo distinction and spontaneity, the very reasons we turned to online dating in the first place.\n\nAnd of course we even get sick of ourselves. (Imagine you had to date yourself or go on several blind dates with yourself. I’d rather pass.)\n\nBecause remaining loyal to a brand is as much about remaining loyal to yourself. If we overlook individuality for the greater whole, how devoted can we really be? So now I can’t help but wonder—how will cyber romance fare over the next decade? Will it become so polarizing that online sites will simply offer up our ‘one and only’ (with no room for error)? How can we know who we really are, if we define ourselves by those just like us? So I ask—how will future dating brands save us from ourselves?', 'Love at first type', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '985-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 985, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/985-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1333, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', 'What’s important to you? Being popular? Making money? Putting a product you believe in into the marketplace?\nAmerica’s homemaking icon, Martha Stewart, has managed yet again to get serious media attention by becoming the most popular girl on the department store playground.\n\nEarlier this year, J.C. Penney offered Martha millions of dollars for the rights to sell Martha Stewart-branded household products in their store to help with J.C. Penney’s turnaround strategy.\n\nThis would seem like a great business venture for Martha had she not already sold exclusive rights to her home products to Macy’s, and signed a contract that prohibited any other store from selling these exclusives.\n\nIn essence, Martha sold the same rights twice and offended Macy’s by making a deal with a less upscale department store. And all for a few extra million bucks\n\nSo what’s a girl to do? J.C. Penney claims that Martha is a critical piece of their turnaround strategy, while Macy’s says they need Martha products to drive growth. In Macy’s defense, they did take the initial risk  by selling her products post prison sentence. Does she owe Macy’s a thank you? Or is she simply saying, “It’s been real, I\'ll be moving on now.”\n\nThe battle over Martha makes me wonder, when a brand starts to grow up, should it pledge allegiance to the retailer who gave it its first break? Or should it consider financial gains and test other department store waters? Why should she be banned from J.C. Penney shoppers? Their consumers have homes to decorate and meals to cook, too. Why shouldn’t penny pincher Pam in the Midwest, who doesn’t have access to a Macy’s but has a Penney in her mall, be denied easy access to a jewel-toned casserole dish?\n\nFrom a branding standpoint, one can argue that long-term brand building equities wins over short-term financial gains. But since Martha Stewart Living is an established brand, can she afford to take more risks?\n\nDebate as you will. At the end of the day, Martha has managed to come out on top. Matt Lauer recently grilled her on her retailer popularity. He made an interesting analogy around his feelings being hurt if Martha did all cooking segments on the <em>Today Show</em>, and all decorating segments on <em>CBS This Morning</em>. In the fourth hour of that same <em>Today Show</em> segment, she was cheffing up some delicious meatloaf.\n\nSo I guess her brand lives on.', 'Martha: The Most Popular Girl in Retail', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '982-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 982, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/982-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1334, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '<a href=\"../wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\"><img title=\"RachelK\" src=\"../wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nA few weeks ago, America was treated to an Italian invasion in the form of<a href=\"http://www.target.com/c/Missoni/-/N-5ouwb\" target=\"_blank\"> Missoni for Target</a>, a special limited edition line of bikes, luggage, clothes and housewares in partnership with the design-centric retailer. Target heavily promoted this campaign with this ad:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/missoni.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3606\" title=\"missoni\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/missoni.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"445\" height=\"298\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWeeks before the launch, fashion and design lovers marked the launch date in their iPhones – but it seems they weren’t the only ones.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecause when Missoni for Target launched on September 13th (not coincidentally, during <a href=\"http://www.mbfashionweek.com/\" target=\"_blank\">New York Fashion Week</a>), the response was not just overwhelming – it was pure chaos. So many consumers visited Target.com that the site actually crashed! In fact, if you went there in the hopes of purchasing multicolored hand towels and pretty throw pillows, here’s what you found instead:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/missoni-2.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3607\" title=\"missoni 2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/missoni-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"445\" height=\"331\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat the what? Doesn’t Target welcome millions of visitors to its site every day? Aren’t they equipped for this sort of thing? Seems the big box retailer was also taken off guard by all the hoopla, so much so that Joshua Thomas, a Target spokeman, the Associated Press that, “This is unprecedented.”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo why the big run on Missoni? Well, as one who is admittedly addicted to the Flash Sale (e.g., sites like Rue La La, Gilt Groupe, One Kings Lane and The Mini Social that offer new sales of designer products at the same time every day), I understand the allure of getting limited edition items by high fashion labels at a fraction of the cost. Heck, a few years ago I practically clawed a woman to death for a Karl Lagerfeld for H&amp;M dress that STILL hangs in my closet, tags dangling from taffeta, and I am on a first-name basis with my UPS guy thanks to the steady stream of packages from these sites that arrives at my door (I’m equally as familiar with the employee at my local package shop who handles all of my returns). And I have a friend whose office has a rule of not scheduling meetings at or around 12 noon, at the risk of missing out on Gilt Groupe’s daily sales.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gilt-groupe-rocks.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3615\" title=\"gilt-groupe-rocks\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gilt-groupe-rocks.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"534\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe attraction of the <a href=\"http://amandaword.hubpages.com/hub/What-is-Flash-Sale-The-New-Business-Mantra\" target=\"_blank\">Flash Sale</a> has everything to do with the “thrill of the kill.” It’s the same reason I first got addicted to eBay: you’re not simply buying an item, you’re winning it! (You can imagine how well this rationale went over with my husband.) But the truth is, these sites can get you into a lot of trouble – which is why it’s interesting to note that they became popular in the years since the 2008 financial crisis. Does purchasing a small, somewhat accessible item at a fraction of the cost make us forget that we are still spending money?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis sector has been growing by leaps and bounds – by mid-2011, there were around 100 flash sale web sites – which would support the fact that people love the thrill of the kill. In a way, Target can be credited with introducing the concept of the “limited edition sale”: they introduced the “Design for All” program in 1999, with their first collaboration with architect Michael Graves, and have featured several of these sales a year every since, including the Missoni sale. I confess, in recent months I’ve curbed my spending on these flash sale sights, namely because it’s expensive to have a toddler…which is why I did NOT have Missoni for Target on my radar. So when I went to the Target site the day AFTER the sale (unlike most people, I hadn’t marked my calendar), I discovered that nearly 90% of the merchandise was sold out. Feeling like I’d missed a major cultural moment, I immediately went to eBay, where I found hundreds of listings for Missoni for Target towels, clothing and accessories. But right before clicking the “Buy it Now” button, I took a step back and asked myself, “Do you REALLY need this?” And then I walked away, never to look back at all those stripes. Besides, there’s always a new, and therefore better, flash sale or signature collection coming right around the bend.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Missoni Madness', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '897-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '2018-09-24 18:48:58', '', 897, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/897-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1335, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-727\" title=\"lucienv2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/lucienv2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Lucien E.<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-229\" title=\"jamba_juice-1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/jamba_juice-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"200\" /></p>\nI remember Jamba Juice from when I used to go to school in San Francisco back in the 90s. It was very popular right away with the early adopters, college kids and health/organic-obsessed denizens (the Granola Guerilla I called them) of the Bay Area; I’m going to guess because its colorfully irreverent identity – the word Jamba itself is based on the vaguely celebratory word Jama, common in many West African languages -- and the heavily touted purity of its ingredients. Hey, it worked for Ben &amp; Jerry’s. The company – originally named Juice Club -- was created by 3 students at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, a sleepy (read ‘total stoner’) town halfway between San Francisco and LA, a town most famous perhaps for being the birthplace of interplanetary heartthrob Zac Efron and the one-time home of Jack Kerouac (While his seminal novel ‘On the Road’ is often cited as the quintessential American road trip story, most people don’t know he was 100% Québecois! The ‘Jack’ throws everyone off. His real name was ‘Jean-Louis’).\n\nNow a New York Stock Exchange listed, 742 location, 9000+ employee corporation with revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Jamba Juice is probably the leading brand in the quick-serve fruit and vegetable market, but a brand that has seen its position as a dynamic modern consumer preferred option decline significantly in the past few years. This situation, untenable for a publicly traded company of course, has led the company to introduce a whole portfolio of new product offerings, notably non-juice/smoothie solid food(!) offerings,  in an ongoing effort to substantiate its desired position as a healthy, anytime, wholesome, fun destination experience for the entire family.\n\nThere are a handful of locations in New York (21 to be exact, the very first one -- which made its bow in February of 2004 -- located under the escalators inside the always jam-packed Whole Foods at Columbus Circle) and considering the fact that I have not patronized a Jamba Juice in multiple years, I decided to spend a week diligently going to one, in order to see for myself just what this expanded version of Jamba Juice was all about.\n\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em>Have you got a Jamba story to tell? Please share them with us by posting a comment.