As part of Cheskin’s Experience Design Strategy Studio, Leah specializes in insights informed by pop culture trends. She focuses on early-stage product development and has led US and international innovation and concept development projects for Heinz, M&M/Mars, Electrolux, American Express, Tyson, and Pennzoil, among many others.
Throughout the last ten years, Leah has kept herself interested and informed, leading strategic projects in dozens of industries. She developed product, positioning, and promotional concepts at the Eureka! Ranch, a new product think tank and innovation consultancy. She developed Bases-style concepts in subsequent years as a design agency copywriter and an independent consultant, heading executive-level ideation sessions.
Leah graduated from Miami University, Oxford Ohio, with a degree in English Literature. She spends her free time discovering indie bands and scouring vintage stores for Vera scarves.
18 June 2009
I was in Houston a few months ago doing a brand experience workshop with Added Value. I always get into great conversations at these things, and this one was no exception. One of the participants told me a lesson her grandfather taught her when she was 10. He said, “No matter how high you rise in this world, you’re never too high to go back and clean a toilet.”
4 March 2009
Lately, I’ve taken a professional interest in the reputation management wesites like Naymz that are popping up all over the internet. Mostly, because it reflects a trend toward personality-scrubbing and echoes a debate that constantly rages among my friends and colleagues: How much of yourself do you share with others? Where do you draw the line between work and play—friends and “work” friends—friends and clients?...
3 March 2009
Last night, I lucked upon a copy of “Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook.” (For those of you who don’t know Sylvia’s it’s only the most amazing soul food place in Harlem. So worth a trip.) Flipping through her recipes for cornbread and lily white biscuits reminded me of a gift I received a few months back—and the most amazing brand evangelist I ever met...
26 February 2009
Why am I giddy this week? San Francisco's Noise Pop music festival, a week-long all-over-town event that features offbeat, amazing, and newcomer bands.
Why am I impressed? The smart way corporate sponsors are getting in on the act. Hint: They're not just slapping a logo on signage...
17 February 2009
Speaking as both a shop-aholic and someone who focused on how to improve the retail experience in a tight economy, I know: Shoppers want to make sure they're spending money in the smartest way possible. They want to be sure they're making good decisions, getting a great value -- and they need you to reassure them of that.
Want to know how (and what in the world donuts have to do with anything)? Read on.
24 November 2008
I was playing and doing retail design strategy in Berlin last week. While I was there hanging out at an amazing technology concept shop, I met up with a marketing director from DaWanda.
What is it? 40,000+ indie artists. One-off, handmade items. Kind of like Etsy, but international. And it's growing in popularity among the cool kids in Germany, France, and the UK.
The "Made with Love" trend? Definitely what's happening right now.
5 November 2008
In Union Square, international students were chanting "USA!"... In the Mission, people were howling and dancing in the streets....
I work with brands to develop meaningful and memorable experiences--experiences that transform, inspire, and move people. Last night, I had one myself. Today I am especially proud of where I live. Go America!
Now, please pass the Advil.
27 October 2008
Friend and fellow brand strategist, Matthew Fenton, just wrote an excellent blog about what brands can do to surf this economic tidal wave. I come at the question from a slightly different angle – looking at what consumer trends will be on the upswing as things get tighter. (Opportunities, people! The glass is half full.)
Here are a few trends I see:
26 January 2006
If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can’t see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.
If at first you don’t succeed, you’re obviously not Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris is the only human being to display the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle; you can never know both exactly where and how quickly he will roundhouse-kick you in the face.
Do you ever wonder how pop culture references take root? When the first Rocky Horror fans started shouting lines at the screen? Why “survey says” and “they’re greeeaaat!” became ingrained in our collective unconscious? How every self-respecting gamer knows that “all your base are belong to us”? What makes seemingly ordinary sayings and events balloon into pop-culture phenomena?
Take a look at the latest email trend for a clue...
4 January 2006
Why stand alone in a new market when you can partner? Apparently a lot of European beauty brands are asking themselves just that. Rather than creating stand-alone stores, they're teaming up with US mass merchandisers to break into the North American market. Finland’s Lumene is getting serious shelf space in CVS. Rite Aid is stocking hair care products by British brand Umberto Giannini. But my favorite example is...
9 June 2005
Just because a brand can stretch into a particular product line doesn’t mean it should.
This lesson splattered all over me last weekend when I was testing my brand new Black & Decker hand mixer. The mixer, a present from my mother in law, seemed like a good idea on paper. Black & Decker makes great tools. A mixer is an indispensable tool for baking. The combination made sense. That is, until…
18 May 2005
I scored tickets to a Star Wars opening! It’s a regional sneak-preview, not the whole Hollywood red carpet shebang. But still. I get to see the movie before 98% of the population, and that makes me giddier than a juiced up Jawa.
Like everyone else in the world, I am drawn to the idea of exclusivity, though I have rarely had the chance to rub up against it in the popcorn line.
17 May 2005
I am in furious mural mode.
At home, I’m sketching line-drawings of birds in my bathroom. At work, I’m lobbying to create 30-foot painting to disguise the concrete wall outside our office. At first I thought the mania was just mine, but recent spreads in Elle Decoration and Surface confirm: walls are where it’s at right now. They’re the latest focus in fashion retailing.
14 January 2005
While researching my last blog on organic fashion, I came across one name a lot: Danny Seo. Sometimes called the Martha Stewart of green style, this 27-year-old environmentalist is a master at promotion. He’s created significant buzz for both himself and his causes, making eco-safe living the chic choice for the Hollywood stars with whom he rubs elbows. That’s pretty good for a kid from rural Pennsylvania. I wanted to know: Who is this guy? How did he get so popular? How has he made green cool and what can I learn from that?
Talk to Tastemakers – He is spreading the gospel of green living to the most cool, connected audiences who will listen. Seo is a big believer in Tipping Point philosophy—that if the right 100 hipsters forego fur, the trend will spread like chevre. To that end, he’s in with Sundance crowd. He has partnered with Tara Subkoff, and he’s even done green styling for O.C. stars. He’s made his message cool among the cool people...
11 January 2005
While wandering through Barnes & Noble, my home away from home, I discovered a new magazine. It might not sound like a big deal, but given the frequency with which I haunt this store and loiter in the café—I am a sad frappuccino addict, this was quite a surprise. Even more surprising was the magazine title, “Organic Style.”
I’ve always thought of organic in relation to food, not fashion. The word puts me in mind of Chez Panisse and peaches from the farmers’ market. It conjures images of chalky carob and the summer my mom thought wheat germ an appropriate ice cream topping. It does not make me think of shoes and shawls and style. Or, it didn’t until I read the surprisingly hip editorial in “Organic Style.”
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