<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--Generated by Squarespace V5 Site Server v5.13.159 (http://www.squarespace.com) on Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:45 GMT--><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><title>BrandRants</title><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/</link><description></description><lastBuildDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:16:55 +0000</lastBuildDate><copyright></copyright><language>en-US</language><generator>Squarespace V5 Site Server v5.13.159 (http://www.squarespace.com)</generator><item><title>Social Media Mantra</title><category>Social Media</category><category>marketing</category><category>social media</category><category>social media mantra</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:44:21 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2013/4/17/social-media-mantra.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:33395424</guid><description><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Before you even think about online networking for your brand, I suggest the following exercise. First, take your shoes off. Close the blinds and dim the lights in your office. Sit on the floor cross-legged. Place your hands on your knees palms up if you are alone, join hands in a circle if your colleagues are with you. Close your eyes and recite the social media mantra:&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://fav.me/d58wfo9" target="_blank"><img style="width: 525px;" src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/Social Media Mantra.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1366154114998" alt="" /></a></span><span class="thumbnail-caption" style="width: 525px;">Illustration by Shane Smith http://fav.me/d58wfo9</span></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">OK, now you are ready to begin online networking. Good luck.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-33395424.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Post-apocalyptic Season's Greetings</title><category>Mayan apocalypse</category><category>Season's greetings</category><category>The Duffy Agency</category><category>The Duffy Agency</category><category>mayan calendar</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:00:22 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/12/22/post-apocalyptic-seasons-greetings.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:32144443</guid><description><![CDATA[<span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/Mayan%20Christmas.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1356177704579" alt="" /></span></span>Congratulations. You have survived the apocalypse. I hope you had a pleasant end of days.&nbsp;]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-32144443.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Santa Claus Graphic Guidelines</title><category>Graphic Guidelines</category><category>christmas</category><category>holidays</category><category>santa claus</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:08:09 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/12/12/santa-claus-graphic-guidelines.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:32008706</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/santa blog.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1355307047319" alt="" /></span></span><strong><em>How not to get sued by an elf this Holiday Season</em></strong></p>
<p>Hey it's that time of year again.&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-32008706.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Survival is overrated</title><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:26:32 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/11/9/survival-is-overrated.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:30423042</guid><description><![CDATA[<span class="thumbnail-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><a href="javascript:showFullImage('/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=%2Fstorage%2Ffoto.jpg%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1352478842753',1009,1830);"><img src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/thumbnails/15547928-20922058-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1352478844392" alt="" /></a></span></span>We would like to give a big thanks to the CEOs who attended the workshop, "Survival is Overrated" at MINC today. We enjoyed getting to know you and we hope you stay in touch.]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-30423042.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>The social vote: Obama vs. Romney</title><category>Barack Obama</category><category>Election</category><category>Mitt Romney</category><category>Obama</category><category>US Election 2012</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:38:22 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/11/6/the-social-vote-obama-vs-romney.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:30321540</guid><description><![CDATA[<span class="thumbnail-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/uselection/article/1275700--u-s-election-what-obama-and-romney-got-wrong-in-last-night-s-debate" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/thumbnails/15547928-20883430-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1352212518758" alt="" /></a></span><span class="thumbnail-caption" style="width: 152px;">SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES</span></span>OK, all the Americans at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theduffyagency.com">The Duffy Agency</a>&nbsp;have now voted. Like many Americans I'll be watching the results come in for the rest of the day trying to piece together the fragments and get a glimpse into the future of who will be my country's next president.]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-30321540.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>The ups &amp; downs of startups: How entrepreneurs can level the playing field</title><category>Education</category><category>Lund University</category><category>Startup</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:33:23 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/10/23/the-ups-downs-of-startups-how-entrepreneurs-can-level-the-pl.