Brand

Mar 30 2025

What a $12,000 Watch and a $9 Lunch Box Tell You About Commercial Value Architecture

By Michael Lynch Branding & Identity, Business Strategy & Positioning

What a $12,000 Watch and a $9 Lunch Box Tell You About Commercial Value Architecture This article is going to spend time on a wristwatch and a bento box, and if that sounds like a long way around to a brand strategy point, stay with it. The mechanism these two…

Mar 30 2025

The Decoy Effect and Why Most Pricing Structures Are Working Against You

By Michael Lynch Pricing & Revenue Growth, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Marketing Strategy & Growth

The Decoy Effect and Why Most Pricing Structures Are Working Against You A 1992 study by Dan Ariely, Joel Huber, and John Payne demonstrated something pricing strategists have been applying carefully ever since: adding a third option to a two-option choice can change which of the original two options buyers…

Mar 30 2025

7 Trust Signals B2B Buyers Read Before the First Meeting

By Michael Lynch Branding & Identity, Business Strategy & Positioning, Marketing Strategy & Growth, Thought Leadership & Authority Building

7 Trust Signals B2B Buyers Read Before the First Meeting 50 milliseconds. That's all it takes to gain or lose the trust of your buyers. Stanford Web Credibility Project research found that when evaluating unfamiliar professional service firms, 75% of decision-makers form trust judgments within 50 milliseconds of encountering brand…

Mar 20 2025

Why Most B2B Brands Are Trapped in Price Wars

By Michael Lynch Business Strategy & Positioning

Why Price Becomes the Default When Category Position Isn't Clear HP Field Notes | Highly Persuasive A precision machining supplier in Penang lost a $3.2M contract to a competitor charging 18% more. The engineering spec was identical. Delivery timelines matched. Quality certifications equivalent. On paper, the losing bid should have…