</em></span>\n\n<em> </em>', 'My week with Jamba', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '836-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 836, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/836-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1336, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'It\'s really hard for consumers to remember most product names, but when companies get it right, it can really help their product gain traction. The companies that launched the brands Swiffer, Snuggie and Fitbit all did it remarkably well.\nIt’s especially difficult in cosmetics, where there can be multiple launches a year in face, eye, lip and nail. When I worked in marketing for a cosmetics brand, I learned that consumers only remember the basics, like colors and shapes. For Maybelline, the iconic Great Lash was memorable because of its contrasting colors of pink and green. But names? They are hard to retain, especially with so many shades to choose from.\n\nMost brands shy away from lengthier names, but they lose the richness and storytelling. The truth is, consumers often remember product or variant names when they touch and engage them. So how does a company solve the problem of ownable names? By enlisting brand, culture and people in the foundation of the name development.\n\nOPI and L\'Oreal are great examples of brands that have and continue to develop brand connections with consumers through unique names. OPI set the bar and others have followed. It must have been a big risk to put a six-word name on a tiny bottle, but it paid off—it\'s now a basic requirement in the nail category to have an interesting, fun and evocative name. When your boyfriend remembers the name of the polish \"Affair in Red Square\" you know they are on to something.\n\nHere is what you can learn from OPI that will help you if you are faced with the task of naming a product. First, stay true to the your brand’s core belief and purpose. In an interview for divinecaroline.com, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, executive vice president and artistic director at OPI, says she tries to put the essence of the brand in each name. That can be hard with dozens of colors launching at a time. The brand’s purpose is “accessible escape” – the color “I’m really not a waitress” is the all time best seller (making the names is their own sort of brand – see the color below on the Dell laptop chassis).\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">  <img class=\"wp-image-6877\" style=\"margin-left: 50px;\" title=\"Dell opi\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/dell-mini-10-im-not-really_a_waitress_by-opi-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"456\" height=\"341\" /></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Second, consider the cultural context. Weiss-Fischmann says she looks into street fashion, food, music and movies, all of which helps her keep her finger on the pulse of popular culture. She also takes into account fashion and runway trends that are leading and uses them to influence naming. While your brand may not be involved in multiple launches a year, it does pay to take into consideration the cultural movements that are affecting the locus of your brand’s geographic market.</p>\nLastly, you have to consider people, i.e., your specific target consumer. OPI nail color naming really keeps their target in mind as part of the name development process – Weiss-Fischmann says she creates nail color for the average woman, whom she observes as inspiration. This works out well for OPI, helping them stay grounded and understand what the consumer would consider an appealing, accessible escape.\n\nBrands can learn a thing or two about naming from winners like OPI, a leader in the nail category known for its unique and memorable monikers. The added benefit of phrasal names is that they are more ownable because they tell more of a story. Regardless of length, the key things to keep in mind throughout the naming process are how the brand, culture and people play a role in developing the right name for your product and help it stand out from the crowd.', 'Nailed it!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '996-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 996, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/996-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1337, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<img class=\"size-full wp-image-599 alignnone\" title=\"DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DavidW_Blog_Thumb_nb-e1271789991691.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" />\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2875 alignnone\" title=\"Duds_intro\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Duds_intro.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"356\" />\r\n\r\nInspired by Joe R.\'s recent post called, \"<a title=\"Growing Up Brand\" href=\"http://cbxblog.com/?p=2411\" target=\"_blank\">Growing Up Brand</a>,\" I started thinking about brand names of yesteryear. Two of the visuals in his post were of \"<a title=\"Corn Pops\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_Pops\" target=\"_blank\">Sugar Pops</a>\" and \"<a title=\"Honey Smacks\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_Smacks\" target=\"_blank\">Sugar Smacks</a>,\" sinfully sweet cereal brands that I\'ve enjoyed my fair share of over the years. Joe mentioned that \"Sugar was not a dirty word back then.\" Having \"sugar\" in the name was no doubt a smart decision at the time; it clearly said that these are sweet products that would immediately appeal to kids. Today, though, I just don\'t think a name like that could be created and sold through the system. First of all, <a title=\"Breakfast High in Sugar Proven Bad for Children  Read more at FYI Living: http://fyiliving.com/research/breakfasts-high-in-sugar-proven-bad-for-children/#ixzz1JXAt9Zgc\" href=\"http://fyiliving.com/research/breakfasts-high-in-sugar-proven-bad-for-children/\" target=\"_blank\">no one is bragging about sugar content</a>, and secondly, the process of branding and naming has changed dramatically over the years. Brand names are now often focus grouped, chosen by management consensus and legal availability.\r\n\r\nIn other words, names are safer these days.\r\n\r\nProduct brands and subbrands often go with generic descriptors masked as brands by add-on suffixes. Thanks to Oscar Mayer\'s successful Lunchables brand, we now have \"ables\" in every section of the grocery. Salad dressing called \"Pourables?\" No shit.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2878\" title=\"ables_all\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ables_all.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"506\" />\r\n\r\nThere\'s nothing horribly wrong with names today, but perhaps they wouldn’t be so safe if there weren’t so many checks and balances in today’s world. Let’s face it: Some of the quirky names of yesteryear simply wouldn’t get through the system if they were being introduced for the first time today. Here is a look at three brand names that no consultancy, brand manager or focus group would ever allow to appear on shelves. Not for nothing, they happen to be great names.\r\n<h3><strong>Mister Salty</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2883\" title=\"Salty_New\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Salty_New.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"338\" />\r\n\r\nMister Salty has been around since at least the early 70\'s and often appeared in commercials as a sailor made of pretzels. Similar to Sugar Pops, using the word \"Salty\" seemed like a great idea at the time, I\'m sure. I thought this brand was phased out until I saw them in my kitchen as part of a pretzel and cheese snack pack.\r\n\r\nActual name: <strong>Mister Salty</strong>\r\nHypothetical focus grouped name: <strong>Mister Wholesome Snackers</strong>\r\nAn even worse name: <strong>Mister Sodium</strong>\r\n<h3><strong>Milk Duds</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2884\" title=\"MD_New\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/MD_New.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"310\" />\r\n\r\n<a title=\"MILK DUDS Candy\" href=\"http://www.thehersheycompany.com/brands/milk-duds/candy.aspx#/1928\" target=\"_blank\">Milk Duds</a> have been around since 1926 and legend has it that F. Hoffman and Company in Chicago was trying to make a perfectly round candy. When they came out lumpy, an employee called the batch \"duds\" and the name stuck. I love this name and it still sounds unique.\r\n\r\nActual name: <strong>Milk Duds</strong>\r\nHypothetical focus grouped name: <strong>Milk Wonderfuls</strong>\r\nAn even worse name: <strong>Milk Blunders</strong>\r\n<h3><strong>Dress Barn</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2885\" title=\"DB_NewStore\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DB_NewStore.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"376\" />\r\n\r\nDress Barn has been around since 1962 and began in Stamford Connecticut. In 1983 they went public and now have over 700 locations. How is this possible? It\'s a barn full of dresses. Is no one self-conscious walking in the door?\r\n\r\nActual name: <strong>Dress Barn</strong>\r\nHypothetical focus grouped name: <strong>Value Dress Boutique</strong>\r\nAn even worse name: <strong>Dress Trough</strong>', 'Names You Couldn\'t Name', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '877-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 877, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/877-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1338, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Karen-Smith-blog1-e1278536954548.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1125\" title=\"Karen Smith blog\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Karen-Smith-blog1-e1278536954548.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" /></a> By Karen S.\nI just saw the latest installation in the California dairy campaign.  This particular spot deviates from from the tongue-in-cheek talking cows bit and takes on a more nostalgic angle.  In this newest iteration, we experience the story of California farmers, up close and personal––the smell of the hay, the rhythms of the farm, the faces behind the brand.  It’s all about the local farmers, their love for their farms and their craft.\n\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-brand-1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1103\" title=\"National brand 1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-brand-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"499\" height=\"272\" /></a>\n\nFrito-Lay did the same thing last year, showcasing potato farmers in a little friendly competition over which state had the best potatoes.  While you aren’t privy to the farmers’ names, you feel their pride in their work, and in their home state.  As a viewer, you get that they not only care a lot about the quality of their crop, but are happy to play a part in making Lay’s chips.\n\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-Brand21.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1134\" title=\"National Brand2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-Brand21.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"276\" /></a>\n\nKashi is taking a slightly different approach, introducing us not to the real people behind the brand, but to the people behind the food. These are people who are passionate about flavor, health, nutrition, as well as the brand. Kashi lets us know that their philosophy of “seven whole grains on a mission” isn’t just lip service but actually a way of life for the people who work there.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-Brand-4.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1142\" title=\"National Brand 4\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/National-Brand-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\nSo why does this personal and personable approach to branding work? A couple of reasons come to mind.  