I’m going to date myself but I remember when USA Today came out in the early 1980s. When my dad was done with the paper, the first thing I looked at were the infographics on the bottom left-hand corner of each section’s front page. I saw them as an easy way to learn about an...Continue Reading

I’ve often made the analogy that brand communication is like gourmet cooking. You have ingredients (brand elements) and recipes (brand standards). And then there’s the magic that happens to turn those elements into beautifully plated gourmet dishes. It’s in that last step that brands sometimes run into problems. Because, no matter how good the ingredients,...Continue Reading

Have you ever run across someone you know, but maybe haven’t seen in a while and get the sense that something has changed in them? They may look better or happier. They might exude a renewed confidence or conviction in their voice. And you wonder what’s changed. Have they been working out? Colored their hair?...Continue Reading

You can’t take care of others if you aren’t taking care of yourself, they say. But not me, right? I’ve got things to do, people who need me, things that only I can do. Or so I thought until I just couldn’t anymore. Like many, I pushed and pushed through the COVID-19 Safer at Home...Continue Reading

Sue, a small business owner, came to us with a problem: she wanted more repeat customers. She wanted to better understand her customers’ needs and what she could do to encourage them to return for another visit. We told Sue the best way to connect with her customers is by understanding their needs. Here’s a...Continue Reading

Our Regional Brand Can Help You Recruit Talent Now’s the time for your organization to show it off as a part of your strategy. I’ve been paying attention to the brand of our region for a long time now. Well, 33 years to be exact. That’s when, from my bedroom in Winona, Minnesota, I flipped...Continue Reading