BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

How many minutes of advertising were there per hour of Olympics coverage? An article in the Times confirmed for watchers of the events that they weren’t t imagining things. The ads were as plentiful as the questions to Julia Mancusco regarding her feelings about Lindsay Vonn. For what’s worth, as a marketing guy I watched the commercials with an eye toward appraising how companies position their brands these days. Given the state of the world it was interesting to see which companies were really tapped into consumer sentiment, relevance being one of the key metrics to brand’s success. In my latest article in Forbes Online I explain that the most powerful brands keep their top-of-category positions by ensuring that, even as the marketplace changes, their promises to consumers remain both distinctive and genuinely meaningful to peoples’ lives. It’s a tough challenge, but take a minute to read the piece and see which brands are doing it best.

Image courtesy of Forbes Online

There is no shortage of opinion on how Tiger handled his mea culpa and what he can do to restore his brand’s image. As for Toyota, the other brand in the news these days up against public demand for answers to less than stellar behavior, there is still some room for commentary. In fact, I had the opportunity to weigh in on the topic in a recent interview with CTV during which I suggested that the company’s biggest mistake, in terms of brand repair, is not having gotten ahead of the story quickly enough. While it’s always easy to play armchair quarterback and offer up solutions that are simple in theory, putting them into place in such a large and global company like Toyota is another thing. However, I believe there are some actions that the company can take at this point in time which will help restore its brand’s equity before it’s too late. I invite you to watch the interview here.

Image courtesy of Canada AM

The biggest upset in this year’s Super Bowl wasn’t that the Saints beat the Colts, although that was pretty exciting. It was that most of the commercials were less than wonderful. Like everyone in the marketing business, I watched the game expecting to be bowled over by the ads, or at least a good number of them. Yes, I chuckled at the little kid protecting both his mom and his Doritos from a besotted suitor. And the coca-cola ad, in which Monty Burns gets his come-uppence, followed by a Coke and a smile, made me smile. I also really like the Google ad which used the device of a charming search-story line to reinforce its brand promise. But in more cases than not, the branding seemed to shift into neutral. Not a smart media moment. When you’ve got such a diverse audience and a one-shot opp to present your brand promise, you’ve either got to break the rules with conviction, not half measures, or you’ve got to tell your brand’s story with simple brilliance. In this edition of Forbes Online, I write about how events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics offer companies the chance to make the play for millions of viewers at the same time, occasions few and far between since digital technology took over our lives. When consumers can compare and contrast ads and brands in such a finite amount of time and space, it’s not the time to go neutral, but go for the win.

Image permission being requested @coca-cola-art.com

The toaster wasn’t toasting fast enough. No, it wasn’t broken. I was having a “double-click mentality” moment. You know, those moments during an ordinary day when the ordinary stuff we do seems to take too much time as a result of our being behavior modified by the instant gratification of digital activities. Downloading books, music, and movies. Scanning directions onto our mobile devices. Using QR codes to get exclusive access to discounts. Or, like Target has done in a recent non-digital promotion, sending coupons that are good for any brand of a whole bunch of products so I don’t have to spend time clipping and filing coupons for my personal favorites. I’ve written a short piece about this “double-click mentality” and its implications for brands in the latest edition of Forbes Online. Specifically, how brands with an understanding of our “now-now” state of mind are more likely to build brand loyalty and leadership. Take a look. I promise it won’t take more than a double-click’s worth of time to read.

The special effects are dazzling and the audience overwhelmed with sight, sound, and sensation. No, it’s not the award-winning film, “Avatar” I’m referring to, but the latest and greatest devices and apps presented at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. While many of these whiz-bag digital wonders are truly wonderfully welcome additions to our connected lives, many represent the glints in the eyes of the innovators who, yet again, managed to overestimate their necessity or utility to the general public. In my recent article in Forbes Online I write about why the most successful of the newest crop of digital consumer goods will be those developed to give people what they really want and need, not just what’s crazy cool. Like in any brand category, many of the products and services that become leaders in this category will be those whose creators saw obvious ways to make life in the digital lane better and more convenient – products that make the competition exclaim, “Gee, why didn’t I think of that. It’ so obvious.”