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:29920984</guid><description><![CDATA[<span class="thumbnail-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><a href="javascript:showFullImage('/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=%2Fstorage%2FStartup.jpg%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1350980424195',768,1024);"><img src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/thumbnails/15547928-20720886-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1350980424200" alt="" /></a></span></span>Thanks to Craig Mitchell and all the entreprenuers from ENTN02 Entrepreneurial Marketing course under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.lu.se/" target="_blank">Master programme in Entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lusem.lu.se/" target="_blank">Lund University</a>&nbsp;for a great discussion on applying customer-centric strategic planning to startups. I'll be eager to follow your startup projects over the next semester.&nbsp;]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-29920984.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Why the CMO has to go</title><category>CEO</category><category>CMO</category><category>CMO</category><category>Marketing Operations</category><category>ROI</category><category>brand equity model</category><category>marketing department</category><category>research</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:03:01 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/9/26/why-the-cmo-has-to-go.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:29300931</guid><description><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="thumbnail-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><a href="javascript:showFullImage('/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=%2Fstorage%2F-1.png%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1348647197987',1080,860);"><img src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/thumbnails/15547928-20421578-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1348647197992" alt="" /></a></span></span>The life expectancy of a CMO has reached an all time high of 3.5 years (nearly double what is was five years ago) but it seems the rift between CEOs and their CMOs has never been greater.&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-29300931.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>The illusion of communication and how to prevent it</title><category>Ad Industry</category><category>Marketing Operations</category><category>Marketing Terms</category><category>advertising</category><category>communication</category><category>marketing department</category><category>marketing profession</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:15:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/9/21/the-illusion-of-communication-and-how-to-prevent-it.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:15370029</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="thumbnail-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><a href="javascript:showFullImage('/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=%2Fstorage%2F6a00e55168107b88330133f2545be7970b-800wi.png%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1348136063166',318,575);"><img src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/thumbnails/15547928-20355741-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1348136065134" alt="" /></a></span></span></p>
<p><em><span>How to create your own marketing micro-profession</span></em></p>
<p>Before getting involved in advertising, I had planned on attending medical school. A lot of my pre-med training focused on establishing a very precise foundation of language to describe all things medical. Then I got a job in an ad agency.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-15370029.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Coming to terms: What is a brand? What is branding?</title><category>Marketing Terms</category><category>brand explanation</category><category>branding</category><category>definition</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2012 07:37:31 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/9/18/coming-to-terms-what-is-a-brand-what-is-branding.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:15369987</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/what_is_branding.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1347954970330" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p><em><span>LIKE BLIND MEN DESCRIBING AN ELEPHANT</span></em></p>
<p>Christopher Kenton&nbsp;is one of my favorite writers on the topic of brands. I first got hooked when I read his&nbsp;&nbsp;Business Week article&nbsp;"What, exactly, is a brand?"&nbsp;It was said to have sparked the sharpest response of any marketing article they&rsquo;d published.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-15369987.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>How to bring your product launches to new heights</title><category>Apple</category><category>Apple</category><category>Brand Development</category><category>Brand Equity</category><category>Marketing Strategy</category><category>iphone 5</category><category>launch pad</category><category>product launch</category><category>product life cycle</category><dc:creator>Sean Duffy</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:43:28 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/2012/9/12/how-to-bring-your-product-launches-to-new-heights.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">1323725:15605578:28716136</guid><description><![CDATA[<h4><span class="thumbnail-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><a href="javascript:showFullImage('/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=%2Fstorage%2FiPHONE5-BLACK-02.jpeg%3F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%3D1347453855199',900,900);"><img src="http://www.brandrants.com/storage/thumbnails/15547928-20245672-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1347453855202" alt="" /></a></span></span></h4>
<h4><span>APPLE SHOWS US HOW IT'S DONE WITH THE iPHONE 5</span></h4>
<p>It may be apple season (with a small "a") in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but globally it's Apple season (with a capital "A"). That's because today Apple will announce the new iPhone 5 in advance of its launch.&nbsp;</p>
<h4></h4>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.brandrants.com/brandrants/rss-comments-entry-28716136.xml</wfw:commentRss></item></channel></rss>