SWAY

An investment in branding can increase your company valuation by as much as 20%.

The right typeface is an integral part of your brand’s visual language. It influences how your brand is perceived and remembered. Selecting a typeface is an important decision—and, in addition to your choice of style, you must also account for technical requirements, function and cost.

A semi-annual survey of salient sundries and statistics supporting scalable, saleable strategies for small- to super-sized shops, syndicates and service-providers

When you’re building a brand, your visual identity can only communicate so much. You’ll also need to put pen to paper and tell your customers what makes you worth their time and money. You'll need key messages.

When everybody else relies on celebrity endorsements, you’ll need to choose a different tactic to stand out.

A semi-annual survey of salient sundries and statistics supporting scalable, saleable strategies for small- to super-sized shops, syndicates and service-providers

Knowing what to do to prepare for a rebrand will make the initiative go a LOT more smoothly. From timings to budget to preparing the creative brief, here are 4 tips that will save you hassles and headaches.

There’s no shame in having a B2B brand voice that’s similar to that of your competitors. But that’s no excuse for boring writing.

As of July 2023, Google Analytics 4 replaces Universal Analytics. Even after you’ve migrated your website analytics, there’s a lot to know about this powerful upgrade, which now includes AI, machine learning and improved data protection.

Bigger isn't always better when making your writing stand out.

How vertical video went from an embarrassment to the norm

Sales tactics are fine, but wouldn’t it be great to have your customers seek you out for a change?

Since Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, the ups and downs of marijuana marketing is starting to settle down into a clearer path forward for brands.

Squarespace, Wix and Shopify have all grown up—and they’re taking over. That’s a good thing.

Logos are everywhere, but how well do we really understand them?

Start thinking beyond just making your goods or services available online.

Part two of a two-part series on that most elusive of questions: “I know my company needs to be on social media, but is it worth it?”

Step aside, celebrity endorsement, and make way for influencer marketing.

It’s 2020, and everyone is on Twitter.

Street construction can hamper pedestrian traffic to small businesses. Here are a few tips to survive the downturn.

Customers increasingly expect brands to stand up for causes—just make sure you don’t overstate your case.

Measuring return on investment for your social media spend

As legal green settles over Canada, how will pot producers blow through the branding haze?

When brands adopt the internet’s native tongue

Brand extensions—a help or a hindrance?

Even if you’re not shelling out for a spot in the big game, there’s still plenty to learn from the brands who do

For cities of all sizes, branding offers all kinds of opportunities—and plenty of challenges

Some of the rules that govern your writing are just plain fake

shouldlongurlseverhavecapitalletters.com

Too big to fail? When massive PR failures extend to an entire industry, nobody loses for long.

Why we’re not celebrating Tuponia’s 150th

It's no surprise that “fake news” was Collins Dictionary's 2017 Word of the Year. Less expected? The role marketing technologies have played in its rise.

8 marketing rules shared between the Obama and Trump presidential campaigns

The NBA’s branding efforts are in a league of their own

Laura Ries explains why great taglines need great visuals, too.

With craft beer, authenticity is everything. So why does Big Beer keep buying up smaller brands?

Thoughts on what makes an effective slogan from author Laura Ries.

The Instagram look is the style du jour, but this interview with photographer Sandy Nicholson reminds us it's not as easy as it looks.

Uber fails, The Met flails, the World’s Most Interesting Man takes sail, Fashion Santa derails and more from the branding world.

Naming a brand can be as emotional as naming a child—so here are some tips to help you stay objective through the process.

A case study of how a bold concept and provocative branding have made a splash in a saturated category.

An apology campaign can enhance your brand’s image—but like a personal apology, it only works if you don’t mess it up.

As trolls become an actual liability for online publishers, we say goodbye (and good riddance!) to anonymous comments.

Advice on how to make colour choices less subjective—and more visually powerful—in your brand arsenal.

A reminder that history repeats itself as technologies change, from Luddites to Uber.

Advancements in printing technology mean more and more options are becoming available to your business.

Notice a spike in your website traffic lately? Watch out! It could be the latest spam tactic.

The “unique selling proposition” has outlived its usefulness. Give it a gold watch and show it the door.

What a small, super-specialized restaurant can teach us about positioning.

A few digital odds and ends, from iPhone versus Android to mobile versus desktop. Plus, Yahoo moves in on Mozilla’s breakup with Google.

Attention-seeking headlines: effective marketing tool, or annoying copywriting gimmick?

Are your employees owners, renters or squatters? Internal branding can help you get them to take more ownership.

Streaming services are changing the way we relate to television. Will the 22- or 47-minute episode survive?

Think you can’t afford to use custom photography? The truth is, in some industries, you can’t afford not to.

Stop telling consumers everything about your story, and start telling them how you fit into their story.

Now that we’re living in the golden age of branded content, it’s time to rethink the role of the copy writer.

Brand master Wally Olins offers his final advice, in a book that should see us well into the future.

An introduction to Sway, a preview of this issue, and the reasons why we launched this journal.

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner tell you how to think better by letting go of your fear of being wrong.

If you’re looking to introduce vulgarity to your branding—whether for humour or shock value, or both—handle it with care.