Our pledge of allegiance mentions something about being “One Nation,” and being, “Indivisible,” right?  Unfortunately, it’s been so long since I’ve heard it, I may have to check my facts on that.

After watching the State of the Union address, I had to reflect on how, with ironic timing, President Obama’s points called out the divisiveness and partisan wrangling that has burdened our government.  Opening his speech, he offered a basic testimony to the past struggles our nation faced and how solutions were made:

“And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, as one people.”

One Nation… Right?

I sensed his frustration. His pleas to each side of the isle were compelling.

“To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town — a supermajority — then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let’s show the American people that we can do it together.”

(You can read the full State of the Union address here.)

And here’s how I turn this into a post about marketing…

As I listened to Obama, I almost felt as if he’d read my last blog post about good branding being in the eye of the beholder. (President Obama, if you’d like to comment, that’d be great!)

My underlying plea from that post was about being stronger as a marketing communications community.  It was about stopping the finger pointing and accusations of inadequacy.  It was about stopping the abuse of those trying to do good for their clients and being more aware and supporting the community we all try to make a living in.

Whether you consider them a competitor, a colleague, an associate or even an enemy; solely pointing out what’s wrong with a campaign, plan or design does nothing productive.  Does it offer benefit to your clients?  Does it offer benefit for their clients?

How does it reflect on your own brand?

So, for those of you working in, for, around, or on behalf of a client – ANY client, maybe this will help:

“I pledge allegiance to the Brand and the value proposition of our Client; and for the return for which we aim, one agency (or Nation), under God, caffeine crazed, with creativity and reward for all.”

Say that every morning, with your hand over your heart, as you stare at the coffee maker.  Maybe it will help remind you that we’re all in this to support the clients and our community. We’re all in this to make a better world for our children.  But most of all, we’re all in this together.

One Nation…

Keep Cooking (TRUE benefit for all)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Who says Rambo offers nothing more than some ripped deltoids and a glistening chest bathed in baby oil?  Who says Rambo, the American military anti-hero of the 1980’s and beyond, offers nothing of importance — or remotely educational?  Who ever said he would never give us anything good for branding fodder?

Okay, probably a lot of us…  But, I was watching “Rambo: First Blood Part II” this afternoon and a powerful, yet understated scene caught my branding eye.

It was meant to build some romantic foreshadowing, but in an (almost) unexpected tender moment, I watched as über-stud, Rambo, explained to Co Bao (Julia Nickson) how he found himself heading into yet another predictable mêlée.

Rambo: “…to survive a war, you need to become war.”
Co Bao: “Is that why they pick you? ‘Cause you like to fight?”
Rambo: {mutter} “mwaauhhm…  I’m ‘EXPENDABLE.”
Co Bao: “Expendable.  What mean ‘expendable?’”

And then, the most powerful analogy I’ve ever heard rolled eloquently from Sylvester Stallone’s twisted, razor-thin lips…

Rambo: “It’s like…  someone invites you to a party and you don’t show up…” {Wait for it} “… it doesn’t really matter.”

Of course, the movie goes on and Rambo proves that he’s in no way, shape or form (so-to-speak) expendable.

(VIDEO—Feed readers and Facebookers, click here to see the video snippet…)

If anything, through great character development by David Morrell, Kevin Jarre, Stallone and some unknown by the name of James Cameron; Rambo epitomizes the TRUE Brand criteria that I so often talk about.

Rambo’s TRUE Brand:

Truth/Transparency: He is a patriot.  That’s all.  He knows only black and white truth and honesty.
Relevant: The writers made sure that Rambo’s relevance was central to all (four) in the series.  In Rambo II, it was Vietnam POW’s that, in 1985, were STILL struggling to be heard and recognized for the terror and hell they had and were still going through.
Unique: C’mon, man.  How much more unique can you get.  Rambo was the first live-action G.I. Joe with a 1980’s, Reagan-era “We’ll kick-your-ass-now-and-ask-questions-later” attitude.
Engaging: Budget… $44 million…  Earning: $300 million (And THAT’s just part 2!) If Rambo didn’t engage his audience, his critics, his enemies, I don’t think Sly would be considering doing Parts 5 and 6…

Expendable…  Not-so-much.

