The delivery man and dark tales: a beastly lesson for your brand
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Last week, a hot, tired delivery man came into our office with some much-needed supplies. He delivered more than just packages. He delivered angry, ugly opinions about someone else’s brand.
The customer journey starts with your employee journey
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Marketers are spending a lot of time talking about the customer journey. We’re not hearing the same talk about the employee journey, and that’s a shame. Because the customer journey with your brand will be bumpy at best if the employee journey isn’t thoughtfully mapped out and put into action first.
An ad campaign won't fix what's wrong with your team
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
It’s an all-too-common malady: sales are flabby or fundraising goals are lagging, so leadership determines that a fresh new ad campaign is just the thing to make everything right.
When we start asking questions to diagnose the situation, we often discover something else: an internal problem.
Stop driving with your parking brake on
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
If you ever put your car in drive with your parking brake engaged, the car lets you know it right away. Ignore the warning at your own peril.
You know not to do it to your car. So why let it happen to your brand?
A crisis is not the time to be handing out business cards
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Have you put off planning, budgeting and—dare I say it—dreaming? If so, you’re probably working too much in the business and not enough on the business.
Don't wait for a crisis. Plan now.
How gossip amplifies (or muffles) your brand
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Amazon Chairman Jeff Bezos has famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
If you take this to heart, you need to understand all the people who talk about you when you’re not in the room.
4 tips for your intern's first day—according to an intern
- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
Special blog submission by Moriyah Ramberg
I was lucky enough to be selected for MB Piland’s internship program this summer. Now that I’ve had time to reflect on it, I'd like to share tips on how to make an internship a valuable experience for both boss and intern, starting with the first day.
Branders: take that foot out of your mouth
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
The starlet (insert name) was stunningly beautiful—until she opened her mouth and became a devastating disappointment to her fans. Her foot will be removed from her mouth with the help of a good PR agent.
Branders: it’s harder for you. You have numerous people who can make your brand look dazzling—or like Hollywood’s biggest trainwreck.
From groan to great: make your next retreat the best yet
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Be honest: have you ever heard an employee (sincerely) say “OH cool—I’m so excited!” when you announced a staff retreat? For many, the thought of a day away from the office stuffed into a conference room to plan sounds like as much fun as a root canal.
3 kinds of hoarding that smother your brand
- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Look into the proverbial closet of your organization. Chances are, there are a few habits or tactics you know you need to give up—but for some reason, just can’t. Worst case scenario: you have a vast store house that needs to be purged.
What’s still hanging around is weighing you down. It's a sign of sickness that needs immediate intervention.
