October 25, 2009

Branding in the Age of Social Media

Recently modern8 has been experimenting with social media networks Twitter and Facebook. (Subscribe/join below.) From a brand strategy point of view, the most valuable aspect of these new media is the interaction between the brand and the customer. Successful brands maintain a dialogue with their customer and social media make it easier.

Good brands have always listened to their customers, but instead of a top-down system where the brand solely determines what to provide, the customer is now helping shape the products and services.

Nike has involved the consumer in a phenomenally successful integration of running gear and technology in their Nike+ communities, where thousands of runners track and post their running statistics using their smart phones and connected Nike products.

Tucker Viemeister says the field of brand strategy needs to change, because the customer is changing. “Branding is no longer about internal focus for consistent product broadcasting—now brands are a team effort. Future brands will be more like ‘cloud computing’,… or ‘open source’, using a concurrent input of different agendas, approaches and priorities—with little centralized decision making. Brands of the future will be both more personalized and more communal. New brands will be virtual clouds of symbols, products and places, with customers using digital technology to build open source experiences.”

June 1, 2009

Brand Stories: Beyond Marketing

The thought of public speaking makes them weak in the knees. They prefer to stay in the background to avoid having to risk embarrassment. They don’t like going out of their comfort zone. Sound like anyone you know? Or perhaps a brand you know?

Brands, like people, can suffer from social anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, by their very nature, brands are supposed to be in the spotlight, speaking to the public everyday. Every chance a brand gets to show its personality is vitally important, yet many brands waste the opportunity by hiding who they are behind boring facts.

In contrast, the very best brands let their unique personalities shine through. They get out in front of the crowd unashamed and unafraid of how others will judge them. They understand that all of their weaknesses will be on display, but they also have unwavering confidence that their strengths will completely overshadow their deficiencies. Most importantly, they are prepared with a brand story to tell; one that is much more substantial than their most current advertising campaign.

A story is not only the best way of earning an audience’s attention, but its heart as well. It breaks down barriers, allowing people to understand you and forgive your weaknesses because they can see how your story relates to them. More than this, an established story is memorable and should encapsulate what the brand ideals are, and should be the blueprint for how the brand is marketed.

The real secret is choosing the right story for your brand. Just like any person, a brand can have any number of stories that defines it. These stories can range from seemingly insignificant, to monumental. Last year we were engaged by the School Improvement Network for strategic and creative services. During the 5d Process we realized that they had the perfect story to tell, and suggested they place it front and center on the new Web site we created. Their simple story of how two teachers started what would become a very successful company makes a powerful connection with their target audience, the education community.

The reason this story is important is because it’s sticky. Those who read it will come away with an impression of the company based on that story, and will bring that perspective to all other communications with that brand.

Chip and Dan Heath, authors and columnists for Fast Company magazine, expounded on what makes an idea (or story) sticky, and it’s a lesson that all brands can benefit from: Like School Improvement Network’s story, it is simple (current training wasn’t effective), unexpected (the need was filled by two public school teachers), concrete (they fixed it by taking matters into their own hands), credible (supported by research-based best practice), and emotional (the results are better teachers, and a better education for children). Not all stories have all these elements, but the more they have, the more effective they are.

Admittedly, finding that “sticky story” to stand out and connect with your audience amid so much clutter, may be daunting. For every good story out there, there are dozens of completely forgettable ones. All the more reason to put the extra effort into finding and telling a good story. If good brand story is worth having, it is worth working for.

May 30, 2008

Brand=Story

Great brands tell great stories. Everyone has heard the story of how FedEx founder Fred Smith presented the basic concept of overnight delivery in a Yale term paper. He received a “C”. The professor said that he had failed to describe a plan that was feasible. You’ve probably heard well-known stories of extraordinary service by Nordstrom department store employees. The stories have become a staple of business management literature.

Rolf Jenson, in the book, The Dream Society, tells us that in Denmark, eggs from free-range hens have conquered over 50 percent of the market. Consumers don’t want hens to live their lives in small, confining cages. They are willing to pay 15 percent to 20 percent more for the story about animal ethics. According to Jenson, “this is classic Dream Society logic. Both kinds of eggs are similar in quality, but consumers prefer eggs with the better story.”

When we consult with clients regarding brand strategy, one of our most important tools is the simple one-on-one interview with management, marketing and sales executives. We dig for stories. Why was the company founded? Who are your heroes and muses? What images are hanging in the workstations? Such stories provide real insights into company culture and brand differentiation.

Few business thinkers have had more prominence in the last 25 years than Tom Peters. He said, “Great branding is a great story. The Coca-Cola saga. The UPS saga. The IBM saga. Can you as a brand leader (of a 4-person operation or 4,000 person corporation) convey your story succinctly? Can you convey it in a powerful way? Is it believable? Exciting? Mind altering? To employees? To vendors? To customers? To the media?”