I’ve been in the marketing and communications field for almost 20 years, which means I spend a lot of time talking and writing, and thinking about brand experiences. I’m excited to launch my blog to hopefully have some new conversations about these topics. I’ll also weave in personal anecdotes here and there, and look forward to hearing from you.

So here’s the first of those branding stories. When we were house-hunting years ago, a charming 100-year old home caught our attention. Yet, there was one very visible issue – there was a sign hanging from the porch. Yes, this was one of those houses with a name. We were unsure if it reminded us of a bed and breakfast, or just seemed overly pretentious, but the bottom line, was although we loved (and ultimately bought!) the house, that sign just didn’t make sense. Except that it did.

We quickly learned that the house was named by the original owners to honor their homeland. And over the years, there has apparently always been a sign on the porch. So the sign was a brand name of sorts and reflected history and habit. It was the real deal, so we’ve kept it, understanding that it’s an element of the local community and offers a sense of place.

I tend to make decisions quickly, but I’m always willing to give things time to work themselves out. In this case, I’m glad that we did. I’m excited to talk about brand experiences and to learn from yours. Welcome to “Its Carmen Sense.”