As the local movement in food grows, mass manufacturers are at a distinct and undeniable disadvantage. Nothing can compare to visiting the local farmer’s market and actually meeting the farmer who raised the chicken who laid the egg this morning that you’ll have for breakfast tomorrow. He’ll talk at length about the types of chicken, feed quality, and yolk color, and buyers feel like they’re not only getting a fresher product, but are contributing to the local economy in a real and visible way. It makes commerce a more personal transaction.  Brands who can create that local, crafted feeling remind us of the real people behind the food that we eat, and make us feel like someone cares about what goes into it.\n\nA second reason?  While the story about a group or a company is “news,” the story about an individual is human interest, particularly if it’s a person from our neighborhood.  We’re curious about the lives of others, and having a real live person--someone like “us”--as the face of the brand is more emotional and compelling than talking cows.  We’re especially interested when the face we see comes from our neck of the woods, like our friends in the Frito-Lay commercials.  We’re proud of our home states and our home cities, and cheer for the local guy.  These “local” connections make us feel like we’re part of the story, and that the brand understands who we are.\n\nIt’s a whole new twist on “think global, act local.”', 'National brands, Local faces', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '938-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 938, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/938-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1339, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<img class=\"size-full wp-image-3065 alignnone\" title=\"RachelK\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RachelK.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" />\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-3944 aligncenter\" title=\"target-broccoli\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/target-broccoli.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"325\" />\r\n\r\nJust a few weeks after my blog post about Target’s disappointing Fresh campaign, I noticed that the retailer replaced the ads with brand new ones. Did they read my blog, I narcissistically wondered/secretly hoped? (A CBXer with a close friend in senior management at Target said that his friend actually sent my blog to muckety-mucks at the retailer.) More likely/almost certainly, the company was reacting to broader criticism, and whipped out a 2.0 version of the campaign within just a few months of the first launch.\r\n\r\nAnd I am happy to report that this new campaign is MUCH more impactful than its predecessor. Not only is it better looking from a purely aesthetic perspective – it is also totally on brand for Target. In one of the split-screen ads, an adorable little girl (who could be a mini Solange Knowles) gives a disapproving glance at a plain piece of broccoli at left, while at right, we get a beautiful shot of Target’s private label shredded cheddar cheese. Right there, you have the attitude, lightheartedness and slight edge that have given Target such widespread appeal. I’ve only seen a few more ads from the campaign, but they are all equally as successful.\r\n\r\nLast week, Target fired Weiden+Kennedy as its lead ad agency and is bringing most of its design work in-house, farming out occasional campaigns to boutique agencies. I wonder if the Fresh campaign played any kind of role in that decision. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how future campaigns are affected by the shift moving forward. As a long-time Target fan, I’ll be watching with bated breath.', 'Now That’s More Like It', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '907-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 907, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/907-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1340, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'I’ve gotten into the habit of reading the New York Times Real Estate section on Saturdays as a gentle form of self-punishment, since I’ll never be able to buy a home here. Along the same lines, a friend suggested I read Joan Didion’s famous 1967 essay about leaving New York, now known as “<a href=\"http://juliaallison.com/goodbye-to-all-that-by-joan-didion/\" target=\"_blank\">Goodbye to All That</a>”.\nAs I read the essay, I laughed and felt closer to the author because of shared memories of the names of places and brands that were part of her life while living in New York City in her twenties, which still exist. Even though Didion’s essay was published forty-six years ago, I still felt a connection to her.\n\nWhat this connection reinforced for me as a marketer and strategist is that companies should think more about the association between brands, shared experiences, and location of origin as a powerful tool. It’s a trifecta and perfect storm all in one: a stronger brand connection is forged when it is linked to emotions from shared experiences and places.<img class=\"size-full wp-image-7115 alignright\" title=\"Sandra1\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Sandra1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"119\" height=\"119\" />\n\nOne name she mentioned was <a href=\"http://www.chockfullonuts.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Chock Full O’Nuts</a>, a brand of coffee that originated in New York City coffee shops. It’s still around, and I felt a smile creep on my face when I read that part of her story since it’s one of the brands we have here in the office.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-7116\" style=\"margin-bottom: -3px;\" title=\"Sandra 2\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Sandra-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"215\" height=\"143\" />If Joan were writing her essay today, some of the local brands she might mention are <a href=\"http://www.rickysnyc.com\" target=\"_blank\">Ricky’s NYC</a> where many of us buy our last-minute Halloween costumes and accessories, or the revamped <a href=\"http://www.duanereade.com\" target=\"_blank\">Duane Reade</a>, with cans of cashews depicting hanging out at a bar or nuts on a subway package, both typical experiences. (Disclosure: CBX designed the Duane Reade store and packaging – hell yeah!)\n\nShe might even mention how the timely <a href=\"http://www.mysportsclubs.com/regions/NYSC.htm?WT.svl=Header\" target=\"_blank\">New York Sports Clubs</a> ads, particularly snarky and relevant, perked her up on a walk to work. Maybe, because of that strong connection and the memories associated with it, she would have felt more compelled to join the club at another city’s location after leaving the city. It would be all because of the strength of the branding and emotional connection to the location.\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-7117 alignright\" style=\"margin-bottom: -3px;\" title=\"Sandra3\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Sandra3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"117\" height=\"117\" />\nTo sum it up, for anyone questioning living in New York, I understand. Fully 80% of the population probably questions it at one time or another, and there are some great articles that ponder the question, like this amusing one from The Onion titled “<a href=\"http://www.theonion.com/articles/84-million-new-yorkers-suddenly-realize-new-york-c,18003/\" target=\"_blank\">8.4 Million New Yorkers Suddenly Realize New York Is A Horrible Place To Live</a>”.\n<img class=\"alignleft  wp-image-7119\" title=\"Sandra 4\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Sandra-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"286\" height=\"188\" />Having lived in many places, I can honestly say the tradeoffs are worth it – so far! However, for marketers questioning the importance and impact of location-based branding, think again: brands most definitely have the capacity to engender an authentic connection to and amongst people through places and shared experiences. I’m reminded of this whenever I savor a cup of Chock Full O’Nuts.', 'Nuts In New York', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1000-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1000, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1000-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1341, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'One of our core capabilities at CBX is the development of store offers and advisement of c-store clients on how their coffee program should function. I work on many of these coffee program offers and recently experienced an invigorating \"my job applies to the real world\" kind of moment.\r\nThe short-order restaurant next door to my apartment was recently bought, renamed and redesigned. While the changes were nice, they didn\'t change my opinion about the shop. I wasn’t going to order more and was unlikely to sit, much less, sit longer. But good for them for trying something new.\r\n\r\nOne recent morning, as I picked up my coffee and dropped $1.25 on the counter, the cashier informed me that the coffee was now $2.25.\r\n\r\nMy jaw hit the floor. (<em>$2.25 for drip coffee? What? When did that happen? It\'s drip coffee?! Even $1.25 is too much!</em>)\r\n\r\nThe cashier tells me they\'ve changed their coffee brand and upgraded their coffee machine. (<i>Bewildered look still on my face.</i>)\r\n\r\nThe cashier (who may have been the new owner\'s relative) and the short-order cook (from the old guard) saw my reaction and looked embarrassed. \"Yeah, sorry. There have been some changes.\" I threw down the extra dollar, muttering, and walked out with coffee in hand.\r\n\r\nI know, I know—it\'s only a dollar, but an increase to the tune of 80%(!!). Why was I so annoyed? Because I felt that as a loyal customer, the rug shouldn\'t have been pulled out from under me.\r\n\r\nHere\'s what should have happened:\r\n<strong>1. Be upfront. </strong>A renovation, owner or name change does not necessarily lead to price increases. This surprise made everyone uncomfortable (me, because I was clearly unhappy about the change, and the cashier and the cook, because they saw my reaction). You\'re a local business! I see you every day. So let me know what\'s going on. I\'ll understand if you need to raise prices because rent went up, cost of goods increased – whatever. But I\'d appreciate you leveling with me.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Even better, step change the increase.</strong> Perhaps the new owner should have increased it by $0.25 per quarter or every 6 months. Who knows. But go slowly on this journey of raising prices. It\'s a risky one.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Sell in the change.</strong> Promote the new product! If the coffee is organic, roasted on a Brooklyn rooftop or extracted from monkey poop… these are all good reasons to pay more. Educate me, so that I can make the right decision for myself.\r\n\r\nNow, putting on a more strategic cap:\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Keep an eye on your competitors.</strong> The nearby coffee houses and the local Starbucks all charge less than $2.25 for a small drip coffee. Sorry connoisseurs, but drip coffee is a commodity. There is nothing in my bodega\'s new offer that will steal market share.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Know your audience. </strong>The customer base of this greasy spoon is made up of folks who work at the local hospital, construction workers and local residents within a three-block radius. Yes, the redesign includes tables and chairs versus the old counter and stools. But will the locals pay 80% more for coffee that comes in craft paper packaging? Are they going to eat more in a canteen that now boasts a chalkboard wall? What would make those same locals stick with their old digs instead of venturing off?\r\n\r\n<strong>6. Understand the context.