Freaky Fast Bathroom Branding
In this long-tail, inbox-cluttered smartphone world, it is nice to see how some marketers are using alternative media to stand up and stand out from all the competition. 
Jimmy Johns has found its brand position: it is simple and memorable. But it is also a lot of fun. Even the in-store branding supports the feel and vibe of this amazing brand.
This is a shot from a Jimmy Johns bathroom. It left me laughing and reinforced why I like their product–it’s more than a sandwich. JJ does not compete with Subway on price or calorie counts. They have not copied any other sandwich shop. They carved a brand out of a unique difference (or selling proposition) that seems to fit the people they hire, the food and the store: right down to the bathroom floor. Freaky, Fast and Fun. Now pass me one of those chocolate chip cookies.
Mark Mathis
Mark wrote his first direct-mail fundraising letter in 1981 for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. The effort raised a few million dollars in undiscovered wills and legacy gifts. From that day forward Mark discovered a love of the big idea that moves the needle. After 12 years at KWWL, Mark became a business owner as a co-founder of ME&V — rebranded as AMPERAGE in 2015. After 25 years of leading creative teams in video production, graphic design, PR, writing and web development, Mark transitioned out of ownership in 2021. Today he serves in an employee role as special projects consultant. He is creatively ambidextrous — son of an artist and engineer — and famous for distilling complex ideas down to a few words and a few visuals. Mark is a writer. When he found that many nonprofits struggled with complex branding puzzles, he wrote the book, “NonProfit-NonMarketing .” He also wrote a novel called “Reenactment.” Mark is an active blogger OneMinuteMarketer® with nearly 1,000 readers each week on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. One of his most popular YouTube videos is on “How to Look Good on Zoom.” One of Mark’s fondest business memories was being named to INC 500 two times and attending the INC 500 conference with other winners. Mark is considered by some a Civil War expert (and that explains his novel). Mark also served as an adjunct professor in the business and in the communications departments at Wartburg College. Mark is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently vice president of the University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communications Advisory Board. Mark is married to state Sen. Liz Mathis, and the two love to travel, even when it means being trapped by a volcano in the Czech Republic for three weeks.
