I just discovered John Moore’s blog, Brand Autopsy, and appreciate his recommendation of a new book by Harvard Business School professor Youngme Moon, entitled Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd. The video that explains the book is engaging and thought-provoking, so I’ve included it on the article page for this post.

I haven’t had a chance to read Moon’s book yet. If you have, what did you think about it?

In an age of fast followers, how long do you believe a brand can truly remain different? Who does this well today?

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How can you be different?

Forbes just had a panel of marketers rate their favorite taglines of all times. It makes for interesting reading, some trips down memory lane and the natural pondering of how I would change the list. Here are the top five:

1. BMW: “The ultimate driving machine”
2. Nike: “Just do it”
3. American Express: “Don’t leave home without it”
4. Avis: “We try harder”
5. Milk Producers: “Got milk?”

This is a pretty strong list. Each tagline is a succinct expression of its brand personality and brand proposition; clarity of these two points allows marketers to help agencies write great taglines.

Here are my opinions on what I consider overrated entries:

1. Dunkin Donuts: “Time to make the donuts” (It must have been a regional campaign because I don’t recall it.)
2. Virginia Slims: “You’ve come a long way baby” (Something seems wrong about cigarettes as special treats.)
3. Hallmark: “When you care enough to send the very best” (A bit over the top for me. Should someone who gets a card care that it has Hallmark on the back?)

I’d replace these three with:

1. Memorex tapes: “Is it live or is it Memorex?” (A strong positioning as the best in its category.)
2. Ford trucks: “Built Ford Tough” (If Chevy’s “Like a Rock” makes the list, Ford should be there as well.)
3. Continental Airlines: “Work hard. Fly right.” (I like how this communicates with both the passengers and the employees in different  ways. It was part of the turnaround of a previously poorly run carrier.)

Now it’s your turn. What should come off the list and what should be added? I know you have an opinion.

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25 best-loved advertising taglines: do you agree?

Three reasons I like the new spot for The Shack that features Lance as the Chief Mobility Officer (go to the article page of this post and you’ll see it, if you are not here now):

1. It makes Radio Shack look much more contemporary and in tune with today’s mobile consumer. An image update that was needed to compete with big box consumer electronics retailers.
2. It leverages the company’s sponsorship of Lance’s bike team in an engaging and humorous way. Too many “we sponsor this athlete” commercials are either boring (most former Tiger ads) or over-the-top (NBA stars come to mind).
3. It was filmed in my office. But if you come to visit don’t expect to see a massage table or a bike-desk. Those are just a few of the major interior design changes that were made just for Lance. The normal setup is a bit more traditional, but the view of Lake Austin is remarkable (too bad they had to close the blinds).

Enough about me. What are you favorite commercials featuring an athlete?

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3 reasons I like the new mobility ad for Radio Shack featuring Lance Armstrong

I have been in several conversations recently where we’ve discussed the topic of brands and branding, provoking questions like “What is your approach to branding?” or “How do you develop brand strategies?” Often the people asking have different perspectives on what, at first glance, are seemingly similar questions. Does the semantic difference between “brand” and “branding” matter? I believe that it can have a huge impact on how you think about an important marketing subject.

Let’s start with “brand,” the noun, as in “What does your brand stand for?” Brands are ultimately what consumers (or business buyers) perceive them to be, so engaging consumers as participants in the brand building process is important and logical.

However “branding,” which derives from the act of stamping a brand on a herd of cattle, implies something you do. Calling what you do “branding” is okay, if you are naming products or developing marks. But the idea that you are emblazoning your brand on the minds of consumers is no longer the right way to think about building your brand.

Many marketers are falling into this trap and it can be seen in their approaches. Instead of engaging customers as co-creators of the brand experience, they are treating them as recipients of their “branding message,” via television or Twitter, for example. They communicate uni-directionally (brand to consumer) and ignore the power of interacting bi-directionally (brand with consumer) or multi-directionally (brand with consumer and consumers with their networks).

So what is your dominant orientation, brand or branding? And how does that shape the way you engage with your customers?

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Brand or Branding? Why the semantics matter to you.

According to published research, people form an opinion on whether they can trust someone in one-tenth of a second. Other researchers have found that visitors form an impression of the visual appeal of a website in one-twentieth of a second. So how long does it take for your customer to form an opinion of you? Evidently, less than a second.

How does this affect what you do as a marketer? It puts increasing importance on the impact of first impressions, regardless of the medium. Additional evidence shows that in an era of information overload the “intuitive” brain forms a bias for a decision that the “rational” brain then processes to validate. So initial impressions that connect with your target’s intuition should be planned and managed effectively.

Where are first impressions made? Map them so your organization understands where to focus. What are the first impressions being made? Audit them so you understand what impact you are having. What are the effects of your store fronts? Your online banners? Your website? Your field representatives? Your trade show booths?

