Jon Schleuning

Here's a great short read on some emerging science around intuitive thinking, a key for practitioners of #creativestrategy and #designthinking: https://lnkd.in/gWDjmf6M

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I have found that the Value Proposition Canvas falls a bit short, so over the years I have expanded upon it to suit my purposes. In particular, I want to have a value proposition that is grounded in user research, rather than just an introspective approach. Secondly, I have needed a means to ground it in the competencies of the company or team. Thirdly, I needed a way to measure whether it was good enough. Lastly, I didn't want it to be set in stone, like a requirement, but be a guide that is continuously being challenged and refined. https://lnkd.in/eXVUXNyD

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💰Capitalism is complicated 🤑 It’s expanded economic opportunity for a variety of groups, but it also serves a system of oppression in itself. Now, more than ever before in capitalist history, consumer buying power is more diverse as communities of color are looking to engage with brands that make them feel seen, heard and valued. And they are ready to intentionally make choices of where NOT to spend their money when they don’t see themselves included in a brand's marketing. Whatever you believe the role of government should be in supporting communities, corporations do have a place and responsibility to the constituents, customers, stakeholders and importantly the employees they serve. Corporations that prioritize #culturalcompetency, not just diversity, will lead financial performance, consumer loyalty, employee satisfaction and corporate brand reputation. ++++++ Hi 👋🏽 I’m Mariam, founder of Chatterbox Consulting, an #inclusivemarketing and communications consultancy for brands who won’t keep quiet. I specialize in helping brands create business impact, build communities and drive engagement by authentically centering, celebrating, and serving the needs of underrepresented audiences. 💌Reach out & #LetsChat about how to evaluate and create culturally competent content and campaigns for your brand.

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Have you listened to The Design Imposter Podcast? Monique and I have some remarkable guests in the coming weeks and the conversations are 🔥 Actually, our pre-recording vibe checks have been 🔥🔥🔥 We really need to start recording the vibe checks for b-roll. ---- Here's one of my favorite episodes which discusses the benefits of working in a corporate environment over freelancing and entrepreneurship. https://lnkd.in/eYKW3sTA

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Did we really need that free delivery in under 15 minutes? Did we fully explore all the potential side-effects of one-click purchasing? Sure, some millennial pet parents may have been able to afford to put their little fella in a luxury dog spa, but was that really the best use of that precious real estate? Over the past 15 years, it feels like user-centric thinking (in its most myopic form) has become increasingly co-opted as a way to ruthlessly target a subset of the population at the cost of others, prioritizing the needs of a brand’s ‘most valuable segment’ with little regard for the secondary and tertiary effects on wider society. Now, a new generation of organizations and business leaders are calling this into question. And, as a broad set of strategists and creatives, we have the opportunity to do the same. As part of the NYCxDESIGN festival, DesignStudio is opening its doors to discuss ways in which government, organizations, agencies, and brands are starting to ditch pure user-centric thinking in favor of more community-minded approaches and what it means for the design industry as a whole. On Wednesday May 22, we’ll be hosting an evening of conversations and ideas with experts from civic, commercial, non-profit and academic institutions, along with music, and light refreshments from local LIC businesses. If you’re interested in attending, snag yourself a ticket: https://lnkd.in/es4at7JS #enduser #communitycentricdesign #nycxdesign

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Excited to share the latest episode of #TheBuilders, where I sit down with marketing trailblazer Daniel Den! We dive deep into the art of designing impactful marketing messages and breaking through the market noise. Daniel shares his journey from early entrepreneurial ventures to becoming a successful digital marketer, offering real-world insights and personal anecdotes. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting out, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you refine your marketing strategies. Key Takeaways: ✔ The Power of Differentiation: Make your business uncopyable. ✔ Crafting a Microphone Message: Break through the noise with compelling marketing. ✔ Authentic Storytelling: Resonate with your audience using real-life stories. ✔ Building Trust: Foster loyalty through consistent branding and social proof. ✔ Action Brings Clarity: Start somewhere and refine your approach through experimentation. Tune in now and take your marketing game to the next level! https://lnkd.in/gbsQXdAq #marketing #marketingtips #digitalmarketing #bedifferent #messaging #messagingtips #businesstalks #businesspodcast #entrepreneurship #thebuildersfm

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How do you integrate design into business strategy? Often, the value of design gets lost between creative teams and executive leadership, hindering innovation and growth. Hiring a design leader will bridge this gap. These leaders advocate for design that aligns with business objectives and translates into tangible outcomes. They foster understanding and collaboration between creative and executive teams. At Upstory, we act as a fractional design leader that helps align design strategies with business goals. To be clear, we aren’t anyone’s boss. We simply come in with an objective point of view to help clear up the miscommunication that happens between the design and executive team. This has led to a more cohesive strategy, improved collaboration across departments, increased visibility of design’s value, and resulted in user-centric products aligned with business objectives for our clients. Whether it’s us or someone else, consider hiring a design executive or promoting design leaders who can understand biz objectives and translate them into design objectives. 🎨

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Branding, at its core, is one of the most pivotal parts in communicating a company’s value. And every layer counts. From logo representation and tag line to mission and design language, branding is, of course, one of the most relevant distinctions of a company. Many elements can elevate your brand, but storytelling within branding is, in my opinion, one of the most important. https://lnkd.in/gm-dFFBr

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Thanks, Stanford Online for a great 🌟 #webinar on #DesignThinking. The crucial value here is applying the #case method popularized by Harvard Business School to decompose and address real project challenges raised by the audience in real time. Success stories from companies leading various industries showcase that learning #DesignThinking is a never-ending story ultimately leading to creating high-quality solutions. 🚀 What we value the most at Lerpal is the close-knit bond between Design and Development empowering Full-Cycle Product Development. More game-changers to come! 💡  #Lerpal #DesignAndDevelopment #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #BusinessStrategy #HarvardBusinessSchool

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When brands skimp on the process, it shows. Whether it’s due to piecing together multiple agencies, picking and choosing deliverables a la carte from an otherwise solid process, or neglecting foundational brand necessities and barreling straight towards a website design– you could be doing your brand a disservice. Just starting out your branding journey? Consider taking our Tactical Assessment -> https://lnkd.in/evrBxQyW Spend 2 min and get some actionable insights on where you are and where you could be, and of course, learn some ways to improve.

