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Brand Mascots: A Powerful Strategic Tool for Kid-Targeted Innovation

Brands spend an immense amount of time and money getting a new product to market, so it’s critical to give each launch its best shot at success. And if that new launch is targeted to kids or young families, a brand mascot can be an important part of the equation.

How To Beat Challenger Brands At Their Own Game

There has been a lot written on challenger brands and how to succeed as one. But what if you aren’t a challenger brand? What if you are the brand that is being… challenged? Category leaders often make the mistake of relying on their (typically) larger marketing budgets to play defense and outspend the emerging competition.

Consumer Personas: The “Characters” of a Brand’s Story

Every story needs characters. Dynamic, multi-dimensional individuals that push the action forward and enrich the narrative with relatable motivations and provocative decisions. But stories aren’t just limited to the pages of a book or the constraints of a screen. Stories are everywhere. Stories permeate our culture and our history.

Top Innovation Conferences You Can Still Attend in 2022

After nearly 2 years of virtual-only versions, many top innovation conferences have returned to an in-person format for 2022. And the good news is that even though we are now officially several months into 2022, there are still plenty of opportunities to catch some of the most inspiring innovation conferences of the year.

8 A-Ha’s From Expo West 2022

After 2 long years of virtual conferences, we were so excited to physically head to Expo West 2022.

Seed Heads South For The Future: A Look Ahead to SXSW 2022

Seed is excited to announce that two brave colleagues will be traveling into the future… by way of Austin, Texas. That’s right, our very own Rob Cherry and Troy Geesaman are jumping into the proverbial DeLorean and heading to the SXSW Conference, where they’ll explore the “2050” programming track.

Seed Goes West—To Expo West 2022

55,000+ people are preparing to converge in Anaheim, California for Natural Products Expo West, where they’ll get a glimpse of the latest natural and organic offerings in the food, beverage, health and beauty categories.

Business by Nature: Weathering Hard Times, Hog Style

Groundhog-style, that is. According to Punxsutawney Phil, we’ll be facing a few more weeks of winter this year. But seriously: why should we listen to Phil, anyway? I mean, what does a chubby, furry, nose-wiggling, “whistle pig” (as it’s known, in certain locales) know about winter weather? A lot, actually.

5 Ways to Sharpen Your Creative Chops

Yes—everyone is creative. But keeping your creativity at its best isn’t a passive endeavor. (You know what they say… “use it or lose it.”) Whether or not you believe you are especially gifted in the creativity department, it’s essential that all of us continually flex those skills in order to produce great ideas.

5 Tips for Developing Flavors for Kids

You wouldn’t think it would be hard to develop foods and beverages for consumers who happily eat their own boogers. But, as every parent knows, kids can be the pickiest (no pun intended!) critics around.

6 Things Every Marketer Should Know About Trademark Law

Get smart on naming and branding—no law degree required! To be clear, I’m not an attorney. I’m in marketing. And, as a marketer, I’ve named a lot of different things over the years: products, services, ideas, technologies, brands. All of these things need to be trademarked.

8 Ways to Power Your Brand Activation

When we’re about to set something into motion at our house (and I feel a particular urge to make my kids roll their eyes at me) I’ll reach back for an old phrase that was running through the Saturday morning cartoon circuit when I was a kid: “Wonder Twins, Activate!”

5 Things Mockingbirds Can Teach Us About Branding

If nature’s vocal virtuosos can sing their way to market success… so can your brand! Part of the “Business by Nature” Series. Nature is our planet’s original economic system. Plants and animals compete for resources every day, finding clever, innovative ways to stay successful… all while maintaining our planet’s delicate ecological balance.

Ball Corporation Brings Ball Aluminum Cup™ to Major Retailers in all 50 States

After rolling out the aluminum cup at major sports and entertainment venues, Ball expands availability of the first-of-its-kind, 100% recyclable product to consumers nationwide

Why Cicadas are Nature’s Most Industrious Innovators

For cicadas, being innovative is business as usual

Get Your Shine On: 7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Segmentation Illumination

A great segmentation can be a tremendous tool for growth; and a proper illumination can help ensure your organization “meets” your new segments in meaningful ways. However, simply creating catchy segment names and flashy one-pagers won’t be enough to propel your brand to new heights.

How to Milk Digital Data in A Cookie-Less World

For years, cookies were the foundation of digital advertising. Marketers used them to group consumers, improve the user experience and collect data that helped target ads to the right audiences.

5 Top Creativity Conferences in 2021

Looking for a spark to ignite your creativity? Here are five inspiring creativity conferences that are sure to do the trick. From design, to leadership, to entrepreneurial insight, you’ll find a little bit of each—and a whole lot more—at all of these exciting events.

