Strategy
I was excited when I heard the announcement that Raleigh had received yet another #1 rating from Forbes Magazine as the “Best Place for Business and Careers.” Lately Raleigh has been praised with all kinds of similar accolades that reflect the many elements that make this city great. The strong
Leadership
Reconnecting North CarolinaThe Research Triangle Foundation is the private organization that manages the Research Triangle Park. The research park is reconnecting with North Carolina to reimagine the state’s future and redevelop the area. In addition to promoting the Research Triangle, attracting tenant companies, and maintaining the Park, the Foundation
Identity Design
The Emerging Issues Forum rallies a community to improve public policyMore than 25 years ago, Governor Jim Hunt initiated the annual Emerging Issues Forum focusing on the topic of innovation. The Institute for Emerging issues is now responsible for holding this Forum every year — and for conducting research and fostering
Identity Design
Redwoods’ website is changing behaviors to strengthen communities.New Kind and Redwoods Group redesigned the Redwoods website to reflect the company’s new brand positioning. Our goal was to revitalize an uninspiring site to create an online presence that mirrored Redwoods’ passion and commitment. The new website centers around Redwoods’
Storytelling
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas used storytelling to create a customer experienceSoon after its opening, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas sought a partner to train employees and its executive team on ways to use the power of storytelling to improve experiences for its guests. Over the course of two days,
Identity Design
Crafting a visual symbol to turn supporters into activists in the campaign to defeat Amendment One.The Coalition to Protect ALL North Carolina Families united to defeat a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. We partnered with them in a 5-month campaign, creating a visual identity system that served as
Strategy
New Kind is helping Innovate Raleigh catalyze innovation in our city.Innovate Raleigh is a partnership between NC State University, the City of Raleigh, Raleigh Economic Development, Wake County Economic Development, and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. Its community is full of smart and passionate people working together toward a common
Positioning
Last week, I watched The Power of Introverts, an excellent TED Talk by Susan Cain (she also has a book out on the same subject called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking).In her talk, which has been viewed almost two million
Strategy
From a public relations standpoint, oil companies have it tough these days. The price of gas in the United States is hovering between $3.50 - $4.00 a gallon while oil companies continue to report record profits. Environmental troubles also continue, with the most recent example being an oil
Strategy
Nothing drives me nuts more than a bad tagline. And by bad tagline, I mean most of them. Why such a tagline hater? Because to me, most taglines still speak the language of advertising. And, as my business partner David Burney is fond of saying, we no longer trust the
Strategy
There is no more important tool for rolling out brand positioning than a great brand story. The best brand stories can create gravity around a brand and also help build a strong brand community. They show the concepts behind the brand positioning in action, making it more than words on
Strategy
I tend to read a lot of business and marketing books (stop laughing at me) and over the past few years, I've noticed one important group that I don't think is being served well by the existing books out there: small business owners.Some branding books