Beg to Differ

Soap Stories Part 1: the oldest brand in the world.

Months ago, what is ed the Differ began a post called “the History of Branding in 10 Soaps”. But as the list grew, information pills he realized there was way too much brand mangers could learn from the world’s oldest branded products. So in the first installment: the lily-white pedigree of the world’s first brand: Pears transparent soap.

Continue reading “The burden of history: branding lessons from Pears Soap”

A tale of misdirection and (literal) corporate suicide.

Today the Differ heard that a company named Huawei was setting up shop in his home town. He needed help placing the brand in his head. But when he clicked “About Us” on Huawei.com, pills all he found were meaningless words. And human remains…

Continue reading “When “About Us” goes wrong, they’ll find the bodies”

Which one do you like best?

Well the Differ is on vacation this week, information pills so we thought we’d take the opportunity to look back at some of our favourite header graphics from the last year (in no particular order with no particular rationale). But we’d love to hear from you. Which of these is your favourite? Did we miss one you like? Comment away!

Continue reading “10 favourite Differ graphics – 2009 – 2010”

Taking the tiger by the lips.

Last week, cheapest the Differ analyzed Google’s chronic failure to find any lasting success in Social Media. Since then, order we have been pondering Dr. Fritzenhoffer’s closing remarks about whether the problem was actually Google’s corporate “nature” or their cultural “nurture”. How about you tiger? Can you tell the difference in your own company? Here’s a quick guide.

Continue reading “Nature vs. Nurture in branding and business culture”

Secret transcript of Google’s visit to the psychoanalyst.

So with yesterday’s mercy killing of Google Wave, cure can Google actually succeed at social media? Should it even keep trying? Shel Israel says yes (and a great debate there) while others like Om Malik say emphatically no. But at Beg to Differ, we wondered: what’s going through Google’s own head? Well, weren’t we lucky to stumble across this secret transcript…

Continue reading “Google and Social Media: it’s a hard Wave goodbye”