Mastering the Art & Science of Brand Positioning

At Seed, we regularly blend art and science in nearly everything we do—and there’s probably nothing that requires expertly balancing these two disciplines more than brand positioning. The art in this case centers on abstract dreaming and creativite expression, while the science is all about analysis and strategic decision-making.

Is Your Social Listening Limited by Selective Hearing?

Why You Should Approach Social Data Like a Social Scientist

18 of Our Favorite Storytellers — and How They Inspire Us

Between our recent article on the impact of story-based strategic narratives and the landscape of ever-shifting challenges our clients now face, there’s been a lot of talk around Seed about how storytelling is more important than ever. With that in mind, I got the idea to ask some of my colleagues about their favorite storytellers…

Top-Trending Business Themes

Social Listening Reveals a Focus on Pandemics, Robots and Cybersecurity… Oh My My colleagues recently asked me to look at what business-related themes have been trending on social media, so we can get a sense of what might be in store for the corporate world in 2021.

Getting Better at Virtual Workshops IRL (In Real Life)

Slap “virtual” in front of any word and you’re likely to start feeling a sense of dread. You’re not alone. Call it “virtual” fatigue… but the fatigue is quite real. One of the most common offenders? Virtual workshops.

Top Innovation Conferences of 2021

2020 was the year of the virtual conference, as event organizers were forced to adapt to the realities of COVID-19. 2021 looks to be more of a mixed bag, with some innovation conferences remaining in the digital realm and others hoping to return to an in-person setting.

How to Leverage Storytelling to Build Better Deliverables

Create Powerful Strategic Narratives That Will Drive Your Business Everyone loves a good story—they’re engaging, interesting and memorable. Even with today’s ever-shrinking attention spans, people are still captivated by a well-crafted story. That’s why, at Seed, we draw inspiration from storytelling to help us create better, more impactful deliverables.

COVID-19: Consumers’ Needs are Evolving, And So Should You

Learn How Seed & Burke’s COVID-19 Segmentation Can Help COVID-19 has collectively impacted everything, from the way we think, feel and socialize, to the way we work, shop and parent. But despite the shared nature of the pandemic, people are reacting to it in very different manners.

How 3 Holiday Staples Will Look Different in 2020

Despite 2020 being “the year of the cancellation,” the holidays will, in fact, go on as scheduled. Sure the specifics may look a little different, but the true spirit of the season will be on full display as people adapt to make sure that COVID doesn’t cancel their holiday festivities.

3 Ways Package Design Is Transforming for COVID-19—and Beyond

It has been truly inspiring to see the way marketers have adapted to face the challenges presented by COVID-19. As designers, we’ve been particularly drawn to the evolution of packaging design during this unprecedented time.

Using the 5 Ps to Thrive in Today’s Retail Environment

COVID-19 has led to changes in shopping behaviors that have disrupted the retail ecosystem in ways that were previously unimaginable. Despite obvious concerns related to living through a global pandemic, consumers still need to shop for food, clothing, pet supplies and additional everyday essentials.

Building A Creative Workspace When Working From Home

Working from home has its share of challenges—especially if you’re the creative type. More often than not, wobbly kitchen tables, makeshift offices and cramped bedroom corners just aren’t “muse worthy” locales. So what is?

Donahue Promoted to Creative Director

Seed Strategy is pleased to announce that Matt Donahue has been promoted to Creative Director. In his new role, Donahue will take on an elevated leadership position, guiding the creative vision for key Seed clients.

Colorful Creativity

Our uber-talented illustrator, Cherlyn Varga Toth, designed an entire alphabet of fun letters to inspire people to express their colorful creativity. Kids—and kids at heart—can just click and print the images below to color their favorite letters, spell their names or initials, create their own words—or whatever their imaginations dream up.

5 New Better-For-You Themes Emerging During COVID-19

We’ve been keeping a watchful eye on the better-for-you audience throughout the pandemic. Early on, we saw a decline in better-for-you search interest and social media conversation, but we were impressed by how quickly the health-conscious audience resumed their previous behaviors.

3 Reasons Why Creating a Compelling Point of Difference is More Important Than Ever

Having a unique and relevant point of difference is nothing new when it comes to building brands with strong consumer relevance and appeal. However, the ways in which consumers view and interact with the world have now changed forever. And with that change, the importance of a point of difference has escalated to new heights.

3 Lessons in Personal Reinvention With Sybil Schooler

There’s no doubt that the current environment is challenging all of us to do things outside of our formal roles. And I’d argue that no one has embraced these circumstances more than my colleague, Sybil Schooler.