</strong> New Yorkers are a unique breed. The limitless choices we have affect our value systems and sensitivities. We love a good deal. We\'re loyal and have strong ritualized behaviors. My advice: take advantage of these traits.\r\n\r\nSo now what? I think that free office coffee is starting to taste a little bit better.', 'NYC coffee is supposed to be a buck!', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1022-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1022, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1022-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1342, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'By David K.\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-387\" title=\"hello-rewind-case5\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/hello-rewind-case5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"501\" height=\"267\" />\n\nSo, what do you do with all of your old tees?\n\nThose bottom-drawer dwellers plagued by pilling and unseemly holes (a common alpha male strategy: pockmark as brand mark), their once bold and eye-popping college logos — “Go, Bears!” “Go Tigers!” — fading fast into a worn and de-saturated eek?\n\nThe lucky ones re-emerge as kitchen rags, Friday night pajamas, or as go-to-outfit for a Central Park run.  But most await the fate of a trailer-wide recycling vat in a musty building basement.\n\nBut here’s another idea: how about recycle <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">and</span> restore them for good use?\n\nHello Rewind, a newly launched social enterprise, is doing just that by taking your old treasured tees, recycling them, and restoring them to a nostalgia-chic laptop sleeve fit for a Mac.\n\nAnd their ode to “re-branding” innovation goes deeper.  They’ll funnel all proceeds into a restoration project of a different kind: the renewal of broken lives from the nearly 17,000 forced into the sex slave trade in New York City.  Trained with basic work and survival skills, many of these victims will then take an active hand in the restoring of your old shirts, and their own lives.\n\nIt’s ingenious recycling of fabric, profit, and social good.\n\nSo the next time you face the heartbreaking dilemma of junking your indispensable ‘86 Mets World Series t-shirt, ­why not keep it … for keeps?\n\nRecycle the tee, donate to a worthy cause, and go retro with purpose and conscience.\n\nIt can do a whole lotta­ good.\n\nFor more information on Hello Rewind, visit <a href=\"http://hellorewind.com\">www.hellorewind.com</a>.', 'Old Sleeves = New Sleeve', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '843-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 843, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/843-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1343, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last week, we sent a crew of five to </span><a href=\"https://www.expowest.com/ew18/Public/Enter.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Natural Products Expo West,</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">  one of the leading trade shows in the natural, organic and health product industry where over 80,000 industry professionals gather each year. Our team was there to mingle with a few of our clients (hi <strong>Hain, Mission, General Mills</strong> and <strong>Hormel</strong>) </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and see what’s new and trending in the natural space. Here are some thoughts from <strong>Damien Moore-Evans, our Engagement Director and Vannett Li, Strategist</strong>: </span></em>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This year, more than years past, we’re seeing brands make a more concerted effort to be culturally relevant, and a greater emphasis on activations that connect with audiences in  immersive experiences that reinforce the brand’s promise. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Expo West obviously showcases those in the natural and organic worlds, the breadth of brands/products and the differentiation of ingredients and benefits they’re touting only emphasizes the growing nature of this category. </span>\r\n\r\n<b>Collagen</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was an ingredient many brands highlighted which we found interesting as it is typically associated with beauty regimes; </span><a href=\"https://www.cbinsights.com/research/beauty-tech-startup-market-map/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">however, as we know the beauty sector only continues to soar,</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it makes all the more sense that collagen-infused products would find its ways to the supermarket aisle. And what to make of </span><a href=\"https://www.ft.com/content/8e01768e-2142-11e8-8d6c-a1920d9e946f\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the rise of CBD oil</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which was a presence at the Expo? This makes us wonder: </span><strong>What other ingredients are people putting on their faces that could possibly be ingested? And should brands be exploring this as they innovate on product creation?</strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Another “ingredient” (what does one call safe bacteria and yeast anyway?) is  </span><b>Probiotics</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We all know the</span><a href=\"https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/01/11/905073/0/en/Global-Dietary-Supplements-Market-will-reach-USD-220-3-Billion-in-2022-Zion-Market-Research.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> supplements industry has been gaining popularity as of late</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, indicating consumers are adamant that what they are consuming not only satisfies their appetite but actually contributes to their body functionality and digestive system. In short, </span><strong>consumers don’t desire solely nourishment, they demand enhancement. </strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The </span><a href=\"https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/11452-kraft-heinz-flips-boca-burger-for-modern-age\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">relaunch and rebrand efforts of Boca</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the meatless burger offer from Kraft Heinz was indicative by legacy CPB brands refusing to acquiesce to</span><a href=\"http://fortune.com/2017/12/19/silicon-valley-meatless-meat/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> technologists and innovators in Silicon Valley</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on what non-meat “meats” should taste like. As one of the original leaders of the vegetarian burger, Boca is now facing fierce competition by newcomers like <a href=\"https://www.impossiblefoods.com/burger/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Impossible Burger</a>, which is backed and supported by the like Bill Gates and David Chang who know a thing or two about innovating for consumers. </span><strong>We believe the newfound interest in this category is again a reflection of the Millennial generation (soon to be the most dominant in spending power) and their discerning taste and access to choice.</strong>\r\n\r\n<b>On-the-go</b> <b>foods</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in the form of snacks and specialized water were prominent at the Expo. Healthy snack items such as yogurt and yogurt drinks (we’re excited to see the upcoming offering from <a href=\"https://www.chobani.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chobani</a>). Portability and variety was key and it was most apparent in the increase in flavor offerings from protein and granola bar brands. The continued popularity of bar brands has paved the way to the introduction “kid” friendly bars with companies such as </span><a href=\"https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/11466-protein-bar-makers-see-growth-in-kids-segment\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KIND</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and RX introducing their own versions. What we find interesting is the mindset and standards that consumers are applying to their own food consumption is spilling over to their their kin as well. Brands looking to enter the playing field of “kid food” should recognize the importance of tracking not just what’s popular with children’s diets but also,  their parents diets. Brands should ask themselves, </span><strong>“What food trends would parents most likely want to migrate over to their children?” </strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While some may be apt to call it a “health and wellness” trend, </span><a href=\"http://www.cbx.com/blog/culture-drive-brands/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as our co-worker Christina Papale addressed previously in her blog “How Culture Drives Brands”</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it has become macro and is indicative of more accurately, a movement. Brands looking to capitalize on the movement should not just look at individual production creation nor even a portfolio re-assessment. </span><b>Instead, they should consider how this movement should affect the entirety of how they manufacture and market their entire brand. </b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the range of brands and products we were introduced to, the myriad of experiential activations further reiterated of one CBX’s core beliefs that the <i>experience</i> the consumer has with the brand, is the brand itself. From airstreams, food trucks, mascots and booths that touted product ingredients (Chobani and Nature’s Path) or the dominance of one ingredient over the other (<a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/a-tasty-nut-butter-breaks-jellys-heart-in-tragicomic-ads-for-maranatha/\">Maranatha Butter and their “Too Good for Jelly” campaign brought to life by their Sad Jelly mascot)</a>. Activations that engaged were ones that educated and delighted, differentiating themselves from the over 3,000 other brands in attendance. Some of our favorites included the gigantic Sun Bum monkey, the flying wasps digital screen from General Mills and the instantly-noticeable energetic activation from Hippeas.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For CBX, an experience like Expo West always does the following - remind us of the unique ways brands are innovating and encourage us to think of how we can do the same for the brands on our roster. Whether it’s introducing a new product or finding a way to bring the products to life, it is pertinent for brands to continually seek ways to demonstrate quality, value and authenticity in what they do and how they communicate. </span><b>After all, a great brand story can only be delivered by a great brand.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Our Thoughts on Expo West 2018', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1115-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1115, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1115-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1344, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'As my husband and I prepare to become first-time parents in mere weeks (or days!), we’ve wondered about what kind of parents we’ll be to our new baby. What kind of relationship will we have with him/her (and how will this change throughout life)? Parenting, and the challenges it brings, had me thinking about parent brands and the relationships they maintain with their “children.” What’s the nature of these dynamics? Are they defined by the industry they’re in? The following are some examples of parent brands and their kin: <strong>Parents? What parents?