Our CEO, Jon, recently wrote a blog post about the origins of the word empathy. The English word empathy was coined in 1909 as a translation of the German term Einfühlung, literally meaning “feeling into.” In Robert Vischer’s 1873 Ph.D. dissertation, he first used the term Einfühlung to describe our ability as humans to enter into […] Read More
Choose your words carefully A sophisticated vocabulary gives us the ability to express our best ideas, thoughts and beliefs. But unfortunately, this box of tools is only as good as our ability to use them properly, and we marketers are known to bend some dictionary rules every once in a while. We like to create […] Read More
The online marketplace completely disrupted the retail shopping experience. But one of the original disruptors, Amazon, is steadily making their way back to brick and mortar stores. Now with 17 locations, the online brand has a very real physical footprint—and they are not alone. Other digitally native companies are making similar moves: Adore Me, Bonobos, […] Read More
If I were to ask you to describe brands you are familiar with, you might reference the Nike swoosh or the flowing Coca-Cola script. Our minds usually connect the concept of brand with its visual representation. But when it comes to your company’s brand, the visual is probably the least important aspect. Your logo may […] Read More
It’s a classic movie plot. A careless treasure hunter digs up an ancient power that should not have been disturbed. While the treasure hunter is sometimes innocent, more often than not he is a victim of his own arrogance or disrespect. From the Nazis in Indiana Jones who try to open the Ark of the […] Read More
Every job on the production floor has a story. In most cases, the deliverable indicates the job’s why. But every once in a while, I find a job with unrecognizable purpose. This is the story of one of those jobs. I was visiting our Experiential Graphics Department where I came across a beautiful piece of […] Read More
They say running is half mental. Some say it’s 90%. We aren’t sure who “they” are but they’ve clearly run a Ragnar race before. The Ragnar is a 200 mile-ish relay race where a team of 12 runners each run several times over a 36-hour period with little to no sleep in between. They also […] Read More
“Words are magical in the way they affect the minds of those who use them.” In May of 1940, Aldous Huxley published a short essay about the power of words. At the time, the world was on the verge of war—in Huxley’s opinion, a uniquely human trait made possible through words. He writes, “For evil, […] Read More
“Sing, O muse, of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.” This line, which opens Homer’s Iliad, has inspired readers for more than two and a half thousand years. But Homer didn’t write that line. He sang it to an audience that probably numbered no more than a […] Read More
We’ve been struggling with an identity problem for years. If I were to ask you to describe us to a friend or coworker, what would you say? Would you portray us as a printing company—a proficient manufacturer of books and direct mail? Would you describe us as engineers of experiential graphics—producing trade show booths, product packaging or any of that odd stuff that is printed but not called printing? Or would you be wholly confused by all of this print talk and instead describe us as a creative agency that builds websites or writes brand strategy? And let’s not forget those of you who subscribe to one of our SaaS products or data processing tools. What do you call all of this? Read More