At Melissa Ballate’s desk there’s an illuminated display of ever-changing math equations. After some deciphering, it becomes clear it isn’t a game, it’s a clock, creatively communicating time. It’s just one of many clues that Ballate is always thinking differently. As the founder and president of Blue Daring, Melissa partners with people with vision to bring… Read more »
For 15 years, Blue Daring has been connecting strategic thinking with world-class design. It’s how we bring vision to life. So, what happens when we give life to this innate dichotomy through the arts? Presenting the “Creative Challenge,” a year-long, three-part celebration of creation and connection that beautifully intertwines branding and strategy through the arts.… Read more »
You cannot innovate if your brand stands for your products and services alone. While adopting a culture of innovation has many benefits — finding new, more efficient ways to work, staying connected to a more active consumer and product diversification to name a few — it can also appear insincere if your brand doesn’t already… Read more »
The perfect ad—you’ve seen it before. A group of friends or a family; one brown, one yellow, one white. A utopian mix of races, genders, even lifestyles. For decades, brands have approached diversity (and inclusion) in this way, and it makes sense. In fact, a 2016 study found that 80% of millennial parents enjoy seeing… Read more »
In a world where so much is changing so quickly—and sometimes drastically—it is difficult for brands to establish trust. Edelman, the world-leading PR firm, just released their annual trust index. The theme for 2017? “Trust in Crisis.” Consumer trust in institutions—businesses, governments, NGOs, and the media—is down across the board with declines in trust in… Read more »
I’m usually behind the scenes at conferences – helping clients find conferences to attend or speak at, or assisting with their presentations and booth set-ups. So whenever I attend a conference or large event, it makes me think about the differences between being an attendee and being a vendor, a sponsor, or a company with… Read more »
In the not too distant past, brands were fairly contained organisms. A logo might have lived on a street sign, on a product, in a magazine advertisement… and that’s it. The companies those brands represented were focused on a simple transaction: money for goods or services. Today, things are a bit different. From blogs to… Read more »
The below article was featured in The Economist’s 2016 Innovation Forum event summary. Blue Daring partnered with The Economist to host the Forum in Chicago this Spring. The Forum brings together today’s leading thinkers to envision how companies can transform and adapt to flourish tomorrow. While adopting a culture of innovation has many benefits like product… Read more »
“Yeah, this is the 10th time I’ve seen them play.” I overhead this while waiting for a band to come up on stage. Interestingly enough, it’s not the first time. It got me thinking–how is it that these local bands gain such a passionate following? Especially when the promos and posters for each show they play represents them… Read more »
People ask me to create messaging to drive others to engage with them. When I ask them how they would like to be perceived, the number one word I hear is (you guessed it) — Innovative. Innovate, Innovation, Innovating… any variation you like. But heed my warning — the word is in danger of losing its weight. While “innovation” is a potent… Read more »