Five of the Top Online Innovation Conferences you can Still Attend in 2020

Good news: things may look a little bit different right now, but you can still get access to plenty of innovation conferences with thought-provoking insights, trends and unique networking opportunities—this time all from the safety and convenience of your own computer.

Solo Like a Pro

Quarantine tips from a real-life introvert It’s safe to say that most (if not all) of us have never experienced anything like COVID-19. Almost overnight, this infinitesimal scourge has wrought inexorable change in our everyday lives—how we work, how we interact, how we entertain ourselves. For some, it’s a struggle; the isolation is stifling.

3 Workouts to Exercise Your Creativity

I am a strong believer that creativity is a skill best realized when put into regular practice. Similar to an exercise routine, we may all be able to grind out a workout on occasion, but the more regularly we do it, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes—and the better the results.

From Procrastination to Productivity

Procrastination—the sneaky habit we’ve all fallen victim to since before we even knew there was a word for it. But now, in this new era of shifting work-life boundaries, dueling to-do lists and much comfier work attire, it’s plaguing some of us more than ever (speaking for a friend, of course).

Travel-Free Ways to Boost Your Innovation Efforts

Just because you have to stop traveling or need to work from home, that doesn’t mean you have to pause your innovation efforts. Seed has a full repertoire of proven online tools that can be leveraged locally, nationally or internationally—and they’re ideal for a wide variety of situations, but especially when travel isn’t in the plans.

The 4Cs Mindset Model: Finding Signals Through the Noise

The evolving new normal brings a range of unfamiliar, hard to describe feelings. These feelings often seem noisy and confusing. And this noise often leads to frustration as a result of having feelings that can’t be explained.

The Brilliance of Resilience: How to Thrive in the New Normal

As we strive to find a new “normal” in the wake of COVID-19, I am reminded of an article I wrote a while back about resilience. In it, I explored how the principles of resilience apply to people and brands facing challenging times.

The Game-Changing Nature of Gratitude

Many of us are looking at things with a different perspective now—and rightfully so. Previous lessons provide a fresh, more powerful impact when viewed through the lens of the Covid-19 era.

Working From Home? Here’s How to Optimize Your Internet Speeds

With most people settling into a work-from-home environment, many are undoubtedly facing the realities of slower internet speeds. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Here are some tips on how to optimize your home network so you can maximize your productivity and minimize your frustration.

The Hive: Still the Right Time for Real Time

Almost 13 years ago, we built The Hive platform to help us understand teenagers. Now, The Hive is nearly a teenager itself.

Future Force: A Powerfully Predictive, Non-Traditional Approach to Idea Screening

Perhaps you’re interested in finding a fast and accurate alternative to traditional idea screening. Or maybe you’ve heard about prediction market research, but haven’t yet taken the plunge. If so, Future Force may be just what you’re looking for.

Celebrating Burke’s Legacy of Women Leaders

This International Women’s Day, we are honoring our company’s proud history of strong female leaders. In 2002, Seed was founded and continues to be led by Susan Jones. In 2015, Seed was acquired by Burke, Inc., combining Seed’s strategic and creative talents with the power of decision science and analytics.

How to Get the Most Out of Every Conference

I’ve attended more conferences and tradeshows than I care to count, and I’ve learned that, like most things in life, what you get out of each event tends to be directly proportional to the amount of effort you put into it.

Looking Ahead to Expo West 2020

UPDATE: Organizers of Expo West 2020 have postponed the show due to concerns about CVD-19. The Seed team is looking forward to attending the event on the rescheduled date. 85,000+ people are preparing to converge in Anaheim, California for Natural Products Expo West, where they’ll get a glimpse of the latest natural and organic offerings in […]

Mind Mapping: Spin a Web of Powerful Ideas

It’s mid-afternoon. You’ve been in this brainstorm session for half an hour now. After a brief introduction and a flurry of ideas, your team has fallen silent. Once eager, excited eyeballs start to scan the room frantically. For someone—anyone—who can set off a spark and reignite the conversation.

CES 2020—Insight Into the World’s Largest Tech Event

The business of consumer technology thrives on innovation—and nowhere is the impact of revolutionary innovation more apparent than the aisles of CES in Las Vegas.

Six Top Creativity Conferences to Check Out in 2020

We all know that creativity thrives on inspiration. You’ll find plenty of it at these six conferences, which all promise to help you discover what it takes to find, feed and ignite that all-important creative spark.

4 Top Tech Takeaways from #CES2020

Our first day at CES was incredible! With over 180,000 people here to see the world’s most cutting-edge tech, to say it’s a huge event is an understatement. From hybrid-electric flying cars, to retinal scan payments, to artificial humans, CES is a technological treasure we have only begun to discover.

