Raising the relevance of your content marketing: a case study

A major computer technology company was growing its presence in the field of online security. They had recently acquired a respected innovator in security and wanted to leverage its thought leadership through a sustained, content-driven digital lead nurturing campaign. Their need: They hired us to develop the messaging strategy for this campaign that would turn[…]

Owning the edge: signaling difference when claims all sound the same

I heard London Calling by the Clash playing on the Muzak in the frozen food aisle of Trader Joe’s recently. I quite enjoyed hearing it, but had to chuckle: If the Clash is playing on Muzak, where is the edge these days? It’s gotten so cool to be different, that everybody claims to be different, typically[…]

Writing into seashells

The Online Etymology Dictionary conjectures that the term niche, so relevant in all things marketing today, evolved  from nicchio, an Italian term for “seashell”. That’s illuminating, because  what is good copywriting or good writing in general if not the endeavor to draw audiences out of their shells, to buy what you’re selling or read what you’re writing.[…]

Books and boredom in Las Vegas

If art is about invention, why are so many artists inventing themselves into a corner, where they have few options to thrive and particularly to earn? I recently attended the Las Vegas Book Fair, a weirdly sinless event for that city. An MFA student from UNLV read a short piece to an audience of about four,[…]