Archived post. Originally published 8.5.2010.

An interesting story published in this week's Bloomberg's BusinessWeek - Alex Bogusky, a celebrated adman and creative director of powerhouse Crispin Porter + Bogusky, tendered his resignation after 'creative differences' between his beliefs and those of the brands he revived.

And those brands aren't just names in a bucket - Burger King, Volkswagon, Microsoft, counted the CP+B team as their award-winning creative driver. However, according to the article, Bogusky's point of view changed over time. Or maybe he just finally found the resolve to voice those opinions. We may never know - according to BW, Bogusky did not offer comment for the article.

Whatever the case, the speculative article poses an interesting question for us to ponder. What would you do if you no longer believed in the brand that you built? And furthermore, does it matter? What is your threshold of disagreement between your core beliefs and the brand that you nurture?

The fact is, the answer is different for everyone because it all depends on the circumstances of the moment that you're in. Beliefs, like people, can be fickle and change over time. 

Don't believe me? Contemplate for a moment what your beliefs were 20 years ago, 10 years ago, even 5 years ago, and compare them to what you believe now. What has changed in your life, and how does that affect what you believe? Jaded, no?

The same happens with the brands that you create and support - over time, they mature and are put to the test of customer scrutiny. Every day, your brand is challenged. And every day, your brand develops, grows wiser, and hopefully with your help and support, takes on a positive life of its own.

The question is, when the brand moves in a direction that you don't believe in, or you find that your brand affects people in a way that you do not agree with, when is it right to realign your brand, or gently step aside and let it grow without you?

Again, it depends. Is it truly causing harm, or are your personal beliefs in disagreement with what you're promoting? 

I'll admit that I've been lucky enough in my career to stand behind companies and brands that I could buy into. Granted, I haven't had to take on business or missions that I don't agree with, but I also know that it's a choice I make. Simple choice really. If it doesn't pass my 'gut test', I don't move forward. Because if I don't believe in the company and its tenants, then I am a waste of their budget and time. Likewise, if I find that I am no longer impassioned about a brand, and that there's nothing that can be done to revive my belief in the brand, I move on. Because every company, every entrepreneur, and every brand, deserves to be nurtured by someone who believes in it.

Believe it or not, it's not always about money - it's about doing what you believe is right. 

Archived post. Originally published 6.10.2010.

For the past few days, I've been in meetings. Lots of meetings. 

Throughout these meetings, I've been asked "Why did you name it Red Plate Marketing? Do you like plates?"*

And I tell the story of my mother and her red plate tradition, which was the inspiration behind my name. At first, I was hesitant to name it Red Plate Marketing, as I didn't want it to sound hokey or forced. But as time has passed, I realized what a gift it's been, as the name has begged a conversation of who I am and what I do. 

Not only that, but the story personalizes my company and my services, and gives potential clients, partners, and others, a better perspective of my philosophy and my personality. And my mom's. Let's not lie - she loves the fact I named it Red Plate, as any mom would. 

So the question is, what's your story? Take away the layers of fluff, the needless acronyms, the business speak and the dressings, and see what's underneath. What human element is there that can personalize, even humanize, your brand, your company, or your product? What's your red plate that you can share with the world?

*For the record, yes I do like plates. For 5 gift-giving holidays in a row, I received FiestaWare sets. Which is awesome, until you have to move, and realize that you never, ever, will entertain that many people in a tiny one-bedroom apartment. That, and there's really no use for a purple ceramic butter dish these days.