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Ideas don’t just form themselves. If they did, our jobs would be a lot easier, and there would be a lot less frustrated binge-snacking. No, ideas are birthed from the very depths of writer’s block when all seems lost, from a crazy unformed wisp of a concept that seems... read more
I’m sure psychologists have a lot to say about our tendency to name our cars, and it probably has something to do with identity, materialism, self-esteem, whatever. But at the very least, can we just agree that getting to name stuff is one of the best things about being a person?... read more
One day, we’re going to have hover boards, robot butlers, and even smarter apps. We’re going to be flying jetpacks willy-nilly and drinking water on Mars. The future is bright, and it all starts with groups of smart people getting together and having smart thoughts. Such a thing happens every year... read more
How do you feel about books? Are you in favor? Because we are. Here at Gemba, we’re book-learnin’ folk. We read Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley, an inspiring guide to harnessing your inner creativity. And here’s what we got out of it: That ever-present downer is what keeps most... read more
Autumn means layering your sweaters, drinking cider, and harvesting stuff, but mostly it means pumpkin spice lattes. Let’s talk about pumpkin spice lattes. Why are we so obsessed with them? Who started this? And has it gone too far? (There is such a thing as pumpkin spice dog treats, so I’d... read more
When you think of country music, what comes to mind? Pick-up trucks? Cowboy boots? A twangy barnyard singalong with an acoustic gee-tar? Let’s face facts here: stereotypes are a thing. But studies show that the widespread perception of country music listeners as rural, illiterate, and generally lower-class just doesn’t ring true. In... read more
We use our cell phones like they’re providing oxygen. That’s just the reality. That’s where we are as a society, and there’s no shame in it. (There’s a little bit of shame.) According to Marketing Week, the average mobile phone user checks their phone 150 times a day. Also, according to... read more
Volunteering: it’s good for the Earth, good for the community, and good for the soul. About 62.8 million people in the U.S. volunteered at least once in the last year*, which is no small chunk, but it only correlates to something like 20% of the population. Basically, we could... read more
Last week, Kurt and John embarked on an epic journey through the cornfields of Illinois to attend the Farm Progress Show. Did you guys know that Illinois in the summer is hot? Sweltering, even? I think we all know that, deep in our heart of hearts. But knowing it and experiencing it... read more
Distinguishing between millennials and Gen Z is something of a nightmare, because a lot of people only use the term “millennials,” and they use it as a blanket term meaning “young, fledgling Internet addicts who don’t know what a Walkman is.” But the general consensus seems to be that millennials... read more
Today for What’s Poppin’, I sat and talked with John, a heroically talented business developer and one of my favorite people to talk Game of Thrones with. When it comes to making popcorn, this man is a loose cannon; he would describe his technique as “freestylin’,” and when I asked him... read more
Why experiential marketing? What’s it going to do for me? Why should I use it? And was One Direction’s hiatus/break-up really inevitable? These are the questions people are asking. I can’t speak to that last one (at least not yet—critical analysis at this juncture would be purely speculative), but I’ll take... read more
The hour is nigh for back-to-school jingles. In the experiential world, this is sometimes referred to as the goldmine of marketing, because back-to-school shopping is not really a question of if, but when. Kids are going back to school. That’s just something that’s happening. And plenty of them are already elbows-deep... read more
John and Kurt returned from Outdoor Retailer this week—a little older, a little wiser, and a little more sunburned than before, but ultimately better for having gotten a picture with one of the llamas from Cotopaxi. However, they didn’t just accumulate sweet merch and try their hand at fly fishing. They... read more
Hey. It’s me (you) from the future. Look, I’m going to be straight with you (me): neither of us is going to become an astronaut. I’m sorry, but it was never in the cards. You will, however, become a writer (score!), just not in the way that you think. As far... read more
Next week, two of our business developers will be Lewis and Clarking it on over to the 2015 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City. This is pretty much the biggest concentration of outdoorsy folk ever assembled outside of a lumberjack camping retreat, and odds are at least some... read more
Confession: I am not a film critic. Example: I thought Pirates of the Caribbean was a transformative piece of cinema, and I was the one who said in our last blog that Mean Girls changed my life. But that doesn’t mean I don’t watch movies and have thoughts about them. To prep my casual... read more
Since Traverse City, our base of operations, is hosting its annual Film Festival, we thought we’d do a little film-related survey around the office. I could say that it didn’t cause at least one serious debate and more than one Mean Girls quote-off, but then I’d be a... read more
This will be a regular (translation: semi-regular) (translation: not regular at all, who even knows) feature where I make popcorn with the employees and ask them deep, personal questions about their lives. This way you’ll get to know us all a little better, and we won’t intimidate you so much with... read more
You can check out our process here, but in case you want a little more (and why wouldn’t you? I’ve been blessed with the gift of words), let me break it down. We say it’s five steps, but things are actually a bit more complicated than that. Step 1: Gather the... read more
