I’ve made some refinements to the original issue, which I previously posted as a plug for a podcast idea (see the updated written version below). If you’re wondering, yes, I still want to start a marketing podcast. I’m still exploring ideas on how to execute all of this. Likely, it will be a monthly contribution, again, following relevant topics around ‘A Marketing Communication for Businesses’.
This serves as inspiration and is also creative fuel for my passion project—Blox. Communications, a marketing consultancy and a project I’m building alongside my professional career as a Marketing Manager. It’s a service-based platform designed to support mid-sized businesses across sectors, including but not limited to manufacturing, distribution, and tech, with bold (a.k.a. creative), strategy-driven marketing solutions that connect, differentiate, and drive results.
If you have a project in mind that sparks your interest or if you’re struggling to find direction for your marketing department, let’s discuss and create a plan tailored to your needs!
The website is being developed, but so far you can take a look here.
And if you’re curious, it has been a long time since I’ve posted. Life has been uber busy, and while I know that is the lamest excuse, believe me, I remain dedicated and committed to my art, writing, and design! Posts to come – promise!
For now, enjoy reading The Intersection, and as always, I am open to hearing your feedback or suggestions. Talk soon.
I would love to share my thoughts and ideas through different formats this year. I created a sort of newsletter and thought to read it aloud and say, ‘This is my first podcast.’ It’s just an idea that could turn into something real, depending on this marketing journey of mine. I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to provide any feedback—I appreciate it!
When the magic happens, You’re making change happen.
Identity stamped to perfection.
Understanding:
style, thinking, love, goals and aspirations.
There are always ways to re-imagine.
Be who you are. Strive to be better.
*This is a new day, a new era. My new personal brand stamp marks each letter as if to say, “Hi there!” We need to have a conversation about creativity and art and art and creativity and that relationship specifically.
Creativity is necessary. It may not have always been that way, but today, it matters immensely.
Whether you’re an artist painting on a canvas (Are your colours ‘original’? Do they spark emotions we are starting to understand?) or a marketer crafting campaigns (Is your work pivotal? Does it imbue change?)—creativity is the spark that turns ordinary moments into extraordinary breakthroughs.
It’s the difference between refining and redefining.
It is a flash of brilliance.
A slow-burning fire built on curiosity and persistence.
The truth is that creativity thrives at the intersection of structure and imagination.
It’s where the messy “what ifs” meet the grounded “how-tos.” And at this junction lies the power to unlock potential within teams, organizations, and leaders. Oh, and of course, within yourself.
So, creativity isn’t just about expression; it’s about connection—linking ideas, people, and strategies in ways that inspire growth and, more importantly, progress.
It’s about being part of a larger community where each participant has recognized their unique capabilities. We have taken an intellectual oath that includes emotion and experience to persist and sway. To churn ambition into reality, to light the fire beneath, spark bold ideas and fuel new mindsets.
Lean into these queries the next time you feel stuck or uninspired. Funnily enough, doubt can take you there.
Somehow, it’s an arduous undertaking that I would prefer to leave to my more inclined husband. But tonight, I took it on with confidence.
Lo and behold! I opened her bathroom drawer to reveal not one but three containers of toothpicks. I could smell the faint glimmer of mint, and as I observed the labelling on the bottles, I discovered three different flavours altogether – mint, cinnamon, and KOKESHI.
Now, I presumed that the flavour on the label would match the scent of the toothpicks. So began the exercise. My daughter and I smelled each bottle. Mint, yup mint. Cinnamon, oooh that’s cinnamon. Kokeshi? My daughter inquisitively smelled the toothpicks in the distinct red-orange packaging. Smells like flowers, Mom! I took a whiff and debated, no no, I don’t think so.
I peered through the cheap plastic receptacle and saw that the toothpicks were a different shape. I uttered to my daughter, must be because of this. I pointedly placed the bottle in front of her eyes. We weren’t satisfied. They did look different from the others, looking fancy for picking up appetizers. So, my daughter proclaimed, check Google! Check Google! And with the swipe of a finger, the answer arose –
Kokeshi
Kokeshi are simple wooden Japanese dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children.
They are symbols of hopes for bountiful harvests, wishes for good luck and fortune and embody an appreciation for craftsmanship and culture.
Now, this would have been a great answer, but in our case, it was REVELATORY.
I looked in front of me.
Standing peacefully erect on my daughter’s bathroom counter for as long as I can remember was…a…KOKESHI.
Not any kokeshi. A doll I lovingly received from my mom’s very close Japanese girlfriend, Misuko, back in 1985.