Ten Top Innovation Conferences of 2020

2019 featured an amazing roster of inspiring innovation conferences, providing ample opportunity to experience deep dives on trends, thought-provoking insights and unique networking opportunities. And the good news is that these conferences keep growing both in quantity and quality, making 2020 the best year to attend an innovation conference yet.

Previewing Seed + Burke’s Trip to CES 2020

Las Vegas hosts its fair share of trade shows—nearly twice as many as anywhere else in North America—but none may generate more buzz and excitement than CES. This one-of-a-kind show is a veritable all-you-can-eat buffet for manufacturers, developers, marketers, innovators and everyone else who does business in consumer technologies.

The Brilliance of Resilience: Lessons in Personal Resilience That can Transform Today’s Brands

The Struggle is Real. Brands today face a challenging environment of declining consumer loyalty, as endless new product and shopping options continue to emerge.

Tour our Treehouse!

Take a stroll through our new building and learn more about each space—all from the comfort of your own seat...

6 Enchanting Design Features From Seed’s New HQ

When you step inside Seed Strategy’s newly built headquarters in downtown Cincinnati, prepare to be delighted. Aside from the generous light-filled spaces and modern-chic aesthetic, special design details await around every corner.

The Modern Treehouse: A Q&A with the Minds Behind Seed Strategy’s New Headquarters

A sanctuary for the creative spirit. A purpose-built space for innovation. A catalyst for changing perspectives. These were some of the objectives in mind when Seed’s founder and CEO, Susan Jones, and Seed’s EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, Eric Scheer, set out to collaborate with their team of architects to create the growth acceleration firm’s new […]

3 Trends Driving Healthcare Innovation

Years ago, patients would believe anything their doctors told them. Doctors were the ultimate authority and patients didn’t have the knowledge to push back or doubt them. You want to attach leeches to my arm while still covered in the blood of your previous patients? Sure doc, if you say so!

5 Inspiring Innovation Conferences You can Still Attend in 2019

Even though we are now in the last quarter of 2019, there are still plenty of opportunities to catch some of the most inspiring innovation conferences of the year. Here’s a look at 5 innovation conferences we recommend checking out before 2019 comes to an end (listed in chronological order).

3 Ways to Build Sustainability into Your Innovation Pipeline

We see it everywhere: images of aquatic animals eating plastic bags, starving polar bears floating on a thin slab of ice, orphaned wildlife alone and lost in a decimated forest. No matter where we look, we are faced with the glaring negative effects of human activity on our planet.

Art + Ambiguity

When nearly 400 bright and diverse leaders from all over the globe come together at one of the longest-running creativity conferences on Earth, the passion to create is contagious. As a proud sponsor and attendee of CPSI 2019, the Seed Strategy team organized and led a community art project to celebrate the power of ambiguity.

5 Biodiverse Ingredients to Inspire Your Next Innovation

Biodiversity is integral to all living things on planet Earth—from the air we breathe to the foods we eat. Healthy, wide-ranging biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity, while a loss of biodiversity—that is, the reduction or loss of a plant or animal species—creates unstable ecosystems that adversely affect our food chain (perhaps irreversibly).

Looking Forward to FEI

Boston is preparing to host the Front End of Innovation Conference (FEI)—a premier innovation conference that industry executives rely on to stay on top of trends and create effective innovation roadmaps.

The Power of Online Co-Creation

We’ve done a lot in the first 12+ years of The Hive’s existence. And no matter what we throw at it, The Hive delivers. Our latest infographic takes a closer look at some of the key facts and figures behind The Hive’s 12+ years of helping our clients create breakthrough innovation.

THE JARGONIST: Breaking Down Business’s Buzziest Terms

Co-create verb co-cre-ate (pronounced: kō-krē’āt)

How To Disappear Completely–And Find Your Creative Peak

The biggest barrier to a creative breakthrough could be staring you right in the face. Robert Cherry explores a radical approach shared by a creative elite—a method, strangely enough, you yourself have already practiced.

9 Exhilarating Design Conferences Happening in 2019

One could argue that design is more important than ever—an essential focus for any brand that wants to stand out and stay top-of-mind in the over-stimulated world we live in. But wow-worthy design doesn’t just happen. We know that designers need a steady stream of fresh inspiration to take their work to the next level.

Siegel Recognized for Innovative Ideas to Transform Greater Cincinnati Landmark

Seed Strategy Creative Director, Adam Siegel, was one of two winners selected in a contest soliciting ideas to reimagine Newport on the Levee—an award-winning multi-level retail entertainment center located across from downtown Cincinnati on the south bank of the Ohio River.

