August 2009

A recent post at ClickZ declares that branding is "Ineffective, Irrelevant, Irritating, and Impotent." The author, Augustine Fou (I can't help but point out "fou" is French for "crazy" or "madman" :)), starts by suggesting that "branding"…

I've been involved in any number of logo projects, and all too often the designs submitted are predictable and prosaic. At best, the logo designer understands enough about the business to build some aspect of the firm's identity or…

The last time you were in a hotel, what did it smell like? Do you recall any sounds? While I think sensory branding is important for all businesses, hotels have a particularly strong opportunity to practice it. After all, their…

We all know that sunshine seems to have an impact on your mood, but could it even affect how well you think and make decisions? Surprising new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that it can:

I find I close my eyes to "enhance" my other senses. If I'm trying to hear a barely audible voicemail, for example, I often close my eyes. I always assumed that I was merely reducing visual stimuli and hence freeing up my brain to…

Just days after I wrote about using taglines in college branding, Harvard University's effort to trademark several slogans is raising eyebrows and getting them called "the Nike of higher education":

If you want to get someone to do something, speak into his right ear. Research by Dr. Luca Tommasi and Daniele Marzoli from the University Gabriele d'Annunzio in Chieti, Italy, shows not only that we have a preference for processing…

Via a comment on my initial College Branding post, I found an article from Times Higher Education, What sets you apart? , dated just a few days later. In this article, two authors speak to some of key issues facing colleges and…

Thanks to the UK's PsyBlog for including Neuromarketing in their list of 40 Superb Psychology Blogs. PsyBlog is written by Jeremy Dean, a researcher at University College London. It's an honor to be in the company of the other 39…

Over the years, movie-makers have tried to go beyond what's on the screen to scare theatergoers. In the 1950s, director William Castle startled those viewing his horror films, notably The Tingler, with gimmicks like vibrators installed…