</strong> The hands-off parents watch from afar. They let their kids run around with lollipops in their mouths and lit matches in their hands. By butting out, these parents teach their children to fend for themselves and learn to right their own wrongs. This approach works mostly in the child’s favor, allowing them to be their own person and grow into their own without the stress of overbearing expectations. On the flip side, these hands-off parents have no control over their child’s actions and their brand counterparts are no different—take a look at two of the most influential global beauty brands of today, L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. Both seem to be buying up every other beauty brand in sight, and yet don’t necessarily share this information through their advertising or product packaging. There is no sign-off on an <a href=\"www.essie.com\" target=\"_blank\">Essie Nail Color</a> ad that has the L’Oréal logo on it. And Estée Lauder doesn’t flaunt its ownership of Aveda or <a href=\"www.bumbleandbumble.com/index.tmpl#1\" target=\"_blank\">Bumble and Bumble</a>. Each brand has its own look, feel and style and isn’t restricted by the guidelines that might come from their heavily involved “parents.” But if these brands mess up, they’ve got to figure out a fix on their own. <img class=\"wp-image-7661 alignleft\" title=\"EssieADV\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/EssieADV1.jpg\" width=\"651\" height=\"483\" /> <strong>Now you see them, now you don’t.</strong><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then we have the kind of parents who guide their children through thick and thin. Whether it’s through a PR ploy or a desire to show off their entire house of products, these brands maintain their parent brands’ sign-off…but not ALL the time. Some months ago, I remember seeing TV commercials for <a href=\"http://www.dove.us/social-mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Dove Beauty</a> and <a href=\"http://www.theaxeeffect.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Axe Body</a> that punctuated the last frame of their ads with the Unilever logo. It was the first time I’d seen parents assert their identity so explicitly. (In product packaging, for example, parent brand logos live on the back of the packaging in a legible size so that anyone who looks can find them [as a consumer, this is a clear signal that Unilever has given its stamp of approval]). Parent brands don’t usually shout their presence from the rooftops, but they are always present to guide their children. <img class=\"size-large wp-image-7658\" title=\"dove11\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/dove11-1024x529.jpg\" width=\"651\" height=\"336\" /></p>\r\n<strong>Hello helicopter parents.</strong>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And finally, the helicopters. These are the parent brands (not unlike many moms and dads across the country) that can’t seem to get out of their kids’ way. They’re involved in every interaction, every relationship and every step their children take (sometimes even hindering their children from growing into their own because, frankly, they’re ALWAYS there). Take <a href=\"http://www.snackworks.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Nabisco</a>. Any average Joe can tick off products in Nabisco’s portfolio. That’s because Ritz, Oreo, Triscuits and even Swedish Fish are branded with that bright, iconic, red “Nabisco” triangle in the top left corner of their packaging, lest anyone forget the “parent.” This has become a food brand trend— bundling the kiddies together to increase purchasing (i.e., “buy one box of Triscuits and get Ritz half off!”) or brand awareness. Or, to make sure no one ever forgets Nabisco is mom. <img class=\"wp-image-7659\" title=\"screen-shot-2014-03-13-at-5-47-45-am\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/screen-shot-2014-03-13-at-5-47-45-am.png\" width=\"650\" height=\"348\" /></p>\r\nWho really knows what kind of parents my husband and I will be (we’re closest, I think, to the Unilevers of the world, where we’ll help guide our child to make the right decisions but step back to allow him/her to flourish on their own). There really is no right or wrong approach. No matter which path we take, all parents, like their brand counterparts, probably have the same goal— to raise smart, independent and self-aware children.', 'Parents Just Don’t Understand… or Do They?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1008-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1008, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1008-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
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(1345, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4815\" title=\"Lucila_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lucila_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" />\r\nThe London Games was an extraordinary spectacle, to say the least. The Opening Ceremonies—from Her Majesty’s 007 helicopter mission to the grazing sheep in the stadium—poked fun at the host nation’s eccentric and quirky stripes. But what about the real stars of the show, the athletes?\r\n\r\nWe saw some new faces, and some familiar ones we’ve come to love, who represented their countries with grit and grace during competition. But the Games were not without its fair share of scandalous news—the Chinese Badminton team losing matches on purpose; soccer goalies cursing out other players; Olympians who rebelled against Rule 40 that prohibited athletic participants from appearing in advertising during the Games. Not to mention, all the supposed “hook-ups” going on in the Olympic village!\r\n\r\nBut now that the games have been over for a good month, my eyes turn to the after effects of the athletes-turned-celebrities. Which ones have and will work to turn themselves into brands and cash in? Can a person BE a “brand?” There is mixed opinions about this. Some argue that one needs to be able to physically purchase and own a “brand” for the individual to be labeled as one; others believe it’s more about what the “brand” is offering or the experience it’s providing. I tend to side with the latter.\r\n\r\nTake, for example, the Fierce Five gymnasts who grabbed the spotlight after the Games with their whirlwind media tour in NYC and elsewhere (they’ve been since seen on a variety of talk shows and even introduced Alicia Keys at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles). These girls have spunk, energy and are idolized by millions of girls everywhere Together, they have formed a collective brand that has great potential to succeed and inspire. But in the case of the gymnasts, <a href=\"http://mckaylaisnotimpressed.tumblr.com/http://\" target=\"_blank\">McKayla Marone</a>, we can also see what a little indiscretion can do to your image and how it can ultimately harm “brand value.”\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4713\" title=\"LucilaOlympic2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LucilaOlympic2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"431\" height=\"262\" />\r\n\r\nAmerican swimmer and 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte has also been all over the place in the media landscape—everything from his love interest in Blake Lively to his appearances at this fall’s New York Fashion Week to partying with Prince Henry in Las Vegas—and is an interesting test case for brand development. At this point, he’s really not delivering any type of consistent brand message. Consumers and fans aren’t really sure what they should expect from him, and thus haven’t developed a personal connection to him. Lochte might do well by modeling his brand strategy after more established star athletes like <a href=\"http://dbcollaboration.hm.com/\" target=\"_blank\">David Beckham</a>, who’s been known for his, well um, good looks (his brand endorsements have consistently cast him in roles that showcase his “assets”). Tennis star Maria Sharapova is another. Known for being friendly but intense on court, Sharapova recently launched a line of candies called <a href=\" http://www.sugarpova.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Sugarpova</a> to reflect her personality and image.\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4714\" title=\"LucilaOlympic3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LucilaOlympic3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"431\" height=\"188\" />\r\nUltimately, a brand may not need to be something tangible. A person can act as “brand” as long as he or she positively conjures a memorable set of images and feelings, and can forge a personal connection between herself and her consumers. Just having status alone won’t cut it. Look at Martha Stewart or Oprah. They have to work hard to manage their brand identities and perceptions. It’ll be fun to see in the next few months which 2012 Olympians can successfully transition from athletes to celebrities to effective brands. This might be the biggest spectacle of them all.', 'Personal Branding and the 2012 Olympics', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '947-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 947, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/947-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1346, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'The <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/fashion/the-2016-pirelli-calendar-may-signal-a-cultural-shift.html?hp&amp;clickSource=wide-thumb&amp;WT.nav=top-stories-below&amp;_r=0&amp;module=CloseSlideshow&amp;region=SlideShowTopBar&amp;version=SlideCard-13&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=Fashion%20%26%20Style&amp;pgtype=imageslideshow\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times headline</a> was bold, “The 2016 Pirelli Calendar May Signal a Cultural Shift.” The piece went on to say that the Pirelli brand, a strong supporter and champion of the quintessential male gaze, had taken a radical departure for the 2016 calendar by featuring whole women of accomplishment vs. pieces of female endowment. Brought to you by Annie Leibovitz.\r\nAs a woman, there’s a lot I could say regarding this departure. As a brand strategist, I am interested in Pirelli’s brand message and behavior, and what that says about the brand and about us.\r\n\r\nIn releasing this calendar, it appears that Pirelli is a brand transformed. The New York Times piece presents this transformation in the form of commitment and responsibility. Yet Pirelli, and a few subjects of the calendar, do not necessarily agree. Both Mellody Hobson and Agnes Gund made it clear in The Times article that, “their relationship was with Ms. Leibovitz, not Pirelli.” And Artist Shirin Neshat said, “I didn’t feel like I was selling out by doing this as much as helping Annie support a new idea about female style and beauty.”\r\n\r\nThe piece also presents Pirelli’s perspective:\r\n\r\n“The company itself is careful to say the about-face was Ms. Leibovitz’s idea, and to paint the current calendar as part of a continuum, as opposed to a rejection of its former ways, thus leaving the door open for another switcheroo. Indeed, Marco Tronchetti Provera, the Pirelli chairman and chief executive, said that the pivot is simply another example of the way the calendar “reflects contemporary society.”\r\n\r\nWhat this tells me is that the Pirelli brand is comfortable reflecting contemporary society, and will potentially keep this current perspective as long as contemporary society chooses to represent what seems to be a modern view of women. It also tells me that the brand is uncomfortable taking on the role of leading any societal charge, or shaping how our culture transforms our view of women.\r\n\r\nI wonder if Pirelli, the cultural opportunist brand, even realized how seriously the message would reflect their brand. It could be assumed, without Ms. Leibovitz at the helm, Pirelli would have been happy to launch another artistic T&amp;A pinup calendar. It’s as if the brand quite accidentally became a beacon of feminism, ironically presenting calendar subjects who are proof that first, second, and third wave feminism movements have taken a stronghold in our culture.\r\n\r\nSo perhaps by showing us this calendar, Pirelli is quite accidentally letting us know that we are on the cusp of a cultural shift into a final wave, where we no longer see the large gap in gender realities, where gender and feminism as we know it dissolves, and we are all seen as human beings making independent choices and having accomplishments and failures. Where brands simply speak to people.\r\n\r\nIn 1949, Simone de Beauvoir, the French philosopher stated, “…humanity is male and man defines woman not in relation to herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being.” Today, the Pirelli brand, in showing us this calendar, has taken a huge leap from a 20th century feminist perspective to a place where humanity is relative not to man, but to our culture.\r\n\r\nThe brand is indeed signaling something. But we shouldn’t expect anything more from them. The Pirelli brand will be happy to signal something else if we—as a culture—let it.\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/fashion/the-2016-pirelli-calendar-may-signal-a-cultural-shift.html?hp&amp;clickSource=wide-thumb&amp;WT.nav=top-stories-below&amp;_r=0&amp;module=CloseSlideshow&amp;region=SlideShowTopBar&amp;version=SlideCard-13&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=Fashion%20%26%20Style&amp;pgtype=imageslideshow\" target=\"_blank\">New York Times</a>', 'Pirelli Says Behind Every Great Tire Brand is a Great Woman – is the Brand Finally Catching Up with Culture or Leading it?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1054-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1054, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1054-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1347, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', 'Last week, senior designer Jonathon Jones was one of six NYC designers to participate in Shutterstock\'s Pixels of Fury live design battle. The competition was fierce: Participants had just 20 minutes to create a brand from scratch for a local brewery.\r\nCheck out the recap <a href=\"http://www.shutterstock.com/blog/designing-beer-labels-in-20-minutes-a-recap-of-pixels-of-fury-nyc?customer_ID=&amp;campaign_ID=shutters.10147705&amp;launch_ID=10084905\">here</a>.\r\n\r\nWe had a blast supporting our CBX teammate. Go team Double J!\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PixelsofFury_07.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignleft wp-image-8586 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PixelsofFury_07.jpeg\" alt=\"PixelsofFury_07\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PixelsofFury_08.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignleft wp-image-8587 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PixelsofFury_08.jpeg\" alt=\"PixelsofFury_08\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /></a> <img class=\"alignleft wp-image-8589 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PixelsofFury_10.jpeg\" alt=\"PixelsofFury_10\" width=\"750\" height=\"1125\" />', 'Pixels of Fury: Team Double J', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1028-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1028, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1028-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1348, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-4158 alignnone\" title=\"JohnFarrar\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnFarrar-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" />\r\nLike many Americans, I’ve been paying closer attention to politics recently. Unlike many other observers, I’m following each politician’s policy platform and the font they choose to express those beliefs. The Obama campaign changed the political design landscape in 2008 by leveraging the sophistication, clarity and accessibility of brands like Target and Apple. The consistency and the professionalism of that campaign was an order of magnitude beyond campaigns that came before. Obama’s logo expertly used design elements that brands since the late ‘90s had used to signal new thinking. Limited use of color, simple lowercase typography – sometimes with unexpected capitalizations – and simple geometric icons were reminiscent of transparent, accessible brands that looked easy as opposed to overtly marketed.\r\n\r\nHow have the campaigns of 2012 reacted to this changed design landscape? I’ve noticed the Obama team has jettisoned Perpetua and added square serifs to the sans-serif Gotham typeface. I’ve noticed a lot of campaigns copying the superficial appearance of Obama’s logo but with generally less finesse. And I was surprised that none of Mitt Romney’s more conservative competitors have embraced a return to more traditional campaign logos with strong emphasis on strong typography and flag imagery. Meanwhile, the trends march on as exemplified in Apple’s much blogged about recent return to a rainbow logo. I look forward to seeing if any of the candidates “chomp” that design trend for their campaigns (logical choice is cool kid Obama, but only time will tell).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4216\" title=\"JohnBlog1\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"137\" />\r\n\r\n01. The Obama 2008 campaign logo with original customized Perpetua font and after refinements to the type. The web-site and all other materials used the san-serif font Gotham.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4217\" title=\"JohnBlog2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"297\" height=\"144\" />\r\n\r\n02. Apple went from Rainbow to monochrome in 1998.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4219\" title=\"JohnBlog3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"445\" height=\"282\" /></p>\r\n03. Brands signaled new thinking by using accessible typography, often with eccentric capitalization for a ‘twist.’ It’s also notable how many use a lowercase “i”. It was also common to use a simple monogram icon, often with a fun twist. Method gets extra credit for making an ‘m’ look like a lowercase i.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4221\" title=\"JohnBlog4\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"147\" />\r\n\r\n04. In 2012 Obama is using a modified Gotham with square serifs specially commissioned by the typographers Hoefler and Frere-Jones. Could this be signaling more stature and experience after four years in office?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4222\" title=\"JohnBlog5\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"107\" />\r\n\r\n05. Many campaign logos have followed in the Obama campaign’s footsteps. Cuomo and Romney read “uomo” and “omney” Yikes! Huntsman’s logo is minimal but in a more old-school corporate style.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4223\" title=\"JohnBlog6\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"124\" />\r\n\r\n06. Did Mitt’s competition miss an opportunity to signal more authenticity or conservative bona fides by sticking with more traditional imagery and type treatments?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4224\" title=\"JohnBlog7\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"483\" height=\"137\" />\r\n\r\n07.On the Republican side only Ron Paul’s logo has a high level of design sophistication. Is this because of his greater appeal to young voters?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4225\" title=\"JohnBlog8\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/JohnBlog8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"483\" height=\"144\" />\r\n\r\n08. Does Apples use of a rainbow logo signal another twist in logo trends that brands and campaigns will have to respond to in 2016?', 'Politics and Perpetua*', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '914-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 914, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/914-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1349, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cumulus_01.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-404\" title=\"cumulus_01\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cumulus_01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cumulus_01.jpg\">[poll id=\"2\"]</a>', 'Poll: Would you drink this?', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '844-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 844, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/844-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1350, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4815\" title=\"Lucila_web\" src=\"http://www.cbx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Lucila_web.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" />\r\n<a href=\"http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Barbie1A.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-3925 alignnone\" title=\"Barbie1A\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Barbie1A.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"232\" /></a>\r\n\r\nEvery time a brand comes out with a new product, I’m interested in how far they’ve pushed the envelope. Is it just a new variation on the product, or a completely new take? The brands that interest me the most are the ones influenced by pop culture and willing to take risks. These brands tend to play up a more edgy side and are not afraid to stir up controversy.\r\n\r\nFor example, take the Tokidoki Barbie that came out last October. Described as a “funky fashionista,” she has a bright pink hairdo and tattoos all over her neck and back, and is sporting leopard-print leggings and a mini skirt. Pretty scandalous, I’d say. Not surprisingly, there was an uproar from parents who claimed it was a bad example for their children; Mattel responded by saying that the doll isn’t necessarily marketed to all audiences. In a poll taken by the <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/18/tokidokis-tattooed-barbie_n_1018598.html\" target=\"_blank\">Huffington Post</a> asking if they would buy the doll for their child, almost 50% said, “Absolutely, It’s just a toy,” while 30% said the stark opposite, “Never. I don’t like the tattoos.” Personally, I was impressed that Mattel pushed the envelope with the doll. Today’s girls want to see empowered women who aren’t afraid to express themselves, which is exactly what Tokidoki embodies. And I’m pretty confident that young girls know the difference between fantasy and reality – or have parents who can teach them about that difference.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-3921 aligncenter\" title=\"Barbie2\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Barbie21.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"245\" height=\"152\" />\r\n\r\nAnother brand pushing the envelope – and which has done so for the past three decades – is Ben &amp; Jerry’s. I’m sure you’ve heard about their latest “limited batch” ice cream flavor, “Schweddy Balls.” Funny, but sort of gross, don’t you agree? The company has always been known for clever names like Phish Food and Cherry Garcia, but the latest introduction – named for an SNL skit from 1998 starring Alec Baldwin – has gotten a lot of (deserved) attention. Some are boycotting the ice cream, saying that the brand has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something vulgar and inappropriate. A <a href=\"http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/09/is-ben-jerrys-schweddy-balls-r-rated-ice-cream.html\" target=\"_blank\">spokeswoman</a> for Ben &amp; Jerry’s said they weren’t trying to offend anyone, just trying to have a sense of humor. Interestingly enough, this limited edition flavor might become end up becoming a permanent member of the B&amp;J family because of all the attention it’s received.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"size-full wp-image-3922 aligncenter\" title=\"Barbie3\" src=\"/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Barbie3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"299\" height=\"242\" />\r\n\r\nThe last brand to get my kudos for taking risks is SnackWell’s – yup, Snackwell’s. The brand launched a new ad campaign and packaging early last year, and they’ve taken a very different approach to their indulgent but calorie-limited treats. The ads, which feature women in leather stiletto-heeled boots and on motorcycles, shouts attitude.   The packaging has also been updated with a green that pops off the shelf and tiger print strips in an array of colors. The new products and reintroduction was inspired by sales that have been lagging since their initial success in 1995. Since the new portion control treats are no longer 100-calories (but rather 130 and 150), the new tagline, “Be bad. Snack well.” makes perfect sense.\r\n\r\nThese brands, and several others out there, prove that when introducing a new product or changing up an existing one, brands need to know their audience and how relevant the product will be for them. Not everyone wants the edginess, but if done correctly, it can pay off big time in the long run.', 'Push It Real Good', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '906-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 906, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/906-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1351, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<em>Technology has, and increasingly continues to, drastically change the way consumers interact with brands and products. No industry has been more impacted than retail. The “death of brick and mortar” is a hot button topic and we continue to see brands, both big and small, place their bets on digital. Additionally, nascent technology- AR, AI, VR- is a curiosity that brands are furiously trying to tackle with, unsurprisingly, the major tech players such as Amazon and Google ahead at the forefront. If you’re a brand these days, how are you supposed to keep up? If you don’t have the access or capital like the big guys, what do you need to be thinking about in order to remain relevant and competitive?</em>\r\n<em>In gearing up for our second <strong>#StraightTalk</strong> event with <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunning/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ben Running, Director of Innovation at Jet.com </a>(Are you coming? Feel free to RSVP <a href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/straight-talk-with-jetcom-tickets-38847195006\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here</a>), we decided to tackle a few questions in advance. Here are his thoughts on the future of the retail landscape:</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1. The current retail landscape is one that looks vastly different from that of ten years ago or even five years ago. What is your take on what’s currently happening and why people are so perplexed about it? </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Ben:</strong> There is so much happening, and the pace is not slowing down. The big trends for me are the shaping up of the Amazon vs. Walmart fight, the store of the future and the experiences it provides, changes in logistics and delivery, the rise of private label and D2C and what it means for big brands, and finally, capturing bigger lifetime value of customers through great services. I’ll discuss each topic briefly:\r\n\r\n<strong>Amazon vs. Walmart</strong>\r\n\r\n“Amazon racing to become Walmart before Walmart can become Amazon” is a great headline, but I don’t think we’re going to end up with two identical e-com giants with B&amp;M retail outlets across the country. Amazon has an undeniable digital advantage in almost every way. You see it in the Echo, AWS, drones, just about everything they do. Walmart needs to catch up, but also leverage (and not destroy) their human advantage. 94% of Americans live within 15 miles of a Walmart and this means very real and emotional human connections for many. Walmart’s challenge is going to be moving these shoppers online, especially lower-income shoppers. Their push to buy groceries online and pick up in-store is a big step in the right direction.\r\n\r\n<strong>Store of the Future</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are great opportunities for brick &amp; mortar retail stores ahead, and we’re starting to see some interesting stuff. Retailers know that people are just going to buy the products online anyway, so instead of stores packed with products, you’re seeing brands using their physical presence to truly impress the experience of their brand upon visitors.\r\n\r\nIt’s often a fun, aspirational experience where the products are center-stage, but they’re demonstrated in the context of the wonderful life they’ll surely create for you. Bonobos Guideshops, Rent The Runway, Warby Parker, Sonos, and popups by Snap and Casper do a great job at creating spaces where you want to spend time.\r\n\r\nApple was an early leader 15 years ago, and they are still advancing. I think calling their stores “town squares” is a bit of a pretentious masquerade, but the core idea is great. It’s not shelves full of iPhones, it’s an aspirational, creative space where you can get a coffee, have fun, hear a talk by an interesting professional, and become immersed in the ethos of the brand for a time (and hopefully buy a $1000 phone!).\r\n\r\nThese are all brands driven by a why (<a href=\"https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see Simon Sinek’s TED talk \"How Great Leaders Inspire Action\"</a>), and they are using their physical presence to showcase that why, instead of the what they would have traditionally shown.\r\n\r\n<strong>Logistics and Delivery</strong>\r\n\r\nShipping is everyone’s #1 expense, so it’s a big area of focus for Walmart, Amazon and everyone else.\r\n\r\nFast delivery (2 day or less) has become table stakes, shaken up fulfillment and logistics, and is driving retailers outside of traditional fulfillment channels. Look at what Walmart is doing with employee delivery, essentially repurposing available resources in a more consumer-centric manner. Amazon is building and contracting out delivery services with Prime Now, and even leased 40 Boeing 767s for Prime Air service. They claim they this helps them reduce cross-country delivery time from 48 hours to 36 hours.\r\n\r\nLast mile delivery is really coming into focus. It accounts for around 30% of the cost of a delivery and is an area every company wants to innovate around. Drones may not become a thing any time soon (at least not in dense metropolitan areas), but you’re going to see a big push for in-store pickup at Walmart and Whole Foods location, and more deals like the Amazon/Kohl’s in-store returns arrangement.\r\n\r\n<strong>Private label &amp; D2C</strong>\r\n\r\nPrivate label is a huge initiative for Aldi/Trader Joe’s, Lidl, Kroger, Whole Foods, Walmart, Costco and just about everyone else. The quality of the products has increased, with natural and organic products commonly available to meet changing consumer demand. Lots of these brands have tremendous consumer loyalty, with retailers now acting more like D2C companies, and posing a big threat to FMCG and CPG companies like P&amp;G, Unilever, Pepsico, Mondelez, etc.\r\n\r\nRetailers (e-com or B&amp;M) controlling the display space have an upper hand in getting to decide what customers see. Amazon is well-known for diverting traffic away from hot-selling items on their marketplace in favor of 1P or Amazon Basics versions of the same product. This tactic can be used by anyone selling a private label, forcing traditional manufacturers to pay an increasingly high placement fee for space on the shelf.\r\n\r\nI think what we saw a few weeks ago at the P&amp;G shareholders meeting was interesting. Activist shareholder Nelson Peltz very narrowly lost a vote for a seat on the P&amp;G board. He advocates a break-up of the company into more agile units that can better compete and innovate faster. This action is being driven in part by D2C companies like Dollar Shave Club, and their acquisition by Unilever to directly compete against P&amp;G’s Gillette.\r\n\r\n<strong>Capturing Lifetime Customer Value</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is about creating customer loyalty and bringing the user back again and again, making your store their obvious and default choice for future purchases. It manifests through service design, and is an idea that really originated in marketing some 30+ years ago - an ongoing conversation with the user. Companies give customers a seat at the table, customers do the same in return.\r\n\r\nToday, it happens through smart services that get you what you want, when you want it, at the location you want it. Listening to your experiences with products and services, iterating and evolving based on the needs of the customer, conceiving the entire service as a whole so everything works well together, and ensuring that the brand is always present, by providing some kind of value even when a consumer transaction isn’t taking place.\r\n\r\nFor retailers, it means more design thinking and innovation process, customer research, and rapid prototyping. Ways to move faster while mitigating risk.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2. In terms of these beliefs, do you feel your diverse professional background- coming from publishing and digital- has anything to do with it? Do you believe those who’ve consistently worked in retail come with a different vantage point? </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Ben:</strong> I think there are parallels in publishing and retail. Both industries were heavily disrupted by digital technologies over the last 15 years. New upstarts thrived, some old guard giants couldn’t figure out how to make the transition, some big players made the move a little late but are now re-gaining ground.\r\n\r\nA Pew Research study last year found young respondents generally preferred reading the news, rather than watching video or listening to audio. Though BuzzFeed rose to fame on lists and memes and GIFs, during my time there, we also saw that people really do spend a lot of time reading, so we developed long-form editorial content formats that performed well.\r\n\r\nBoth sectors have transformed radically, so if you’ve been in the industry for 30 years, you’ve obviously had to learn and evolve. In fact, I think there’s a “do or die” attitude in both retail and publishing that is driving change. If you don’t want to deal with it, you get out, otherwise, you accept the challenge and innovate.\r\n\r\nOf course there are fundamentals that continue to apply - operating retail supply chains and complex logistics operations takes tremendous experience, but don’t think there’s anyone working in retail with a “same as it ever was” attitude.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3. In order to meet today’s changing landscape and consumer tastes, how should brands proceed? </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Ben:</strong> In short, it’s about customer centricity. Consumers, especially younger generations, expect a premium feel and a bespoke experience. They are accustomed to the slick UI and perfect functionality of social and entertainment apps. They want brands that listen and interact via social media, act responsibly and ethically, and tailor their products to the needs of their customers.\r\n\r\nIs that your customer? Do you know?\r\n\r\nThe most important thing brands can do to understand their customers, and also one of the easiest, is to talk to them. Do it regularly, and talk to lots of them. The early Jet product leadership recognized this was important and invested in hiring a great team of researchers.\r\n\r\nJet researchers do in-home interviews with customers, email surveys, phone calls to follow up on issues, talk to customer support workers, listening in on customer support call, and two days every week, they host actual customers in the office.\r\n\r\nThose customers sit with a researcher and look at Jet products, competitors products, and just about anything else from physical packaging to design prototypes. Research sessions are streamed live internally and findings are shared company-wide.\r\n\r\nI also recommend <a href=\"https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/zero-moment-truth/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google’s Zero Moment of Truth</a> work to anyone in product or marketing. There’s probably a discussion happening around your brand and if you’re not part of it, you need to be.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4. What role does digital and technology need to play in all of this? </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Ben:</strong> It’s everything. Though every touch point in your experience may not be a digital touch point, the mobile device is the frame through which it’s viewed. Even if you view yourself as an “offline” business that only sells a physical widget for cash in a physical store, it’s likely that most of the transaction happens digitally.\r\n\r\nYour user probably sees some stimulus or advertising online. They take part in research and discussions online, watch videos, read blogs, check ratings and reviews. They find information on your store on Google and navigate there via Google Maps. When in the store, they price check, do competitive research, or inform themselves on unfamiliar terms or technologies. The user then (hopefully) buys and becomes an advocate for your brand, telling their friends about it on social, reviewing your store on Yelp, maybe making an unboxing video on YouTube.\r\n\r\nCustomer journey mapping is a hugely useful tool for uncovering all of these points. It won’t solve your problems, but it can help uncover user behaviors and sentiment that never even occurred to you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5. In the big name retail wars, it is Walmart vs. Amazon with other brands far behind. What companies (or types of companies) do you see being able to catch up and truly compete with these titans and why do you believe so? </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Ben:</strong> It’s hard to say, and predicting is generally only a way to look wrong in the future.\r\n\r\nThere are a lot of players out there, and I think we’re due for some consolidation or mergers. Will Target or Costco make a Jet-esque acquisition in an effort to compete? Alibaba is a huge business that doesn’t really operate in the US. The QVC/HSN merger is ostensibly designed to compete with bigger players, but I’m not really seeing that one happening yet. eBay is kind of still there doing its thing, it’s a huge marketplace that is more like an Amazon that people realize.\r\n\r\nAnother interesting idea is a decentralized blockchain based marketplace, but that’s a ways off.\r\n\r\nI’m interested in lower income and rural markets. It’s not a sexy problem, but I think there’s huge potential there. Amazon clearly wants this market, but they are having trouble breaking into it. They’ve cut the cost of Prime by half for Americans who receive government assistance and in September of 2017, Morgan Stanley Research said dollar stores were the sector that it would take Amazon longest to disrupt.\r\n\r\nIn addition to competing for the Prime customer, companies like Walmart should be working to win the dollar store customers, offering competitive products, and converting them to e-commerce and in-store pickup.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>6. What are you most excited for brands to explore and consumers to experience? </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Ben:</strong> I’m a bit of an emerging tech geek and I’m really excited by augmented reality. It’s got the potential to be far more than another clever gadget, and actually add real value to the shopping experience.\r\n\r\nAR will help you conquer trust issues - when you shop online, you’re effectively buying a tiny picture on a white background. This is fine for CPG and some electronics, but makes it really hard to buy home decor, fashion, or clothing. Using AR to visual a couch in your living room, a new pair of sunglasses on your face, or comparing a 46” TV vs a 55” TV on your actual wall is going to close some of those trust gaps. You’ll be sure that you are going to like what you buy, and seeing (albeit virtually) a product in your living room can create a tempting incentive for customers.\r\n\r\nWayfair and Ikea are already doing great work with AR furniture previews. Amazon made a cool Google Tango-based app that lets you preview TVs of various sizes on your wall.\r\n\r\nVR is a less accessible technology, but also offers some great possibilities. You can sell a coffee machine by inviting a user to sit with a skilled barista while she personally demonstrates an espresso machine in a San Francisco coffee shop, or ride with a skilled mountain biker while he shows off features of a new bike on the red rocks of Moab.\r\n\r\nApple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore software are making these things much easier to do. You used to need expensive hardware, but now it’s all on your phone, using AI-powered interpretations of  standard camera data, paired with accelerometer data. This takes the hard, technical part out of AR development and clears the way for the designers and artists to shine.\r\n\r\nAI is also a technology that is changing things in ways we can’t really grasp yet. However, I think the practical implications are going to be needing to shop less (let the machines do it for you), and only concentrate on the shopping you want to do. Of course this has huge implications for brands (would the AI buy a private label instead of brands?), retailers, privacy, and our identity as providers for our family (turns out, many people like to shop, even for basics!), but those will be fun questions we can grapple with in the coming years.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em><strong>This Thursday, November 8, we are hosting Ben at the New York office for our second #StraightTalk, you can RSVP here- <a href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/straight-talk-with-jetcom-tickets-38847195006\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/straight-talk-with-jetcom-tickets-38847195006</a></strong></em>', 'Q&A with Ben Running, Director of Innovation at Jet.com', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1092-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1092, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1092-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0),
(1352, 1, '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '<em>At our third <strong>#StraightTalk</strong> event, we welcomed <strong>Evan Minskoff, Head of Marketing at <a href=\"https://www.tumblr.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tumblr</a></strong> and <strong>Bryan Tucker, Co-Founder of </strong> <a href=\"https://thekicker.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Kicker</strong></a> and<strong> Head Writer at <a href=\"https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saturday Night Live</a></strong> to discuss content and culture with <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinlongstreth/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CBX’s CMO, Dustin Longstreth</strong></a>. Before we kicked off the evening, we grabbed each of them for a quick-fire <strong>“Q&amp;A With,”</strong> which we’ll be publishing separately.</em>\r\n<em>First up is <strong>Bryan Tucker</strong>, whose background reads like comedy gold: stand-up comedian and sketch actor, comedy writer for TV sketch shows including <strong>The Chris Rick Show</strong> and <strong>Chapelle’s Show</strong>. He is a nine-time Emmy nominee and the recipient of a <strong>Peabody Award</strong> and three <strong>Writers Guild Awards</strong>. Currently, when he’s not writing skits for <strong>Saturday Night Live</strong>, he is Editor in Chief of the sports comedy content website, <strong>The Kicker</strong>. In short, the guy knows content.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>With Bryan, we were keen to get his unique point of view on the power and value of content in today’s information-rich and digitally-perpetuated landscape. Having created content for a variety of mediums for both a massive brand such as <strong>Saturday Night Live</strong> and a more nascent brand such as <strong>The Kicker</strong>, what was his take on how audiences interacted with brands nowadays? And more importantly, what is the role of brands in all of this?</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">1.Tell us about The Kicker.</span></strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Bryan:</strong> The Kicker is a sports comedy vertical, started by Above Average which is the digital arm from Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live. I helped create it because I believed there was an audience for this who were, at the time, underserved. We work with many brands and leagues.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">2.What is the role of a media platform in today’s content-rich digital landscape?</span></strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Bryan:</strong> I’ve been at Saturday Night Live for 13 years and have witnessed the growth and evolution of digital comedy. When The Kicker first started, Youtube and Facebook were in its early stages and served as platforms to help share our content. Now we’re programming specifically FOR those platforms and the content we create varies for each of them- Twitter, Youtube, Instagram- it’s all very different. Brands will now come to us and say this is a “Facebook play” or a “Youtube play” so because of this, the platforms have become more involved in telling us what to do rather than us using them to do what we want.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">3.What is the significance of content to audiences today?</span></strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Bryan:</strong> Things have become more narrowcast and you have to work with more specificity. Unlike Saturday Night Live which is such a big tent brand, today’s landscape means creating content for more narrow groups - we have The Kicker creating sports comedy, The Reductress creating comedy for younger women and so on. We are finding that being specific is how you cultivate a loyal audience because you’re programming for them.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">4.What is the role of brands in the content/audience relationship?</span></strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Bryan:</strong> Brands have become more conscious of the mediums and understand the importance of programming for different platforms. Additionally, they are more willing to work with us to integrate their brands into the content- aiming to make it entertaining first, messaging second. They’ll come to us with their message but then ask us how we can help them deliver that message across in a way that makes sense for the platform and the audience.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">5. For both of your brands- Saturday Night Live and The Kicker- what are the short and long terms goals of the content for audiences?</span></strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Bryan:</strong> Saturday Night Live has been on for 43 years and is a well-known brand everyone has an opinion on. Most of what we do digitally is to help support the central show and brand. For The Kicker, we are programming for all types of mediums with the intention to get it out in different ways. It’s not necessarily to help one central brand; The Kicker is a more fluid brand that shifts depending on the brand we’re currently working with at the time. With Saturday Night Live, it always goes back to the show.  </span></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em><strong>**Stay tuned as we\'ll be posting Evan\'s Q&amp;A soon as well as the full video from our #StraightTalk event!</strong></em>', 'Q&A with Bryan Tucker, Editor in Chief of The Kicker & Co-Head Writer of Saturday Night Live', '', 'inherit', 'closed', 'closed', '', '1116-revision-v1', '', '', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '2018-09-24 18:48:59', '', 1116, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/1116-revision-v1', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
