Antifunnel

September 11, 2012, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: Insight

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For many agencies the path to a brand idea is a hasty, funnel-like process that cuts ideas without appropriate evaluation. They assume an idea that does not look good, must be bad. When really, it might just be unfamiliar, and could actually be the most opportune idea for your brand. The best idea is not always the most obvious.

At CO OP a more inspired process takes place where a multitude of ideas are explored in order to find the one. Imagine a room filled with ideas – as images, words, phrases or diagrams tacked on the walls – each better than the next (well, maybe not all…) Each idea in various states of development. Sometimes the simplest ideas get thrown out first. So how do you make sure that the best idea, not the idea most thought-through wins?

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Insight

September 17, 2012, 10:21 am

≫ Next: Faith in the Potential

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By Simon Hunter

“If we build it, they will come.” “Five percent. If I can only get five percent of my customers to buy another one, I’ll make my targets.” Marketing myopia may work for some people. But wishful thinking doesn’t help entrepreneurs very much. If your ambition is to change categories, create explosive growth, and turn a vision into reality (and financial success), then you need to know the answer to a couple of important questions: Why? and Really?

Together they make a profound and rigorous basis for the strategies that we create for our clients; strategies that unlock a brand’s full potential, and not simply that additional 5% margin.
Hear more about out how we think…..

Faith in the Potential

September 25, 2012, 11:07 am

≫ Next: Plug. Unplug.

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By Jennifer Wallace.

The process of creating strategic, effective ideas can be (at times) be uncomfortable. In the beginning, you know the task at hand is to “uncover opportunities“–and it means heading somewhere you’ve never been before launching into a project. It’s like taking a road trip where you don’t yet know the final destination–in fact, you don’t even have a map. There are road blocks, accidents, and detours. You may even get a ticket. But you also have the pleasure of discovering that little roadside gem that makes the whole trip.
There are many things you have to pack: Stamina to dig in and really explore an idea; taking it well beyond where you thought it could go. A great sense of humor that allows you to laugh not only at yourself but also with your team when things get tough. The ability to listen to ideas with an open heart and mind. Vision to see connections where there seem to be none. But the most important thing to bring is faith. Faith in your team. Faith that your client will get it. And finally, faith in the ideas…

Plug. Unplug.

September 25, 2012, 11:08 am

≫ Next: Chaos

≪ Previous: Faith in the Potential

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By Neves Rodrigues

Today we are at the cusp of a paradigm shift. A digital time where collective knowledge and intelligence is readily available to feed and challenge the individual mind. A world connected by social media, viewed through Youtube, searched via Google–and all a pocket’s reach away.

So how does one deal with such revolutionary times? More accessibility, more adaptiveness, and basically a lot more choices… While we all approach and see things differently, it’s easy to get hooked on constant connectivity–a digital addiction. Being plugged-in is just as much of a part of our daily routine as brushing our teeth (and for some, these are done together). There is no doubt that the pace of our lives seems to have accelerated tremendously–faster connections, rapid multitasking, and speedy reactions. We love it and can’t get enough, right? Well yes, but sometimes it’s a good idea to switch off. 

Pause. Unplug. (And then fast forward).

Chaos

October 1, 2012, 11:55 am

≫ Next: Be Wrong to be Right

≪ Previous: Plug. Unplug.

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Lawyers use “precedents”; Marketers use the “tried and true”; but creative people throw caution to the wind in pursuit of innovation. Strategic Creativity is the way in which we build solutions for our clients’ marketing challenges. When we were challenged to create tenant satisfaction in a building full of creative people, we needed to find new ways to connect with them.

So at Starrett Lehigh, we built a brand where imaginations could run wild, where the unthinkable could be thought, and all possibilities could be explored.
Here’s a story about how chaos engendered uncompromising creativity…

Be Wrong to be Right

October 1, 2012, 1:23 pm

≫ Next: Journeys

≪ Previous: Chaos

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By Paul Newman.

Thomas Edison quoted it best: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” If you’re any bit like me, you’re the kind of person that can’t help but believe that “better” things take time and perseverance. Because it’s part and parcel to this process, reaching better means being brave, honest, stubborn, smart, stupid, angry and fun, among a host of other adjectives.

For entrepreneurial minded people, it can’t be any other way. The creative drive and spirit inside doesn’t allow for just good because good is simply not good enough. The most meaningful and memorable ideas are better because they’ve been put through the test. They’ve failed many times and that’s okay. Because when they finally prevail, we know they’re right.

Journeys

October 1, 2012, 1:24 pm

≫ Next: Character & Tough Days

≪ Previous: Be Wrong to be Right

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by Paul Newman

There’s a little old woman with a little white dog on my morning train walk and she always smiles and waves. There’s a guy that walks around Union Square with a cat on his head asking for money in return for a picture. There’s a taxi driver that asks me if I’m from England every time I see him because he’s obsessed with the Beatles. There’s an Iranian girl that works in an Italian restaurant who is making a film about four married men. There’s an amazing handicapped fella named Andy that won a contest and makes people cry.

