Open Source
NOTE: This post has been updated from the original published in 2019. The importance of open source—and specifically the maxim “release early, release often” (RERO)—can scarcely be overstated. This approach born at the command line has impacted the world as organizations of every shape and size discover what
naming
NOTE: This post has been updated from the original published in 2020. A company’s name is its first impression. A good name tells your story in an instant. It gives audiences an immediate understanding of who you are and what you stand for. That goes for potential investors, employees,
messaging
You’ve sprinted to build your MVP. You’ve assembled a capable team to support and scale it. Now you need compelling messaging to convince customers to care. Time to call in the writerly talent. Your content team is responsible for translating all those tech specs you worked hard to
Brand Community
Near the tail end of the 19th century, two great thinkers were locked in a very contentious and very public contest to prove whose innovation would electrify our world. Nikola Tesla’s alternating current vs. Thomas Edison’s direct current. Two different means of achieving the same end: on-demand electricity
New Kind News
Today, New Kind launched an exciting new offering: the Brand Diagnostic. A new way to benchmark the current state of your brand and identify key areas for improvement. Here’s why we did it. When it comes to your brand, we know its health can sometimes seem difficult to measure.
Strategy
In enterprise B2B tech companies, it’s expected for product teams to singularly focus on the success of their specific offering or solution. They’re responsible for the revenue the product creates. They’re subject matter experts who know the technology best. They own the product’s story and messaging,
Leadership
Branding problems are business strategy problems. And let’s get this out of the way: Branding is not a logo or messaging alone. It’s not a color or a typeface. Those are assets that become symbols for meaning. It's about putting the right meaning in the right
messaging
Scale is one of life's "good problems." Like when a billionaire has the enviable issue of picking between traveling via Gulfstream or megayacht to their private island oasis, scale is a pain point only a privileged few ever have to reckon with. For those lucky few,
Strategy
Picture this. You’ve just gone through a multi-week or multi-month branding process. You’ve pored over countless pages of research, interview, and survey results. Explored every possible synonym for that one-word-that-seems-to-be-the-only-word-but-still-isn’t-quite-the-right-word. Looked at every Pantone swatch under the sun. Tested the usability, contrast, and readability of your new
Strategy
Just about all new B2B software today is sold by subscription. The Software as a Service (SaaS) model makes it easy to sell software at a low up-front cost, continually update it, and understand how customers are using it. It also means customers have more choice. You have to earn
Strategy
Subjectivity comes with any creative endeavor. Ask anyone what they think about some piece of art, and it often comes down to a personal preference that can’t always be explained. “I dunno, I just like it.” “I would totally hang that on my wall.” “I’m not a fan.
messaging
In 1975, leadership at American Express needed a new message to promote its credit cards. The tagline they had been using, "The Company For People Who Travel” wasn’t cutting it. It’s not hard to see why. In need of some outside expertise, they enlisted the team led