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Big companies are like huge boulders. Hard to get moving, but once they are, forget about stopping or changing direction quickly.
This is a bad thing.
A lot of times little things will happen (the kid who built furniture out of FedEx boxes, or Starbucks closing their doors for a night of training), and these little things represent a big opportunity. But the problem is that most big companies can’t react quick enough to do anything meaningful about it. The bureaucracy slows them down.
Big companies need to develop a rapid response group. A small group of marketers with different talents that have a small (but actionable) budget and the ability to execute their initiatives.
You can call it the Brand A-Team, Captain Brand-it, or The Fellowship of the Brand (if you’re a nerd), it really doesn’t matter. As long as they have the right people, a small budget, and a direct line, bat-phone style, to the CMO, that’s all they need.
What do you think? What are the problems? Would this work and would you like to be on a team like this?
You know the kind.Mean, self-centered, maybe even a little bit crazy. But you love what they’ve got so you keep coming back.
That’s Apple for you. I can’t think of any other brand out there that consistently mistreats their customers, yet has a fan base that would lay down on train tracks for them.
Price gouging early adopters? Sure why not. Removable batteries? Keep dreaming. But still, I know people that almost wet their pants waiting for Steve to unveil the MacBook Air.
The big thing for me here is that, apparently, consumers will ignore or forgive a brand’s missteps if their product is exceptional. But how long can this last? Will Apple be able to plow along, doing whatever it pleases and still create new fans? Or will someone else come and deliver a great product AND great customer interaction.
Let me start off by saying that I love Monster.com. It’s a great tool, and it helped me land the job I have right now. But their new slogan could have used a little more thought.
“Your calling is calling.”
It just seems a little awkward to me, memorable but awkward. Slogans are a powerful thing, for example when I say “Nike slogan” what three words just popped into your head? How about “Pork: The ______ _______ ______”. My guess is you got that one too.
A sticky slogan is great. A sticky, awkward slogan? Not so much.
Facebook recently announced it’s new advertising model, one that lets you “connect” directly with brands. To paraphrase the process: You can now become a “fan” of a brand (or music group, restaurant, web site, etc.) via your profile. Facebook then lets your friends know, along with a socially targeted ad. For example, If I liked Mahalo (and I do), I could become a “fan” on Facebook, and if you were my friend, you’d hear about it along with a sponsored link to check out Mahalo.
Get it? Doesn’t sound too hard, but there’s a catch.
You have to be cool.
For this ad model to work, you have to be a cool brand, or be a brand with reaallllly loyal fans. Nike probably won’t have a problem, neither will Polo, Starbucks, or Mercedes-Benz. But what about Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? Or Advil, K-Mart, Sure Deodorant, and Bic Pens? Are there enough people on Facebook that are fans of these brands? And if so, will they be proud enough to advertise it?
What do you think? Will this whole thing sink or will there be enough cool brands and people wanting to show off allegiances?
Don’t believe me? Spend about 15 minutes going through StumbleUpon and you’ll run in to bad design that ranges from mildly unattractive to downright offensive.
It just bothers me when it’s so easy to have a good looking, clean website, and there’s so many out there that look like they’re stuck in 1993 (re-sizable frames?!?). Do us all a favor and clean up your act. Help make the internet a better looking place.
To continue Old Spice’s new look and re-branding, they’ve re-released their body wash with a new package and a new ad campaign.
I love it. The scary music, the dramatic cuts, the slow reveal of the soap, it all builds to the “aww gross!” moment. It’s semi-shocking, but definitely gets your attention. The moral of the story? Use Old Spice body wash and no more hairy soap. Wow. As a member of their target market, I can honestly say that this ad resonates with almost every younger guy.
I like this ad, and more importantly, I like where it fits in with Old Spice’s new direction. The “Experience” campaign, with the ever-cool Bruce Campbell (check him out in USA’s Burn Notice) has given new life to a lagging brand. Old spice was getting clobbered and needed something to combat AXE’s edgy, sexy appeal. Their answer? Old-school with a touch of class and sass. Check out the old and new body spray designs:
Old Spice was smart here in recognizing that you can’t win by following the leader. Their move was similar to Nintendo’s with the Wii because they decided to go in a different direction. Sometimes the answer isn’t overtaking the leader in your niche, but either taking a different angle at the same niche or finding a different one all together.
Few people/organizations in the world broadcast their message as clearly as riot police.
The two branding lessons that you can take away from them are -Be focused and -Be consistent . Without those two, it becomes impossible to distinguish yourself from the masses.
Being focused is important because it defines the message and identity that you’re trying to establish. If you’re trying to show that you’re X, then anything that portrays you as anything other than X is a branding failure. Looking at the riot cops, you can see their aim is to convey the seriousness of their presence. Shields, face masks, horses, boots, and teargas all say,“Don’t mess with me.”
Being consistent is important because without it, your message will never be fully understood. If you’re broadcasting one thing, and people are starting to take hold of that idea, the worst thing you can do is switch things up. If you’re trying to be X then always be X, no matter what. If you’re not consistent in your portrayal of yourself, how are you ever supposed to achieve consistency in the minds of others? Have you ever seen an on-duty riot cop smile or joke around? My guess is no, - “Don’t mess with me.”
Branding is a tricky thing, and there are no guarantees, so we have to do the best we can, and that means putting out a consistent, focused message.
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