Insights | Skopos

The Power of Working On Your Business, Not In It

Have you ever thought that being too close to your product or service might actually hold you back? Many founders fall into the trap of getting caught up in the details, but success often comes from stepping back and focusing on the bigger picture. You can see a lot...

Why We Say, “There Is No Such Thing As Branding.” It Starts With Four New “P”s.

Most marketers are familiar with the classic 4P's of taking a product or service to market: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. These were developed in the mid-1960s during the glory days of Mad Men and advertising-driven marketing. Markets have changed, the...

Please And Thank You Should Not Be Taught

They should be automatic. At places like Chick-fil-A where purpose flows through the organization like a spring breeze, they are. At Dunkin' Donuts, not as much. A couple of decades ago when my sons were playing soccer in grade school, we would often stop at a...

WestJet Demonstrates How Brand Begins With Purpose And The Right People.

This is a re-posting of an article I wrote in December 2013. The WestJet video now has nearly 50,000,000 views and the article's point on brand is as true now as it was 5 years ago. In fact, with the United fiasco last year, perhaps more so. Merry Christmas! --- The...

An Uber Driver, Not An Uber Logo Saved Me In Vegas

From blog posts to websites to radio interviews to speaking multiple times before hundreds of gathered business executives, I've consistently preached that "branding" as defined by the ad industry, is not a real word and that a "brand" is not something that an ad...

It’s A Wonderful (Business) Life

I often have the opportunity to address groups of business people and a question I sometimes ask is, "If your business disappeared tomorrow, would people say, 'Oh well" or "OH @*^$!!!"? It's an important question for several reasons. One of the greatest compliments I...

What’s The Big Idea?

So, what's the big idea? There are essentially two schools of thought and I believe one of them to be not only wrong but perhaps partially responsible for the commoditization of many American industries. The "big idea" in ad circles is a term coined by the late David...

Why Exit Planning (NEXiT® Planning) Is Really Brand Strategy

With all of the unpredictability of owning a business, there is one thing you as the owner can absolutely count on. One day, it will be your last day. And while we can't always control WHEN we exit due to illness, death or other unforeseen circumstances, we can...

How Friendly Are Your Skies?

By now, everyone has seen and discussed the United Airlines debacle. And while most of the conversation has centered around the horrible PR response and speculation over settlement amounts, few if any are discussing the fact that this might be the best example of...

Craftsmanship. A Skopós Unto Itself.

When was the last time you met a “Master Penman?” For that matter, when was the last time you met a Master anything? In a world that seems to be wired for faster/cheaper, those who strive for excellence in their chosen vocation can seem like the oddballs. Meet Jake...

End The Battle Between Marketing And Sales

Where does ‘Marketing’ end and ‘Sales’ begin? I once was asked to participate in a roundtable of about 20 C-Suite execs where the subject was, “Where does ‘Marketing’ end and ‘Sales’ begin?” With me was a friend and excellent sales trainer. He went first and offered...

What Are You Really Worth?

Of course, the short answer is, “What someone is willing to pay me.” This is a remarkably simple and accurate statement. And when the question refers to your products and services, how often is that answer followed by, “And that seems to be less and less every day.”...