The world's largest hotel chains spend billions on marketing, yet if you closed your eyes inside their rooms, you couldn't tell them apart. Meanwhile, a $200 sneaker company can instantly make you feel something about who you are and what you stand for. Why? Marketing legend Seth Godin reveals it comes down to the difference between having a logo and building a true brand.
Seth Godin revealed three transformative insights about modern marketing that every business leader needs to understand:
First, there's a crucial difference between having a logo and having a brand. As Seth illustrated with his hotel analogy, "If Nike opened a hotel, we'd all know exactly what it would be like. If Hyatt made sneakers, we'd have no clue." A true brand makes a distinct promise and sets clear expectations. The real measure of your brand isn't your logo or slogan – it's how much extra people will pay above the substitute. If customers won't pay more for your offering versus the competition, you don't have a brand; you have a commodity with a logo.
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About a year ago I was working out of a co-working space with a private office and studio in West Hollywood, and honestly? It was fine but felt more like a college dorm than a professional workspace.
I'm running a full service brand strategy consultancy and production company, meeting with serious clients, and I realized the environment wasn’t on brand for me.
Then I discovered Industrious - and here's something that blew my mind: they're actually the world's largest premium flexible workspace, with over 200 locations across 10 countries. But they don't feel corporate or stuffy at all.
What really sets them apart is their approach…
Unlike traditional co-working spaces, Industrious operates more like a hotel management model. They partner directly with landlords to create these incredible spaces, and the difference is night and day. When I walk my clients through the doors now, I can see the immediate shift in how they perceive me and my company. There's this elevation in credibility that you just can't put a price on. And I'm not alone - their members consistently report feeling "proud to bring clients here" and that the space "elevates my own sense of self so I can do better work."
The flexibility is incredible - I can scale my space up or down based on my team's needs. And with locations worldwide, I've got options whether I'm in LA or traveling for business to NYC and across the world. If you're tired of working from home or that coffee shop and you want a space that reflects your ambitions and style, you owe it to yourself to check out Industrious.
Head to https://www.industriousoffice.com/ or send me a note and I’ll personally set up a VIP tour for you in an Industrious office near you.