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Best Western, Worst Western

by Mars Riley       Best Western has an identity problem that has been 60 years in the making. Simply put, each of their hotels is an independently owned and operated franchise—each one unique. Considering they have 4,000 hotels in 80 countries, that may be too much uniqueness. It is impossible to predict what…

Why You Should Keep Investors out of the Branding Process

  • About: Naming

The first worry of most business start ups is getting the capital they need to turn a great idea into a marketable product or service. The problem, of course, is that money often comes with strings attached. Once you’ve found investors, you want to keep them, and a lot of investors have strong opinions about…

What Investors for Start Up Business Ventures Know That You Don’t

  • About: Naming

Any time you’re entering into new territory as an entrepreneur, it’s important to find out what the people who have come before you have learned from their experiences. No matter how innovative your start up idea is, more seasoned entrepreneurs and investors know a lot of things that you don’t about running a business and…

Paying the Extra Dollar for Branding in San Francisco | Why It’s Worth It

The startup market in San Francisco is extremely crowded and competitive. That’s why it’s essential to go the extra mile to make your business stand out from the competition. Especially if you’re working in a similar market as other San Francisco businesses, you need to differentiate yourself and ensure that your company is the one…

The house that Bob Marley built

by Mars Riley It may have taken 18 years, but the family of Bob Marley is now getting serious about the use of his name and image. This is not going to be an easy task. As anyone who has been to a street fair, beach boardwalk, or head shop can tell you – bootlegged…

What your Halloween candy says about you

by Jeffery Racheff Halloween is a magical time of year, especially if you’re a kid. It’s the one time when you can act like a blood-crazed zombie ninja without someone prescribing you Ritalin for the rest of your youth. Most importantly, however, it’s when you get to eat buckets of candy. Sweet treats are the…

The Olsen Twins go Olsenboye

by Mars Riley Some things you should know about me: I am not a teenage girl. I rarely wear branded clothing. I do not shop at J.C. Penney. I dislike cupcakes. And I am not a fan of the Olsen Twins (Although, I do think one of them is kind of cute, but I’m not…

When designer jeans are your True Religion

by Jeffery Racheff There are two ways to define a pair of denim jeans. The first says they are nothing more than sturdy lifestyle-and-work pants, made from reasonably cheap material, that go just as well with Motörhead t-shirts as they do with bow ties. But the second definition takes a different approach. This angle sees…

The Blue Angels want YOU for the U.S. Navy

by Jeffery Racheff Screaming across the sky at over 1,000 miles an hour, the Blue Angels are the world’s oldest and most famous flying aerobatic team. Since their debut in 1946 they have performed for almost half a billion people all over the world, thrilling ground folk with their death-defying tricks. But what most spectators…

Generic cigarettes: coming to a smoker near you

by Jeffery Racheff Lungs aside, smokers tend to be a resilient bunch. You can take away their advertising, raise sales taxes 400% and ban cigarettes from being within three miles of the nearest doorway, but if a die-hard smoker wants a drag, there is little outside of Armageddon that will keep him from getting one….