I had a fascinating conversation this morning with Guy Dauncey, a futurist and big brain in the sustainability field. Guy is writing his latest book, a novel that projects us into the Vancouver of 2040. His vision isn’t apocalyptic — it describes... View More
A few years ago, my ad agency was acquired by Maddock Douglas, an innovation agency based in Chicago. For a year, I worked with the team at MD, honing a green innovation process for their clients.I learned a number of incredibly useful things from my... View More
I just read an interesting Deloitte study linking sustainability with innovation inside corporations. According to the study, companies engaged in sustainability innovate more than their competitors. At the risk of sounding cheeky, I don’t find thi... View More
Innovation is a hot topic. You hear daily about its democratization, globalization and acceleration. But in all the breathless wonder at our speed of progress, one question seldom gets asked: is every innovation good for us? This is where the concep... View More
I was sitting with a team of entrepreneurs yesterday. Together, we're launching a new retail concept (look for updates here — we open in January!).The conversation was all about naming. We'd landed on two great names, which one of the team had put ... View More
I believe futureproof brands are built on a foundation of two fundamentals: the brand’s reason for existence and the consumer’s yearning.These concepts may sound a bit esoteric, so allow me to explain. ... View More
If you want to find hotbeds of innovation, just look where there’s tension and instability.Healthcare is a great example. On one hand, chronic conditions are spiraling out of control at the same dizzying rate as healthcare costs. On the other hand,... View More
Key to futureproofing is creating a brand that fulfills your customers' higher order needs — things such as meaning, authenticity, self-fulfillment and all those other wonderful aspirations at the top of Maslow’s pyramid.But what if your consumer... View More
People like to stand out. People like to blend in. Once you understand that oxymoron, you’ll be in a much better position to build a sustainable brand. ... View More
“One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the RingsSustainability isn’t simple. And when it comes to uniting a group of people behind a green initiative... View More
Green innovation is a hot topic in the US. Ideologues for the status quo (many of them in Congress) believe it will cost industry money, and leave us lagging behind foreign competitors who don’t have to jump through eco-hoops. ... View More