Escaping Authenticity
The concept of authenticity ultimately only makes sense if you see yourself and others as consumables. It reduces profound human experiences to their visibility and marketability as commodities.
Unpacking Value in Commodities and Luxuries
Both of these things are called “bags.” Just like “content,” the word creates a bizarre equivalency. The left is the world of hyper-commoditized single-use trash. The right is something else entirely. Keep reading…I’ll get back to “content” in a moment. The annual market for the bags on the left is over $20 billion, but the […]
Unwrapping Success: Cutting Through Marketing Clutter
You probably know the feeling. What stands between you and the thing you want is layers of unnecessary packaging. You thought you were getting something good, but you have to risk slicing open a finger to access it. There’s even a Wikipedia page for “wrap rage.” The marketing lesson is this: stop frustrating your customers […]
The Brand Becomes You
I’ve noticed that branding agencies can do a great job in helping companies figure out or refine WHO they are supposed to BE in the market. But that’s where the work starts, not ends. HOW do you be that? WHAT do you DO in the market to bring about your being? What do you need […]
A Fresh Path Forward
Today, I took a big next step in evolving my company brand by launching the website and making it official with a client communication. Syncresis is now Ideas-Led Growth. It’s been on my mind for a while. We will continue to work on thought leadership strategy and writing but thought leadership goes deeper than marketing […]
GRACE in Business: How Ideas-Driven Change Spurs Growth
To grow your business, advocate for change and rally people around it. Ideas-led growth is a virtuous cycle in which ideas become the driving force for your growth: revenue growth, capabilities growth, and possibilities growth. It’s a virtuous cycle that you can learn to master with GRACE. Grace is a mindset of cultivating ease, fluidity, […]
Redefining Our Purpose
It’s not every day you wake up and kill off your business. But today is that day for Syncresis. Syncresis is becoming “Ideas-Led Growth.” Why? – Because our previous value proposition of thought leadership is no longer enough to help companies make new thinking be the heart of their strategy, sales, and marketing – Because […]
Caviar Dreams on a Champagne Diet
“But I don’t want to go to the Polo Lounge. I’m tired of bumping into my accountant and my lawyer while they’re spending all my money.” — From a private conversation with a famous widow and actress, same first and last initial… I always think of that comment and the sad sigh accompanying it when […]
From Pain to Passion
Thought leadership lifts up the voices of people who are helping advance pieces of their industry area rather than focusing on customer pain points. It puts advocacy and passion out into the world by helping thought leaders disseminate ideas that bring improvement to the world, with tools, skills, and channels to magnify their thinking.
Do Ads Work? Yes, But Don’t Squander Attention
Advertising does still make sense, but marketers should think about it holistically. Assuming ads are high quality, well-designed, and include compelling, well-crafted Calls to Action, they can provide an excellent way to get people’s attention. What matters next is how you use that attention? Do you squander it or use it to cultivate trust?