Recently, I had to deal with a toxic element that threatened the harmony of a small, local business community. Now, their exact actions aren’t worth unpacking here (but for the curious among you, the shortlist was bullying, misogyny and bigotry), but even after their removal, the effects were still felt. And that got me [...]
Do you know what an Artificer’s construct is? Probably not, but here’s the idea. It’s a mechanical servant, built by an artificer to complete rudimentary tasks efficiently. You build it, power it, and let it get to work. It never tires, it never complains. It just works. Sounds great, right? Well, that’s AI. [...]
Well, here we are. Ten years and what feels like a million decisions. (Plus a few fuck-ups along the way). I didn’t start knowing what I do now. No one does. I started with no more than what most small business owners start with. A half-baked idea, and a cart-load of hope and optimism. [...]
Have you ever spent money on marketing, only to be left thinking a few weeks later, ‘Why isn’t this working?’ There’s a good chance the problem isn’t with your ads, your website or even your social content. It’s your brand. Let me guess: you’ve spent money on ads, but nothing sticks? You’re getting some enquiries, [...]
‘I promise’ is a powerful statement. It shows more than intent; it’s a live-or-die statement that shows you can be trusted with anything. So why do so many small business owners mess it up? Promises are tricky things. Promise too little and your offer falls on deaf ears. Too much and it becomes impossible to [...]
Who do you work with again? If you thought the words ‘anyone’ or ‘everyone’ at any point in your answer, you’ve fallen down the biggest pit in branding. And it’s a pit that’s absolutely filled to the brim with good intentions. Who you work with is important to your brand identity. But business owners struggle [...]
That logo you spent ages designing? It needs to be more than pretty. Great logos don’t just explain what you do; they help audiences identify you from your competition. They’re important parts of a brand identity, but they can’t correct unclear positioning. The best logos are a manifestation of well-defined brand identity. The launch of [...]
I’ve always had an odd relationship with risk. As someone who plays a lot of strategic games, I like to think that I’ve got a sense for weighing up outcomes and probability. I’ve got a fairly impressive win rate when it comes to board games and wargames (much to the annoyance of my friends), which [...]
Storytelling is the spark that brings your brand to life. While clever taglines and pretty visuals attract attention, the real connective tissue of your brand is the stories you weave. These are more than fantastic tales or epic sagas; they’re the best tools for building an emotional connection with your audience. The problem is, small [...]
‘Branding just isn’t as useful for small businesses.’ It’s a lie I hear people tell themselves all the time - one of many common brand misconceptions I encounter. But I get it. It feels like it should be true. It’s certainly perpetuated enough to feel like it is. Branding can get a bad rep. It’s [...]