The not so hidden symbols
“At the front of the auction room is a large television screen that projects each bid simultaneously in pounds, U.S. dollars, euros, Swiss francs, Hong Kong dollars, and Japanese yen. In May 2007, Sotheby’s added Russian roubles to the conversion for the first time. Every bidder is perfectly competent to calculate their bidding position in the auction currency; the conversion is there to remind everyone what an international event this is.”
Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
When I recently read Thompson’s entertaining and illustrative book on the role of branding in the world of contemporary art, I realized I have never written about one particularly fascinating topic: The use of rituals and symbols to build a brand.
A Family Affair
Last night, I was playing with my BlackBerry® during the TV ads–as most people do–when suddenly a deep and honest voice drew me back to the TV.
“Can a company really have a heart, a conscience, a soul?” asked a man in a warm and personal tone. “It can when the company is a family,” he continued.
The voice turned out to be that of Fisk Johnson, the fifth generation owner of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. His point was on the environmental responsibility of his company and its commitment to the quality of its products. In between the lines, there was a strong branding messaging, one of integrity and dependability.
Thoughts of Pledge®, Ziploc®, Glad®, and Windex® came to mind–products that I trust as a consumer and admire as a marketer. Here was a company that has never compromised its mission and always delivered its value proposition day in and day out, a company that I would love to have as a client. (Mr. Fisk: if you are reading this, feel free to call.)
So I ask you, reader:
- Must a company be a family, like the Johnson family, to be true to its company’s core values?
- Can a public company succeed as a brand when it relies on the instincts and guts of people not bound to it by family ties?
- Are the chief executives of public companies driven more by the bottom line, quarterly reports, and their resumes than the vision of the company founders?
I haven’t seen many public companies whose heart, soul, and dreams have survived its owners. Not that they don’t exist. They do! Chances are slim, but that’s no one’s fault; it’s just the way the system works.
As stated in Mr. Fisk’s brilliantly written script, being truthful to your soul is not a business obligation; it’s a family obligation.
Kudos to the dreamers who passed the torch to other generations!
EMPTY WORDS ARE JUST TRASH TALK
Most advertisers tend to think that a tagline is a catchy phrase used under a logo. Nothing is more farfetched. When it comes to taglines, remember: do as you say and say as you do. Otherwise don’t waste any valuable ink in a tag line.
Let me explain.
If you say, “You can do it; we can help,” you had better ensure your thousands of clerks are as helpful as can be à la Home Depot. If your claim is being “the ultimate driving machine,” your automobiles had best offer unparalleled handling.
In essence, your tagline is your contract between your brand and those responsible for bringing it to life. Take Domino’s Pizza®. When they promised 20 minutes or your money back, the idea wasn’t to give away pizzas. It was a well baked message sent to their franchisees – live up to that promise or else.
Which brings me to ATT. Its new tagline is “Rethink Possible.” Hmm…the word is still out on that promise. They better be able to back it up with more than a cool animation. Certainly the average 45-minute wait time at an ATT outlet has me feeling as if I’m confronting impossibility rather than the possibility of speedy customer service.
Maybe they need to lessons from successful brands. Companies like Apple are so articulate in their messaging they need not even use words any longer. We don’t see the Apple “Think Different,” but it still lives on in its culture.
So the next time you are engaged in crafting a tagline, remember talk may be cheap but taglines are hard to live up to.
Any mumbojumbo tag line you’ve run into lately? Please share.
The mumbojumbo brand awards
As time passes by, I’ve been struggling to find new themes to blog about without being redundant. As I mentioned before, branding is as simple as it comes. Therefore I believe the point has been made. That doesn’t mean the blog is over. My pride is on the line, and I will – if only for my own satisfaction – continue sharing with you some mumbojumbo about brands.
Meanwhile, given that we are wrapping up the most important month in award ceremonies, I decided to grant my own branding accolades.
Drum roll please…
The brand that is growing too fast to figure out its identity: FACEBOOK
The brand that is fully grown yet hasn’t figured out its identity: PEPSI COLA (or is it Pecsi?)
The brand that grew and grew and grew and still remained authentic: NAT GEO
The brand that has nine lives: ATT (Or is it Cingular?)
The brand with the least character: HONDA (Blah!)
The brand with the most character (one you either love or hate): SARAH PALIN
The brand with the most consistent personality: JET BLUE
The brand with the best performance: BMW
The brand that got lost in the clutter: AQUAFRESH (Remember when it stood out?)
The brand that was supported by its products in spite of its deficient branding: SONY
The brand that was supported by its brand in spite of its deficient products: MERCEDES BENZ
The brand that survived its products: TIME LIFE
The timeless brand: PATEK PHILIPPE
The brand position with the most unused mileage: ZOOM ZOOM MAZDA
The brand position with the most used mileage: ENJOY COCA-COLA
The brand that ascended to the top and then tumbled: STARBUCKS
The brand that snuck to the top without anyone noticing: CAFE DE COLOMBIA (Ranked one of the top 10…who knew?)
