SEO isn’t what it used to be
May 13, 2013
by Tony Fannin, CEO/Partner, BE Branded  | Before, in the good ol’ days (about 6-7 years ago), SEO was purely a digital strategy. It was all about link-backs, key words, mark up, snippets, etc. The holy grail was to get onto, and stay, on the first page of search engines such as Google and Yahoo. […]

Do Purpose-driven ads really work?
Apr 10, 2013
by Tony Fannin, CEO/Partner, BE Branded  | Over the last 3-5 years, many marketers, large and small, have focused their advertising and brand in communicating more of a higher purpose than just selling stuff. Messaging has become more messianic. On the surface, this makes sense, especially with the millennials. Many do care that a company […]

LiveStrong – The risk of not creating a “real” brand
Apr 01, 2013
by Tony Fannin, CEO/Partner, BE Branded  | Recently, LiveStrong has announced a legal change of name and logo. It is now LiveStrong Foundation (see graphic). Executive VP, Andy Miller, noted in a speech, “The change is subtle but it is substantive. The positioning of the bars suggests forward and dynamic movement.” This is a great […]

Brands must get beyond the subordinate housewife and fashion-less man
Mar 25, 2013
by Tony Fannin, CEO/Partner, BE Branded  | Most smart marketers realize that women make (or influence) 80% of all purchase decisions across a wide range of categories from sophisticated financial products to electronics to cars. Unfortunately, most brands are still stuck in the past. It’s not they ignore women. In fact, many are pouring millions […]

Tech still don’t get women
Feb 19, 2013
by Tony Fannin, CEO/Partner, BE Branded | It’s ironic that an industry such as tech can be so far ahead of the norm, yet so far behind in understanding their customers. The tech industry is creating new products, platforms and apps at breakneck speed. Many tout their hard-core specs, speed, cool functionality and everything they […]