A brand agency partner can be compared to your best or worst navigation tool, so it’s imperative to be aware when you're no longer getting to where you need to be. Over the past 15 years, my partners and I have operated our own brand agency and have been privy to clients sharing their experiences regarding why they decided to switch over and start working with our team. In all fairness, sometimes it's had nothing to do with the performance of another agency, but was instead due to a company's internal politics. However, I have noticed a pattern over the years as to when clients realize they...

Brand extensions, you'll find them just about everywhere you shop. Some brand extensions make sense (thank you Tide-to-Go Stain Eraser for saving me from embarrassing spills) while others leave you wondering— what on earth were they thinking? For instance, Cheetos Lip Balm and it's short-lived time on the market back in 2005 leaves us all scratching our heads in disbelief. Still, even the less extreme of brand stretching will battle the odds for success. According to Ernest & Young, brand extensions have a whopping 84% failure rate in some categories, and further studies show that only...

OK I admit it, I’m a brand junkie. But I’m not apologetic. Simply put, helping rebrand companies is what I live for. There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing a client’s reaction to the solutions we present—and sharing the new visual and verbal expressions of their brand. That’s the ultimate payoff for all of the collaboration, analysis, strategizing and creative. So, if it’s my passion, why was it so hard to brand my own agency—Rocket Science? Too close to it? Perhaps. Is it the typical “cobbler’s children have no shoes” scenario? Most definitely. We’re so completely...