We all engage with brands in search of value. But for any brand, pinpointing and delivering on the value customers seek, and doing it consistently, can be daunting – customer needs […]
Joe Smith’s Brands to Watch 2020
The confetti has settled, and we’ve rung in the new year. It’s time to peer into our crystal ball and see which brands will be worth watching in 2020. We […]
Banking for Humans: Don’t Lose the Person in the Numbers
When it comes to finding a place to store their dollars, today’s customers have plenty of options. Financial brands compete to help customers do more with their money. And many […]
Brands becoming themselves: LEGO
A brand’s visual identity should last 5-10 years. Yes, years, so it needs to outlast short-lived trends. And while trends can offer inspiration when creating a visual identity, they should never […]
Bringing Your Brand to Life: Corporate Values
Integrity. Respect. Innovation. Collaboration. Chances are, if you’ve read up on corporate values at all, these are all words you’ve heard tossed around time and time again. Don’t get me […]
Picking the Right Resolution to Design Your Customer Experience
The most critical and stressful part of customer experience design is the very beginning: do you take a broad, high-level view or a narrow, focused view of the customer journey? […]
Social Activism IRL
As UN Climate week begins, I wanted to write about this past Friday. What started as an idea from one person, spread online getting millions of people planning to come […]
Looking Beyond Brand Humanity
The crowded chaos of Grand Central Terminal is a force to be reckoned with on a Monday morning. Hesitate for a second and you’ll be trampled by human traffic. A […]
The Cherry and the Sundae – A Recipe for Customer Experience
“Did you see the cup?” asked my wife as we circled the Subaru Outback that magically had landed in our driveway. Did I see it? It was the first thing […]
Brands to Watch in 2019
At Joe Smith (the brand consultancy of Padilla), we’re all about helping brands make meaning. So to kick off 2019, we’ve taken stock of brands that excel at making meaning […]