Seed Grows Big Ideas

From the glimmer of inspiration to a fully developed product on shelf, Seed Strategy can help you grow big ideas with staying power. Our proven process provides the ideal framework to bridge strategic rigor and breakthrough creativity, resulting in rock-solid concepts and real-life success stories.

Witnessing the Future of Trends and Innovation

Previewing Seed’s trip to the Future Festival in Cincinnati

Natural Products Expo West 2019: Five Trends That Will Define the Future of Food

We were thrilled once again to attend Expo West and witness the latest natural, organic and healthy products coming down the pike—it truly is like a real-life peak into the future.

Five Fabulous Creativity Conferences to Check Out in 2019

We all know that creativity thrives on inspiration. You’ll find plenty of it at these five conferences, which all promise to help you discover what it takes to find, feed and ignite that all-important creative spark.

Is Your Concept Working Hard Enough?

A strong concept is a powerful tool. It can help define a product or service, hone a positioning, assess the size of prize, brief developers and inform communication plans. But getting to that strong concept isn’t always easy.

Looking Ahead to Expo West 2019

85,000+ people are preparing to converge in Anaheim, California for Natural Products Expo West, where they’ll get a glimpse of the latest natural and organic offerings in the food, beverage, health and beauty categories.

A Closer Look at the Thriving Natural Products Category

The natural products category continues to flourish like never before. Our latest infographic, fueled by Seed’s Social Reality Digital Data Exploration, takes a closer look at the influential power of natural claims, which products are driving the category’s growth and what “natural” means to consumers.

Viva Las Vegas!

Previewing Seed’s trip to the International Builder’s Show

THE JARGONIST: Breaking Down Business’s Buzziest Terms

Emoji Analysis noun (pronounced ih-moh-jee uh-nal-uh-sis)

Super Innovating

How Sunday’s Coaches Out-Innovate the Competition With the “super” big football game upon us, it is our mandatory duty to insert ourselves into the conversation. Which can be tough to do when you’re an innovation agency (#forcefit). Fortunately, this year is more appropriate than most thanks to the two head coaches involved

4 Innovative Ways Blockchain Can Help Brands Achieve New Growth

As an innovation agency, we are often asked by clients to help them leverage new technology to achieve growth. More and more these questions have involved blockchain technology—and the innovative opportunities it can unlock.

Biodiversity — 3 Ingredients to Know from the Winter Fancy Food Show

In the simplest of terms, biodiversity is critical to life on earth. It boosts ecosystem productivity wherein all species have a role to play, no matter how small. However, a loss of biodiversity—that is, the reduction or loss of a species, whether plant or animal—creates unstable ecosystems, and adversely affects our food chain (perhaps irreversibly). […]

From Insights to Jobs-to-be-Done & Innovation Platforms—all in 8 Hours

Our latest workshop with Miami University introduced us to some talented students enrolled in the university’s four-week course on entrepreneurship. This year, the course is focused on creating growth through innovation for the Madisono’s gelato brand—just the type of ambiguity that Seed & Burke thrive on!

Ten Inspiring Innovation Conferences to Check Out in 2019

Offering deep dives on trends, thought-provoking insights and unique networking opportunities, innovation conferences can be one of the richest sources of inspiration for any innovator. And the good news is that there are plenty of strong options to choose from again this year.

Looking Ahead to Cherri’s EPIC Adventure

Seed’s Cherri Prince is heading to California for the EPIC International Summit—a unique and transformational conference tailored to professionals across a spectrum of industries who are looking to inspire and grow their creative leadership abilities.

Previewing Seed’s Trip to the Winter Fancy Food Show

The future of food is coming to San Francisco as The Specialty Food Association (SFA) prepares to kick off the 44th annual Winter Fancy Food Show.

THE JARGONIST: Breaking Down Business’s Buzziest Terms

Pink tax noun (pronounced pingk taks)

Get Smart on Marketing to Women—Take The SheQ™ Test

Assess and optimize your brand’s ability to reach the fastest growing consumer segment on the planet

SheQ&A: A Conversation with Cherri Prince & Corey Beilstein

With so much excitement building around Seed’s new SheQ™ Test capability, we sat down with the brains behind the initiative—Cherri Prince and Corey Beilstein—to gain some insight into how the study came to be, how brands can leverage these learnings, and why Seed is ideally suited to partner with brands on this mission.

How to Think Like a Service Designer to Unlock Lasting Innovation

Services exist all around us. Yet, when it comes to innovation, we almost always gravitate towards improving the tangible product, and forget to address the layered systems that surround it.

