Helpful words
Eli Altman is speaking at the 2014 Brand New Conference
- About: Naming
Join Eli at the 2014 Brand New Conference in Chicago. He’ll be speaking about the creative, practical and interpersonal realities of the naming process. The 2014 Brand New Conference will be held September 25-26. For tickets, speaker bios, and other information please visit: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnewconference/ Harris Theater at Millennium Park 205 E Randolph Dr. Chicago, IL USA
Brand Attributes: Your Words Are Meaningless
- About: Branding, Positioning
In most pursuits, the fastest way between two points is a direct path. However, when dealing with people, this isn’t the case. For example, saying “Those glasses look really good on you” might be the fastest way to get out of the DMV. It will definitely work better than walking up to the counter and…
The Rise of the Blank and Blank
- About: Branding, Naming, Positioning
Opening a restaurant is risky: a quarter fail in their first year, and nearly two-thirds are gone by the third. The desire to minimize risk causes many restaurateurs to pick names that appear safe. They aren’t. Consider this list of Bay Area bars and restaurants, ordered by opening date: 2005: Squat & Gobble, Fish &…
Cicero is Holding You Back
- About: Branding, Positioning
One of the oldest things on your computer—and it’s definitely on your computer—is a garbled, 2100 year-old text written by Cicero: Lorem ipsum dolor sit , consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea…
What can you learn from Dumb Starbucks?
- About: Branding, Positioning
What can you learn about branding from a business consultant who advises a gas station owner to offer a giant rebate that can only be redeemed on a remote mountaintop? Actually quite a bit. Nathan Fielder, the star of Nathan for You on Comedy Central, recently opened Dumb Starbucks, a parody version of Starbucks in…
Learn “How Not to Name Your Startup” at General Assembly
- About: Naming
Join Eli and he’ll give you the tools to create and evaluate brand names so you will never have to apologize for having a name that, like a bad tattoo, you will regret for the rest of your life. February 20, 2014 General Assembly San Francisco Sign up here
Stupidest Product of the Year (and it’s only January 3rd)
- About: Branding, Positioning
On the way into work this morning, I was listening to Marc Maron interview Artie Lange. One of the things I love about Maron is the way he hawks his sponsors like stamps.com and Adam and Eve in fine old time radio style. You’re rooting for him to pull it off but you know the only…
Don’t Call It That: A Naming Workbook
- About: Naming
After 18 months of hard work, Don’t Call It That is finally here! Don’t Call It That is a naming workbook written by our Creative Director, Eli Altman, and published by ExtraCurricular Press. This isn’t a book about naming, it’s a step-by-step guide that walks you through the naming process– covering everything from creativity and…
Competing Against Big Companies: No One is Going to Save You.
- About: Branding, Positioning
In the Mission District, San Francisco, local merchants are banding together to try and prevent Jack Spade from selling tote bags and oxford shirts near them. The same thing happened with American Apparel a few years ago. In Berkeley on Telegraph Avenue, Mokka Coffee’s windows are plastered with “SAVE MOKKA”. (A Starbucks is opening down…