Does your brand follow trends OR does it create movements? At the end of the day, there's a huge difference between the two.

There are numerous brands out there that choose to launch a product or service around what's "trendy", or popular. If every brand (or company) within your space is choosing to launch a social site for X reason, then your brand should likely follow in their footsteps. Wrong. When this happens, we get saturation with a marketplace (in other words...everything seems the same). What your brand needs is to create connection + make impact that resonates and works; to launch a product or service that moves someone...that makes them feel. When these products or services are launched, and come to market, they create movements (otherwise known as biotic brands). They shift and shape to a markets needs, wants and desires, while often creating a need, want or desire. They're agile and adaptive. They move our souls ("They" are brands like: Apple and Virgin). Stopping at nothing to continuously innovate, while changing the game forever. There is never an "end in sight" for these brands...and there likely never will be. This is what makes them great. 

While it takes a great strategy, powerful branding and design solutions, communication vehicles that speak to your markets, and organic (sustainable) growth, it's never too late to start pioneering your space and creating movements. 

Ready for the shift?

We asked ourselves one very important question when thinking about great brands. What do great brands have that other brands don't have, or are missing? 

The simple answer to this question: GUTS.

Yes,...GUTS. It takes GUTS to launch something new, or different. Whether you're in the product or service space, it's not relevant. You could be a start up, or a cash cow, it makes no difference. At the end of the day great brands are built from GUTS. The know how, the strategy, the marketing plan, the branding solutions, are all very important, also. But, they come later. 

Why do you need GUTS to build a great brand? Well,...brands that win in any marketplace are constantly pushing the envelope, or innovating. They never settle. They're relentless in their ability to engage, connect, and turn heads. When times get tough, they're challenged and they fight back. This is why they win. This is why they're great. 

Fear not, there's hope. We're firm believers that there's always hope. If a brand recognizes what it's going to take (GUTS) to make it great, then it's already on the right track. So, take the next step...you owe it to your brand, your team, and mostly...yourself.

Image taken from Apple.com. Excerpt taken from TechCrunch.com

The iPad Comes With iBooks And Will Cost $500 To $830

Steve Jobs revealed the Apple iPad today, its much-awaited tablet computer (see our live notes). Jobs positions it as a third computing device between a laptop and a smartphone geared towards the “key tasks” of Web browsing, email, sharing photos, watching videos, playing games, and reading digital books. All current iPhone apps will run on the device, as well as new games and digital books designed specifically for it. An enhanced iPhone SDK released today will support both the iPhone and the iPad.

Some specs: The device has a 9.7 inch display, weighs 1.5 pounds, and is half-an-inch thick. It is powered by new chip made by Apple itself, a 1 GHz A4 and will come with 16Gb to 64 GB of storage. It supports WiFi, has an accelerometer, compass, and built-in speaker and microphone, just like the iPhone. The screen is a full capacitive multi-touch screen. Battery life is supposed to be 10 hours. In addition to WiFi, it will have a 3G option from AT&T. The Wifi-only version, with 16GB of memory, will cost $499. A 32GB version will be $599, 64 GB will be $699, and with 3G from AT&T it will cost $829 (for the 64GB version). AT&T will offer two data plans: $14.99a month for 250 MB of data or $29.99 for unlimited. All the 3G iPads, however, will be unlocked, meaning they can be used on other carriers as well.

On-stage, Apple highlighted the iPad’s use as a digital reader. The iPad comes with a new app called iBooks and an iBooks store. Apple partnered with five publishers to make books available for sale through the iBooks store. “Amazon has done a great job of pioneering this technology,”says Jobs referring to the Kindle. “We’re gonna stand on their shoulders and go farther.” The iBooks support the ePub format, allows readers to flip through pages and supports pictures, video, and other graphics. The first book available will cost $14.99.

It is clear one of the main functions of the iPad will be as a reading device. Martin Nisenholtz from the New York Times showed its own app onstage for the iPad, which looks like a larger, lusher version of the one which is now available on the iPhone. “This is the next version of digital journalism,” declares Nisenholtz. We’ll see.