A recent article in The New York Times titled "Roll Over, Elvis. Meet Indie Memphis," which highlights favorite spots for locals in Midtown Memphis, got me thinking about what people considered to be the "real" Memphis. Is it the sweet smells of barbeque, Beale Street and Graceland? Or is it Indie Memphis: a "hipster, epicenter, a diverse area that is home to posh cocktail bars and long-standing juke joints?" Or is it all of them?...read the rest of this post»

As a brand and reputation specialist, I can’t let the Tiger Woods apology today go without comment.  A few thoughts:

It was an actual apology with the words “I’m Sorry” used several times.  The words “irresponsible, selfish, foolish, embarrassed, unfaithful and wrong” were also used.  That is a refreshing change from the typical corporate and political uses of the phrase “I regret.”

It was a bit late in coming, but I don’t think that will matter in the long term.

His vocalization of the “entitlement society” that many celebrities feel they belong to was refreshing and added to the feeling of honesty.

His focus on his Foundation’s work was good to hear, but felt a bit out of place.

It was wonderful to see someone who has done something wrong not point fingers at anyone else.  He made this 100 percent his responsibility....read the rest of this post»

Each year, luxury brands and couture fashion designers show off their best designs during New York's Fashion Week. It's not unusual to see the newest luxury car models sitting outside the runways at these fashion shows. However, this year we saw a different type of product waiting outside the tents for the fashion-forward participants to experience....read the rest of this post»

I experienced something amazing in Los Angeles last weekend—the Rembrandt Exhibition at The Getty Museum.

Seven of us were given a personal tour by the exhibition’s curator, Lee Hendrix.  Lee worked for over 10 years to curate the exhibit.  And the premise is extraordinary:  “Telling the difference between Rembrandt and his pupils.”

A scholarly study was undertaken by Ms. Hendrix, and art scholars from around the globe, to determine which drawings were by the hand of Rembrandt and which were the works of his pupils, many of whom later became famous in their own right.  All works of art were loaned from various public and private collections.  Thousands of drawings were studied.  None carried an artist’s signature.  ...read the rest of this post»

I received a card today from BRIDGES thanking me for some volunteer work I did with them on MLK Day.  While receiving a thank you card is not significant in and of itself, it was the actual card that made me stop and feel a connection to BRIDGES. 

For those of you who are not familiar with BRIDGES, the organization is dedicated to building leaders who advance justice in four key areas - racial, economic, educational and environmental.  On MLK Day, local PR and marketing professionals spent an afternoon helping high school kids create a powerful slogan aimed at advancing one of the key areas.  Each group decided on one slogan, created signs showing the slogan and “marched” throughout the building. It was a very moving and rewarding afternoon....read the rest of this post»

Southwest Airlines has, arguably, the best reputation of just about any airline.   Their ads through the years have been on target – present ads about "bags fly free" included.  They have among the highest customer service scores in the industry, month in and month out.  This is not bad at all for an airline that is basically a cattle-call bus in the air type of airline (I mean that in the best possible way).  They offer a low cost alternative and a “flying can be fun” attitude.

So, what happens when their “flying can be fun” attitude is challenged in the fast moving world of social media?  That is being put to the test right now....read the rest of this post»

Recently I found out about a fund-raising effort for Haiti earthquake victims specifically geared to designers called “The Haiti Poster Project”. Leif Steiner of Moxi Sozo organized a similar effort in 2005 for hurricane victims called “Hurricane Poster Project” that raised $50,000.00. This is how it works: designers have until March 15th to design and produce posters specific to the earthquake in Haiti or The Haiti Poster Project. Limited edition signed and numbered quantities of 25 -100 are to be produced by the designer and shipped to the project organizers and they will sell the unique offerings online with all of the proceeds going to Doctors without Borders. 

...read the rest of this post»