| Seen in the Wall Street Journal | | | | product, a willingness to deliver what's promised, and |
| A few years ago, the WSJ reported that in the $36 | | | | a strength of conviction. One doesn't need to be an |
| billion dollar beer market, the brand strength of an | | | | ogre, but one must believe in one's actions. That |
| American beer is sometimes its most powerful | | | | doesn't include being overly concerned with internal |
| "reason-to-buy." The Wall Street Journal further | | | | political popularity contests. Looking over the best |
| stated that the Stroh Brewery, the nation's fourth | | | | brands, the majority came into existence driven by |
| largest brewer, now being sold off: "The sale of | | | | one person's vision-and belief-in that brand's potential |
| Stroh, a 149-year-old Detroit brewer that was once a | | | | and their persistence in seeing it through. |
| strong contender in the beer market, is the result of | | | | This cousin to complacency-essentially an unwillingness |
| poor brand management in a flat market, distributors | | | | to investigate, face facts, evolve and challenge- has |
| said.... It [Stroh] didn't take advantage of its strong | | | | killed many possibly great brands, leaving only the |
| regional brands...." | | | | competition happier, and stronger. |
| Tempting fate | | | | Sin #4: Ignoring the design and image your brand |
| The above story doesn't just happen overnight. For | | | | conveys |
| every right thing a brand can do, it can also take as | | | | You've seen these products. You've maybe even |
| many actions that simply don't contribute anything | | | | bought them. They're everywhere as products...and |
| worthwhile to a brand's presence, personality, | | | | nowhere as brands. Go into a store, any store, and |
| strength and, ultimately, its sales. | | | | look. Simply look. You'll find a gazillion products. You'll |
| Some Basics | | | | also find many great products but, with most ignoring |
| Let's briefly review some identity basics. Any | | | | their design and image, only a handful have become |
| company, product or service has an image. So... | | | | great brands. The difference between ordinary and |
| * What is image? It's the public perception, not what | | | | remarkable will found in the details of branding. |
| the company, product or service is, but how it is | | | | What part does image play in the real world of |
| perceived. It lives, or doesn't, in the mind of your | | | | branding? Everything. Fact: About 9 years ago, Minute |
| public. | | | | Maid® found that other orange juice companies |
| * What creates this image? Everything from | | | | were "borrowing" their signature black carton. What |
| packaging to identity-these being the messengers | | | | once was a point of distinction had now become |
| affecting the marketplace's perception. PR and | | | | "generic." Add to this the expanding choices given to |
| word-of-mouth are also soldiers on this battlefield. | | | | consumers-bottled waters, flavored waters, iced |
| * What is identity? Not to be confused with | | | | teas, and bottled coffee beverages-and retaining |
| "corporate identity" or "brand identity," identity is how | | | | marketshare had become a major issue for Minute |
| the company, product or service really is, before its | | | | Maid. The answer? Revamp the Minute Maid |
| message has ever been exported into the | | | | packaging line. The outcome? Volume sales increased |
| marketplace, i.e., your consumer's mind and senses. | | | | more than 24%, with convenience store sales |
| * What is branding? These are the collective | | | | exceeding 34%. When you're dealing with 28 million |
| actions-design, packaging, message, color, personality, | | | | servings per day, a mere one percent increase, |
| media-taken by a company, product or service to | | | | 280,000 more servings per day, is considerable. |
| create its image. Not done pro-actively, the brand | | | | Sin #5: Brand schizophrenia and anarchy |
| "just happens." This is where "brand management" | | | | Imagine this conversation: "Oh, you want to change |
| mentioned in the above article comes into play. | | | | the golden arches to day-glo pink? Sure, no problem." |
| The Seven Deadly Sins of Branding | | | | Not in this lifetime. You might as well print a new |
| To better manage your brand's "fate," I've compiled | | | | resume and look for another job. |
| a checklist for anyone managing, or affecting, the | | | | The confusion between building a brand, being |
| building of a brand. Basically a "things-not-to-do" | | | | consistent, keeping a brand alive and reinventing a |
