GoKawiil
Tech News
Several independent candidates running in this year's midterm elections are incorporating the word 'independent' directly into their campaign logos and branding. The approach is meant to visibly distance them from both the Democratic and Republican parties at a time when both major parties face low public approval.
An Entrepreneur contributor and author of 'The Authority Advantage' argues that books, keynotes and courses generate value mainly through indirect channels—faster client conversion, referrals, partnerships and pricing power—rather than through royalties, speaking fees or enrollment revenue. The piece frames this as a shift from being an 'operator with something to sell' to an 'authority with something to teach.'
A marketing writer describes four years spent interviewing people who broke conventional marketing rules, including CMOs and other leaders. The piece highlights three unconventional figures—a monk, a real estate mogul and a musician—who are described as marketing gurus despite never setting out to be one, and draws lessons from how each built influence and audience without formal marketing titles.
A commentary piece traces corporate identity design back a century, noting that early visual identities were built by craftspeople with deep expertise in applied arts. It argues that today, having a polished visual identity is no longer enough to set a brand apart from competitors.
An Entrepreneur contributor from Fix Your Search describes a client evaluation process that goes beyond online reviews and websites by physically visiting businesses as a first-time customer would. The method involves timing how long it takes staff to acknowledge a walk-in visitor and scanning the physical space for overlooked flaws like smudged glass, flickering lights or worn signage that owners no longer notice.
MEK, a branding agency in Melbourne, Australia, found that its website generated more carbon emissions than the average webpage and decided to rebuild it. The redesign involved removing duplicated HTML tags and switching to a new, more efficient font to shrink its digital footprint.
OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair is positioning the platform as a tool for creators, entrepreneurs and professionals to build direct, paid relationships with audiences rather than relying on third-party social platforms. In a recent conversation, she argued that owning an audience directly, rather than borrowing reach from other networks, represents a new model for personal branding.
A commentary argues that municipal governments should establish formal music offices, similar to film or tech commissions, to systematically support and grow their local music industries. The piece contends that while cities pour resources into entertainment districts, business recruitment, and branding efforts, they largely ignore music as a distinct economic sector deserving dedicated oversight and investment.
A developer has revived Startup Name Generator-style satire with a project called 'Restarted,' updating the original 2015 gag site that spat out absurd startup jargon. The tool mimics the buzzword-laden branding language of tech pitches, offering a free tier for up to three projects without requiring a credit card.
The Honey Deuce, a vodka-and-lemonade cocktail sold at the US Open since 2007, has become a viral social-media fixture every fall, prompting other beverage brands to try to engineer similarly buzzy signature drinks. Its staying power predates modern platforms like Instagram and TikTok, yet it continues to dominate seasonal online chatter tied to the tennis tournament.
A new opinion piece argues that businesses can no longer rely on logos, ad spend or spokespeople to build public trust. Instead, it contends that consumers now place their confidence in visible, consistent human leaders rather than faceless institutions or scripted PR messaging.
A veteran branding professional contends that many well-crafted marketing campaigns fail not because of poor creative work, but because employees deliver poor service once customers arrive. The piece argues that increased foot traffic from ad campaigns often doesn't convert into sales when staff aren't engaged or properly trained to serve those customers.