A Lesson in Branding: How I became a little more of a Seahawks fan

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Last week, I got a lesson in branding.  Even if you are not a sports fan, you will (probably) appreciate this.

I grew up in the Chicago Area, and I rooted for the Chicago Bears.  I spent some time in North Carolina, Northeast Ohio, and I now live in Detroit.  So I have some allegiance to the Carolina Panthers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Detroit Lions.

However, last week, I became a little more of a Seattle Seahawks fan.

Branding comes in all sorts of forms…for all sorts of people, products, services, and businesses.  Sports is no exception, in fact it might be one of the strongest examples of branding we’ll ever find.

Last week, I read a story that did not necessarily teach me anything, but I got a reminder of an important lesson.

Is “Whatever you want” Really Valuable?

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For many of us, we say something to people…thinking it is a lot more valuable than it truly is.

“Whatever you want.”

THIS STATEMENT ONLY SOMETIMES HOLDS VALUE!

Many of us (including me) make this statement with good intentions, but it’s not always as valuable as we might think.

Let’s explore…

When "anything you want" IS valuable

It IS valuable when we know what we want, but it is not advertised in the menu or catalog…exactly the way we KNOW we want it.

“Whatever you want” is exactly what we want to hear…and feel…when we know what we want.

However, it’s NOT always valuable…

Creativity: Here’s The Magic Formula How to be Creative

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Do you ever wonder how some people are SO much more creative than others?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be as creative as THAT guy?

KEY FACT: YOU CAN BE CREATIVE – Here’s the secret!

Most people think that THIS is the formula for creativity:

Creativity = Natural Creative Talent

In other words, they think there is not any formula at all.  They look at it like the gene pool version of the lottery…only some people are “lucky enough” to be creative.

THAT IS A BUNCH OF JUNK!

While it IS true that some people are more NATURALLY creative than others, WE ALL CAN BE CREATIVE…IF WE WANT.

Over the years, I’ve noticed THIS more accurate “magic” formula for creativity: