Blog – Mekanic

Brand Kampers: Why Qualitative Research Matters

By Sarah Akers Warning: this blog post contains some immature themes about unfortunate gastrointestinal distress. Many years ago, an inadvertent party game emerged from a Saturday movie...

Have No Fear, a PM is Here

by Tiffany Hallett When you think of a Project Manager (PM), it’s most likely someone shepherding a team to achieve project goals within given constraints. PMs...

Why Invest In Your Brand Right Now

Written by Alex Jimenez If the last 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that the access to technology and, more importantly, connectivity allowed many of...

How a Rebrand Rewards

Written by Alexander Jimenez The great thing about a rebrand is you can almost treat your organization like a startup, only without the headaches and endless...

Five Tips for Creating Successful RFPs and RFIs

Written by Alexander Jimenez At Mekanic, we respond to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Information (RFIs) on a weekly basis. Before diving in,...

Overcoming the Fear of Commoditization

Written by Alex Jimenez He who shall not be named. In the Harry Potter world, merely uttering "Voldemort" invokes terror; the characters are so frightened by the...

Professional Experience versus Professional Maturity and Why They Are Not the Same Thing

Written by Alex Jimenez The recruiting process is not easy. New hires are an investment, and while there are thousands of articles out there with different tips...

The Vendor Relationship: Partner or Pain?

Written by Alex Jimenez Do you have a vendor, or do you have a partner? The vendor relationship in any business is complicated, but does it have...

Be Mindful of the Boomerang – Why Your Experience Portfolio Needs to be Diverse

Written by Alex Jimenez In social psychology, the “boomerang effect” refers to the unintended consequences of an attempt to persuade someone, which results in their adopting...

You Have a Plan, Now Work the Plan

Preparing to pivot your business model means anticipating these implementation pitfalls. Written by Alex Jimenez Leadership fails to designate a set of KPIs and monitoring plans that...

The People Pivot Conundrum

When your business model pivots, your team’s roles and responsibilities also need to shift. Here’s how to start the process. Written by Alex Jimenez Last week we...

A Nice, Big Glass of Cold Water

A realist’s advice on pivoting your business operations, financial goals, and management strategies to overcome the next 18 months. Written by Alex Jimenez After what has seemed...

The Invest/Divest See-Saw

Written by Erik Hansen I can’t speak for every entrepreneur or CEO, but I can speak to my 20 years of experience and those whom I...

outsource, human capital, human resources,

Do You Outsource?

Written by Alex Jimenez Outsourcing models are not revolutionary. Organizations have been outsourcing essential functions and roles for decades, and in most organizations, there is always...

The End of it All – 2018 for Associations

Written by Erik Hansen I remember working for a very brief stint at IDSA several years ago, and every day it was losing market share and...

A Well-Crafted Social Media Strategy Starts Here

Written by Derek Weinstein Social media marketing is no longer a novelty. Businesses are finally taking the strategy seriously, and countless brands have found success in...

Service Offerings, New Products, Management, Value Proposition, Risk

3 Risks of Expanding Your Services & Offerings

Written by Alex Jimenez 2019 is knocking on the door. We are busy planning for next year, as I am sure many of you are right...

The Decision-Making Conundrum

Written by Alex Jimenez One of the great challenges leaders encounter is a lack of decision making across their teams. You will always have people in...

Core Brand Messaging, Game of Thrones Edition

Written by Sarah Akers Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen “Battle of the Bastards” yet, we really don’t think you’re in a position to be concerned...

Doomed by Logo Lust

Written by Erik Hansen The big challenges brands are facing right now are tricky to solve. The reality is that a logo is only one part of...

Attending a Conference? How to Bring Back the Most for your Team

Written by Tiffany Hallett Conferences are like field trips for professionals. Think about it. Your days are pre-arranged by the unknown. You’re not stuck behind a desk...

Closed Door Leadership

Written by Alex Jimenez Leadership. That one word can elicit hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of different reactions—both positive and negative. Leaders need a broad...

The Fine Art of Getting Knocked Out

Written by Erik Hansen Last week, I witnessed the surprising political loss of a good friend, client, and colleague—someone I would consider a mentor in many...

Riding the Wisdom Wave: The Gift of Brand Strategy Service

Written by Katie Hansen I have something to admit. I don’t pay much attention to the news. I’m not up on current affairs and don’t know...

Rearview Mirror Management

Written by Alex Jimenez In college, I lived with my uncle for a year. I would run errands with him on the weekends and after a few...

The Tortures of Conference Calls. Who Needs ‘Em?

Written by Tiffany Hallett We’ve all been there. You: How’s the weather? Them: It’s sunny. You: Wow, you’re lucky. It’s raining here . . . silence . . ....

Why Your Features Don’t Function: A Lesson in Brand Messaging

Written by Katie Hansen Sometimes you try to please everybody and end up pleasing no one. A crucial lesson to learn in life and business. It’s one...

Make the Most Underrated Business Decision: Lead by Design

Written by Erik Hansen & Jean Nicolai If you haven’t read The Designful Company by Marty Neumeier or Rise of the DEO by Christopher Ireland and Maria Giudice,...

A Conversation Is Not an Action

Written by Kate Burgman A colleague recently asked me, “How do you get any work done when you’re running from meeting to meeting all day?” You may...

Slowing Down to Speed Up

Written by Alex Jimenez Process. Best practices. Documentation. I bet these terms get floated around in your environment on a regular basis (and if not, you may...

The Grass is Not Always Greener

Written by Alex Jimenez In a world where we are constantly overwhelmed with shiny new things on what seems to be a minute-by-minute basis, this adage applies...

If It’s Not Hard, It’s Not Rewarding

Written by Kate Burgman “You’re so lucky that your job is fun and you get paid to do what you love!” If you don’t work in a...

Announcing Our First Community Workshop: Why Your Presentations Suck

Wed, November 15, 2017, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST | Mekanic, 1240 N. Pitt St., 4th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 We’ve noticed business leaders need help upgrading their presentations....

Are You Really Ready to Grow?

Written by Alex Jimenez Growth is good, if I may paraphrase Wall Street. Ok, maybe I’m no Gordon Gekko. But I speak the truth. Consider how much...

Change Is Now—Especially for Associations

Written by Katie Hansen Every association hits a wall at some point. Industries evolve. Audience needs and desires mature. Membership numbers level off. Annual conference registrations...

NEWS: Mekanic Means Business with Strategic Additions

New partner guides clients through growth and change Contact: Erik Hansen Tel.: (703) 647-9884 Email: erik@mekanicbrands.com Website: mekanicbrands.com ALEXANDRIA, VA, September 25th—Creative brand consultancy Mekanic welcomes seasoned strategist Alex Jimenez...

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