BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

The only recent news story that may have gotten more press coverage than the release of Apple’s iPhone is the release of Paris Hilton. I’m not here to weigh in on that particular item. Rather, I would like to toss a brand question into the ring regarding the iPhone. What happens when one brand bets its future on the performance of another? By choosing AT&T as its exclusive carrier for the next two years Apple may be doing just that. Apple selected AT&T in part because the company allowed it to change everything people hated about cell phones. The problem is, one of the biggest things people hate about cell phones is still in AT&T’s arena: Its network and its reputation for inconsistent signals. While AT&T is working hard on next generation technology to remedy this, the brand’s reputation relative to call quality could have a negative effect on Apple’s grade-A reputation as a brand. The incredibly positive aura associated with the Apple brand could be diminished if the calling experience with the iPhone is less than Apple grade.

Now, generally, no one blames problems with their cell phone on the hardware. If there’s a problem, they assume it’s the carrier. This may mitigate any fallout to the Apple brand should the call experience with the iPhone be less than wonderful. While any brand partnership is a challenge, what remains to be seen in this case is whether Apple loyalists will be any less loyal if every aspect of the iPhone experience doesn’t live up to their expectations. Apple is, in a way, releasing the product with one hand tied behind its back.

And although the iPhone can be used one-handed, the brand may need both to defend itself against any less than stellar performance on its partner’s part. Stay tuned.

Landor has just released its 2007 ImagePower® Survey looking at green issues and green brands and, not surprisingly, it confirms what intuition would tell us. More and more Americans—40%, in fact—have gotten the message that global warming poses a major threat. More than 50% believe existing environmental initiatives aren’t enough to address the problem. Whether it’s the result of Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, or the increasing volume of business and political discussion from Thomas Friedman on down, green is definitely on the national radar screen. As such, more and more companies are beginning to look at the problem as more than a matter of concern to just tree-hugging fanatics living on the fringe of society. While, again, not surprising, when asked to identify the “greenest” brands, those in the survey did specify a number of brands that have been in the eco-space for years, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, the Body Shop, Aveda, and Toyota among them. The environmental positioning of these brands has been clear to consumers for some time. What was surprising, however, was that those surveyed also identified GE as worthy of a spot on the survey’s list of top ten greenest brands. Surprising, but heartening. And, an indication that this growing concern is leading to a growing awareness far beyond the fringe.

GE is about as unfringe-y as a brand can get. Yet, here is GE setting the bar for any huge, industrial company looking for the right way to enter the green space. First of all, it has assigned a senior executive to oversee the responsibility. Lorraine Bolsinger leads ecomagination, GE’s company-wide commitment to addressing environmental challenges on a global level and she has taken on the substantiation of the sub-branded program incredibly well. Stories on the ecomagination Web site call attention to everything from GE’s answers to cleaner, more efficient sources of energy to its on-going efforts in reducing greenhouse gases. Research and Development investments in the area have grown exponentially. In addition, Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE, has gotten out in front of the program in a major way, a key proof point for any brand looking to walk the green walk, not just talk it. Despite that only a small percentage of GE’s products are environmentally related versus, say, the Body Shop’s where all are geared in that direction, GE has been able to plant itself firmly as a leader in the space early on. This is something that will serve them well as the issue continues to grow in scope and public concern. Needless to say there is no more fringe. GE’s efforts will serve all of us well.

I talk in my book, BrandSimple, about the fact that Jerry Seinfeld would make a great branding guy. The comedian has the uncanny ability to see ordinary things from a different perspective. One of the greatest challenges to building a successful brand is having the knack to look at any of the most ordinary things, no matter how much of a commodity they may be, and find a different way in. The guys at Cereality have done just that. (The fact that Jerry’s a cereal fan is but a strange coincidence.) David Roth and Rick Bacher looked at the way people eat cereal, not just for breakfast, but for lunch, for dinner, and for snacking. They looked at where people eat cereal, not just in the kitchen, but in the living room, in their offices, and in their cars. And, as Jerry might have said, they said, “Hey, ever wonder why there isn’t a cereal restaurant?” There is now. Actually there are lots of Cereality cereal cafes snap, crackle, and popping up all over the country. The founders obviously identified a new way of looking at cereal and at the fast food category. Pajama-clad Cereologists™ stand ready to dish out your choice of over 40 cereal brands - mix and match any concoction you wish – with your choice of milk, from skim to whole to soy to chocolate. With store interiors designed to include the spaces where people feel most comfortable eating cereal - kitchens, living rooms and dining rooms, Cereality retail outlets have become popular with cereal aficionados from coast to coast. It’s a perfect example of brand innovation at its best. Take something so simple, so obvious and get people to say, “Hey, why didn’t I think of that.” Well, David Roth and Rick Bacher did think of it. They looked at something as ordinary as breakfast cereal and found a different way to serve it up. By the way, I’ll have Wheat Chex with Fruity Pebbles and soy milk, please. Let me find out what Jerry’s having.