Drew Schiller

Best of the Blog (First Half of 2009)

June 30, 2009

Your Top Five (as viewed by the readers, ordered by date): How To Create A More Memorable Brand Nine ways to create a more memorable brand. I wrote this while examining the question, “Is it getting more difficult for people to remember your brand’s message?” What You Don’t Know About Branding Five important branding concepts [...]

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Treat Customers Like Customers

June 29, 2009

We’ve all seen the commercials and heard the radio advertisements: At Bob’s Concrete and Lumber, we treat our customers like family. Wrong! Treating customers like family is a nice sentiment, but it doesn’t work in practice. This idea probably comes from the “family first” mantra we’re all familiar with, but let’s be honest, when things [...]

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Good To Bad To Great

June 9, 2009

I held a small branding workshop last month at a local golf clubhouse that is managed by the Coralville Marriott. Working with the Marriott staff to coordinate everything was simple, and the space was perfect (nice facilities beautiful scenery). That was the good. Then last week I received a charge for the space that was [...]

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Don’t Be A Dime A Dozen

June 8, 2009

Answer this question: What business are you in? If you answered with the type of product you sell (i.e., “I’m in construction”), you’re wrong. Products are commodities, and companies that focus only on the products are a dime a dozen. Companies that focus on the service they deliver have the opportunity to create uncontested market [...]

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Break The Rules And Be More Approachable

June 3, 2009

I’ve had my pair of Vibram FiveFingers Classics for a few days now, and I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had because of these shoes alone. I’ll be the first to admit that these shoes are different—but not too different. They are just different enough to make me seem more approachable and give [...]

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Laziness Leads To Losses

June 1, 2009

I had a nice brunch over the weekend at a little restaurant in a bedroom community outside of Iowa City. After our meal ended, the four of us sat at our table chatting. At 1:30 p.m., we were one of two tables in the restaurant, and the staff was starting to relax from their day’s [...]

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How To Create A More Memorable Brand

May 29, 2009

Last week, I was asked, “Is it getting more difficult for people to remember your brand’s message?” The short answer is, “yes.” Let’s look at some of the factors that make it difficult to be remembered today than in the past. What You’re Up Against Competition is always increasing, and it’s not just from traditional [...]

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You Don’t Practice Enough

May 26, 2009

Sports teams spend hours each week practicing unique end-of-game situations and crazy situational plays that may never get utilized. Why? Because if a game comes down to the last play, there isn’t time to practice, there is only time to execute. The teams that practice these rare situations often have amazing results and win close [...]

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The Secret to Achieving Perfection

May 22, 2009

“Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.” – Mitch Axelrod in an interview with Paul Hartunian. I love the simplicity and zen-like nature of this statement, and I have been doing my best to embrace this idea in my daily life. We all battle certain fears and preconceived notions when we look to make our [...]

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What You Don’t Know About Branding

May 18, 2009

“Honestly,” the college professor said to me about the branding course he was asked to teach, “I only have six seconds worth of material: follow through on your promises and provide great service. What else is there?” The professor is basically correct: building a brand requires you to deliver on your promises with excellent service. [...]

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