Author Archives: jfmiller

Places that Inspire. Clifton’s Cafeteria.

Posted on December 24, 2011 by jfmiller

On Broadway between West 6th and 7th Streets is a 1935 Downtown L.A. landmark, Clifton’s Cafeteria, where “none were ever turned away, [and] during one 90-day period, 10,000 ate free”. Clifford Clinton created his forest oasis during the Great Depression … Continue reading →

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Building Brands and Brand Nations. Being a part of something.

Posted on December 6, 2011 by jfmiller

Does your brand feel like it’s something your customers want to become a part of? Does your brand mean something to them? Does your brand stand for something they can believe in? Thousands of Green Bay Packer fans became a … Continue reading →

Posted in brand identity, brand strategy, Building Brands and Brand Nations., creative thinking, design, digital design, ideas that inspire, Small Business. Big Business. Your Business., Social Media, web design | 1 Comment

Places that inspire. The WWI Museum.

Posted on November 11, 2011 by jfmiller

Nine Thousand Poppies. Housed in the 1929 Liberty Memorial in Kansas City is the new National WWI Museum. Enter the museum and cross a glass bridge above a field of 9,000 red poppies, each one representing 1,000 WWI combatant deaths, … Continue reading →

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Ideas that inspire. Kurt Schwitters at Berkeley.

Posted on November 5, 2011 by jfmiller

If you’re anywhere near the Bay Area, hurry to see Kurt Schwitters, Color and Collage in the cantilevered bomb shelter aesthetics of the Berkeley Museum of Art—BAM/PFA—before the show closes Sunday, November 27th Kurt Schwitters’ evocative collages are composed of … Continue reading →

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Places that inspire. Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace.

Posted on October 26, 2011 by jfmiller

They’re gonna put me in the movies. They’re gonna make a big star out of me. We’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonely. And all I got to do is act naturally. Buck Owens, Act Naturally, … Continue reading →

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Ideas that inspire. Millennials Remake America

Posted on October 1, 2011 by jfmiller

Judy Woodruff of PBS News Hour recently interviewed the authors of the new book, “Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America”. They report Millennials—95 million born between 1982 and 2003—are the largest generation in American history. They’re the … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, creative thinking, critical thinking, ideas that inspire, trends | 2 Comments

Building Brands and Brand Nations: Catching on.

Posted on September 28, 2011 by jfmiller

True. It’s a little hard to feel sorry for the freakishly beautiful. It brings to mind the 30 Rock episode when Jon Hamm—Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) boyfriend—doesn’t understand that the average looking aren’t treated the same as the abnormally beautiful. … Continue reading →

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Places that inspire. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

Posted on September 27, 2011 by jfmiller

The old South Street neighborhood was pretty desolate when I lived there. I rented a cheap room on nearby Kater Street alley and that 1890s working class rowhouse made no promise of being brought back to near-habitable decency any time … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, creative thinking, photo blog, places that inspire | 3 Comments

Building Brand Nations with Social Media. Principle #3

Posted on September 18, 2011 by jfmiller

Make your blog social. Sharing, conversation and creating community. That’s what meaningful Social Media is about. When you provide fresh content, invite commentary and create conversation, your blog becomes social and your value to your community increases Making your blog social is … Continue reading →

Posted in brand identity, brand strategy, Building Brands and Brand Nations., digital design, Small Business. Big Business. Your Business., Social Media, web design | Leave a comment

Building Brands and Brand Nations. Demystifying SEO, Part 2.

Posted on September 15, 2011 by jfmiller

Google is constantly refining its’ search algorithms to help users find valuable content. Along with Google, the popular WordPress web site architecture and SEO plug-ins are helping search engines recognize relevant information and allowing users to create SEO-friendly content within their blog … Continue reading →

Posted in brand identity, brand strategy, Building Brands and Brand Nations., digital design, Small Business. Big Business. Your Business., Social Media, web design | Leave a comment