My daughter and I squealed with delight. The happenstance was nothing short of extraordinary! And to think, it only took 38 years or five times the length of my daughter’s life to discover it.
Sometimes, life throws you curveballs. Most of the time, you catch the ball like any other ball, on any other day, with the same approach and sentiment. But other times, life passes you inexplicable gifts—gifts that bring light and love into every inch of your being.
As marketers, throw and catch balls. But once in a while, BE the ball and notice the infinite bubbles of gratitude that permeate your life.
I want to make 2024 the year to share some insights. I have time! You have time! We all have time! While perfecting pour-overs, tackling big hills on runs, or when driving into work – these are all great opportunities to listen and learn something valuable, even if just one small concept, it could turn into a big change-maker!
First up is the Cube of Creativity by marketing strategist Andrew Davis. This framework can help marketers leverage their creative process to promote innovation and encourage better outcomes.
To apply this shift in mindset, we need to be open to embracing constraints, defined by the four sides of a cube –
1 – Eliminate the Unnecessary 2 – Define a Single, Measurable Outcome 3 – Add Unreasonable Creative Constraints 4 – Raise the Stakes
Member A – Marketing is a constantly evolving landscape.
Member B – Ideas ignite and fizzle away.
Member C – A structured and creative ebb and flow transpires.
Member D – New campaigns take flight.
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Evolution.
We seek out different and diverse points of view, embrace and respond to change, and plan only to a level sufficient to ensure effective prioritization and execution. We find ourselves encountering a phenomenon called—CRITICAL MASS.
Akin to when celestial planets align, critical mass is that single yet multifarious moment when our efforts transcend the ordinary and catapult into the extraordinary. It’s a transformative point when our brand’s message resonates with such force that it achieves unstoppable momentum, similar to a cascading waterfall or an awe-inspiring avalanche.
Achieving critical mass can ignite a spark in the collective consciousness of a team, sparking a wildfire of enthusiasm that spreads contagiously through diligent becomings – social networks, word-of-mouth, and media channels. One clever idea can transform into an iconic cultural touchstone, etching your brand’s identity into the minds of engaged onlookers everywhere.
When an idea reaches critical mass, it propels forward and impacts a team’s ability to meet goals.
Here are some ways your team can make that impact based on some common marketing objectives –
Boost Brand Awareness
As your name, products, and services become more recognized, brand awareness will naturally increase. When your brand reaches a certain level of visibility, popularity, or adoption, it triggers a self-sustaining momentum (critical mass), fostering a positive feedback loop that fuels growth and solidifies your brand’s position in the market.
Obtain New Clients
Your team can focus on targeted campaigns to showcase your USP (unique selling proposition) and differentiators while also highlighting your clients’ success stories and effectively communicating the value of your product to attract a steady stream of interest (demand generation), then ultimately converting that interest into actual sales and new clients (client acquisition).
Strengthen Relationships with Existing Clients
You can contribute to this effort by implementing a preferred client program, personalizing your internal and external communication via channels like social media, email, and content, and creating a detailed plan and strategy around launching new products that address client challenges, needs and pain points.
Increase Sales
As your market presence and brand awareness expand, so does sales potential. A larger customer base combined with the effective execution of a strategy will lead to more opportunities. Your marketing team can collaborate closely with your sales team to generate and nurture high-quality leads, provide sales enablement materials, and optimize the customer journey to convert prospects into loyal clients.
So, what do you think?
Critical mass is a powerful catalyst for any growing team. By reaching this point of substantial growth and influence, your team’s efforts – recognizing ‘critical mass’ as it occurs and creating models to emulate its course – become pivotal in driving continued success.
Inspiration can be a behemoth, and it is waiting for y’all!
A good curveball is an opportunity (remember, problems are opportunities) to:
1 – Own your dreams.
2 – Reimagine the world.
Own Your Dreams
To own your dreams, you must recognize, acknowledge, and value the fact that something is waiting for you out in the world.
It is there to fulfill.
It exists to make you happy.
You are satisfied when united (or reunited) with it.
It becomes a part of you and can be shared with others.
A Good Curveball
Owning my dreams is being connected to work I’ve always envisioned doing—building a sustainable and scalable brand that will influence people inside and outside the operation.
Reimagine the World
Second, to a good curveball is our ability to reimagine the world. Through a clear and defined vision and mission, we can accomplish anything. With a good heart and holistic stance, our world can become something better, more equal and more understanding.
Reimagining the world involves pushing boundaries, setting new standards, and developing a structure or process that leads to innovation, progression, and growth.
I think I get thrown more good curveballs as I age, so I hope this becomes the norm and the opportunities don’t cease!
