Hey Reader,

A few weeks ago, we tried an experiment.

We moved Ashton's personal intro letter over to LinkedIn, thinking it might streamline the newsletter and keep things from feeling repetitive.

But the moment it disappeared… you let us know. Loudly!

Turns out the part we thought was optional was actually the piece you connected with most.

We assumed the resources, branding insights, and the project highlights were the main draw! Turns out what you value most is the familiar voice you've come to know.

It was a good reminder of something we preach every day:
Speak to your audience, not the algorithm. When you strip out the human element, you lose what makes people come back.

Going forward, you’ll still get the curated links and behind-the-scenes updates, but from now on our team will take turns popping in to say hi. 👋

Thanks for keeping us honest. And thanks for reading!

1. Color Palette Fixer: Uh oh... Something's off with your color palette, but you can't quite pinpoint what it is? Enter Color Palette Fixer. Continue reading.​
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2. This Blog on "Weird" Branding: Many brands want to be the altruistic, unsurprising Everyman. Sometimes that works, but sometimes it's better to be weird. Continue reading.​
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3. Most Successful Marketing Campaigns: You've likely heard of some of these already, and that just speaks to their massive level of success! Continue reading.​

As you know, we've worked with many brands over the years.

During that time, we've seen some failures... But likely not in the way you're suspecting.

The failures we've witnessed weren't related to irate clients, missed deadlines, or scope misunderstandings.

(Okay maybe that's happened once.)

Instead, the common denominator is mismanaged stakeholder engagement.

Yeah, not very dramatic or eyebrow-raising-worthy, I know.

But it's a problem that needs to be solved. So we solved it!

Introducing a guide made by us, for anyone involved in project management on the client side of a rebrand.

1. Holiday Party - The team celebrated our annual holiday party with food, drinks, and our own private magician! 🪄 See the photos.
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2. TGK Takes On Thanksgiving - 'Tis the season for plates full of food. See how ours looked!
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3. FM Chamber After Hours - Next week Ben and Ashton are hitting the road come December for the Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours. Will we see you there?
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Pillsbury Doughboy Turns 60!

November 7 marked the birthday of Pillsbury’s beloved Poppin’ Fresh (side note: did you know he had a name? I didn't!), the Doughboy who’s been making us crave cookies since 1965. Created by Rudy Perz at Leo Burnett, the Doughboy popped out of a can of Pillsbury dough and into TV history, complete with his signature belly poke and giggle.

From his first commercial in 1965 dubbed Dancing Fingers:

To appearing in the Macy's Day Parade:

The Doughboy has charmed audiences for six decades!

Recognized in nearly 30 countries under names like “El Masin,” “Teigmännchen,” and “Efi,” the Doughboy just got a fresh makeover for 2025, proving he’s forever young, forever friendly, and forever bringing people together.

Not sure how to cut through all the noise with brand? Stop the guesswork and schedule a free brand coaching call with Ashton to walk away with clarity and direction. Select spots available.

​Learn more here.​