An Interview with Endless Coast

Two Wheels To #ORshow: Riding to the Outdoor Retailer show

Two Wheels To #ORshow: 400 Miles of Conversations

Two Wheels To #ORshow: Smartwool #RideToOR

Behind the Name: Towerside is Reaching New Heights of Innovation in Minneapolis-Saint Paul

The Importance of Brand Authenticity

Social Media Makes Fancy Food More Consumable

Patagonia, it all started in a shed.

Stop with the Apple to Apple comparisons, please

One day, just over fifteen years ago we were in a meeting with a Silicon Valley client and discussing the importance of design thinking. We were introducing the client to some friends at IDEO and talking about findings from research we did on their brand experience.

Caribou v. Blue Caribou : Doing Things Right the First Time

The world of lean startup and agile product development are interweaving methods that work in digital, but may not make sense for the physical world. F

A curated retail experience in Munich

Managing Principal Aaron Keller traveled to Munich, a city that is a convergence of retail, fashion, outdoor activities, theatre and arts. Read on to discover his curated retail experience.

Physics of Brand Review: Tobias Puehse

How great would it be if your day-to-day job was managing innovation? More so, how great is it that the current marketplace demands this job at all? Tobias Puehse holds this role on a VP level at MasterCard, and was kind enough to review our book through his impressive futuristic lens.

How we respond to brands responding to Prince

As fans and members of a social and connected community, many have responded by cultivating a public conversation around favorite songs, “Purple Rain” tributes, and an overall appreciation for the authentic inspiration that radiated from the star. Many, including brands. Do brands have a place to participate here? This controversial analysis of who responded and how sent our office into a full on debate on brand ethics.

Physics of Brand Review: Chris Lindner, President of Keds

Being that Chris Lindner has helped build marketing platforms for brands such as Nike, Bauer, Converse, Saucony, Sperry and is now President of Keds, we felt his endorsement of The Physics of Brand was a win.

3.14. Pi day. Einstein’s Day. Book Launch Day.

Today, Einstein’s birthday, is our official book launch day, and bonus gift day (our team got real creative with the sentiment).

Physics Book Review: David Butler, VP of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Coca-Cola Company

We've admired David from afar for quite some time. "Design stalking," watching from a safe, non-creepy distance.

FUSE in Focus: Purpose Culture, the heart and soul of brands and millennials

Ah, the power of purpose; I was thrilled when I saw the theme of this year’s FUSE Conference. Way to go, IIR for bundling up the overarching theme of today’s creative industries into one all-inclusive package we can all enjoy.

#BrandsWithPurpose FUSE Conference 2016

What? We get to go to Miami? As we plunge into the frigid temperatures of February in Minnesota, I look longingly at my calendar. Is there warm relief ahead? Well, yes. FUSE 2016 is headed for Miami!

Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer, PepsiCo: Words of love for The Physics of Brand

Writing a book on brands has connected us with some serious top-notch industry icons. We have dared to share our discoveries with some of our favorite thought leaders, and the words of love we are receiving back have made us ever grateful. We plan to feature each of these shining individuals as a way to say, thank you. First on the list: Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo.

Mark Ritson on Brand Valuation: Brilliant or Bullshit?

As soon as we saw Mark Ritson (Professor at Melbourne Business School, and columnist for Marketing Week) take on the topic of brand valuation and claim its bullshit-ness, we knew we wanted to get him in front of our book, The Physics of Brand. The topic of brand value is center stage in our book, intersecting the priorities of the CMO and CFO and bringing them into the same conversation.

Brand Biases and the Empathy Gap

The Empathy Gap presents those of us who work in the branding world with an interesting world to live in and understand. The Empathy Gap is a cognitive bias that occurs when one underestimates the influence of feelings or other internal emotional reactions. We see this gap often between businesses or brand handlers and their end consumers; the gap of understanding can be large, and one that requires thoughtful navigation.