The Power of Why

The Power of Why

As a creative marketing and communications agency, asking questions is central to who we are and what we do. Practically speaking, questions help us understand our clients and their needs. But, questions play a deeper role than formulating a to do list.

Perhaps the power of questions is best on display through our process of rebranding a business.

At Hencove, a rebrand is an intensely thoughtful process. We believe that in order to create a new look, feel, and story that is authentic to a business, we must first deeply understand who our client is, who they aspire to be, and how they hope to differentiate themselves in their industry.

Semicolon? More like, Semi-confusing

Semicolon? More like, Semi-confusing

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: What did the semicolon get after breaking the grammar law? Two consecutive sentences.

Jokes aside, the dreaded and often misunderstood semicolon has been the cause of much consternation among countless writers, young and old.

Kurt Vonnegut, author of 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction, famously said of semicolons, “All they do is show you’ve been to college.” 

Well, we’ve been to college. And today we’re going to take you to semicolon school. It’s taking up valuable real estate on your keyboard and now it’s time you learned how to use them, properly. 

When The Odds Are Against You, Remember Mine That Bird

When The Odds Are Against You, Remember Mine That Bird

This upcoming Saturday is the 144th running of horse racing’s most famous event – the Kentucky Derby. Even for the most casual of fans, the tradition, and pomp of Churchill Downs, combined with the thrill of the “greatest two minutes in sports” make for a must-watch event. 

The power of sports is when they transcend beyond a score-keeping, win-loss construct to become a true inspiration for our lives. In 2009, the Kentucky Derby offered just such a moment. That year, on a muddy, sloppy track, a little-known horse, running at long odds to win, made a last-to-first dash into the history books. 

When that horse, Mine That Bird, stormed across the finish, it gave all of us a powerful reminder to think about each time we step to the starting gate.

Making Powerful Points, Without PowerPoint

Making Powerful Points, Without PowerPoint

“We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations at Amazon,” said Bezos. In fact, Amazon traded presentations for employee written memos long ago. The reason? Bezos believes that not only is it harder to write a six-page memo versus a 20-page presentation, he thinks memos do a better job of delineating what’s important.

While we wouldn’t necessarily suggest ditching PowerPoint entirely, we do encourage Amazon’s way of thinking. By challenging conventions and finding new ways to work and think, we can open our minds to new possibilities, opportunities, and solutions. So, the next time you’re feeling stuck with your presentation, consider the following ideas… 

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Congratulations; it’s a brand! The birth of brands, much like babies, brings excitement, new challenges, and constant responsibility. 

That’s why we call ourselves brand caretakers.  And, we’re here to suggest a few ways to take better care of yours. Much like one’s own children, your brand is both a part of you and a reflection of you. Make sure you care for it every step of the way. 

Putting a Spring Back in your Brand’s Step

Putting a Spring Back in your Brand’s Step

Spring’s arrival brings new energy, and as the sun grows stronger and the light’s angle changes, we begin to see our world anew. It’s the perfect time of year to hold your brand up to that brighter light and see if it still matches the freshness and vibrancy we feel during these warming days. We offer a few ideas for greeting the season and, yes, putting a spring back in your brand’s step.

Views From the Cove Series: Brands We Admire

Views From the Cove Series: Brands We Admire

When Allbirds launched in March 2016, it burst onto the scene with the promise to disrupt the athletic shoe industry. In the beginning, this San Francisco-based company sold just one simple shoe design made from simple materials: Merino wool. The company’s idea was that all major shoe brands were too focused on flashy logos and man-made synthetics that were bad for the environment. Allbirds promised a product that cut through the noise with a minimalist design made from natural, renewable materials.

For us, what’s more interesting than the product itself is how this simple, understated brand generated awareness without the million-dollar television spots, celebrity spokespeople, or other flashy marketing techniques we’ve all come to expect from athletic and lifestyle shoe brands. What Allbirds may lack in high-profile campaigns, it more than makes up for them through the power of storytelling.

Where Does ‘Going Viral’ Fit into the Diffusion of Innovations?

Where Does ‘Going Viral’ Fit into the Diffusion of Innovations?

Hint: It doesn’t. 

In our digital, post-microwave, post-dialup internet age, we expect ideas to come fast and solutions to come faster. After all, just one search of “going viral” in Google yields a mere 11,600,000 results in just 0.55 seconds.

In many ways, this mindset has carried over into the business world. We put up billboards and expect customers to roll in. One whitepaper will rock the industry. Hockey-stick growth, people.

Everyone’s innovating and everyone wants to go viral. 

This phenomenon of the lightning-fast spread of information is beautiful. But, age-old marketing theories and principles still work in 2018. They serve to realign our expectations with reality, while teaching us to appreciate the milestones along the way.