Remember when brands had personality? When McDonald's was a riot of primary colours, and luxury logos looked like they'd been hand-carved by artisans who actually cared? Well, those days are long gone. Welcome to the age of blanding. A time where everyone is opting for the same sleek, safe, sans-serif sameness. But when everyone looks identical, no one stands out. And in a world where distinctiveness drives recall, that's a branding crisis. The good news? The pendulum is swinging back.

There’s an actual science behind your weakness for free cheese samples. Estée Lauder proved that giving away your product might just be the smartest business move you'll ever make. This time-tested strategy can be used by businesses of all sizes and industries to turn curious browsers into loyal customers. Spoiler alert: it's not just about the freebies.

From British Airways’ signature cabin scent to theme parks’ “Smellitizers,” brands are bottling emotion to sway decisions. Here’s how scent marketing taps memory, elevates experiences, and gets customers to stay longer, spend more, and come back for another sniff. Plus, practical ways small businesses can make it work on a budget.

At the moment, it seems that everyone is a founder, building their founder-led brand.

Surrounded by digital noise and constant personal broadcasting, we seem to have forgotten a fundamental truth: attention is earned, not owed.

This blog post will save you from the trap of the cringey Canva template logo that screams ‘unprofessional’.

In this edition of the Milkshake blog, I encourage my readers to eat cake for educational purposes.

Good ol’ lesson in supply and demand or masters of exclusivity strategy? Whatever your take, here’s how Hermès became French for ‘luxury’.

A new rebrand has killed the iconic Captain, so I performed a post-mortem.

Supermarket chain ALDI is currently giving a masterclass in how to leverage distinctive brand assets beyond your category to create a high impact campaign. How? The answer is pretty simple, but they’re calling it ALDImania…