As I continue to inspire and empower people to make a difference in their daily lives, I recognize three things that matter to me today. Of course, there’s always more, but let’s get started with these!
Become Indispensable
1- Relationships
One of the biggest influencers in my marketing career has been the formative relationships I have built over time—in both the long and short-term. Having a direct report has taught me to be vulnerable and courageous as I’ve had to steer a small team in a viable direction while maintaining strong, personal connections which benefitted the entire team. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to work directly under the Founder and CEO of Clearbridge, Ryan Kononoff. He has taught me many things about engagement and the effort required to make meaningful projects matter to an audience. I am also thankful for every other team member I’ve had the chance to grow alongside.
You are bright.
You are dedicated.
You are special!
2 – #goodenough
This is one lesson that has helped me to conquer my perfectionism. I recall working on one of my first projects, a new brand book (or later called a Playbook), which in scope was a huge undertaking that could have demanded months of work. But with the knowledge that a marketer should be agile, or as the Agile Marketing Manifesto states –
“To keep up with the speed and complexity of marketing today, we must deliver value early and often over waiting for perfection.”
In creative marketing, we challenge ourselves by generating work that is original, unique and that manifests a change in its surroundings. In analytical marketing, we must use data sets to quantify results. Pairing the two (creative + analytical marketing) is where #goodenough truly shines—we can experiment to determine what approach works the best, and we don’t have to wait to be enlightened. We should find insights with every movement or decision we make!
3 – Indispensability
I rarely finish an entire book in one sitting. It’s often hard for me to finish it at all. I prefer to scan information and read what will be of value to me. Such was the case with Seth Godin’s book Linchpin. As he writes –
“You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.”
Such an important lesson because it’s much too easy to forget your worth. We must use every inch of our being to recognize and become more self-aware. In marketing, the potential to get lost in a sea of tasks and activities might forsake where the value truly lies—creating, ideating, and examining the wonder and change that a type of approach can incite.
Being indispensable takes:
Courage
A growth mindset
Initiative
Risk
And most importantly…talent. You can’t duplicate indispensable work. I truly believe this!
The Playbook
A pièce de résistance, I hope you find value in reading it!
Capturing imagery + text in an intertwined relationship is fascinating work. There’s something about mingling elements, contrasting colours, and purely expressing a message that excites me.
Infographics are a great example of this type of communication. Well done work leaves me breathless (in a good way). So, to jump right into it, here are some things to consider when creating powerful infographics.
An infographic (information graphic) is a representation of information in a graphic format designed to make the data easily understandable at a glance.
Why do we use them?
Infographics are a great way to communicate ideas quickly and effectively. They help to simplify the process of presenting a message or data and help to establish connections, patterns, and relationships that allow us, as the viewer, to gather specific information.
Anything that’s too wordy, difficult to understand, or mind-numbingly full of roundabout detail. And it’s not about getting a quick fix. Some of us—me on occasion—enjoy digesting a mouthful of words. Still, no one can deny that pictures make everything easier to take in!
In 2019, 74% of marketing content contained a visual element. That’s not surprising, considering a whopping 90% of all information transmitted to the brain is visual.
Leaving us to believe that when you come across visually appealing content, you are much more likely to retain it. You might even share it with someone else after you’ve frolicked in its delight.
Taking inspiration from that which is shareable is also a thing.
I often create based on how much I liked LOVED something. I am graphically illuminated so much easier these days with all the impressive infographics to learn from!
They’re important, guys, for so many different reasons. But to summarize—infographics are important because they help us tell a story in a way that’s accessible to our audience.
Just the words below will let you know why.
Words that your infographics should be –
What’s the blox. way to create infographics?
Follow these steps:
1 – Find an appropriate ‘chunk’ of content you would like to translate pictorially, or that is so dang interesting, it’s already sparking imagery in your head.
2 – Follow your brand guidelines—typeface, colour, spacing, tone etc.
3 – Create to your heart’s content but make sure each element flows into the next. Continuity is critical, or you risk altering the message or even worse, spreading an inconsistent idea.
4 – Aim to make your infographics attention-grabbing and playful. People are much more likely to engage if they’re looking at something that incites positive emotion.
5 – Incorporate text carefully and precisely The text you add should uplift and reinforce your main message. Make sure it supports the imagery you are using!
I am so excited to share these because designing them was such an enjoyable experience. I feel like I achieved what I was going after—visually describing our work and what we want to be known for (our #bestwork). I hope you like them! If you have any suggestions for modifications, let me know, I am always happy to make things #better!
Yearning for more design content? Check out these blog posts:
Blox. is a Creative & Technical Marketer 