Image courtesy @gabyu via Flickr

Some think chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Others, flight delays and crowded malls. Those in the brand business, myself included, think about trends we’re likely to see in the year ahead. Given that I had some time due to a flight delay of my own, I took the time to write down some of the things we’re likely to see in the marketplace in the year ahead, including which brands will most likely get stronger, and which might actually go south (not for the winter, but forever). While my record on some predictions is somewhat spotty (did you read what I wrote about Jay Leno?!), I feel pretty secure in my assessment that companies that play by the essential rules of branding, that is, offer people products and services that are meaningfully different, will continue to do well. For my year-end assessment, click on the link to Forbes Online. (If you want a chuckle, you can also read my column on Leno!) Happy new year!

Image courtesy @Ana Young via Flickr

Well, the holiday gifts are unwrapped and according to polls, anecdotal and otherwise, the booty included lots of digital toys for good girls and boys of every age. Given that digital technology is an absolute given in our lives, I thought it might be interesting to look back at what I considered the top digitally-based marketing initiatives of 2009.

While a red carpet and paparazzi were unnecessary in my conferral, like other award shows, there was more than one category in my determination of the best of the best. That’s because success in the digital arena is based on two key criteria. First is functionality. While we all spend time on Hulu catching up on missed television shows and checking in on must-see YouTube uploads, most people are in a utility mode when they’re online. They want to accomplish something. Branding that gives consumers a way to make the things they already do easier, more enjoyable, or more convenient in some way is successful branding. Make it a pleasure to reserve an airline flight, hotel room, or a seat at a restaurant. Make it more fun to share photographs of family vacations. Make it a cinch to pay a bill or resolve a billing dispute. Make it simpler to get instant help with a product or service issue. Victory in digital branding is analogous to victory in any other type of branding. Companies that take advantage of any experience to reinforce what makes their brands relevantly different strengthen the association consumers have with the benefits of their brands. That, in a nutshell, is what the functionality category is all about.

The second categorical metric for success in digital campaigns is pass-along value. Word of mouth has always been a critical component in branding. When people feel good about a brand they’ll tell others about the experience. In the cyber-world, word-of-mouth can have steroidal effect. When people feel passionate or are amused by something they see online, they’ll take the time to pass it along to others, in this case millions of others, building awareness without a huge price tag. In the digital space, creativity and story-telling are hot commodities, and therefore deserved a separate category in my top campaign roster.

So, which brands made it into my winning envelopes?

• Best Buy – In the functionality category my first handshake goes to Best Buy for its Twelpforce initiative in which Employees sign up to receive tweets from customers to help them, via Twitter, on any technology-related product issues. Providing immediate service within this giant “helpful” community is a great way to differentiate the brand from other tech retailers who respond to troubleshooting with generic “Frequently Asked Question” sites. The Twelpforce goes right to the heart of a better customer service experience, solving individual customer problems on their terms, not the company’s.

• USPS – My next nod goes to the United States Postal Service for its augmented reality application that enables consumers to see whether objects they want to pack and ship will fit into specific-size boxes. With a “virtual box simulator,” users hold the objects in front of their Web cams and can see themselves on the screen holding these things against a 3-D box. The tool enables people to turn and manipulate the objects to see if the box is the right size. Part of the USPS’s “A Simpler Way’ campaign, this digital branding application is a perfect fit for my functionality criteria as it separates the USPS from its competition by actively demonstrating how the brand makes life more convenient for its customers.

• B.F. Goodrich – Finally in this category is B. F. Goodrich’s “Nation of Go”campaign. The intuitive Web site lets people map and share travel plans, along with best routes and driving and auto maintenance tips. While talking and selling tires are not the principal objectives of the site, creating a community of drivers who can assist each other and provide input and feedback about all things automotive is a strong way to differentiate the B. F. Goodrich brand of tires from the others.

• Queensland Tourism Board – In the “pass-along” category, my kudos to an initiative called “The Best Job in the World.” This campaign began with a search for a caretaker for an enchanting resort in the Great Barrier Reef who, in exchange for caretaking responsibilities, a weekly blog post and YouTube video, could enjoy all the fabulous amenities of living, full-time, on this incredibly beautiful property. It was a powerful use of the Web and a very clever way to get the message out. Not necessarily a brand-building event, but more of a one-time promotion, “The Best Job in the World,” nonetheless, captivated an audience of thousands, building initial awareness of the splendid venue.

• Charmin – Equal kudos go to Procter & Gamble and its “Enjoy the Go” program for Charmin which was created to raise awareness of the clean, free, family-friendly brand-sponsored restrooms in New York’s Times Square. Again, intended as more promotional than long-term brand equity builder for Charmin, the initiative was so unexpected and so “Candid Camera” entertaining, there’s sure to be lingering good associations with the brand, especially as collateral campaign tactics include a mobile application developed to help people find clean restrooms around the country.

