“Time is the most valuable thing one can spend.” – Theophrastus

I spent a mint this week. And I’m happy with the return.

A look at a week of posts on Branding Strategy Insider and elsewhere reveals the days were shaped by…

Brad on ‘Inside Out’ Branding
In the mid to late 1990s, I was Hallmark’s first official chief brand advocate. In that role, I was responsible for increasing Hallmark’s brand equity and market share. I approached this with my team a number of ways…

Jack on the Mandate of Differentiation
In this global killer economy you have to find a way to differentiate yourself. To do this, here are the steps you must follow…

Derrick on Brand Extension
An exploration of successful and unsuccessful brand extensions as well as other angles on the topic…

Comment(s) of the Week
Goes to Robert Price who is helping us set the record straight on the health of Buy.com in: Of Brands and Naming.

Elsewhere…

Seth Godin (Next months Marketers For Charity co-author here on BSI) offers insight on why bad or bizarre ideas are more successful at getting attention than boring ones. And early adopters, not the mainstream's bell curve, are the new sweet spot of the market.

Greg Verdino zero’s in on Shopdropping — the act of placing doctored product packaging (often calling attention to the disconnect between a brand's stated and actual values) alongside the real thing on retail shelves.

More to come in the minutes, hours and week ahead – guaranteed.

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