The umbrella brand that is covering the most products: DISNEY (aka license king)
The umbrella brand that could have covered the most products and didn’t: OBAMA
The brand that was forged by playing hard to get: ROLEX
The brand that was forged by playing easy to get: MCDONALD’S
The man that became a brand: TRUMP (the Donald…)
The woman that became a brand: MARTHA STEWART
And now a message from the master of ceremonies:
You out there whose heads are filled with branding questions and topic ideas, why not share? I promise to do my part and respond, so we can both keep a good thing going.
NO MUMBOJUMBO COCA-COLA
Since we discussed Pepsi-Cola and its branding mumbojumbo, let’s be fair and dedicate a few lines to Coca-Cola, a brand with no mumbojumbo at all.
OVER 100 YEARS OF THE SAME
The simple and not-so-secret formula of Coca-Cola’s success is not a list of ingredients kept in a vault, nor the liquid in the can. It’s the management of the brand, now worth over $68 billion!
In order to substantiate this statement, we need to review the three basic branding steps:
1. Find the soul of your product or service (a happy moment) so you may forge associations that enable consumer loyalty and prompt customers to buy your product or service (in Coca-Cola’s case on impulse)
2. Define the icons that will symbolize your brand: a color (red in our case) a logotype (the unmistakable signature), and if you’re lucky, a shape (the sexy bottle).
3. Implement steps 1 and 2 over and over and over and over without being boring, outdated or irrelevant.
That’s it! Simple isn’t it? If it’s that simple, why haven’t other brands been able to achieve it? Read the rest of this entry »
Shall we have a Pecsi?
Shall we have a WHAT?
Oh yes, you read right… a Pecsi!
And it’s not a typo. Sometime last year, the famous global brand gave in to the voice of its Argentine patrons. Unable to change local consumers pronunciation… you know the saying: if you can’t beat them, join them, so that’s exactly what Pepsi did.
Da Vinci Inc.
Could an artist become a brand?
This question resonates close to heretical in the ears of scholars and experts within the complex world of art. Notwithstanding, many artists have become, intentionally or not, mammoth marketing machines.
A visit to any great museum in the world gives us the opportunity of taking a close look (curious crowds permitting) at the best known works of art of outstanding artists. Just to give you an idea, controlling the multitude of visitors to the room where the world famous Monalisa is exhibited inside the Louvre Museum, is a major logistic task. This painting, created in 1505, is an inexhaustible source of income, not only for the museum but also for countless individuals involved in its marketing. As we step into the Louvre store (and every museum in the world has one), we encounter a great variety of items that mass market this iconic painting as well as a myriad of other works of art. DaVinci could hardly fathom that five centuries after his death, his work would not only inspire admiration but would also fuel a moneymaking industry. The DaVinci “brand” is so powerful that its mere mention in the title of “The DaVinci Code” adventure novel propelled the book to stardom and soon became one of the top sellers in history.
And this is not an isolated fact. Many contemporary artists, such as Picasso, Miro or Dali, to name just a few, represent brands that have gone beyond the world of art to become effective mass marketing tools. Any item reproducing the vision or signature of these artists is specially attractive and, consequently, provides added value.
Romero Britto, a Brazilian artist, is a good example of voluntary marketing in art. He strongly believes that his art should be widely accessible. He owns an art gallery on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach where he makes direct sales of his art work to collectors able to shed thousands of dollars to acquire just one piece of his art. Additionally, in stores located, for instance, inside Miami International Airport he markets all sorts of objects depicting his characteristic bright, colorful, naive imagery that made him world famous. While scholars and experts in the world of art cry out…unacceptable, heretical! Romero Britto smiles all the way to the bank…
Endora, me and some branding!
Just a few weeks ago my eldest son decided he was ready to make his next big step in life, when he announced his engagement to the girl of his dreams. As much as I adore my future daughter-in-law, my first thoughts were not about the location of the wedding, or how happy they are, or even how much closer I am to having some grandchildren of my own. My first concern was, “OMG! I am going to be a mother-in-law!”
The horror! How can someone as charming as me hold such an ugly title? The “mother-in-law,” as seen by our cultural norms, considers her son-in-law to be unsuitable for her daughter (or daughter-in-law unsuitable for her son), and usually includes the stereotype that mothers-in-law are generally overbearing, obnoxious, or unattractive. This cannot be me!
The “mother-in-law” must be re-branded. I’m not talking about a subtle change definition… I am demanding a complete erase and rewrite. So I take it upon myself, as a professional in branding and marketing, to re-brand the infamous mother-in-law.
The challenge here is of monumental proportions. Rebranding and focusing on consistency of the message (as seem in branding thesis #1) will not suffice. In order to achieve results, re-launching with just new branding is not an option. I will have to launch a new product altogether. My reputation is at stake here, so we’ll need to find the appropriate solution.
I’ll begin by consulting with experts in New York to find an appropriate name for the mother-in-law. Any brand linguistics specialist will tell us that “the double-hyphenated name” will not lend to a positive connotation, so we’ll have to find the suitable term (ideas include: Mamacita, ).
Then, I can begin the guidelines.
