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Breaking Bad Brand Image

By On June 30, 2011 In Branding, Marketing Insight With No Comments Permanent Link to Breaking Bad Brand ImagePermalink
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Mitch Wagner

A negative brand image is a hard thing to overcome. The opinion we have of a brand can be buried so deep within our subconscious we’re not even aware the impression exists. The truth is everything in life has a “brand” from the obvious products we buy to people and even pets.

Take this real world example. My neighbors have a 3-year-old German Shepherd — the sweetest, most obedient dog I have ever met. My two-year-old son absolutely loves her and wants to go see her whenever she is outside. Even though I have firsthand experience of her gentle demeanor, I’m still on edge every time my son approaches her.

Let me clarify, I have never been attacked by a dog and have never had a negative experience with a German Shepherd. So why do I get tense? The answer is simple: Continue Reading →

Can Marketing Save a Car Company and a City?

By On February 7, 2011 In Branding, Marketing Insight With No Comments Permanent Link to Can Marketing Save a Car Company and a City?Permalink
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Mitch Wagner

Super Bowl XLV has come and gone. No doubt there are many parties still going strong in Green Bay, and of course the internet is a buzz with the best and worst commercials. Like most, I was anxiously waiting for all the much-hyped spots so I could decide which I felt reigned supreme. There were some funny ones from Doritos, Hyundai and Volkswagen. But I was most impressed with a car commercial starring a rapper and a city.

In the weeks leading up to the Superbowl, I had been impressed with some of Chrysler’s new commercials. But those now pale in comparison. Feeling more like a tribute to a city and “American Values” than a commercial, I was honestly blown away by Chrysler’s new “Born of Fire” spot Continue Reading →

Social Media Killed the Logo Redesign

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By On January 6, 2011 In Branding, Marketing Insight, Social Meida With No Comments Permanent Link to Social Media Killed the Logo RedesignPermalink
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Mitch Wagner

Logo redesign can be a touchy enough subject as it is. The logo can be a big part of what defines the brand, so naturally companies get tied to their logo and are afraid to change it. In our instant gratification world of social media, the subject is getting touchier.

Many are familiar with the short-lived GAP logo redesign that sparked an instant internet backlash, and resulted in them dropping the new design just days after it was released. Years ago, that backlash would have taken much longer to catch on and may not have caught on at all. But thanks to all the new instant communication vehicles, the effects came almost immediately. Continue Reading →

You Get The Message – But Does Everyone Else?

By On December 2, 2010 In Marketing Insight With No Comments Permanent Link to You Get The Message – But Does Everyone Else?Permalink
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Mitch Wagner

As I was driving home for Thanksgiving last week – in our lovely Minnesota winter weather – I came across something that got me thinking. Having recently experienced a winter storm and with another on the way, I decided I better drive slowly. Cruising down I-94 at 55 mph, I noticed flashing red and blue lights up ahead. Traffic had all moved to the left lane and slowed considerably. I ended up going by six squad cars in about one mile, and there were multiple cars in the ditch as a result of an accident. I decided to slow down even more, assuming the other drivers would do the same. Continue Reading →

Thankful – The Essay

By On November 24, 2010 In Marketing Insight With No Comments Permanent Link to Thankful – The EssayPermalink
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Mitch Wagner

When Denise told us about this project – to write a blog about what we are thankful for – I decided to write the longest blog in history, at least IRONCLAD’s history. After all a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Continue Reading →

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