Group SJR, Author at Unfiltered

Whoever smelt it: Photographing scent in New York City

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how much is a smell?

Branding The Immortal Influencer

Influencers are nothing new. Throughout history, there have been influential figures of all types peddling their wares, spreading their ideas, and making waves among their contemporaries. What distinguishes today’s influencers from those of long ago are the tools currently used to amplify these influential voices. While historical figures had messenger pigeons, the Pony Express, and […]

Got Staying Power? The Brand Endurance Matrix

In the marketing world, nothing is better than making a splash—right? Getting eyes, clicks, shares, and whatever else on a new campaign or product launch is kind of the point. Of course, when a flashy debut turns into a public flop, brands must dust themselves off and try to pinpoint what went wrong. Below is […]

Don’t Believe This Headline: Skepticism Makes Marketing Better

In the fall of 2014, supermodel and media personality Gisele Bündchen signed on as a brand affiliate for American sportswear and accessories company Under Armour, as a part of their ‘I Will What I Want’ campaign focused on women’s empowerment. Having traditionally worked with athletes, including soccer player Kelley O’Hara and ballerina Misty Copeland, the […]

You’re Not That Special: Why Demographics Don’t Matter

Age matters, if you’re a connoisseur of vintage wines or enjoy pungent cheeses. Gender matters, if you’re stating your admiration for a ship (Aye captain, she’s a real beaut). But for marketers, it’s time for us to ditch this segmented way of seeing the world. There’s a better way to target our audiences other living, […]

Letter From The Editor

The goal of marketing is to achieve influence. At its bare bones, a marketing campaign is a dialogue meant to persuade a person one way or the other. In the Magnetization issue of Unfiltered, we take a closer look at this push and pull of influence to uncover how and why it works. We were […]

For Brands, Intention is the New Disruption

“Disruptive” is my least favorite word. It’s so overused that it has become meaningless. The brands that are actually making their mark and changing the way things are done aren’t disruptive. They’re deliberate. It’s easy to shake things up. The hard part happens after the dust settles. Today, the average company’s lifespan is under twenty years. The brands who […]

Precision

Is There a Recipe for Creativity? Creativity is, ironically, a constricting term. It’s standard practice to call a writer, musician or photographer a “creative.” But what about account managers or CEOs? Are they too not solving problems with valuable and elegant solutions? The answer, of course, is yes. A great strategy is a work of art. […]

Connection

What’s in a Meme? Consider the Hula-Hoop. In 1948, friends Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr founded a company in California to sell a slingshot that catapulted meat up to the falcons they were hunting. As a nod to the resulting sound, they called the company Wham-O. A decade later, Melin and Knerr turned their attention to a […]

Flexibility

Quiz: Are You A Marketing Expert? Sometimes brands really nail it. They say something funny or interesting, or they make a change that really resonates with people. Think Oreo’s genius “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the Super Bowl blackout in 2013, or Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. Other times, they flop […]