It now seems impossible that 25 years ago, our payment options were limited to credit cards, personal checks, and cold hard cash.

It gives me pause to think how dramatically the medium of television has changed in the eight decades since that first Bulova ad. Television is now in 125 million American households. Just under 97 percent of households in the U.S. have at least one television set. The hardware has also come a long way since that tiny Philco console.

On August 24, 79 AD, Italy’s Mount Vesuvius erupted. The volcano spewed ash and volcanic gasses 21 miles into the air. Though the precise death toll remains unknown, more than 1,000 people are believed to have perished as the volcano’s molten lava swept down the mountainside, destroying Pompeii, three other Roman cities, and a number of settlements. As he sailed from the docks of Pompeii in a futile attempt to rescue others from the inferno, the great Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder pronounced these famous last words: “Audaces fortuna iuvat!” –Latin for “Fortune favors the bold.”

“Shop Like a Billionaire” is the tagline for Temu, the Chinese company that markets a blizzard of retail goods at ridiculously low prices online and via their handy Temu app.

Though Galileo was not the true inventor of the telescope, he was the first to use it in pursuit of the science that became known as astronomy.

If you’re looking for fun in New York City’s Theater District, you ought to check out Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum on West 42nd Street.

There are players in Major League Baseball who have made bunting an art form. If you’re not a baseball fan, bunting is a technique where the batter intentionally taps the ball instead of hitting it with full force.

Back in 1978, two guys—a college dropout and the graduate of a Penn State Creamery correspondence course—started an ice cream company. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield began their business in Burlington, Vermont with a single store.

In the halcyon days of Madison Avenue (aka Mad Men), there was a piece of outerwear that announced to the world that you were a member of the “club”: the Burberry Kensington Trench Coat.

More than 20 years ago, former General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz made an appearance on Moneytalk radio show.

Brooklyn native Michael John Hebranko, Jr. was one of the heaviest men in the world. He made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1990 for losing 706 pounds!

In the run of humankind, there are natural affinities—like the affinity of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce for pop supericon Taylor Swift.

After the U.S. Presidential Election of 2020, a number of surveys by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others told an interesting (and perhaps inconvenient) truth: during the divisive election season, Americans slept less and drank more.

In today’s global marketplace, there are still some brands that seem quintessentially American, American as apple pie —even though food experts say that the apple pie originated in England.

A year after being embedded in carbonite by Jabba the Hut, Han Solo is rescued by Princess Leia. Their freedom abruptly ends when the couple is recaptured by Jabba.

Ninon de ’Enclos, the 16th century French author, courtesan, and patron of the arts, was believed to be one of the most seductive women in the history of the world.

On October 15, 1860, a young girl from Westfield, New York wrote a fan letter to Abraham Lincoln.

“Quintessence” is not a word that usually pops up in casual conversation. It was first used in the 15th century to describe the highest element in medieval philosophy.

Most often, advertisers put a positive foot forward. They spend their marketing dollars extolling the positive attributes of their brands to raise awareness and (hopefully) sales.

“We choose to go to the moon.” On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke six words that gave NASA a lofty mission.

On Union Square in the bustling metropolis of Manhattan, there’s an escalator that takes you up from the subway platform to the street level.

It’s sad to say, but in our technology-infused world with hackers and trolls stirring up mischief all over cyberspace, data breaches have become a pretty common occurrence.

A/B Testing was the brainchild of a knighted British polymath named Sir Ronald Fisher, whom some claim to be the father of modern statistical science.

Among the more than 2.16 million species in the animal kingdom (statistic courtesy of Kane Rosario at World Animal Foundation), the camel is one of the strangest.

In 1974, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for consumer use a substance that many thought would be a blessing upon humanity: an artificial sweetener named aspartame.

In Eastern cultures, older adults are more valued and well-treated than in Western cultures.

If you were a fan of the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, you might be familiar with the recurring character of Odo, played by actor René Auberjonois. Aw-ber-zhon-wah.

Last month saw the release of a revealing new documentary about comedian Steve Martin.

There’s a debate that’s been going on since the fifth century BCE when Aeschylus wrote the first Greek drama.

The etymology of the word “fascination” is in itself fascinating. As it turns out, the word was first used in the late 16th century. It comes from the Latin root “fascinum,” which meant “to “bewitch” or “to cast a spell over.”

If you happened to tune in to Food Network’s Chopped, Episode 13 of Season 54, you would have seen what for that show is a typical sight: a trio of flop sweat chefs competing to make a palatable main course from elk tenderloin, Turkish Delight, broccoli rabe, and green bean ice pops—all in the space of thirty minutes.

The year was 1995. The average house price in the U.S. was under $68,000, tuition at Harvard was (only) $23,500, and a twelve-ounce bottle of Pepsi cost less than a buck.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip.

Brand differentiation, the process of creating a unique and distinct strategy & story for your brand, is crucial for capturing attention, fostering loyalty, and thriving in a competitive landscape.

Adaptive branding is about being agile and flexible in how a brand presents itself, communicates, and interacts with its audience.

Despite what you may have seen on MadMen, marketing isn’t all about big budgets and flashy ads – especially for emerging brands with limited budgets.

In the realm of agency operations, relationships with clients are pivotal. Solid client rapport is the cornerstone of a successful outcome.

In the realm of branding, every successful brand possesses a unique personality—a character that resonates with its audience.

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help you grow your audience and build a loyal customer base.

Storytelling is the art of using narratives to communicate ideas, evoke emotions, and engage your audience.

Customers have a multitude of options to choose from, so it’s important to differentiate yourself from the competition and make yourself the obvious choice.

A brand strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines how a company will build, communicate, and maintain its brand to achieve its business objectives

In today’s world, brands are more important than ever before. They represent not just products or services but an entire customer experience.

A unique value proposition (UVP) is what sets your brand apart from the competition and makes it stand out in the marketplace.

The most successful brands are those that are easy to understand, memorable, and instantly recognizable.

Developing a meaningful brand purpose is essential for creating a strong and successful brand. A brand purpose is the reason why a company exists beyond making a profit.

Marketing is more than just selling products or services; it’s about creating a relationship with your audience. Emotions are a powerful tool for creating that connection.

Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing. From ancient myths and legends to modern-day advertising campaigns, stories have captured our attention and helped us connect with brands and products in a deeper way.

In today’s business landscape, it’s essential to understand the differences between branding, advertising, and marketing. While they are often used interchangeably, they are distinct concepts that require unique strategies.

Building a community around your brand can be an effective way to increase brand loyalty, engage with your customers, and grow your business.

Strategic marketing is a process of creating and implementing a plan to achieve specific marketing objectives in a way that aligns with the overall business strategy.

Building any kind of business strategy begins with an understanding of your customers and their needs. Because if you don’t know to whom you’re selling, it’s nearly impossible to know what to sell them and how to go about selling.