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The Crossed Cow is The Partners blog. A collection of views, opinions and inspirations gathered from the team behind the UK's most highly awarded brand consultancy.
Category Archives: Brand Strategy
New year’s resolutions & the corporate search for meaning
February is here, and we can hear the gentle pop of New Year’s resolutions expiring all around us. Like soap bubbles that once were full of hope, reflecting a better future, many of our resolutions are now reduced to a … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Strategy, Branding, Brands
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The Wrong Trousers. (A cautionary tale)
Contrary to what you may have heard, talking to yourself is not the first sign of madness. In fact, a more reliable indicator is ill-fitting trousers. Seriously. Talking to yourself is sometimes very healthy. But the trouser thing is always … Continue reading
Breakthrough thinking traps and two types of brand projects
Strategic brand ideas are rarely linear textbook answers; they often call for an original reframing of the problem or reinvention of the rules. Strategy is sometimes called “The creative before the creative”, but fundamentally both share a similar ambition – … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Strategy, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy
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Word Up
In several recent conversations, I have found myself searching for a particular word. It is – take a deep breath – the word that describes a thing that is a part of a wider situation or concept, in which the … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Identity, Brand Strategy, Branding, Brands, Design, Experience Design, Social Media, Strategy, The Partners
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We are here
Alongside the part of my phone that actually makes calls (the old fashioned bit), my Google Maps app is probably one of my most used. It’s become indispensable in the same way that being able to text once was. What … Continue reading
A brief history of trust
The Ufficio di San Giorgio, founded in the Republic of Genoa in 1407, is believed to be the oldest chartered bank in the world. It was instrumental in the growth and power of the Genoese Republic, acting as governor of … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Strategy, Brands, Business, Marketing, Strategy
Tagged Banks, Brands, positioning, trust, waste of time
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A big cheer
It’s not often that I blog about someone having done something well (I am comfortable in my cranky, critical skin thank you) however I, uncomfortably, find myself in a position where I genuinely wish to offer praise and ‘props’ to … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Strategy, Branding, Brands, Business
Tagged Art, Bad, Blog, brand, experience, Flash, Fun, London, National Express, ted, trains, vouchers, Work
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An ill-informed post about b2c social media interactions and the legal issues therein
OK, so I say ill-informed as I’m not up to date on the latest UK legislation, my knowledge is a couple of years out of date, so please excuse me if this is utter guff, however something occurred to me … Continue reading
Posted in Advertising, Brand Strategy, Business, Campaign, Digital
Tagged Agency, Art, Business, experience, Fun, People, Social Media, ted, Tools, Twitter, Work
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Thinking beyond the letters
As the Festive Season fast approaches, unfortunately, if things continue on their current trajectory, it would appear that the famous ‘last posting date’ may have already passed. However, fret not, as deliveries of the important stuff – the parcels and … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Strategy, Brands, Business, Innovation, News
Tagged Application, Army, Art, brand, Business, Digital, Fashion, Future, GLA, History, Innovation, logo, Retail, Royal Mail, ted, trust
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50 penny for your thoughts
The reverse side of the UK’s new 50p piece, to commemorate the coming of the 2012 Olympics to London, features a crudely drawn high-jumper in mid-flight. By the standards to which we are generally accustomed, it’s a terrible piece of … Continue reading
Posted in Brand Strategy, Branding, Brands, Business, Design, Logos, Marketing, Strategy
Tagged 2009, 50 pence, 50p, Art, Bad, brand, Brands, Business, Coins, Conversation, Design, Designers, experience, Free, Fun, Google, haecceity, History, hypokeimenon, logo, Logos, London, Marketing, News, Olympic 50p piece, Olympics 2012, Paint, People, quiddity, ted, the National Gallery, Work
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