When I heard that airports were installing full-body scanners that gave TSA workers x-ray vision through clothing, my first thought was, “No one will possibly put up with this.” Then I learned that if a traveler decides not to be subjected to this inspection, they can choose to be subjected to an “enhanced pat-down.” As Tom Keane points out in his recent editorial the Boston Globe, this kind of “unreasonable search“ without “probable cause” is not only demeaning but also in clear violation of the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution.

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When Warren Buffet donated the bulk of his vast fortune to the Gates Foundation, did the Gates Foundation’s donations dry up because people felt the foundation had enough money, and their money would be needed more elsewhere? Nope. The Gates Foundation donor base got bigger. Why? Because people want to be around winners. A wider and deeper donor base is built on the understanding and belief that your organization is a winning brand. Learn how to develop and communicate your 5 Top Winning Attributes and how to use this message framework to engage your audience and grow over time.

On December 3rd, Chris Klaehn, Partner & Director of Brand Strategy, gave a talk entitled “Everybody Loves a Winner” at the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Conference on Philanthropy.

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The Sartorialist  (http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/) takes photos of people that he sees on the streets of New York, Milan, Paris, Berlin or wherever he happens to be. He’s not only great at spotting very cool looking people but also a master of capturing fleeting moments in everyday life.

I have been following the Sartorialist Blog for few years now. I’ve used his photographs to brainstorm color pallets for various identity project. I found that the surprising color combinations found in people’s clothing and surroundings are a lot more interesting and spark ideas that I wouldn’t normally think about.

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Corey partner, Andrea Naddaff, recently wrote an article on customer perception in “Independent Agent” magazine, a publication whose readers include a national alliance of 300,000 business owners and their employees who offer insurance and financial services products.

A few months ago, it was revealed that a majority of consumers view Hyundai automobiles as unreliable. When it came to long-term dependability, they decided, Hyundai is nowhere near the top of the list, when in reality, it scored quite well in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).  

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Our clients often ask us why they should conduct usability testing with their website, mobile site or application. They say, “We’ve talked about the site endlessly and now it looks great! Why do we need to take the time to get more feedback before we launch?” Task-based usability testing is one of the best ways we have to understand how users will succeed and fail with an online experience. While we have a number of qualitative and quantitative tools that help us understand the mindset and behavior of site users, we can never be sure that the site will work for them until we recruit real users and sit them down in front of our work.

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I have two boys, one seven and one two. LEGO is all over our house: literally, pieces of World Racers and Power Miners on my dining room table, the bus and people who ride the bus on my floor, the word “LEGO” is one of the 30 words my two year old states repeatedly. We love LEGO in my house.

We love it because it is brilliant – methodical in approach, clear in direction, surprising in its outcome. It is creative and encourages open play. Kids of all ages can tear apart their models and mash them up with other sets.

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Corey partner, Andrea Naddaff, recently wrote an article on branding in “Independent Agent” magazine, a publication whose readers include a national alliance of 300,000 business owners and their employees who offer insurance and financial services products.

Did you know that your brand speaks volumes before you do? Have you stopped to think about what your brand is telling prospects and clients before you even say a word? Does your brand convey the attributes that you sell—trust, caring and responsibility? In today’s world, where people are constantly bombarded with noise, it’s worth stepping back to think about how (and if)… every element of your brand is consistent and clear.

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Andrea Naddaff, Partner at Corey, responds to Susan G. Komen Fights for Trademark on American Public Media’s Marketplace Web site.

“I am reminded of Rodney King’s famous sound bite ‘People, please, can’t we just get along?’. If we put this issue in branding parlance, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is the uber-brand of the pink ribbon and ‘race for the cure’. The other organizations can be considered as partners and should leverage the power of the creator to help establish their cause by crediting their inspiration. So, what am I saying? Susan G. Komen should be more charitable and the other organizations should be more respectful. ”

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A key question when developing social media strategy or a website is “Who do we target?”. “Who will be the most effective individuals to reach with our message?” Often these target audiences break down into two groups. Advocates for your organization, people who are invested in you and your offering, and the public, customers or end users – the ultimate recipients of your offering. A typical website design or social media strategy will try to reach these two groups in varying proportions.

But there is a third group, a group as important as either and one that can have a disproportionate effect on reaching end users. We call this group “Messengers.” Unlike your advocates, messengers are an audience that you don’t have direct contact with on a regular basis. They don’t follow your every word but they do share an affinity for your ideas, your topics and your issues. They might already be talking about your issues without mentioning your organization. Sometimes messengers talk about your topic on a regular basis, sometimes more sporadically as events or seasonality dictates.

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Internal applications – intranets, knowledge management sites, workflow management systems, etc. – drive an organization by keeping employees informed, creating quality and consistency across an organization, and positively influencing the bottom line. In this post, I review 4 ways to make these internal workhorses really shine.

Social Tools

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