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📚 Calling all branding and marketing professionals! 📚 I found a book that should have been a mandatory read in my college marketing courses had it been around back then. It’s called “The Power of Instinct" by Leslie Zane . This book provides practical advice and insights on how to harness the power of instinct to create compelling branding strategies. Once you read this book, you will start to see all marketing and branding around you differently. It’s like seeing the world through a completely new lense! The "The Power of Instinct" is a worthwhile read for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of branding and marketing strategies in a new and innovative way that’s actually science based. Check it out and let me know what you think! https://lnkd.in/e75fBZgs #Branding #Marketing #ThePowerOfInstinct #BookRecommendation

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In this week's #TheBuildersRewind, let's take a moment to revisit this enlightening and heartfelt conversation I shared with Kristin Zhivago. Together, we rediscover the importance of honoring your brand's promise to your customers. This commitment serves as the very foundation upon which trust and loyalty are built. It's not complicate; rather it's about the simple yet profound principle of ensuring your clients' happiness and satisfaction. Gain fresh insights into the genuine desires of your customers, and empowering you to flawlessly deliver on those promises. #marketingtips #branding #customerfeedback #satisfiedcustomers #keepingpromises #entrepreneurship #thebuildersfm

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Designers know that constraints often make interesting opportunities possible. We often want feedback on something quickly to unblock a decision, or progress a design. To me, that’s the intent of a practice like Continuous Discovery - bringing feedback closer to teams so it can help them maintain informed momentum. In this post, we introduce our new service, Fast Feedback that applies some simple constraints to make it possible to deliver feedback on 4 things, from 4 people, in 4 days. Delivered by insightful, pragmatic design researchers. https://lnkd.in/gCv8cHzY

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Gen AI can't do it all, but it's a good start. This is a great article for marketers, creatives, and product designers. https://lnkd.in/gKAFNdVu #generativeAI #genAI #artificialintelligence #modernmarketing

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One of the best articles to come out recently on brand strategy. Worth the time. When you are done listening to the Unorthodox Podcast by Rosie Lee Group, take a moment to read this one. #innovation #brand #creativity #bobdylan

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I find this analysis fascinating as it speaks to our constant "evolution" of our basic needs. Thanks GroupM for providing some thought provoking ideas. "It found the Gen Z generation is driven much more than the classic food, clothing and shelter mindset of older populations, including the following shifts: From Physiological to Accuracy: Gen Zers are passionate and want to support companies that align with their values and provide them accurate, trusted services and information. This is the new, most basic need. From Safety to Safe Spaces: Gen Z will prioritize digital spaces that promote user safety. They view the internet as a harsh place. 64% do not trust everything they see online. So they gravitate to online safe spaces, particularly for marginalized groups. From Love to Fandom: A single person can be a part of an endless number of communities that impact their identities, influencing their purchase intent. In fact, Gen Z is 38x more likely to purchase products that borrow outside IP and 80% have made purchases via creator-led livestreams. Brands need to work with creators to co-build online communities and connect directly with consumers. Building Self-esteem Through Forums: Gen Z’s sense of self is a blend between online and offline identities. In commerce, brands can meet this need by providing products and experiences that enhance a consumers’ confidence within a certain group, even if it isn’t hyper-specific to them individually. From Self Actualization to Hybrid Advocacy: Think of “actualized” consumers as brand ambassadors. Gen Z’ers are not only advocates among friends and family, but they can be the same for brands, embedding it or its product into their identity, and even using it as a springboard for creation." How can streaming meet these new "needs" I'd love to hear from all my media-peeps out there. Let me know your thoughts. #evolvingmediaspace #meetingmedianeeds

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I had an industrial (B2B) client tell me yesterday that the product insights I provided for them back in 2012 & 2014 led them to significantly redesign their products, and that these products soon became marketplace "rock stars." The result: their competition needed to play catch up for many years, including redesigning their own products to stay relevant. I've often been asked, "What's your favorite type of research?" My response: "Research whose insights are used to effect profitable change." #marketresearch #productinsights #voiceofthecustomer #mrx #cx #rrd #precisiondialogue #effectprofitablechange

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NEWsletter. What is brand strategy, and why does your company need one? Brand strategy is essential to anchor your brand at the crossroads of macro and micro trends and consumer behaviors. It leverages your unique purpose, differentiates you from competitors, and capitalises on your industry’s hidden truths. For our second Koto OFF Brand issue, learn what brand strategy is, what it’s not, why it matters, how to build one, how to use it, and tips, tools, and frameworks to get started. Read on → https://lnkd.in/gBCuBmF5

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Earth Every Day > Earth Day Sustainability, and the practices of healing our planet, have to be accessible to everyone. Everyday. When everyone has access to earth-friendly choices it turns small purchases, and small shifts in behavior, into the cumulative impact that makes a difference. I had the pleasure of talking to CauseArtist on Little Sundays’ perspective on how mass-market brands can help make a big impact - one purchase at a time. https://lnkd.in/esndZj5z

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