If you open your eyes and see, there’s an idea or story around every corner.

Character & Tough Days

October 2, 2012, 7:38 am

≫ Next: Happy People

≪ Previous: Journeys

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By Jim Moran.

“The Entrepreneur’s Commandment List”

As my wife was watching a reality show last night, I heard a great line that has stuck with me all day–“the true test of a person’s character is not when things are great but when things are tough.” I think this quote should be engrained into any entrepreneur’s commandment list.

As a leader, as a visionary, as someone who believes in your dream, you need to realize that there are more tough days than great ones. It’s how you deal with those tough days that will define your company, your people, and perceptions. It will also shape the key driver of your success–you.

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Happy People

October 2, 2012, 7:40 am

≫ Next: Private equity

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By Jim Moran

When I’m thinking about an ideal client, traits like intelligent, decisive, organized, and calm come to mind. But let’s throw in a new one as I don’t often hear it…HAPPY. Yes, I want happy clients. Why? Well, I’m happy (or I try to be every day). It helps me focus, drives me forward, and pushes out any insignificant unhappy baggage. So when I collaborate with clients, I project this attitude. This manifests itself in many visible, positive ways: team attitude, the innovation of ideas, better communication, and a passion for creating opportunity.

So when you run into a group like Stribling–a 30 year company with a senior and experienced management team, you hope for the best and dive in. Now almost three years and a complete rebranding campaign later, you’ll see the benefits of intelligent, organized, and calm decision makers who are happy. It shows in our work, our continued relationship, and the success of this launch.

Private equity

March 25, 2013, 10:06 am

≫ Next: A pin in the map

≪ Previous: Happy People

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By Dennis Fluet

The Private Equity industry is so often vilified in the news and in conversation that outside of the industry’s own trade circles you rarely hear anything positive about PE. But as an entrepreneur, how can you not step back and be wowed by what is working for PE? Given private equity’s success rate and continued growth, there has to be some knowledge entrepreneurs of any kind can gain from PE.

Private Equity’s methods or problem solving might be a bit different than Branding, but I will argue that more often than not, there are many more similarities than most people would expect.

A pin in the map

March 28, 2013, 9:11 am

≫ Next: First Impressions

≪ Previous: Private equity

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By Simon Hunter

The next time you visit Google Maps drop a pin on the corner of Eager St and North Wolfe St in East Baltimore. Use the street view function and have a look around. What are you seeing? If you’ve watched HBO’s The Wire you’ll think of it as a depressing and hopeless place. And you’d be wrong. And disrespectful. You are looking at the epicenter of something great; the site of a new park that will celebrate the next step in the life of a great neighborhood. Instead of a wasteland,you’re looking at a place to live, work, play, learn, and build a future. It’s a powerful vision coming to life everyday.

But it’s also a difficult vision to believe if you walk the streets and see the Google Maps version. Hear how we learned to share that vision by meeting the people who live around Eager Park.

First Impressions

April 5, 2013, 9:18 am

≫ Next: Six Sentence Story

≪ Previous: A pin in the map

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By Paul Newman

“What is branding?” I probably get asked that question at least once a month from friends and acquaintances. I tell them it’s like meeting a person for the first time. Sometimes you like them and connect with them straight away.  Other times, you think they’re just okay and could take them or leave them. Once in a while, you simply don’t like them at all and switch off.  In any case, you get an instant read, image or synopsis (in your mind) for who they are. That’s branding.

Six Sentence Story

July 1, 2013, 12:44 pm

≫ Next: Why Brand?

≪ Previous: First Impressions

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A Six Sentence Story gives an interesting (sometimes humorous) snapshot into peoples lives, likes and behaviors fed by 6 simple direct questions.
The idea is to express the personality of a person or of a team (by piecing random group answers together). Get to know our six newest team members by clicking on their answers below:

I’m from Philadelphia. Its grittiness is what I cherish most. It’s all about substance, not flash.
I moved to New York with no money, no stuff, no friends, no nothing.
A quiet room and a good book.
I am a little little, and live a little big.
Hugs.
A massive dance party through-out the streets of New York – which becomes instinctually choreographed!

The post Six Sentence Story appeared first on CO OP.

Why Brand?

July 23, 2013, 12:35 pm

≫ Next: Private equity

≪ Previous: Six Sentence Story

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By Dean Crutchfield

There’s a lot of confusion about what brand can do for a business. It’s key to recognize that brand is a reservoir of cash that’s not yet on the income statement, and a promise that represents a set of values that are capable of motivating the public, employees and customers. These values reach far beyond the bounds of what function the product or service actually performs. Instead they are anchored in human concerns, emotions and aspirations.  Click through to read my 15 commercial reasons why brand.