| checklist, these "Seven Deadly Sins of Branding" | | | | brand can be so mish-mashed that disaster strikes. |
| should help make any branding efforts succeed with | | | | Random change is not the same as planned evolution |
| greater ease. | | | | of a brand. Just as true is that boring, stagnant |
| Sin #1: The superior product fixation | | | | messaging is not the same as brand consistency. |
| In our global marketplace, the apparent differences | | | | A good rule of thumb is one laid down by Sir John |
| between products has reached an all-time pinnacle of | | | | Egan, chief executive for the world's leading |
| grey, meaning the differences aren't so black and | | | | international airport group, "Defining the experience |
| white as they used to be. So he who gets to the | | | | that customers want becomes a criterion by which |
| market first and stays present (and with online media | | | | you can judge the design work you commission." |
| increasing every hour of each day, the battlefield is | | | | Other points to consider are, "Does this effort |
| stiffer than ever) can outsell a similar product that is | | | | contribute to our brand image and equity? Does this |
| vastly superior. With the lines of communication | | | | dilute our brand position? Will this enhance our |
| around the globe literally a click of the mouse away, | | | | consumers 'experience' of our brand?" |
| one can no longer rest on one's laurels for very long. | | | | This is all based on the fact that there is a foundation |
| To "be better than" doesn't mean as much as it used | | | | to build a brand upon. |
| to. The solution is first, creating a meaningful and | | | | Sin #6: The human connection ratio |
| relevant brand identity and reason for being and | | | | The frailty of a brand is in direct ratio to the extent |
| second, ensuring that that image connects your | | | | a brand fails to connect with its consumer. Flaunting |
| product-not simply it's superior attributes- to your | | | | one's wares is about as popular, and effective, as |
| audience. Successful examples of this are Nike's "Just | | | | cramming in a term paper in overnight. What's good |
| Do It" and Apple's "Think Different" campaigns. | | | | for Visine sales (remember "Takes the red out"?) |
| Sin #2: The "no-one-can-touch-us" syndrome | | | | isn't necessarily good for the grade. |
| This pitfall rears its ugly head whenever a company | | | | Every strong brand has in some way become a |
| reaches any level of complacency. The branding | | | | product that represents what that customer is |
| battlefield is strewn with casualties: Nike was outdone | | | | seeking: ease, convenience, power, stamina, pride, |
| by Under Armour. Electrolux and every other vacuum | | | | beauty. But in each case, it's the human factor that |
| brand was outdone by Dyson. Small hip cars were | | | | can be missed. Every product does have, as its end |
| outdone by the Mini Cooper. Smart phones were | | | | use, a human who is buying the product for a reason. |
| thrown a curve ball by the iPhone, leaving everyone | | | | Find the reason, keep it on personal terms, and |
| scrambling to catch up. If you start feeling | | | | you're well on your way to avoiding this pitfall. |
| complacent, take a fresh, honest look at your brand | | | | Sin #7: Forgetting where brands live |
| and you'll find, like life, nothing stays level for long. | | | | If you were to ask brand managers where brands |
| The son of IBM's founder, Thomas Watson Jr., | | | | live, they might say, "On the shelf with our product. |
| stated while chief of IBM, "...We do not think that | | | | In our annual report. In our advertising." Wrong. |
| good design can make a product good.... But we are | | | | Those are how a brand gets built, not where it lives. |
| convinced that good design can materially help make | | | | Brands do not live anywhere but in the minds and |
| a good product reach its full potential." Isn't it time | | | | hearts of the consumers and prospects. The job of |
| we all listened and used the power of design? | | | | branding is to get your product to the point of |
| Sin #3: The brand called "Fear" | | | | having an army of believers who stand by that |
| Simply, if you're overly concerned about what | | | | brand, and what it means, in their mind. |
| associates think versus being overly concerned about | | | | The job of branding is to get in the front door and |
| your brand, then getting anywhere near branding is a | | | | become a comfortable fixture in the mind of the |
| bad career move for everyone involved. The | | | | consumer. Avoiding these seven pitfalls will help. |
| opposite side of this coin is a firm belief in one's | | | | |