5 TEDTalks That Will Change the Way You Think About Marketing to Women

For years, female-focused marketing was characterized by “The Three Ps”: Pink, Patronizing, Passive. My, how times have changed. More and more brands are realizing that women are a powerful force, not to be overlooked.

Next-Gen Marketing: 5 Insights That Will Help Your Brand Win With Gen-Z Women

Since the launch of The SheQ™ Test, Seed has been busier than ever helping our clients better understand and meet the needs of today’s female consumers. In most circumstances, that has meant focusing specifically on Millennial women—after all, Millennials have become the defining segment of the modern economy.

Child’s Play: It Isn’t Just for Children

We spoke with Cincinnati’s resident kid expert about the power of play—and what that means for adults.

Inspirational Insights from the Fast Company Innovation Festival—Part 1

By Eric Scheer and Lauren Selman The Fast Company Innovation Festival wrapped up on Friday, Oct 25—capping off a week full of unparalleled thought leadership, unique experiences and a lot of steps. 34,550 of them to be precise.

An American Original: A Conversation With Levi Strauss & Co’s Chip Bergh

One of the most insightful breakouts during the Fast Company Innovation Festival featured an interview with Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss & Co.

THE JARGONIST: Breaking Down Business’s Buzziest Terms

A culture of continuous innovation noun (pronounced ā, kəlCHər, əv, kən’tinyōōəs, inə’vāSH(ə)n)

The Simple Way to Diversify Your Innovation Activities

When it comes to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for innovation, there are four that tend to be the most prevalent—financial returns, portfolio health, productivity and diversity of innovation activities.

Looking Back at Medtrade 2018

Medtrade 2018 did not disappoint! It proved to be a tremendous opportunity to mine for inspiration, see the latest innovations and meet some incredible people.

Looking Forward to the 2018 Fast Company Innovation Festival

The Fast Company Innovation Festival, one of the top innovation conferences of the year, is about to kick off in New York City.

Looking Forward to TMRE 2018

More than 1,100 market research and insights execs are about to assemble in Scottsdale, Arizona for The Market Research Event (TMRE). TMRE provides a place for industry professionals to unite in order to learn about unlocking transformational insights that can serve as a powerful force for business success.

Insights and Inspiration From Brandemonium 2018

From the impact of mobile devices, to the evolution of the shopper experience and the mastering of branding in today’s ultra-connected world, the Seed team collected a wealth of insight and inspiration from Brandemonium 2018.

Brains-Storm (yes, that’s plural)

Seed’s new continuous innovation platform harnesses the power of co-creation to build better ideas. Sometimes, more really is more. And that’s the idea behind Seed’s unique new digital ideation tool: you get more minds, in more places, doing more thinking. Which leads to more successful, business-changing ideas.

The Innovation Journey: 5 Things You Should Know

Innovation is a journey. It begins when you realize the need for change in the market. It ends when your brand successfully incites, owns and reaps the rewards of that change.

Previewing Seed’s Trip to Medtrade 2018

Hundreds of home medical equipment manufacturers and thousands of home medical equipment providers will be in Atlanta, Georgia for Medtrade 2018—the largest home medical equipment trade show and conference in the United States.

6 Inspiring Innovation Conferences You can Still Attend in 2018

We all know that great innovations don’t just happen. They require leadership from people who thrive on hard work and have a passion for finding that next breakthrough idea.

Creative Clairvoyance: 10 Exhibitions that Showcase the Future of Creative Talent

Above all else, the creative industry needs talent. The kind of talent with imagination, intuition and vision. The kind of talent that’s born and raised in today’s design schools, with the skills and ambition to redefine business and marketing as we know it.

Cherri Prince to Speak at Annual CPSI Conference—Sponsored by Seed

The CPSI (Creative Problem Solving Institute) conference has been inspiring minds and elevating ideas for 64 years—making it the world’s longest-running creativity conference. With hands-on workshops and inspiring speakers, CPSI equips attendees with the skills to master ambiguous challenges and solve complex problems by implementing “deliberate creativity.”

The 6 Truths of Leading a Creative Culture

In nearly every industry, creativity reigns supreme as one of the most sought-after characteristics—for leaders, employees and company culture. But as a leader in your business, it can seem like a daunting task to infuse creativity into your day-to-day operations (things need to get done, after all!).

Five Fantastic Creativity Conferences to Check Out in 2018

We all know that creativity thrives on inspiration. And you’ll find plenty of it at these five conferences, which all promise to help you discover what it takes to find, feed and ignite that all-important creative spark in your work.

