Sometimes I get a little too excited about my chosen career.

I was talking to a friend over lunch the other day about my love for analyzing brands. I told him that if a brand isn’t TRUE, I considered it a poorly executed brand. I talked about the need for brand evaluation and strategic planning. I told him about brands that I considered to be TRUE, and others that I would consider “posers.” And as my soup grew colder and my tea gradually warmer, I vigorously went on (and on…) about TRUE branding and how it’s the foundation of the work I do. TRUE branding is a way of life… a passion… almost a religion! My eyes were glaring wildly and my hands flailing around like a manic chimpanzee (I’m Italian and Irish, I can’t help it). true branding… TRUE… TRUE!

Then I stopped. By now, my soup had that little film-like layer of goo covering it. My tea, once cold and sweet, now had the taste and slight texture of a damp sock. And my friend, you may ask? Well, let’s just say I could tell he was trying to figure out why he accepted this lunch with me in the first place.

“You don’t really care, do you?” I asked cautiously.

And with genuine understanding in his voice, he said, “Obviously, you do.”

Well… I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. My first reaction was, with a smile, because I’d just been caught in a TRUE branding faux pas. I’d just been caught not being TRUE to my personal brand. I had to laugh. “So, who’s the poser now?” I asked.

I calmly backed up my thoughts and walked my friend through my definition of TRUE branding. I explained to him that without Truth to a brand, Relevance to your market, Uniqueness and the ability to Engage your customers, a brand is destined to be boring… just like I was… being. He agreed.

See, although I had Truth and Uniqueness, what I was so passionately trying to say wasn’t Relevant and only slightly Engaging. On a scale from 1 to 10, I had to give myself about a 4.2 for TRUE personal branding. I was being “TUe.”

In past posts, here and here, I’d mentioned TRUE branding, but never really delved into the details of Truthful, Relevant, Unique and Engaging. So, as with my friend, I plan to walk you, my bloging friends, through it.

The next four posts on The Brand Chef will consist of my explanation of TRUE branding. I will discuss Truth of a brand and how it should be the first thing considered in brand evaluation and planning. I will explain how a brand needs to be Relevant to its chosen market. I will give examples of brands that are Unique in a field of like competition. And finally, I will explain how having an Engaging brand can achieve much more return on a marketing and communication investment (ROI).

So, please, join in on the conversation and let me know if you have examples of TRUE branding. Or, better yet, lets see if your brand is TRUE.

Until next time…

Keep Cooking!
Andrew

Chris Wilson, over at The Marketing Fresh Peel, has touched on a topic that, although covered a few times (to say the least) on the internet, has hit a chord inspiring, TRUE brand-based reason and conversation. He’s developing a series of posts that are centered around “Human Talk.” Yup. Human Talk. Unique, huh?

Instead of using his blog post series as an “agent of change,” Chris’ point of view skews slightly outside the expected.

He writes

… I’m not your average blogger and I don’t think this is a topic that can be tackled in one concise post. So I’m not even going to try. Instead, I’m going to turn this idea into an ongoing log, and what I hope will become an ongoing discussion.

Blogging as conversation? No way! Well, he’s doing it… and doing it right.

I have read the first few posts of the series and have been drawn into the discussion. Chris peels back the clutter and really gets into the juicy, sweet details of the topic - showing you that often times, the simplest ideas and solutions produce the biggest results.

Thanks to Chris for the tip o’ the hat.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew

Perfect.

Sounds a bit extreme doesn’t it? Isn’t perfection somewhat subjective? And what standards are you using for the measure of “perfection,” anyway?

I ask these questions because I once had a client tell me that a project I provided them was “PERFECT!” Boy, that felt good. No, strike that. It felt GREAT… but those feelings were fleeting.

After a months of meetings, consulting, outlining, sketching, rough drafts and edits; we went to press with a product that I thought was good, but to describe it as “perfect” made me pause. Sure, the client’s brand was defined. It represented their services truthfully; it was relevant to their marketplace; it was unique and engaging. And from an aesthetic perspective, it was beautiful. It was definitely “portfolio quality.” But, I couldn’t even revel in the praise for more than a moment. Why? I had no idea. I had to let it go and chalk it up to my own perfectionism… but it still bothered me (and those I worked around).

So, today I’m rolling through my daily BlogLog, reading wisdom from people I consider experts on everything from marketing and communications to life coaching and leadership and I land on Seth Godin’s blog. His latest post, “The Problem With Perfect,” stopped me in my tracks (does reading leave tracks?).

He writes:

“When was the last time you excitedly told someone about Fedex?

They’re perfect. The only time we notice them is when they screw up.

And that fancy restaurant with the four star reviews? They’ve got the fine linen and the coordinated presentation of dishes… it costs hundreds of dollars to eat there, but it’s okay, because they’re perfect.

Which is a problem, because dinner consists of not much except noticing how imperfect they are.”

He goes on to imply that once the perception of perfection is established, then…

“all you can do is notice that it’s not perfect.”

Suddenly, it made sense why I couldn’t celebrate the “perfection” of that project. I was anticipating the next project. I was already trying to figure out what to do to maintain this “standard.” It scared me. It inspired me.

