When I was with Apple, I worked in marcom (Marketing Communications). This is where I first learned to speak like a real marketing genius. For example, I learned to use the term "best practice" instead of the more common place "effective," "efficient" or..."good." In the old days we'd say something like "Let's identify what works and what doesn't." Or perhaps "What sucks and what kicks butt." But then I attended my first meeting to "identify best practices." I'm still not sure what it means, but I've been able to survive for the past few years in business without ever having to use the phrase again. And I hope that neither you or I ever have to see the phrase in a PowerPoint slide.

And speaking of marketing hubris (I mean genius), did you ever see this great video by Aquent. Before the Microsoft parody of marketing communications and design, there was this great clip available on the Aquent site. Beautiful.

"Why squander [negative space] when you can use it to generate an incremental cross-brand revenue stream...?"

                                          - Harold Moonbayer

Transformation marketing
Brand managers need to become creative geniuses, not just marketing strategists, says Harold Moonbayer. Watch as Moonbayer enlightens you on how to communicate brand integrity, how to inspire creatives, and how to communicate brand essence. You'll also learn a bit about what makes an effective typeface, how to eliminate negative space in your designs for greater impact, and how to add balance to your design with a more strategic logo placement.