BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

I wasn’t invited to the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, where leaders representing over 85% of the world’s economy are meeting to tackle world issues. I was, however, invited to write a column for Ad Age about the fact that consumers are more motivated than ever to choose brands that improve lives beyond their own. More so, that the very meaning of the terms “good brand or bad brand” have taken on entirely new meaning in a marketplace where corporate environmental and social responsibility is matched in interest only by the digital technology that makes it so easy to track and spread. When I say “good brand, bad brand,” I’m not referring companies who have taken up the mantle of cause-related marketing or philanthropy but, rather, companies who have made a considered decision to link their a brand benefit with social purpose and are becoming category leaders as a result. After you read the headlines about the world leaders, take a minute to read about some pretty impressive brand leaders who are making it easier for consumers to make a difference.

The jury may have weighed in on this year’s Emmy winners, but it’s definitely still out on the newest iteration of Jay Leno’s presence. While many herald, “The Jay Leno Show,” airing weeknights at 10 P.M., as the next wave of broadcast television – lower cost, easier to produce, and more personal than sit-coms and hour-long dramas – others say it’s not quite living up the expectations set by the weeks of PR and advertising that preceded it. While I’m not a TV critic, a professional one, that is, I do know an interesting branding idea when I see one. And as I explain in my newest column in Forbes online, I think that what Jay’s producers at NBC did was nicely in line with classic Branding 101. Tune in and take a read.

Image permission being requested via The Ampersand

Macmillan, the Parent company of my publisher Palgrave, has invited me to participate in a promotion to celebrate the paperback release of my new book, BrandDigital. They’ve set up a three-book prize giveaway, which includes BrandDigital, my first book, BrandSimple, and a book by Erika Andersen entitled, Being Strategic.

Here’s how to win: Write a comment on this post naming a company any size or industry that you think is being strategic about their brand; approaching branding in ways that are both innovative and powerfully focused on the future.

Erika will be posting this on her blog, as well, and Macmillan will choose 3 winners from the entries we receive. We’ll announce the winners on our blogs, and each winner will receive his or her copies of the three books directly from Macmillan. (And now for the legalese: the contest is only open to US and Canadian residents, and the prizes cant be sent to a PO box.)

The contest starts right now and ends on November 2nd, so start your mental engines!

I look forward to reading your comments….

Tennis was only part of the attraction for me and my son during our day at the U.S. Open. Sure, the players were super to watch. But, for each of us there were other activities of interest. For Josh, it was getting his picture taken at any number of venues (that’s us in front of the Lexus booth), and picking up souvenirs. For me, on the other hand, it was taking in the parallel competition going on at the tournament – the competition among the myriad brands vying for our attention. What struck me was what a perfect test site the U.S. Open is for those in the branding game. It was clear which companies on site knew how to use the many new branding channels, especially digital, to their advantage and also keep their initiatives consistent with their brands’ promises. Given the increase in both channels and brands, getting consumers to pay attention is getting more and more challenging. To get my take on which brands are playing the game better than others, take a look at my recent column in Forbes Online. Maybe not as thrilling as Federer or Roddick, but interesting for those keeping branding scores.