More gold, less gravel: internal crowdsourcing
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Wikipedia calls crowdsourcing "distributed problem solving: assigning a problem to a large group of people to mine collective intelligence." Many companies use crowdsourcing for product development. Dorito's has famously used it for commercials in the Super Bowl. Is it for you?
Sync or sink
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Rapidly growing companies are moving fast. Some are kicking furiously in the Shark Tank. Others are trying Lean Startup methods to evolve their brand or launch something new. They're pivoting, exploring and trying to propel ahead.
How past employees affect your future brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
What happens when an employee leaves? Beyond the exit interview, it's safe to assume that several people will post online reviews that are either wildly flattering—or excruciatingly unflattering. Are you paying attention? Ignorance is not bliss.
A culture of happiness = happy customers
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
HOGG Heating & Air Conditioning Company has a smart internal brand that infects its customers faster than a summer cold. They know they're more than just an HVAC company. They see themselves as the ones who come to the rescue.
4 ways silos destroy brands
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
A problem for many high growth companies is that their operations are changing at such a rapid rate that their culture and intentional strategies fall by the wayside. At the same time, they probably have a strong external marketing campaign adding fuel to the growth.
Are we there yet?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Someone just asked me when I knew MB Piland was "there," or that our company had made it. It surprised me. I believe a high-growth company is never "there." But without an intentional plan, it's easy to get trapped in a roundabout. Here are three things to help you keep driving your brand forward.
Bulletin board as canary in a coal mine?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Obligatory rules and regs and a so-called motivational poster in a company break area make me think of something Despair.Inc. lampoons. The other stuff that's posted (or not) can signal an alarm about the health of the internal brand.
How bow ties and pocket protectors build a genius internal brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
H&R Block has been under fire for its recent foul ups on electronic filings. But that aside, they make me feel like they're real people who love what they do—and they'll take care of me. I bet their employees feel the same way, too.
Choose your customers first
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Another thought-provoking read from Seth Godin's daily blog: Choose your customers first. In this post, Seth talks about how we often rush to the end: creating a product, and then trying to shoehorn in our brand and customers. This is especially dangerous for rapidly growing companies.
What the Marines and Argo teach us about powerful internal culture
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Separating the "real" from the "Hollywood" is always tough for a movie based on a true story. Wonder about details and characters in the film Argo? A recent interview on Huffington Post says one thing's certain: the famous, "Argo f*** yourself" was real.