How does your brand stand up to Rambo’s “Expendable” brand?  If someone invited you to a party and you didn’t show… would it matter?

Food for thought.  Or as Rambo would say… “Whouul-ih-murur?”

Keep Cooking & Happy New Year!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Walk in to virtually any ad agency and you’ll find ‘em.  They’re usually in distressed jeans, flat, cordovan shoes with an un-tucked shirt and strategically ever-so-slightly messed hair.  Male, female… doesn’t matter, the only difference may be the thickness of stubble above the neck.  They make themselves known by their piercing stare as you bring your client in and sit them on the opposing side of the shiny, oak-veneered conference table.

I’m taking about “brand experts.” They seem to be multiplying like rabbits on Viagra.

In a matter of minutes, these eager little bunnies assess the client’s brand, their marketing, the company culture - down to how the phone is answered, and determine that the only path to redemption is to spend close to the nation’s national debt on a generalized rebranding “system” they conjured up years ago when “brand” became the new hot word in marketing.

To the clients: Any agency, consultant or semi-related industry individual that comes to you with a pre-developed formula for rebranding your company is selling you a bill of goods that will only perpetuate and exacerbate more trouble.  Put your checkbooks away and walk run away.

To the “experts:” Just so you’re aware, we see you.  Here are 5 things everyone should know about YOUR brand (in broad, generalities to make it easy for you to follow).

1. Joan Rivers looks “great,” but is still one crazy chick…
   Superficial “rebranding” like reworked logos and stationery won’t solve deep branding issues.  A face lift, a nip here or a tuck there won’t make what’s at the core of the brand any different. So, put away your spec creative and mounted ads and listen for a second.
2. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery…  it’s also called “LAZY.”
   What BBDO did for  company A won’t apply to company B.  If you can’t come up with an original idea on your own, then you need to get out of the “idea generation” biz.  Branding is different for each-and-every company and person.
3. Magic is for children and idiots…  just ask David Copperfield.
   Smoke and mirrors, baby.  Even David Copperfield (called an “illusionist’) can’t really make an elephant disappear.  So, let’s address the true elephant in the room.  If you can’t deliver on your branding promises, then don’t blow smoke up our skirts.
4. The proof is in the pudding…  but proof alone tastes like crap.
   One-hit rock stars, fly-by-night consultants…  all have a single claim to their “FAME.”  But part of making a great meal is marrying ingredients that, one alone, may put a pucker in your puss.  If you have the acumen of a seasoned group of marketers along with strategy, compassion and concern for the client, the taste will always work out in the end.  In other words, get a few under your belt before you try to claim the title.
5. The louder you crow, the more you look like a… rooster.
   Some of the best practitioners I’ve been involved with have been soft-spoken and understated (that goes for ANY trade).  If you walk into the room like you’re the most important person there, then you’ve already put the client into a subordinate position.  Why would they want to work with that looming over them?  Just drop the ego.

Sure, I call myself “The Brand Chef” but that, by no means, makes me an expert on your brand.

What does it mean?  Like a chef, I work with a team of proven professionals and use the tools of the trade (marketing communications, design, photography, interactive strategy, etc.) to build a TRUE brand for our clients.  There are no pre-packaged recipes for branding.  There is no secret formula. With research, listening, conversation, strategy and honesty, we guide our clients to the best solution for brand marketing possible.

If that’s too simple for you, then give a “Branding Expert” a call.  We’ll be here to pick up the pieces when it all comes crashing down.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Having worked in the restaurant industry through most of my adolescence and into my early 20’s, I was well aware of the old adage that went something like:

If a single upset customer tells 10 friends about an unsatisfactory experience, it’s conceivable those 10 friends could perpetuate that report to another 10… and so-on, and so-on… eventually damaging the restaurant’s brand bad enough to put it out of business.

Or, as Máma Brandcheffio said:

“Piss off one customer and you’ve lost 100…”

So, at a very young age, I was forced to learn two very important aspects to marketing.

1. Word-of-mouth marketing is very powerful.
2. The customer is always right.

WHAT? The customer is ALWAYS right?

Máma Brandcheffio used to tell me:

“Even if the customer is wrong, THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”

Even at 15, that concept incensed me.  Today it seems like a complete disregard to human civility (See last week’s post) and is entirely defeatist in nature.