The post Why Brand? appeared first on CO OP.

Private equity

March 25, 2013, 10:06 am

≫ Next: A pin in the map

≪ Previous: Why Brand?

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By Dennis Fluet

The Private Equity industry is so often vilified in the news and in conversation that outside of the industry’s own trade circles you rarely hear anything positive about PE. But as an entrepreneur, how can you not step back and be wowed by what is working for PE? Given private equity’s success rate and continued growth, there has to be some knowledge entrepreneurs of any kind can gain from PE.

Private Equity’s methods or problem solving might be a bit different than Branding, but I will argue that more often than not, there are many more similarities than most people would expect.

The post Private equity appeared first on CO OP.

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A pin in the map

March 28, 2013, 9:11 am

≫ Next: First Impressions

≪ Previous: Private equity

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By Simon Hunter

The next time you visit Google Maps drop a pin on the corner of Eager St and North Wolfe St in East Baltimore. Use the street view function and have a look around. What are you seeing? If you’ve watched HBO’s The Wire you’ll think of it as a depressing and hopeless place. And you’d be wrong. And disrespectful. You are looking at the epicenter of something great; the site of a new park that will celebrate the next step in the life of a great neighborhood. Instead of a wasteland,you’re looking at a place to live, work, play, learn, and build a future. It’s a powerful vision coming to life everyday.

But it’s also a difficult vision to believe if you walk the streets and see the Google Maps version. Hear how we learned to share that vision by meeting the people who live around Eager Park.

The post A pin in the map appeared first on CO OP.

First Impressions

April 5, 2013, 9:18 am

≫ Next: Six Sentence Story

≪ Previous: A pin in the map

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By Paul Newman

“What is branding?” I probably get asked that question at least once a month from friends and acquaintances. I tell them it’s like meeting a person for the first time. Sometimes you like them and connect with them straight away.  Other times, you think they’re just okay and could take them or leave them. Once in a while, you simply don’t like them at all and switch off.  In any case, you get an instant read, image or synopsis (in your mind) for who they are. That’s branding.

The post First Impressions appeared first on CO OP.

Six Sentence Story

July 1, 2013, 12:44 pm

≫ Next: Why Brand?

≪ Previous: First Impressions

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A Six Sentence Story gives an interesting (sometimes humorous) snapshot into peoples lives, likes and behaviors fed by 6 simple direct questions.
The idea is to express the personality of a person or of a team (by piecing random group answers together). Get to know our six newest team members by clicking on their answers below:

I’m from Philadelphia. Its grittiness is what I cherish most. It’s all about substance, not flash.
I moved to New York with no money, no stuff, no friends, no nothing.
A quiet room and a good book.
I am a little little, and live a little big.
Hugs.
A massive dance party through-out the streets of New York – which becomes instinctually choreographed!

The post Six Sentence Story appeared first on CO OP.

Why Brand?

July 23, 2013, 12:35 pm

≫ Next: Magna Testimonial

≪ Previous: Six Sentence Story

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By Dean Crutchfield

There’s a lot of confusion about what brand can do for a business. It’s key to recognize that brand is a reservoir of cash that’s not yet on the income statement, and a promise that represents a set of values that are capable of motivating the public, employees and customers. These values reach far beyond the bounds of what function the product or service actually performs. Instead they are anchored in human concerns, emotions and aspirations.  Click through to read my 15 commercial reasons why brand.

The post Why Brand? appeared first on CO OP.

Magna Testimonial

June 20, 2014, 7:00 am

≫ Next: My Six Sentence Story: Chris Langlois

≪ Previous: Why Brand?

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“Five years into Magna’s existence, and having experienced exponential growth, we decided that instead of tirelessly debating how to express all of the exciting things we were doing in words and visuals amongst ourselves, we needed to bring in experts. 

In speaking to a number of firms, CO OP’s approach proved different and refreshing. Their focus on strategy and measurable deliverables aligned with the way we think about things and their immediate ability to understand our DNA made it clear that we’d chosen the right partner.

Our mission was clear: we wanted our brand to reflect an excitement and boldness; something more emboldened than the traditional Wall Street association. Reflecting all the energy, optimism, and collaboration we bring to every opportunity, CO OP’s team crafted a surprisingly simple but deeply authentic brand idea: The Power of an Open Mind. 

Redesigning everything from our identity to our powerful corporate website, CO OP’s creative and technical support has continued to help us clearly and succinctly articulate Magna’s true breadth and unique approach.”

 

Joshua Sason
Founder and CEO 

The post Magna Testimonial appeared first on CO OP.