The MAD HATTER CHRONICLES™

The Positive Effects Of A Modern Brand

Thomas Minieri • November 17, 2021

Not Sure If You Should Change Up Your Brand? These Tips Will Help

Published in Forbes | November 16, 2021 | Author: Thomas Minieri -- I was flat broke when I started my first company. I ran out of money after being unemployed and under-employed for over a year. My credit cards were maxed, and I didn't know anyone who could loan me money to help me get started. I was at the end. I used my last $30 in a last-ditch effort to find something that would work, hoping that my new business venture would be that thing. I was an artist but had never dabbled in graphic design. I came up with a simple, yet catchy, black-and-white flyer and made as many copies of that flyer that $30 could afford me. On the bottom of that flyer was my logo. It was basic, simple yet interesting, made with love and desperation.

Fast-forward three years and my company was booming. I was in my own retail space, had cultivated a team of employees and was about to open my second location. One key to my success, even at this early stage, was my constant commitment to marketing and advertising. For me, advertising was always the first bill to be paid, not the last. Paying for advertisements this month ensured that my phone rang with new customers next month. My company grew, as did my skill as a marketer. I soon realized that ad quality mattered just as much as ad frequency. It was time to update my brand and improve my company image.

To me, branding equates to credibility. My established competitors and my franchise competitors had polished, professional brands. Their logos were trendy, modern and well-known. I was an up-and-coming nobody who posed no threat to anyone, and my homemade brand only reinforced that reality. But that was about to change. I called around for a professional designer to help me articulate my ideas. I found a guy. We hit it off, and I hired him to help me design and implement a real brand.

While I was very attached to my original logo, I was more attached to the money that my new brand would bring in for me. I put my emotions aside and got to work on creating something new with my designer colleague. A few weeks later, my company launched its new brand image complete with professional logo design, brand elements, a matching website and marketing collateral. It was a real brand for a real company, and it made a real difference. My second location opened with our new logo on the front door. My new brand was a success from day one. Advertisements became more effective. Utilizing more professional branding in our sales presentations awarded my team with increased sales conversions. The public, as well as my competitors, began to notice and recognize my company. We were gaining momentum.

Fast-forward another two years, and my company was producing seven-figure revenues and I had a team of over twenty professionals working for me. I had developed our own software application and operated a full-time call center to field incoming inquiries from prospects. My brand was well-established as a leader in the industry. I was operating two very successful stores and had established a unique business model and system. It was at that time that I decided to franchise my brand and expand nationwide. Unfortunately, for my company name, it would not be able to come along for that journey. My business name included the word "Carolina" in it. Obviously, franchisees outside of the Carolinas would not find my business name beneficial. Thus, if I were to franchise, I would have to rename my entire company.

Fast-forward four years and my franchise system had over a dozen locations across six states. The new business name was a huge success and ushered in higher levels of company culture and brand awareness. It was a home run.

In just a few years my brand evolved from the original logo I made on the cheap to a professional logo and brand that became well-known in my industry to a complete name change and brand overhaul created for my franchise system. Every time I reinvented my company's brand image, it turned out to be a positive change. It stirred things up a bit. It made things fresh and new. It made people take notice, curious as to what was up with my company. Never once did a customer come to me with disdain for my decision to change the logo, the brand colors or even the name of the entire company when I franchised. I invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising along the way and never once did I notice any loss of brand exposure with any of the revisions. It was never a back step.

I've since sold my franchise system and the assets it accumulated. Today, I operate a marketing and creative agency. I combine a decade of real-world entrepreneurship with my now finetuned creative and design skills. I meet with business owners daily who are cautious to merely update their dated logo. If that's you and you're hesitant to change your brand or are nervous as to what a revision to your brand might do to the investment you've already made in brand recognition, then perhaps this narrative will provide some perspective. I made many changes to my brand, and everyone was massively positive. Simply put, people notice the new and forget the old much quicker than we emotionally attached entrepreneurs would like to believe.

Is your logo more than five years old? Is it more than ten years old? Google changes its logo almost every day, and people aren't forgetting where to search for things online. Is your business name dated and holding you back from gaining new opportunities? If so, make like Elsa and let it go. Change doesn't mean you forget the hard work you put in during your startup years. Come up with something fresh and new that will take your company to the new heights it deserves.