The Art of Marketing: 3 Lessons Marketers Can Learn From Abstract Painting

Painting is my passion, turned hobby, turned side hustle. Before my life at Seed Strategy, I spent over a year as a full time “sabbaticalist”—taking time to be vulnerable, try new things, travel to new places—all to influence my career path forward.

Natural Products Expo West 2018: A Wonderland of Innovation & Inspiration

Natural Products Expo West. The world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event (ever?). You know it’s going to be big. You know it’s going to be inspiring. And you know it’s going be… delicious.

Countdown to Expo West 2018

It’s that time of year––in just a few short days, 70,000+ attendees will descend upon Anaheim, California for Natural Products Expo West 2018. There, they’ll get a glimpse of the latest natural and organic offerings in the food, beverage, health and beauty categories.

A Brand Born on the Farm, Grows Into a National Success

The Nothing But the Fruit brand (NBTF) was born on the farm—literally. In fact, it’s a brand that enables a nationwide co-op of 905 small family farms to get the natural goodness of their homegrown fruits to an ever-demanding public who’s seeking better-for-you snacks.

Does Your Brand Even Lift, Bro?

How gym logic can translate into serious brand building With the New Year quickly fading into memory (along with 99.9% of every resolution), it’s the perfect time to have a really honest talk about getting into shape.

6 Ways to Get Consumers to Fall in Love with Your Brand

From finding the elusive perfect match to reigniting a long-term relationship, romantic comedies show that falling in love and staying in love can be a real challenge.

How to Tidy Up Your Brand

What A Famous Japanese Cleaning Consultant Can Teach Us About Branding I tend to start every year by tidying up my home, and this year—hoping to add a little bit of efficiency and thoughtfulness to the process—I picked up a copy of the bestseller “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”

The Trouble With Trial Sizes (And What You Can Do About It)

The Case Against Trial Sizes Driving trial is critical for the success of any new product launch. So, it’s no surprise that many marketers turn to trial sizes in order to help boost this all-important metric. But are trial sizes really the right choice when looking to propel a new product to success?

Ten Inspiring Innovation Conferences Happening in 2018

Offering thought-provoking insights, deep dives on trends and unique networking opportunities, innovation conferences can be one of the richest sources of inspiration for any innovator. And the good news is that there are plenty of quality options to choose from this year.

How to Kick Your Way Into a Saturated Market

Professional soccer has arrived in Cincinnati. In a big way. And, even if you’re not from Cincinnati, you may have seen one of the club’s dramatic, nationally televised upset victories in the US Open Cup or heard about the team’s success on ESPN’s SportsCenter or in USA Today.

Meet Millennials Where They Shop

Here’s a hint: it’s probably not the supermarket. The millennials. A segment so large and diverse, it seems almost silly to call it a segment at all. But as a group—in spite of their vast differences—millennials all share one very important thing: immense spending power. And they’re not using it like their parents did.

Looking Forward to the 2017 Fast Company Innovation Festival

The Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City is just a few short days away. Different than your typical industry conference, The Fast Company Innovation Festival is known for its innovative “fast tracks”—essentially field trips inside some of the hottest companies like Brandless, BuzzFeed, Pinterest, Plated and more.

Previewing Seed’s Trip to TMRE

In a few short days, more than 1,100 market research and insights execs will travel to Orlando, FL for The Marketing Research Event (TMRE). TMRE provides a place for industry professionals to unite in order to learn about unlocking transformational insights that can serve as a powerful force for business success.

6 Factors Driving the Future of Brand Building

At Seed, we are charged with helping our clients develop meaningful innovation that helps grow their business. The classic approach to innovation has always focused on new product development as the primary driver of brand growth. However, ongoing changes in consumer behavior and retail channels have flipped the classic approach to brand building on its head

The Irresistible Draw of Seasonal Products

With summer long gone and the colder weather kicking in, many of us are now cozying up with seasonal fall and winter favorites like the #PSL (pumpkin spice latte). But the seasonal craze isn’t just limited to drinks.

How Spinning a Flag Helped Me Grow as a Marketer

For five years, I was a member of a world-class drum corps. (No, I am not a drummer.) Drum corps, in the simplest sense, could be described as professional marching band. It’s a team of nearly 200 brass and percussion musicians and color guard performers who rehearse and tour the country for an intense three […]

5 Inspiring Innovation Conferences you can Still Attend in 2017

We all know that innovation doesn’t just happen. It requires leadership from people who thrive on hard work, adaptability and a knack for finding inspiration to foster that next great idea.

The Danger of Expertise

In our business, like any other, expertise is the gold standard for excellence. Getting years under your belt, accolades on your track record and any number of other jargony metaphors is the benchmark for success. But does this accumulation of time and experience really equate to superior performance?

