BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

I love Bold Moves; the Ford Motor Company’s new branding initiative. Not because it’s a classic BrandSimple idea — the kind of smart branding story I use to illustrate the points in my book. I love it because it’s a great idea in general. BrandSimple explains why simple, relevant ideas build successful brands. In short, when a brand is based on something simple to understand, the people inside a brand organization “get it,” which means they can do all the things necessary to bring the brand to life. This, in turn, means consumers can “get” what the brand stands for and, equally important, have good reason to believe in it. I get Bold Moves. Consumers can get BoldMoves. It’s an idea that’s simple to understand and the company’s using it to drive all the right moves, inside and out.

Not that Ford asked, but I have a bold (if not downright brazen) branding idea. It came to me while I was stuck in one of the few Ford Hybrid Escape cabs in midtown Manhattan traffic the other day.

What would happen if somehow Ford could replace all New York City taxicabs (For those of you who don’t visit NYC that often, my guess is that 95 percent of the cabs on the street are made by Ford) with Ford Hybrid Escapes? I know it’s a wild proposition, but thinking about it is sort of fun. It would be the ultimate bold move. Ford could announce how much fuel it was saving hard-working cabbies every month. Between tourists and movers and shakers, NY cab riders are probably a nice target. Ford could measure the improved air quality in New York on a regular basis as a means of maintaining noise on the airwaves. The initiative would create tons of good will with anyone who cares about the environment (all of us, I hope). It would set an example for all car manufacturers that bold moves are required to change perceptions about the industry. And, it might even prompt other taxi-dependent cities to take similar action. Yes, I know it would be expensive and maybe logistically impossible to really do. And, yes I know I should spend more time walking to work instead of daydreaming in taxis. But, just imagine the buzz it would create. That, to borrow boldly from another well-known BrandSimple brand, would be priceless. Just a wild idea.

Bill Clinton is back in the news ? big time. There he is reaching across the ideological aisle to join in tsunami relief with President Bush the elder. There he is with the wife of the current President Bush during the recent events at the United Nations in New York. There he is applauding a speech given by his own wife with an adoring Chelsea by his side. And, yes, there he is with none other than Sir Richard Branson as Sir Richard announced a pledge of $3 billion during a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, a major new force in the philanthropic world. Bill Clinton is powerful. More to the point, Bill Clinton is a powerful brand. (If you don’t think people can be brands, ask Oprah, Donald or Martha.) What does former President Clinton know that all powerful brands know? While it’s one thing for a brand to establish itself by representing something different, yet relevant, the difficult part is to stay relevant. And, what could possibly be more relevant than worldwide efforts in the name of AIDS relief efforts, global warming, and human rights? While Bill Clinton may have made a few egregious errors along the way (which is not the premise of this piece), he was a strong and charismatic leader. These leadership qualities are at the core of his brand. In fact they define his difference. He knows this, and is re-channeling these qualities in ways that are relevant to the health and well-being of millions of people. Other former presidents may build libraries to further the social and ideological causes they espouse. Bill Clinton is building his brand to do the same. Exhale, Bill. It’s working.