What is your first impression strategy? If you don’t have one, take some time to develop one. After all, you have less than a second to put your best foot forward.

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How long does it take your customer to form an opinion?

This past weekend was one of the highlights of any golfer’s annual calendar: The Masters. This tournament is held every spring at the beautiful Augusta National Golf Club and features not just the best players in the world, but the best scenery. I was fortunate to experience this year’s event and see Phil Mickelson win his third green jacket.

As marketers there are three thing we could learn from The Masters.

1. Embrace tradition: CBS bills this event as “a tradition unlike any other” and with good reason. The winner is presented with a green jacket by last year’s champion. The scoreboards are low-tech signs. The caddies all wear white coveralls. The pimento cheese sandwiches cost a buck fifty. Everything is traditional, reassuring and totally unique. Coke tried to break with its tradition and launched New Coke. It learned its lesson and has not only accepted its traditional Coke brand but recognized that the shape of the bottle and the logo are traditions of which it should be a careful steward.

2. Embrace your champions: No other event I know of embraces its champions better than The Masters. It starts by including last year’s winner in the current year’s ceremonies. Past champions are invited to play in the tournament for the rest of their lives. Each year all the past winners gather for the Champions Dinner. Who are your past champions? Key channel partners? Most valued customers? Top employee ambassadors? How can you recognize them not just for one year but forever? How much good will would that create for your brand?

3. Protect your brand: The Masters organization could make more money in many ways. But it carefully limits itself and, in the process, makes the brand even more valuable. You can only buy logo-ed merchandise at the event. Attendance is limited. Other logo-ed products are highly restricted on the premises (I’ve had to take the wrapper off a bottle of water). But the impact is a highly cherished brand. While others “over-merchandise” their brands, The Masters protects and builds its. How can you make sure your brand experience is consistently outstanding before looking to expand it?

The Masters is not perfect. The all-male-member tradition of Augusta National has been attacked by women’s rights groups in the past, and the men who run it have been called stubborn. But despite this, millions of people around the world tune in to this annual rite of spring and long for the opportunity to participate in the experience first-hand. Isn’t that what you are trying to achieve with your brand?

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3 things marketers can learn from The Masters

Here’s a nice little video from Harvard professor Youngme Moon to remind us of the many ways we can stifle the outcomes we are seeking. My favorite: #11, underestimating your customers. I see this too often with companies that don’t give consumers credit for being able to make informed decisions. By dumbing things down, innovative ideas can get left behind. Strive to inspire your customers with remarkable ideas and your team may actually develop remarkable ideas.

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14 ways to stifle creativity

That was the question posed on LinkedIn this week and I had to respond. Here is my response.

1. Be remarkable and you build your brand.
2. Lose your integrity and you destroy it.

Of course, this begs my follow-up question: Which is harder: being remarkable or acting with integrity?

Next week I’ll expand on this with the last in the series, “Attributes of an effective marketing leader.” In the meantime, how would you answer the question I posed?

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What can the Tiger Woods affair(s) teach us about branding?

This Sunday is the big annual event for television advertising, the Super Bowl. Many people tune in more for the commercials than for the game itself. And many of the spots will make a positive impact for their marketers. But looking beyond the “most liked” ratings is particularly important.

This commercial is a classic case. I remember watching “Cat Herders” during a past Super Bowl and laughed out loud. It received great reviews and very high “scores.” The problem was no one remembered who the ad was for. In terms of brand recall I’ve heard that it scored at the bottom.

So as you watch the big game this weekend keep an eye out for the brands that do great advertising and the ones that move the ball forward for their brands. Then join the Monday debate on who did both.

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

Super Bowl: When “great” ads can be poor marketing

I read an article in The New York Times this morning, For Super Bowl XLIV Advertisers, Synergy Is the Name of the Game, that got me a bit irritated. The premise of the article, and a view that I subscribe to, is that marketers must think beyond the 30-second TV spot and incorporate all digital forms of customer engagement appropriately.

However, this comment caught my attention: “That’s the way you have to go to market now,” said Kathy O’Brien, vice president for personal care at the Unilever United States office in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. “The Super Bowl is an element of a complete, 360-degree campaign.” I started to cheer, but that was premature. She followed her statement with the following: “During the Super Bowl, we’re going to use Twitter to engage the audience in real time by reaching out to people Tweeting,” she added, “and urging them to watch our commercial again.”

Give me a break! Is this what marketers mean by 360-degree campaigns? Using Twitter to encourage re-watching a TV spot? You have to be kidding! Clearly, companies are still struggling to plan coherent, integrated customer-engagement programs.

I have several thoughts on the subject, which I’ll be sharing over the next few months. But first, I’d like to know what you think the root cause of this problem is. Why is this still so hard? Send me your thoughts.

This is a post from Marketing Has Changed by John Ellett. Subscribe to my feed.

What is a 360-degree campaign?