Positioning Statement: Here’s where we will recreate my new branding. “Mamacitas” will be regarded as a fun, caring and giving family member, who does not get involved in the couple’s issues (exceptions apply and will be listed in detail). This concept is very similar to the well-known “cool aunt.”
Do’s and Don’ts: We’ll begin with our short list of do’s and our extensively detailed compilation of don’ts. After all, we have to make sure the brand guidelines are followed to the T… Us “Mamacitas” have great attention to detail.
Typography will go through several levels of consumer research. We will choose a font and style that correlates directly to happiness and laughter.
All photography used in “Mamacita” rebranding campaigns should be representative of it’s members and audience. Talent qualifications include: tall, lean, good hair, great attitude, ageless features, warm with good energy.
Even consumer touch points will need fit within the positioning statement… communicating and creating positivism and good vibes. Touch points include: FREE giveaways, online banners on Ben & Jerry’s homepage or other beloved global brand sites and circulars. This strong digital campaign will be launched with a new acronym into consumers’ texting vocabulary. JCM (just call mamacita)
This can be used in a number of instances. When you ask yourself, “We have a party tonight, but we need a babysitter… What do I do?” JCM. “I need a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies, so all of the kids’ friends will want to come over our house!” JCM. We will be branded as the answer to any question.
The campaign will be launched and the masses will respond! Then I can relax and under the Mamacita (formerly known as mother-in-law) title.
Hand-built Brands
Most of my topics in this mumbo jumbo have dealt with the importance of finding the soul of the brand and, most importantly, with the consistency required to build it. Notwithstanding, seldom have I talked about the true birth of a brand: the entrepreneurial spirit of those who were able to transform an idea into an asset.
Let me share with you the business case of a company I personally admire, together with a brand that, today, finds itself at a critical conjuncture: Zumba.
A little over ten years ago, two youngsters with all it takes to build an empire, came across a unique product: Beto!
The synergy that emerged from this encounter was called Zumba in the shape of a typographic symbol. Today, Zumba has more than 40.000 certified trainers that serve as brand ambassadors with a reach comparable to the best mass media pattern. Zumba has extended brand awareness to clothes, videos, events, and more… it is expanding into markets in all 5 continents… The potential is exceptional.
The owners are good entrepreneurs and, as such, the brains behind Zumba know that beyond a weight-loss method, beyond a dance class, beyond a T-shirt, what they really have in their hands is a brand, and that the future of the business depends, to a great extent, on how they manage to define that brand and, naturally, how they nurture it.
As good entrepreneurs, they also know that their business cannot remain suspended in time while we, “the branding geniuses”, invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to help them define and regulate that brand.
Consequently, driven by this entrepreneurial spirit, the company called Zumba builds the brand called Zumba on the go, in a more intuitive than academic way.
I wholeheartedly believe that, so far, they have done a phenomenal job. They have built a cult brand recognized by millions without investing a single dollar in formal communications. The brand has been flexible enough to extend its tentacles like an octopus and “endorse” from toning bars to bandanas. I daresay that it does represent exactly what the owners want it to represent. It is even a corporate culture. In other words, with its entrepreneurial spirit, Zumba is ready to compete at top league level.
Difficulties will arise later, when the managers of this brand are no longer able to “micromanage it” and others need to understand its meaning… Not to interpret it.
Zumba’s dilemma will then be how to be able to manage, following this entrepreneurial spirit, its most important asset.
Brands in the Tower of Babel
I’ve been very fortunate; my job has enabled me to travel across all five continents. Today, I stand on the opposite side of my world, and not just geographically but semantically as well.
Strolling through the streets of Shanghai, I pondered how brands are truly the “Esperanto” of the modern world, and find no better way to describe this thought than sharing with you my recent visit to Carrefour, one of Wal-Mart’s nemesis on the other half of the world.
Carrefour is known for splashing messages all over the floor. Here, as you may well imagine, these messages are written in undecipherable symbols that, at first sight, mean nothing to me. But, since I know the channel very well, I enjoy one of the advantages of corporate language, and can easily tell they are promotions and identify prices; that’s as far as I go. I feel totally lost until, all of a sudden, I spot a shampoo or a pack of cookies that, in the midst of a sea of strange symbols, through a distinctive color or a familiar logo tell me all I need to know. In that split second, I fully understand the great importance of brand manuals.
Today, when we all want to look like Apple, the trendy brand, and think of black and white as the colors of choice, we forget the meaning of Marlboro’s red or Kodak’s yellow, and we also forget the great efforts that were made to give these colors a meaning to be recognizable throughout our extended planet.
Just a typographic symbol and some colors that represent the same for billions of people from all socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. That is the power of a brand. That is the real outcome of the dictatorship I have referred to time and time again in this virtual space. When I defend the brand manual over the personal views of those who control them, this is exactly the type of power I talk about.
We live in a big global village inhabited by billions of people and the market is gigantic. The planet that used to be conquered by a few, now belongs to us all. We are somewhat connected, as we actually or virtually travel in every possible direction covering the whole wide world. This is why corporations need to take care of their brands, which, for better or for worse, are the common elements that unite our differences.