Prince to Speak at the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research Summit

We’re pleased to announce that Seed Strategy’s SVP Strategy and Innovation, Cherri Prince will have the honor of presenting at the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research Alumni & Friends Summit this Friday in Madison, Wisconsin.

Writing for the Reluctant Reader

13 tips to help your writing reach people… who don’t give a #&$! what you have to say. Reading takes effort. You gotta look at words. In sentences. You gotta re-read things. Your subconscious gets restless. And then… you begin to realize… That YouTube video is just a click away. We’ve all been there. Not […]

Expo West 2017: Good Food, New Ideas, Delicious Opportunities

Natural Products Expo West. The world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event. You know it’s going to be big. You know it’s going to be inspiring. And you know it’s going be… delicious.

6 Ways Successful Concepts Can Turn Into Failed Products

Before joining Seed Strategy, I worked as an analyst at Nielsen BASES where I learned countless lessons about testing, forecasting and launching new products. Without a doubt, one of the biggest lessons I learned was that research results never guarantee in-market success. Even the best-performing concepts can crash and burn in the real world.

5 Creative Habits For “Non-Creative” People

“I’m not creative.” Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. The phrase has become a standard chorus for many, especially those caught up in the day-to-day grind of a “non-creative” job.

Strategic Targeting: Why Marketing to Millennials is All Wrong

Want to earn loyal brand converts and pump up your margins in the process? Stop targeting Millennials (or any other generational group). Seriously. Find out why profiling consumers based on things like behavior, attitudes and needs—instead of demographics—can make a greater impact on your bottom line.

A Conscious Question: Can Non-Conscious Measurement Unlock Ultimate Consumer Truths?

I am a consumer in every sense of the word. (I promise, I screen myself out as a research respondent, but the fact is, I am a consumer.) And I confess; like most consumers, I don’t always do what I say I do.

An Innovator’s Valentine

In honor of Valentine’s Day, our very own Adam Siegel wrote a poem that only an innovator could love. This humorous piece compares his love for his wife to some of the most memorable informercial products of all time. How (oddly) romantic!

The Top-10 December Holidays (That Aren’t the Top-2)

“Happy Holiday.” Ever wonder why we don’t say it that way? I mean, Christmas, Hanukkah—you’re probably celebrating one or the other, right? So why the emphasis on plurality?

4 Key Lessons on Marketing Success Inspired by CEO of BBDO New York, John Osborn

With the right mix of clients and creative work, a career in marketing and advertising can be one that you’ll love and have fun with every step of the way. That being said, making your mark in the industry is far from easy.

Real Talk | What can dialogue in fiction teach us about marketing in real life?

If you’ve been to a live theatrical performance, chances are you’re familiar with the so-called “maid and butler” scene.

5 Things We Learned at Cincinnati’s OFFF Creativity Conference

Creativity is contagious. So sometimes, experiencing creativity from another perspective can inspire you on an entirely new level. In this spirit, Seed’s creative team recently attended the OFFF Cincinnati conference.

Amp Up Your Ideation: Recruit the Right Mix of Minds to Maximize Your Results

When it comes to identifying breakthrough ideas, every challenge is unique. And successfully meeting each challenge depends heavily on sourcing the right brains for the specific job at hand.

Striking a New Emotional Chord

Nearly all brands realize the importance of making an emotional connection with consumers, but the most successful ones are taking a more creative route, weaving emotional elements into their communication in a way that goes beyond the traditional.

#Trending: Millennials Are On The Rise

For marketers everywhere, there’s no consumer segment hotter right now than Millennials. From their exotic tastes and to their unique spending habits, Millennials are shaking things up—and fast.

3 Simple Steps to Becoming a Better Improviser

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s not uncommon to see people with days, weeks, even months planned out in advance. I’m guilty of this and, and even though it can be stressful, it’s something I’m rather proud of.

Innovation: The Key to Fast Growth

In the race for the next great innovation, the pace is fast and the winners are few. Across the world, CEOs claim that innovation is becoming increasingly crucial to companies’ future growth.

Redefining Modern Campfires

Many of us have heard of the Iliad, the ancient Greek epic that tells the story of Achilles and the city of Troy. It’s an incredible story, filled with tales of valor, ingenuity and resilience.

5 Tips for Staying Strategically Svelte

In this business, “strategic thinking” is a given. OF COURSE you’re thinking strategically—literally everything depends on it. However even if your day is rife with decisions, plans and processes steeped in strategy, it can be easy to fall into autopilot mode, simply executing deliverables and crossing tasks off the list.