As competition – whether internal or external – grows, how do you maintain your standards for perfection? As I asked at the beginning of this post, what standards are you using for the measure of “perfection,” anyway? And ultimately, how do those standards change? Do you compare your work to others? Do you gauge success (perfection) or failure (anything less) by the satisfaction of your customers or by some other, more technical manner?

Contrary to some opinions, I KNOW I’m not perfect. I’d be interested in how you strive toward and maintain standards of excellence - whether it’s business or personal…

Until next time…
Keep Cooking!
Andrew

On the front page of Friday’s Des Moines Register, columnist Abby Simons writes about a trademark infringement case based on our own Iowa Lottery.

It seems as though the lawyers from Sizzler International, the “high-brow” Sizzler steak restaurant chain, have sent a cease-and-desist request based on trademark infringement using the word “Sizzler” in Iowa Lottery’s “Hot Lotto Sizzler” game. Iowa Lottery, in an effort to quash the claim have decided to take the case through to a juried trial to claim they have all the rights to use the word.

Now, having been a private label graphic designer for the last 15 years, I understand the need for brand protection and clear trademark definition in the marketplace. But these items, a restaurant chain and a lottery game, don’t have even a minuscule chance of crossing paths in their respective markets. Of course, I’m no trademark lawyer (I’d call in Brett Trout for a more professional opinion on this), but (to my understanding) “trademark infringement” implies that there would be confusion in the market, due to a party impeding on an already established trademark or brand.

I don’t see it… I also can’t see the reason for the Lottery officials and their counsel to even take the cease-and-desist seriously.

Referenced in the article are also Hormel, due to their “Little Sizzler” sausages and rapper Miguel Collins, who goes by the stage name “Sizzla.” There wasn’t any reference to cease-and-desist orders being sent to them…

I simply can’t see why Sizzler International or the Iowa Lottery are even in discussion about this. What do you think? Would you EVER confuse the “Hot Lotto Sizzler” ticket and its subsequent marketing with any restaurant or other “sizzling” food product?

I’d call it food for thought… (sorry for the pun). Let me know what you think.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew

Over the holidays, I spent a lot of time thinking about the upcoming year and how I can be a better branding agent for my clients.

Through the numerous family gatherings, through the wine, the breads of all shapes and sizes, the Graziano’s sausage links (I’m Italian, of course), the din of doorbells ringing and kids’ toys buzzing and beeping, there was always a constant in my house. Music. There was a subtle tune playing through my iPod dock for all to enjoy.

As you can see from my profile, music is one thing that I have a passion for. Eclectic, entertaining, romantic, driving, danceable, thundering or soothing, music is ever-present as a soundtrack to my life. But on Friday, after my third helping of sausage, second glass of wine and fifth political debate with my brother, I realized a particular song buzzing from the speakers on the kitchen counter. It was Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” off of his 1965 release “Highway 61 Revisited.”

I stopped, which of course, threw my brother off a bit…

“Desolation Row,” in all of its glorified surrealism, immediately took me back. It took me back to another Christmas, 20 years past, where a friend had given me this “Compact Disc” as a present. At the time, as a huge REM and The Smiths fan, I thought, “A Dylan CD?!? What the heck are you thinking?” But leveler heads prevailed and I decided to keep it in my collection.

Some number of years later, when I purchased my first iPod and started loading my CDs onto it, I ran across “Highway 61 Revisited.” Though it had only been opened two or three times since I originally received it in 1987, I listened to every track as it streamed into iTunes, then I listened again as I synced the music to my new toy.

Brilliant…

As an adult, my music tastes have changed a bit. Sure, I still pull out “Life’s Rich Pageant” and “Louder than Bombs” for a fun reminiscent minute. They’re constantly shuffling on my iPod. But since 2005, I have added 12 Bob Dyan albums to my collection. Why? I love Dylan’s brand. It’s a TRUE (truthful, relevant, unique and engaging) brand and it has converted me into a fan.

Bob Dylan is one of the most consistent and prolific musicians of all time. His genuine focus and innovative approach to his trade defines, not only himself, but also his generation and the music industry for the last (almost) five decades. Who cares if he can’t sing!

So, how does this pertain to my blog, or my wish to be a better branding agent? Brand Consistency and helping my clients (and myself) be Brand TRUE is the solution.

Although my conversation with my brother continued long after the 11 minutes of “Destination Row,” my perception of Dylan’s brand was defined clearly for me for the first time… I still can’t remember what my brother was saying.

Do you have times where you’ve had an “A-ha” moment and everything clicks into place? Do you have other examples, like Bob Dylan, who through CONSISTENT and TRUE branding – whether conscious of it or not – affects their market so profoundly? I’d love to hear your stories.

Oh, and if you’re ever on the South side of Des Moines, Iowa, Graziano Brother’s Grocery is the only place you can find the BEST in Italian foods outside “Little Italy” in Boston (and that country across the pond…) Below is their address.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew

Graziano’s Grocery

1601 South Union Street, Des Moines, IA 50315

Photo Credit:
“Highway 61 Revisited” Copyright © SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT