by chris getman | Sep 9, 2013 | Uncategorized
Have you ever seen an ad with too many bullet points? Or a powerpoint? Or web page? Who decided to throw every possible brand attribute onto one page? What happened during the creative process that left the customer with so much reading to do? Here’s how it...
by chris getman | Sep 2, 2013 | Uncategorized
We often think of complex systems as something to be admired. And in some cases, they should be (like Google’s algorithms or The Wire). But too often we make our lives and work unnecessarily complex. What’s often overlooked is that complexity is easy to...
by chris getman | Aug 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Why are dressing rooms always in the back of stores? They can be hard to find (looking at you J.C. Penny), usually on the periphery. In past posts we’ve looked at how in-store sampling increases sales (free samples in grocery stores). So aren’t dressing...
by chris getman | Jun 10, 2013 | Uncategorized
Here’s the challenge: taking a product or service that most people consume in a non-public way and making it publicly visible. If you’re Ford Motor Company, then the cars you make are mobile billboards for your brand. But what if you’re the local car...
by chris getman | Jun 3, 2013 | Uncategorized
People imitate what others do. We do this because the actions of others provide us with intel on a given situation. Psychologists call this “social proof,” which is a phenomenon where people imitate the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct...
by chris getman | May 14, 2013 | Uncategorized
If you graduated from college between 2006 and today, you’re part of a generation dealing with a new normal. With freshly pressed college degrees in hand, we walked optimistically into the great recession. It was/is hard. Today our cherished college degrees...
by chris getman | May 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
The content creation machine is out of control. With corporate blogs cranking out pages of seemingly innocuous content, choking the internet to the gills with re-purposed “Top 5” lists, we’re losing sight of what quality writing is. What’s...
by chris getman | Apr 22, 2013 | Uncategorized
Facts, data, and statistics are great. They help to root claims in reality. However, they’re just cold numbers, and numbers are hard to put into context. But stories are vivid and memorable and our brains are hardwired to recall and react to them. Here are three...
by chris getman | Apr 2, 2013 | Uncategorized
It’s not only what you say, it’s how you say it. In fact the “how” significantly impacts the “what.” Don’t tell me how cool you are, show me. The choice of medium plays an important role in how your story is told. Example #1:...
by chris getman | Mar 19, 2013 | Uncategorized
Perfection is impossible. And worse still, it’s subjective. A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. Saturday Night Live thrives on shipping what is good this week. The format of the show does not allow for the pursuit of perfection. It...
