When Heritage is History: Jaguar’s Identity Crisis
Some rebrands make you wince. Jaguar just unveiled new branding ahead of its all-electric future. The iconic leaping cat has been caged, and the typography… well, imagine James Bond pulling
I send daily emails. As in Every. Single. Day.
Why? To help you move forward — day by day, with:
• Bite-sized insights
• Fresh ideas
• Simple, productive actions.
This gives you 365 steps forward a year!
Join my growing group of smart readers committed to making things people are compelled to buy. Opt out at any time.
Some rebrands make you wince. Jaguar just unveiled new branding ahead of its all-electric future. The iconic leaping cat has been caged, and the typography… well, imagine James Bond pulling
Our third self — that part of us that dreams and aspires — has a weird relationship with treats. We want the indulgence. We crave the satisfaction. But we also
Perfect timing can transform a product from interesting to essential. Last week, Disney and Lululemon announced their first-ever collaboration — a 34-piece collection launching just in time for holiday shopping.
A simple font formatting change could dramatically affect how urgently people want your product. A fascinating study of five controlled experiments across three universities revealed something unexpected: italicized fonts increase
What makes someone spend $55 on foam clogs? For a senior with arthritis, Crocs solve genuine problems — easy on/off, comfort for swollen feet, non-slip stability. The need is clear,
The Dog Brain loves instant gratification. But what delights one buyer might leave another cold. After thirty years of product marketing, I’m still surprised by who falls in love with
Sweden wants to trademark… Sweden. This unprecedented move, announced Tuesday by press release, highlights something I encountered just yesterday: the growing challenge of protecting product names in an increasingly crowded
We often think climbing a ladder means reaching higher. But in product development, the most powerful ascent happens when we go deeper. Almost a decade ago, I strapped on my
Remember the Sears “Wish Book”? Growing up in a small town, the arrival of that Christmas catalog opened a portal to possibilities. Local stores had modest toy selections, but that
A product’s greatest value lies in who we become through using it. I’ve seen this demonstrated at a local coffee shop where the barista uses a matte black Fellow kettle
There’s a specialty knife shop near my hometown that’s become something of a pilgrimage site for chefs and serious home cooks. Walking in feels like entering a temple dedicated to
My doctor recently handed me a Neilmed sinus rinse starter kit. Inside: an empty plastic bottle and one lonely packet of “magic dust” – sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate. Basically,
“Advanced Technology Inside!” “Maximum Strength!” “Used by Professionals!” If your unique selling proposition could be claimed by any competitor, it isn’t unique. It’s what I call a POS – Puffery
I just received this Amazon review, and I’m honestly floored: “I thoroughly enjoyed the book, ‘I Need That.’ My background is marketing direct to the consumer, products like Sonicare, OxiClean,
List member Heather responded to Tuesday’s “Two Pens” email with an illuminating observation: “Another functional item where value varies broadly is home lighting: from the cheapest desk lamp, to the
“Which watch is better — my Apple Watch Ultra or my pal Blake’s Garmin Quatix 6?” It’s a trick question. Blake is an avid kayaker. He needs a watch that
Yesterday, I met a dear friend to sign copies of my book he’d bought as gifts. I pulled out a pretty cool pen I’ve owned for 20 years. He produced
A robotics engineer who recently joined you as a list subscriber shared something fascinating with me. “Robotics is prone to the fallacy of providing a solution searching for a problem,”
At fifteen, I desperately needed a Cateye Solar cyclocomputer. Not wanted. Needed. My existing bike speedometer did its job just fine. But after seeing that sleek new digital device in
For the past couple of years, I’ve been interested in e-bikes. My deep dive started with a client who develops them. I learned all about stepless shifting, maintenance-free belt drives,