Much to my dismay, I discovered last night that my hotel room overlooks the volcano show at the Mirage Hotel. Every evening on the hour, my windows shake from the roar of the flames and spouting water. Which caused me to wonder: is “mirage” the name of the hotel or an explanation of everything Vegas? Perhaps the latter. That Italian marble? Fake. Those stone columns? Actually fiberglass. One thing you need to know about Las Vegas is that what you see is not necessarily what you get.

Inside the Sands Convention Center, GlobalShop is no exception. Across the myriad of vendor displays and supplier… read more.

On the road again with The Brand Show! Over the next three days The Brand Show will hit highlights, trends and insights straight from keynotes and premier brand attendees of The National Retail Federation’s Innovate 2011 conference in San Francisco.

Day One:
Kickin’ off Innovate 2011: Kevin Kelly, a true visionary of contemporary culture.

The most compelling piece of Kelly’s talk was on the role of data in our lives and business…and the opportunity for both shoppers and retailers to harness the power… read more.

As retailers you know digital media can reduce overhead and spur shopper intrigue through new experiences…but, wouldn’t it be nice to know your digital media strategy is reaching the right shoppers, at the right time, creating greater shopper engagement? Cue-in digital “place-based” media.

The concept of digital place-based media was a major point of discussion at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas this year. Taking into consideration context and environment, digital place-based media allows for interaction between the shopper, their smartphone, the digital display, customer support,… read more.

More popular than dental floss and more ubiquitous than Kleenex, WD-40 can be found under sinks and inside toolboxes in four out of five American homes. Not to mention the other 160+ other countries that use it worldwide. Shannon Edwards, Assistant Brand Manager at WD-40, joins us to talk about the brand’s nearly 60-year legacy of legendary customer loyalty. Since joining WD-40 in 2000, Shannon has contributed to the brand’s success by working with its largest national accounts and focusing on new product development. In her current role as Assistant Brand… read more.

Play to your strengths, hire the best people and use the best technologies. According to Steve Sarowitz, Founder and CEO of Paylocity, that’s how you grow a brand. Given that his payroll and HR company started in a basement and has since become a five-time Inc. 500 honoree, it’s hard to argue with Steve’s formula. We caught up with Steve at the Inc. 500/5000 Conference to talk about what it takes to challenge Goliath and charm new customers.

Here’s what we learned from Steve:

• Paylocity’s secret to exponential… read more.

“Inspiring.” There’s simply no other word to describe Alison Schuback. At 23, Alison’s life changed in an instant when another car smashed into hers. The accident left her with a traumatic brain injury and severely compromised motor skills. Even basic physical tasks like eating presented a challenge.

Out of necessity, Alison created the Invisibib, an ingenious product that protects its user from spills. Eventually, Alison’s invention won the attention and hearts of executives at Bed… read more.

Eric Ryan‘s vision was simple: find a stale category and create a brand that clashes with commoditized convention. By leading consumers—not following the herd—Eric and Method co-founder Adam Lowry built a shopper-friendly empire in less than a decade. Today, Method continues to change the way we think about cleaning through an ever-growing line of healthy and beautiful products.

In this interview from the floor of the recent Inc. 500/5000 Conference, Eric shares these insights with The Brand Show:

Over the past several years, anthropologists have transitioned from the halls of academia to the markets of business. This week we explore anthropology’s new role and prepare for the Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference (EPIC), Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 in Chicago.

Martha Cotton, co-chair of EPIC 2009 and associate partner at Gravitytank, joins The Brand Show to share her thoughts on:

• How ethnography has become a fixture in business. • How anthropologists have risen through the business ranks. • How an insight is only as good as its end product.