A tale of misdirection and (literal) corporate suicide.

Today the Differ heard that a company named Huawei was setting up shop in his home town. He needed help placing the brand in his head. But when he clicked “About Us” on Huawei.com, all he found were meaningless words. And human remains…

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Which one do you like best?

Well the Differ is on vacation this week, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to look back at some of our favourite header graphics from the last year (in no particular order with no particular rationale). But we’d love to hear from you. Which of these is your favourite? Did we miss one you like? Comment away!

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Taking the tiger by the lips.

Last week, the Differ analyzed Google’s chronic failure to find any lasting success in Social Media. Since then, we have been pondering Dr. Fritzenhoffer’s closing remarks about whether the problem was actually Google’s corporate “nature” or their cultural “nurture”. How about you tiger? Can you tell the difference in your own company? Here’s a quick guide.

The stripes are Nature. The kiss? Not. Natural. (photo from the Telegraph)

Secret transcript of Google’s visit to the psychoanalyst.

So with yesterday’s mercy killing of Google Wave, can Google actually succeed at social media? Should it even keep trying? Shel Israel says yes (and a great debate there) while others like Om Malik say emphatically no. But at Beg to Differ, we wondered: what’s going through Google’s own head? Well, weren’t we lucky to stumble across this secret transcript…

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RIM launches the “Blackberry Torch 9800″. But is it one brand too many?

Beg to Differ has been struggling how to deal with the launch of the new Blackberry – the much ballyhooed “iPhone Killer” – from Canada’s tech brand darling Research In Motion (RIM). But after writing – and discarding – a long, thorough (and mildly bitchy) brand strategy critique, the Differ found the perfect lesson for RIM from watching a street performer named The Fire Guy.  Hey RIM: this guy juggles Torches, but manages not to get burned.

The Fire Guy performs on Sparks Street at the 2010 Ottawa Busker's Festival -Photo by Dennis Van Staalduinen

Would a telecom megabrand create intentional confusion for customers? So Wednesday another new cell phone brand was launched to the Canadian market, and the public response? Deafening. (cue loud cricket noises) Well, Beg to Differ thinks you should care.  Not about the service, but about the brand strategy logic behind it – and maybe even [...]