Author: Brian Heffron

  • Zeroing In on the Consumer

    You know those life-altering choices you face every day? Harpoon or Sam Adams? Black raspberry or mocha chip?P&G calls them the First Moment of Truth, when the consumer settles on what to buy. Studies tell us it often happens in the first seven seconds.But there’s a big step before any…

  • Tweeting Away Our Soul?

    For me, the allure of politics was always a mix of core beliefs, shared causes and stirring speeches. And as someone drawn to communications, I found the rhythm of the words and a speaker’s own unique cadences captivating. It is the currency of all politicians and some do it in…

  • Marketing the Hunt for a Warlord

    Joseph Kony can thank Silicon Valley for turning up the heat on his race from justice. Before the universal adoption of social media, a short film about an African warlord may play quietly in art houses, think tanks and maybe PBS. With the growth of these channels that film, “Kony…

  • Embrace The Cutting Room Floor

    Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Sheen and Gary Oldman were three of the many famous actors who suffered the same fate in director Terrence Malick’s 1998 movie, “The Thin Red Line.” They were completely edited out of the movie, despite months of filming.In the February issue of FastCompany, editor Robert Safian…

  • Rocky Seas for Those Ignoring Social Media, Technology

    The Boston Globe recently spotlighted a practice that gave pause to fish eaters in this seafood mecca. It was about a literal “bait” and switch taking place at area restaurants and food stores. The stories exposed discrepancies between what fish is on a menu and what you’re actually eating. “The…

  • Lessons of an Anticipated Product Release

    It was a difficult week for one of the world’s most iconic companies. Obviously, the saddest news from Apple was that its visionary, Steve Jobs, died too young after years of failing health. While his legacy as an innovator, inventor and marketing genius is secure, some worry about the future…

  • Is There Really Bad Press?

    With today’s fast-moving news cycles and a forgiving (or forgetful) public, some wonder if there really is such a thing as bad publicity. Michael Vick’s $100 million contract showed that you can recover from a storm of bad stories, not to mention PETA protests and prison time. Some even believe…

  • Brands Can Score Associating With Today’s News

    The day after Derek Jeter homered to become the first New York Yankee to record 3,000 hits, a couple of sports talk radio hosts and callers were ridiculing Christian Lopez, the fan who caught the ball. He was “an idiot” because he was going to give the ball to Jeter…

  • Assumptions Can Kill a Brand

    As a technology company prepared to launch its sleek new remote control in China, the CEO was asked a simple question. Why China? He reasoned that the Chinese love high tech stuff, many have the means to buy it and they love to show off the latest technology to family and friends. All…

  • Good Things Happen When Brands Unite

    I recently found myself dreaming about bringing two brands together. My wife was tapping away on her iPad as I was driving along unfamiliar roads during a family vacation. She had access to information that I wanted on the dash. Reading espn.com, watching “Modern Family” episodes or going through email…