Joseph Szala·Jun 28The Branding Bourgeoisie Doesn’t Understand Restaurants or Restaurant BrandingEvery time a major restaurant brand evolves, the branding community performs the same ritual. Within hours, LinkedIn fills with hot takes…A response icon1A response icon1
Joseph Szala·Jun 10CAVA’s Hiring Surge Exposes a Flaw in the AI Job Displacement NarrativeCAVA is an interesting case because its hiring announcement suggests management believes growth is accelerating, not slowing. If AI…
Joseph Szala·Jun 8The Caregiver: Why Safety Is the Oldest Loyalty There IsThe Caregiver gets mistaken for the soft archetype. Strategists file it under warm and fuzzy. Brand books reduce it to a few gentle…
Joseph Szala·Jun 5Slop is Human: Why AI is exposing behaviors we’ve tolerated for decadesThe term “slop” is becoming notably sloppy. The career doomsday chicken-littles are beyond annoyingly hysterical. Both are making…
Joseph Szala·Dec 11, 2025Stop Shoving Your Brand in People’s MouthsNothing derails a brand’s hard-won momentum faster than linguistic intrusion. The minute a restaurant starts forcing a catchphrase on its…
Joseph Szala·Feb 24, 2025The Funnel is Dead: Time for a New Marketing FrameworkFor too long, marketing has clung to a relic of the past: the Marketing Funnel. Born in the late 19th century as a tidy, linear path to…
Joseph Szala·Feb 21, 2025Archetypes: Stop Screwing Them Up, StrategistsArchetypes aren’t a personality quiz you slap on a brand to make it feel human. They’re not Myers-Briggs for your logo, and they’re…
Joseph Szala·Aug 8, 2024Understanding the Difference Between Identity Design and BrandingWhen we talk about building a brand — be it a restaurant, professional service, or any type of company — , it’s crucial to distinguish…
Joseph Szala·Aug 1, 2024There’s a Difference Between a Creative Brief and a Brand Strategy and You Should Know ItMaybe overly affected by influencers on social. I mean, who isn’t at this point. After all, they’re job is to attempt to influence. For me…
Joseph Szala·Jul 27, 2024Why emulating existing brands is a big mistake for startup restaurant brandingWhen building a new restaurant concept, inspiration is in no short supply. Often times leaders look to category giants for direction on…
