—Anthony Shore, Operative Words Let’s be honest: There’s a lot of bullshit in branding. It’s a pity — and it’s a threat. Because today, brand or marketing communications exuding any whiff of bull will be distrusted, discredited and derided by today’s cynical audiences. And no audience is more cynical than the 18-34 years-olds — the… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Anthony Shore
Primitive & Impolite, But Non-Vulgar Trademark & Naming Technique?
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Marketing, TrademarksOn a recent pilgrimage to my home town to visit the University of Iowa and to see the Hawkeyes play football again in hallowed Kinnick Stadium, I discovered that a rather rudimentary and perhaps impolite (or potty mouth), yet passionate (sorry Nancy) branding technique, is alive and kicking in Iowa City. I also learned what now appears to go hand-in-hand (or, perhaps leg-in-hands as… Continue Reading
Exposing Two-Face Brands
Posted in AlphaWatch, Branding, Goodwill, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, TrademarksI’m not talking about brands that say one thing and do another. I’m not talking about brands that don’t live up to their promise. I’m literally talking about brands with two faces. One face may be confident, complicated, technical, professional, and/or formal. Let’s call him, Stephen. The other face might be friendly, simple, approachable, engaging, and/or informal… Continue Reading
Sharing Accolades
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, TrademarksWe are humbled to share some more exciting news with you. Invesp’s list of the Top 100 Branding Blogs includes DuetsBlog, here. Thank you very much! OnlineDegree Blog has named the 50 Best Blogs for Creative Thinking, and ranked DuetsBlog as #10 on the list. Many thanks for the kind words and the strong vote of confidence!… Continue Reading
Truth is Stronger Than Fiction
Posted in Branding, Food, Guest Bloggers, Marketingby Anthony Shore, Operative Words There was a time when a simple, honest name was good enough.‚Ä®‚Ä® Venerable brands like General Electric, Kentucky Fried Chicken, National Biscuit Company and International Business Machines didn’t hide their business name behind metaphors or fuzzy ideas. Each name was a hammer. It delivered one message with brute, blunt force…. Continue Reading
Describe Different
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Search Engines, Trademarks"What am I?" Every invention begs this essential question of identity. The answer is found in the product’s descriptor. A descriptor defines a thing, categorizing it, framing it, positioning it and signaling its intended future. A product that doesn’t claim to break new ground adopts its category’s standard convention. For example, a new, run-of-the-mill digital… Continue Reading