• Pringles – And, last, but not least in this “check-it-out!” category is my appreciation for the Pringles banner ad campaign. Yes, you read right, banner ad. Not the most highly regarded tactic in digital marketing given the generally annoying disposition, the Pringles effort is completely delighting and deserves applause for its story-within-a-story format. The ingenious little tales don’t take you to a Pringles Web site, but the fun and repeated clicking required to follow the story line earned Bridge Worldwide, the agency responsible, a Cyber Gold Lion at the Cannes award show (a tad more official than my humble bestowals).

To succeed at digital branding, at any branding, requires that you demonstrate how your brand’s promise will make life meaningfully different for consumers. Where digital branding differs by degree is that it must either improve consumers’ lives through its utility, supporting what the brand stands for in peoples’ minds, or it must be entertaining enough to build brand awareness through pass-along value. As we enter 2010, I wish all companies success in their digital efforts, and all consumers better, more convenient, more fun lives, as a result.

One of the best things about my job is not only helping companies improve their business operations through branding, but simply having thought provoking conversations with professionals about the latest trends and challenges of the business. Saurabh Sharma, Strategic Planning Director at Ogilvy & Mather in Beijing, recently raised a great question about the role of transparency when communicating to a multifaceted consumer, and I thought it was worthwhile to share with you.

Question:

In BrandDigital, you have mentioned the need for brands to be honest and transparent. Last year, Timberland CEO, Jeff Swartz said in an interview with Fast Company that his company had to discontinue its sourcing from China because of what he called “violations to human dignity” that underscored the business model of the supplier called Kingmaker. This had an adverse effect, as prices went up and the timing of this event was really bad. Needless to say that this would have contributed to the subsequent decline in Timberland’s sales. How do you think the brand can reconcile the need for transparency and ethics when consumers are not at all obliged to return the favor? Customer is absolutely the king, but how can brands manage consumer hypocrisy when they demonstrate one set of standards as citizens and dwellers of this planet and another set of standards as consumers of products and services.

Answer:

One of the most challenging dimensions of marketing is, and always has been, the ability to separate what consumers say they will do and what they actually do when they get to the shopping aisles. While there have been many advances in research methods relative to how consumers will behave when it’s time for them to reach for their wallets, this question still stands as one of the biggest leaps of faith a marketer must make. In fact, there are very few consumers today who would not give the “socially acceptable” answer to questions concerning their intent to buy goods that save the planet, or from brands that stand for social responsibility. That said, marketers must look at “doing good” as a long-term business objective, not a short-term promotional effort, if they want to change the way consumers perceive their brands and become loyal to these brands. If the purpose of the company is built upon, and operationally driven, by doing good, it must be willing to live with two or three quarters of less than great sales as it builds this image in the minds of consumers.

Image via timberland.com

You don’t need a mental health professional to tell you that the holidays induce strange behavior in people. And you probably don’t need a branding professional to tell you that the holidays, especially recession-whipped holidays, induce strange behavior in companies trying to get you spend money on their brands. This season I’ve seen even the most mild-mannered brands go a little “off,” shall we say, in trying to get consumers to pay attention to their holiday deals. While it is necessary to step a little outside your brand persona to announce a promotion, the trick is to do so in a way that’s in alignment with what you stand for in the minds of consumers. My recent column in Forbes Online provides a little insight into how this can be done – and how it shouldn’t be done. I invite you to read it – and I wish you a happy holiday season!

Image via Flickr @ bensenkua

There is no room for “whatever” in successful brand building. Every good brand is built on a definitive reason for being. And while it used to be enough to capture this reason as a brand promise, the best of the best brands today operate with a purpose. Given the turbulent times, those brands that look back to the specific purpose on which they were founded and execute against this purpose with passion and vigilance are the brands that are winning the hearts and minds of customers and employees, alike. In my latest column in Forbes Online, I write about two of these brands, Wal-Mart and Charles Schwab, and how they went back to the simple ideas that put them on the brand map in the first place, but with an added vigor and determination right for the times. Have a look. And for more information on the topic, go the Web site of the most recent ANA conference and listen to the CMOs of these two companies. I?m sure you’ll find their ideas as interesting as I did.

image courtesy of walmart.com