Hanlon

06/24/2026

A new book traces the rise of modern branding from when logos, trademark colors, and brand names first emerged in the 19th-century.

Rigid mid-century house style systems eventually gave way to more dynamic, public-minded, and digitally fluid approaches.

Even in the age of AI, designing and redesigning brands still demands the conceptual individuality and artistic originality that only human designers bring.

In an excerpt from Taschen’s The Elements of Brand Design, Katharina Sussek and Jens Müller chart the genesis and evolution of modern branding and visual identities, from the 19th century to how we experience them today.

06/23/2026

Your strategy deserves to reach the finish line. Hanlon provides the dedicated ex*****on support needed to navigate complex reviews and keep your service lines moving forward. Ready to accelerate your impact?

Contact Hanlon to scale your healthcare marketing.
https://hanloncreative.com/contact/

06/22/2026

Nearly half of shoppers now use AI-based search across their purchase journey.

The vast majority of CMOs know this and are experimenting with AI, but fewer than 10% have scaled it or captured real value, largely because they're merely bolting on solutions rather than reworking their model.

McKinsey argues marketers should instead build around five connected capabilities:

1. Continuous insights
2. Scaled creativity
3. Hyperpersonalization
4. Marketing to AI agents (agentic commerce)
5. Always-on orchestration

The brands poised for growth are establishing a framework for human–AI collaboration.

Explore the future of marketing through five AI capabilities: insights, creativity, personalization, agentic commerce, and optimization.

06/17/2026

Forrester's 2026 global rankings of brand experiences assessed over 400 brands using more than 350,000 consumer perceptions and found that USAA, Chewy, The Home Depot, and Costco topped the list among U.S. brands.

Forrester's metric captures a company's ability to acquire customers, deliver on the experience they promise, and sustain loyalty.

The biggest commonality among top performers was consistency; they offered predictable experiences aligned with customer expectations.

Among U.S. brands, just over half increased their total experience scores, while 4% saw declines, according to Forrester. USAA led the way.

06/15/2026

FIFA required stadiums hosting World Cup matches to cover their sponsors' branding, so Levi's draped a white tarp over theirs.

But the formfitting covering they used leaves their iconic "batwing" logo still mostly recognizable.

Levi's leaned into the moment on social media by changing its profile picture to the tarp-covered logo and posting a playful video riffing on the "Nobody's gonna know" trend:

The logo FIFA wanted hidden is fast becoming one of the most visible branding moments of the tournament.

06/10/2026

With AI tools proliferating, a credible-looking website is now an expected baseline rather than a competitive advantage.

Customization has therefore never been more important, as trust is generated through specific details like real team photos, precise customer language, and concrete case studies.

Custom web design leverages human storytelling that AI tools can assist with but cannot replace.

Nicholas Aiello, VP of Operations at ForeFront Web, on why trust and specificity still beat AI-generated websites.

06/09/2026

Innovation moves fast, and your marketing should be right there with it. Hanlon's fractional team integrates seamlessly into your workflow, ensuring your messaging stays as agile as your next big launch.

Let's keep your ex*****on in sync with your innovation
https://ow.ly/CjsQ50Z9vwW

06/08/2026

CMO Council's Tom Kaneshige argues that today's best B2B marketers are creating structured, evidence-based content that satisfies both human buyers and the AI agents.

But he stresses that humans must retain non-negotiable oversight of ethics, privacy, bias, brand voice and customer trust.

Organizations with stronger AI-human integration are nearly three times more likely to report measurable ROI, so the future belongs to leaders who use AI to make smarter decisions rather than simply produce more content.

Learn how B2B CMOs can adapt content strategy, workflows and personalization as AI becomes part of the buying process.

06/04/2026

Maternity leave, medical leave, or turnover shouldn’t mean "pause" for your business. Stay consistent and keep your leads flowing, no matter what your internal roster looks like.

Learn more about Hanlon’s fractional marketing team: https://ow.ly/7OUg50YWE28
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06/03/2026

Staying current with web design trends in 2026 is essential for brand visibility and competitiveness.

However, businesses should adopt trends selectively to ensure they align with brand identity rather than chasing every novelty.

Key trends at the moment include:

→ Accelerated Mobile Pages
→ Dynamic Cursors
→ Microinteractions
→ Complex Hero Areas

UXDesign

Discover the top web design trends of 2026, including AI, AR, 3D visuals, dark mode, and eco-friendly designs.