Considering LEGO's considerable brand equity, you might expect that the company must have a marketing budget in the billions. Not so. In fact, LEGO's marketing budget is so modest that if I recorded it here, you'd probably think it was a typo. LEGO doesn't do its own talking; it lets LEGO maniacs talk for it.

When we brand things, our brains perceive them as more special and valuable than they actually are.

We're all obsessed with our smartphones and thus really don't see anything around us.

Word-of-mouth is powerful, trusted, and cheap.

Brands must make use of the inclination of consumers to be persuaded by friends.

Where big data is all about seeking correlations - and thus to make incremental changes - small data is all about causations - seeking to understand the reasons why.

Consider Brazilian cosmetics brand Natura, which deploys a direct-sales force of more than 718,000. By knocking on doors, it has established a vibrant network of brand supporters.