Willie Nelson has written or co-written a grand total of 337 songs. This is an amazing number, when you consider each song was written with both lyrics and melodies different from all the other songs ever composed. Someone once asked him how he possibly could have thought of this many songs. To paraphrase Willie, he said it was easy. He said there are songs everywhere – in the mountains, in the wind rustling through a pine tree, with a woman walking down the street, in a dark bar late at night.

We feel the same way about brands. They’re everywhere. At the local barber shop, at your favorite restaurant, with large corporations in every product or service category, and yes, even with people to whom we are attracted. And like Willie’s music, brands are everywhere. People connect emotionally with the business brands and people brands they favor. And like his music, they are all different.

After more than 4 decades in the business of helping clients differentiate and successfully market their products, and developing relationships with people, we have become very alert to all of the brands around us.

We’ll make observations, tell stories, spotlight guest contributors, all manner of things that might help our readers think about what’s happening around them so that we can all be more aware, make better decisions, make sense of a complex world, or sometimes just have a little fun.