Ari’s Blog

I write an essay twice a week. My writing is primarily focused on helping brands earn attention without paying for it.

Brand Building Ari Lewis Brand Building Ari Lewis

3 Communication Lessons from Jasmine Bina, CEO of Concept Bureau

I speak to many companies who say, "I want to be in the WSJ or go on CNBC." OK? But why are you interesting? There is so much to write about. What makes your company, product, or team of interest to others? Well, for Jasmine and Concepts Bureau, their answer is storytelling. Before you can create an actionable PR strategy, you need to create a story around your brand. Jasmine gives insights on how to do that and brands that are doing a good job of implementing this advice.

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Brand Building Ari Lewis Brand Building Ari Lewis

What I Learned from Jim Mattis’s Former Speechwriter About Communications

Justin is a former speechwriter and communications professional. He has written for Jim Mattis, General David Petraeus, and Leon Panetta. He has worked as an evangelist for Palantir and held the role of Director of Communications for the Secretary of Defense. Currently, he works at Gumroad and has a newsletter summarizing the big ideas of the biggest names on Twitter:

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Brand Building Ari Lewis Brand Building Ari Lewis

Four Marketing Lessons From the Former CMO of ESPN

Carol believes that many marketing professionals are overly focused on launching. For example, a company would choose a launch date and then begin speaking to users. This is the wrong approach. The product and communication efforts need to go hand and hand. Companies should look at product development as an iterative process.

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Brand Building Ari Lewis Brand Building Ari Lewis

How a Bad Steak Led to a $4B Organization

In 1975, Harold Etling went to eat a steak. Harold, a lifelong rancher, left the meal disappointed. His steak didn't meet his expectations. Harold decided to do something about it. He approached the American Angus Association. In January 1978 in West Salem, Ohio, the brand Certified Angus Beef (CAB) launched.

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Brand Building Ari Lewis Brand Building Ari Lewis

4 Things I Learned About Marketing in FinTech

Most of the brand strategy relies on social. Many customers go to social when they are complaining about their experiences. If you have empathy on social, show that you have emotion and aren't responding like a robot that will yield positive results. Ultimately, your company is in the people business.

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How to Deal With a Crisis

The truth is one of the few weapons you have in a crisis. The moment you lie, you lose all credibility. Who would trust a company that lies during a crisis? I wouldn't. It's important to rip off the bandaid and share as much pertinent information about the crisis as quickly as possible.

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