Sales and Marketing

In last week’s column, I got us halfway through the stages of the hero’s journey, the construct we can use to think about weaving elements of storytelling into our marketing. I left off at the …

We started the storytelling 2.0 conversation in last week’s column by identifying that marketers have always been storytellers. But we’ve let ourselves slip away from that grand tradition. And given the consumers we deal with …

As marketers, we are continually being told that we should tell stories. But what exactly does that mean?

It’s recommended that we use one of the 14 character archetypes (the rebel, the outsider, the warrior, …

As marketers, we’ve always known that a brand’s internal actions should align with its external messaging. Companies find themselves in hot water when they make promises they have no intention or history of keeping.

When …

A couple of weeks ago, we began to explore how customer service is shifting as businesses reopen after an eight- to 10-week shutdown. In that earlier column, we talked a lot about the importance of …

I admit that I have some trepidation tackling the inequality issue that is dominating our country and the world’s focus right now. 

But that’s sort of the point, isn’t it? If we don’t get over …

As businesses across Iowa reopen and invite customers back into their establishments, it’s safe to say everyone is on edge.

Business owners are understandably concerned. Just because they’ve reopened or their employees are coming back, …

As Iowa reopens, we are being greeted by brand-new customers. Even if they look like our old customers, they’ve been changed. Two-plus months of isolation, deprivation and raw emotions can alter anyone’s perspective. 

We have …