Category: Brand Matters
China Branding: One Belt, One Road and More
May 15, 2018
The president and founder of Brand Matters, Patricia McQuillan, a global branding expert, was invited by the government of the People’s Republic of China to Shanghai last May to speak at the first International Forum on Brand Development and to Xi’an, China May 11th as a keynote speaker at the first international Silk Road Brand Development… [read more]
How to Benefit from Brand Disruption
November 17, 2017
I had the opportunity to attend a summit hosted by the Silicon Valley think-tank known as Singularity University, or SU. The theme of the conference was about the impact of exponential technology on society and the economy. This included two days of presentations by SU thinkers in a format similar to TED Talks. The following builds… [read more]
The Important Link Between Employees and Trust
February 21, 2017
Brand Matters was interviewed by Strategy magazine on the topic of Canadians’ perspective on leadership. This discussion was a build on the results of the annual Edelman Barometer indicating that trust in Canadian business leadership is slipping fast. The results of the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer continues to amplify Canadians’ lagging trust in leadership and large institutions. “People’s… [read more]
5 Steps to Making Data Insights More Actionable
March 31, 2016
I had the opportunity to attend the CMAInsights Conference last year. The conference theme was built around “how true insights express the best of data and marketing”. The following is a summary of key conference takeaways for marketers on how to leverage data and analytics in the development of successful marketing campaigns. An insightful case… [read more]
Brand as a Reflection of Society and a Colourful Benchmark of History
June 17, 2015
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Brands in London, England while at an international symposium on brand management and measurement. The Museum of Brands boasts a collection of over 12,000 brands as represented by packaging, posters, toys and games. Given the roots of modern day advertising in London, the… [read more]
What Leaders can Learn from Howler Monkeys
April 3, 2015
I was traveling in Costa Rica a few years ago where I had the pleasure and amazement of hearing the howler monkeys daily at dusk and dawn. I was curious to learn more about their very distinctive call. As it turned out this was the leader of the howler tribe’s way of staking out their… [read more]
How to Build a Better Marketing Plan
January 26, 2015
The key to a successful marketing plan is to clarify your business goals and your brand positioning in advance of building your marketing plan. This may sound simple but it really requires a step back with some objective evaluation, which can be challenging when you are immersed in the day-to-day management of your business. To… [read more]
How to Build Brand Ambassador Programs in Your Organization
November 27, 2014
There is a lot of talk about the need for employer branding programs to ensure recruitment and retention goals are met and to build and communicate brands especially in this age of digital and social media. The following article outlines the fundamentals of building an effective employer branding program through a Brand Ambassador program. Employees… [read more]
Leverage Market Research to Build Content Strategy
May 30, 2014
In todays online and socially connected business world, leading organizations know that developing a successful brand involves access to timely market research. Market research can help you understand the needs of your customers, define their attitude toward your brand, and ultimately help you successfully execute your content strategy. There are four key criteria for successful… [read more]
5 Tips to Build Your Digital Brand
April 30, 2014
Staying relevant and engaged in the digital world is a must for today’s marketers. Yet how to be effective when the digital landscape itself is so rapidly changing? Furthermore, the tools and tactics to effectively manage B2B versus B2C digital marketing and social media programs vary greatly. Don’t worry – here are five digital marketing… [read more]