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How to Write a Press Release That Gets Attention

By Thomas Minieri • November 3, 2026

Want free publicity for your business? Here's how to write a press release—and create something worth talking about. A story in the local newspaper, an interview on television, or a mention in an industry publication can introduce your business to hundreds or even thousands of potential customers. One of the simplest ways to attract that kind of attention is by writing a press release. A press release is a short news announcement sent to journalists, editors, and media outlets. Its purpose is to give them an interesting story they might want to share with their audience. But here's the catch. Just because something is exciting to you doesn't mean it's interesting to everyone else. Journalists aren't looking for advertisements disguised as news. They're looking for stories their readers will actually care about. So before writing anything, ask yourself a simple question: Why would someone who doesn't know my business care about this announcement? That's where a good press release begins. Find Something Newsworthy A new location, product launch, business milestone, community initiative, or unusual partnership can all make good stories. But the announcement itself isn't always what makes something interesting. It's the impact that announcement has on other people. For example, opening another bakery might not attract much attention. But opening a bakery that creates twenty local jobs or launches a free culinary program for teenagers? Now you've got a story. The difference is relevance. Think about what makes your announcement timely, unusual, useful, or meaningful to people outside your company. If you can't identify something interesting, you may need a better story rather than better writing. Write a Headline That Tells the Story Your headline should explain the news in one short, interesting sentence. Instead of writing something like "Harbor Bakery Is Excited to Announce a Wonderful New Initiative," try "Harbor Bakery Launches Free Baking Program for Local Teens." The second headline tells readers exactly what's happening and why they might care. You can add a short subheadline to provide additional context, but don't overcomplicate things. Keep your language simple, include your company's name, and get straight to the point. Remember, you're trying to communicate news, not impress someone with clever marketing language. Put the Important Information First Unlike a blog article, a press release doesn't build suspense. It starts with the news. Your opening paragraph should answer five basic questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? Start with your city, state, and date, followed by a clear explanation of the announcement. The next paragraph should explain why the story matters. Who benefits? What problem does it solve? What makes it different? Include meaningful statistics, documented achievements, or other facts that support your story. Avoid exaggerated claims and empty marketing language. Let the facts make your business interesting. Add a Human Voice A short quote from the business owner, customer, community partner, or someone involved in the announcement can make your story more engaging. But don't waste the opportunity by simply saying how excited everyone is. Instead, explain what inspired the announcement, why the work matters, or what you hope to accomplish. A meaningful quote gives journalists something they can use in their reporting while helping readers connect with the people behind your business. Keep It Short and Professional Most straightforward announcements can fit comfortably on one page. Use short paragraphs, plain English, and a factual tone. Avoid technical jargon, excessive links, and long promotional descriptions. Include a relevant website link, supporting images when available, and a brief description of your company at the end. Finish with contact information for someone journalists can reach. Remember that a press release isn't a commercial. Write it in the third person, as though a journalist were reporting the announcement. Once it's ready, send it to relevant local reporters, industry publications, business journals, and media outlets that cover your subject. You can also use a press release distribution service, although publication is never guaranteed. The important thing is to get your story into the hands of people whose audiences might genuinely care about it. A Simple Press Release Template You Can Use You don't need special software or a public relations agency to write a professional press release. Just follow this simple format, replace the information in brackets with your own details, and adjust the language to fit your announcement. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Company Name] Announces [Important News or Milestone] Subheadline: [Briefly explain who benefits and why the announcement matters.] [CITY, STATE] – [MONTH DAY, YEAR] – [Company Name] announced [describe the news in one clear sentence]. The announcement will [explain what is happening, when, where, and who it impacts]. [Include an important detail that makes the story interesting.] [Explain why the announcement matters. What problem does it solve? Who benefits? What makes it different? Include relevant statistics or supporting facts when available.] "[Include an authentic quote explaining the purpose, inspiration, or importance of the announcement]," said [Full Name], [Title] of [Company Name]. [Provide additional details about the program, product, service, event, or milestone. Include relevant dates, locations, or information readers should know.] For more information about [announcement], visit [Relevant Website URL]. About [Company Name] [Company Name] is a [type of business] based in [City, State], specializing in [products or services]. The company serves [target audience] and focuses on [mission or primary customer benefit]. Learn more at [Company Website]. Media Contact [Full Name] [Title / Company] [Phone Number] [Email Address] [Website] That's it. You now have a basic press release ready to customize. Before sending it, check your facts, dates, spelling, links, and quotes. Remove unnecessary information, keep your announcement focused, and make sure you're sending it to publications whose readers might genuinely care. And if you're struggling to find something interesting to announce, consider a bigger question. Create Your Own News With Market Research Here's a strategy many entrepreneurs overlook. Instead of waiting for something newsworthy to happen, why not create something interesting for people to learn about? In my book Lemonade Maker®, I teach Lemonology® Strategy No. 149: Market Research . One practical application is using surveys to discover interesting information about your customers, industry, or marketplace. And here's the opportunity: that information can become the foundation of a compelling press release. Think about it. Journalists love interesting facts, surprising statistics, emerging trends, and insights into human behavior. So why not conduct your own research and give them something useful to report? You can create an online survey using tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey and distribute it through your email list, social media, customer database, or relevant community groups. Ask questions about customer preferences, buying habits, frustrations, spending priorities, or changes they're noticing in your industry. For example, imagine you own a landscaping company. You could survey local homeowners about their biggest landscaping frustrations, what improvements they prioritize, or how much time they spend maintaining their yards. A restaurant owner could research local dining preferences, while a real estate professional could explore what homebuyers value most when choosing a neighborhood. The possibilities are nearly endless. Once you've collected enough useful responses, analyze the results and look for interesting patterns. You might discover a surprising customer preference, an overlooked frustration, or a trend that challenges conventional thinking. That's potentially valuable information for customers, business owners, and journalists alike. Of course, make sure your research is credible. Ask neutral questions, accurately report how many people responded, and explain who participated. A survey of fifty existing customers can reveal useful customer insights, but it doesn't necessarily represent an entire city or industry. Don't make your findings sound bigger than they are. Now you've got something more interesting than another announcement about how wonderful your company is. You've got original information that people might actually want to know. And because your business conducted the research, your company becomes a natural part of the story. You're not simply promoting your business. You're contributing something useful to the conversation. Other Ways to Create Something Worth Talking About Market research isn't your only opportunity. Think about noteworthy accomplishments your company has achieved that people outside your business might genuinely appreciate. Perhaps you've reached an unusual milestone, created significant employment opportunities, developed an innovative process, received meaningful industry recognition, or made a measurable difference in your community. You can also create something valuable for the public. Write a book that shares your expertise, publish an industry report, develop an educational guide, or produce a useful media resource that helps people solve a problem. A compelling study, informative video, or original collection of insights can give journalists a reason to reference your company while providing something worthwhile for their audience. The key is to focus on what people will find interesting or useful, rather than what you want to sell them. And please, resist the temptation to sneak sales copy into your press release. Journalists can recognize a promotional pitch disguised as news, and readers can too. If your announcement sounds like an advertisement, you've probably missed the point. A press release should inform, educate, or share something meaningful. It shouldn't be a lengthy sales pitch cleverly dressed up as journalism. Let your business earn attention by contributing something valuable. The publicity, credibility, and potential customer interest are benefits that may follow. Give People Something Worth Talking About Before writing your next press release, ask yourself: Am I just trying to get attention for my business, or am I creating something people genuinely want to know about? That's an important distinction. When you consistently uncover interesting insights, solve meaningful problems, and create things people find valuable, you give your marketing something worthwhile to communicate. At Lemonade Maker® Strategies, I help entrepreneurs identify hidden opportunities, challenge conventional thinking, and develop innovative strategies that separate their businesses from the competition. Whether it's discovering valuable customer insights, improving your business model, or developing something genuinely remarkable, the opportunity may already be sitting right in front of you. Want to create something worth talking about? Book a CEO Diagnostic with Thomas Minieri and discover strategies to build meaningful value, uncover overlooked opportunities, and give customers and the marketplace a compelling reason to pay attention. See What Others Miss. Create Unfair Advantage. Become Irreplaceable.