Will Burns: This Fractional Brand Consultant Comes With A Fractional Creative Department

An Idea For Beatles Tribute Bands: Channel The Brand (Band)

My 24 year old son and I went to see a Beatles tribute band called “The Fab Four” last year. It was amazing. They looked like the band, sounded like them, talked like them, it was a compelling illusion, for sure. These four musicians proved to be experts at mimicking the Beatles. And now, with the advent of AI, mashups, and other forces of musical “pliability,” I have a potentially controversial idea for these bands to take their creativity, musicianship, and love for the Beatles beyond just imitation.

BrandingWill BurnsMay 14, 2024beatles, the fab fourComment

5 Tips To Improve Your Next Presentation

Presentations are arguments. Arguments designed to convince someone, or a group, to take action in a certain fashion. Below are five things to try when composing and delivering your presentation. Things that, in my experience, will increase the odds of success whether in person or over Zoom.

BrandingWill BurnsApril 9, 2024presentations, pitchComment

I’m Sick Of Bitching About Pepsi’s Brand. Here’s An Idea Instead.

I have an idea for the Pepsi brand inspired, ironically, by my frustration surrounding the Pepsi brand. You might call me a “Pepsi Bully” if you read even half of my articles I’ve written over the last decade about the company’s consistent lack of a brand idea, lack of relevance, and their shockingly superficial attempts to be cool. Here are just a few of my Pepsi rants over the years.

BrandingWill BurnsMarch 11, 2024pepsi, brad's drink, branding Comments

A Live Demo: Experience The Power Of A Brand Idea

What follows is a simple yet powerful exercise I designed for my “Channel The Brand” workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to demonstrate the intense, positive influence a strong, single-minded brand idea can/should have on how a company not only goes to market, but how a company behaves in every way. Within this workshop is a breakout exercise that you can steal and do with your company (there are downloads of printouts at the end).

BrandingWill BurnsOctober 24, 2022branding, brand idea, workshop, channel the brandComment

With 7.9% Inflation Should Brands Pledge To Stop Advertising To Reduce Prices?

Here’s an idea. No, not just an idea, but a challenge to brands. How about rewarding years of loyalty from your customers by NOT advertising for a year, applying that saved money to the cost of goods, and making your products more affordable during this inflation crisis?

BrandingWill BurnsApril 8, 2022inflation, advertising, branding Comments

When Ideas Become Therapy For An Executive Team

Everyone knows how therapeutic having a idea can be. The thrill, the chills, and just the feeling of accomplishment giving birth to a new (good) idea. What’s not talked about as much is the therapeutic value of ideas to the well-being of a company, particularly a complex organization with different, competing perspectives with the executive level as to what the brand should be about. I’ve found that multiple ideas for the team to bat around, reject, and embrace, can be a form of useful, healthy therapy for the execrative team. Let me explain.

BrandingWill BurnsMarch 18, 2022branding, ideas, therapyComment

ON BRAND