New perspectives,
new ideas
Articles and resources on marketing, ethical business and social impact. For updates, subscribe to Sondo’s Fresh Pickings newsletter. And if you’d like to request an article on a specific topic, email us.
Powershop’s problem with purpose
Powershop's sale to Shell is a sustainability problem but also a catastrophic brand blunder. And it shows the importance of purpose in any business.
Why naming a business is harder than naming a baby: A step by step guide to creating a powerful business name
Naming your business is harder than naming a baby. This step by step guide will help you create a powerful name for your business.
Tell your business story better with a Brand Positioning Statement
How do you tell your story? A Brand Positioning Statement is a simple exercise to help define and distinguish your business.
Designing forms with your customer in mind gets better results
A New York trial shows that simple changes to forms can massively improve performance.
Sondo teams with 100 Story Building to amplify children’s voices
Sondo is proud to announce 100 Story Building as the second recipient of pro bono assistance through our Creative Kind program.
Rebuilding social cohesion with the humble song
Our society is becoming more fragmented. But could we turn things around with the help of the humble song?
Making space for traditional place names
Australia Post's new parcels prompt customers to include Aboriginal traditional place names. It's a fantastic initiative to deepen our connection to country but is missing a key ingredient.
Ronaldo, Coca-Cola and the power of social norms
With one swipe of his hand last week, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo showed how powerful example and “social norms” can be, when it comes to influencing how your customers behave.
Walk in their shoes: Engaging through empathy.
This brilliant version of Don’t Dream It’s Over by Tim Minchin shows the power to engage customers through empathy and emotion.
Nostalgia is back as font trends go retro
Nostalgia is back in 2020-21 with big, tactile fonts being embraced in a big way.
Think of Ryan! How to connect with personal copy.
When it comes to connecting with your customers emotionally, a personal touch to your copy might be more effective than polished slogans.
Gamifying your business: how a challenge can change customer behaviour
Gamifying aspects of your business can be an irresistible way to nudge the behaviour of your customers, staff or other stakeholders in the right direction.
Want to live your values? Build on them.
A strong culture relies on living your organisation's values. There's no better symbol of this than one company who literally built theirs into the architecture of their building.
Winning hearts with comedy (Superbowl ads 2021 edition)
Comedy in marketing is a powerful to sway minds, and America’s Superbowl telecast launches some of the biggest comedy ads each year. Here are the best comedy ads served up in last week’s game.
Sondo teams with EMoS to drive Australia’s electric vehicle revolution
EMoS, Australia’s premier provider of light-weight electric vehicles, has been chosen as the first recipient of assistance through Sondo's Creative Kind program.
Australia Day 2021 campaign: self-reflection with a beat hits a dud note
The Australia Day 2021 campaign attempts to embrace the controversy of our supposed national day. It's self-reflection with a beat - a tune no one will want to dance to.
Trump bans show brand activism’s power… and its flaws
In the wake of the US Capitol attacks, social media bans on Donald Trump starkly display the power and flaws of brand activism.
5 “fresh starts” to win more customers
New Year is a popular time for change, but here are 5 more fresh start moments throughout the year when you can win more customers.
Shopping goes smart (phone)
Black Friday sales results are in – and the biggest takeaway from the year’s biggest shopping event is the increasing importance of mobile.
Trump’s win in Florida is a lesson for your ethical business. No, seriously.
What the polls got right and wrong tells ethical businesses something important about their customers, and the lies of consumer behaviour.
Building your values and culture: a blueprint for success
Studies show that strong brand values and culture help drive revenue growth. And we have your do-it-yourself guide to shape values that will do more than gather dust in your drawers...
Outlaw, Lover, Jester, Sage: What’s your brand archetype?
Brand archetypes can help sharpen your business’s personality and offer creative inspiration for your look & feel. But only if you use them right…
You had me at hello. Finding your brand personality…
Every successful business has a distinct brand personality. Craft the right one and you give yourself a headstart in your marketing. Fail to plan and you might be hurting your customer engagement.
Great. Another marketing agency.
We know, right? Just what the world needs. But what is needed right now – badly – is more changemakers. And that’s why we believe so strongly in our new team, Sondo.