Luckily, I came to my senses.

Chew on this:

Originally, one disgruntled customer could, with good effort, affect the opinions of 100 others with their own word-of-mouth marketing.  In 1983, that was a pretty big deal. With 100 potential customers talking about poor service or a fuzzy hamburger bun, over several days, maybe months, the reputation of the restaurant could be damaged enough to warrant inspections, improvements or to be ostracized out of business all together.

That was 1983 word-of-mouth. (Yawn)

Today, our “upset” customer can take a photo, text a gripe to their iPhone or Tweet it to thousands or tens of thousands before your gazpacho reaches room temperature! If “viral” enough, those thousands can make an instantaneous decision to re-tweet it to their lists reaching thousands more!

Word-of-mouth marketing has reached light speed!

Restaurants, from local and regional to major chains, are taking a “more than cautious” approach to social media marketing.  They want to make sure it’s not a “fad” before jumping in.

Have they lost their minds? Maybe in 1983 that’d be okay, but this is 2009!

Not only are social media tools like Twitter and Facebook the fastest growing user-based tools on the Web, they have moved the “Customer is always right” paradigm entirely into the customer’s control, forever altering the approach to marketing communication and public relations.

Restaurants may not want to get involved in a “marketing” sense, but can you imagine how fast they will have to scramble when the “Chris Brogan” of the restaurant industry sends a damaging Tweet or photos of one of their cooks, in uniform, picking their boxers out of their ass as they walk into the kitchen?

Mmmmm, appetizing…

To put it simply, social media WILL affect your restaurant. Ignoring it is not an option for today’s restaurants, no matter what size.

It’s better to use basic social media tools and participate in a brand management program.  Otherwise, you can watch your brand (and your future) carried away in the beak of that ubiquitous little blue Twitter icon.

Food for thought.

Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Yeah, yeah… “Thanksgiving” posts abound… So, thank you. Thank you, and you, and you…

It seems simple enough, right?

(Warning…  ranting ahead…)

I’ve noticed that’s a statement that gets overlooked these days.  In our culture of instant gratification and “It’s all about me…  or what YOU can do for ME,” the graciousness of our society has been somehow diminished.

It’s a shame.

I’m no stodgy old fart, but some times I do miss the days when it was unheard of for a gentlemen to enter a building before a woman - ANY woman, not just the hotties. And holding the door, for females or male counterparts, was simply expected.

For those that don’t remember… There was a day when chivalry and politeness were commonplace.  It was a sense of making the world comfortable - for everyone else, not just you.  No one was concerned with their wireless reception or how many bars they had.  The parking place closest to the door didn’t take priority over yielding to a senior citizen.  Paramedics weren’t called because of how long the line at the bank was, or if the shop on the corner didn’t have the freshest Hawaiian Kona beans.  Being a member of society was more about the niceties that, well, made society SOCIAL.

Then I thought about it…

When was the last time you were consciously aware of how many times you thanked someone, anyone, in a single day?

So I decided to do an experiment.  For one whole day, I’d document how many times I said thank you or performed a “random act of kindness” as well as how many times I witnessed others doing the same.  This is what I found…

What’d you say to me?

12 times, I intentionally looked someone directly in the eye and said “Thank you.” Not in a creepy, “I’m going to stalk you” way, I was genuine and sincere.  I wanted to let them know that while their actions weren’t unexpected, I was appreciative of their effort.

A majority (7) of those salutations were reciprocated with “you’re welcome.” Another two at least flashed back a smile and a nod.  And the remaining two were pleasant enough to ignore me completely while avoiding all eye contact. Paranoid or guilty?

My secret voyeur-vision…

I wanted to just sit and watch others interact.  So, I sat at a small table in the corner of my favorite restaurant and watched people engage.  It wasn’t a scientific study, but it was eye-opening.

For 45 minutes, I watched as customers entered, ordered, navigated around others, ate and exited.  While doing all that, I saw five (yes, 5) people hold the door for someone else.  I heard “Thank you” said to the counter attendant six times. And the number of people that simply left their plates, trays, drinks and partially eaten sandwiches was shocking.

I also watched as the staff provided a service.  Sure they were getting paid.  Sure they do it every day for ungodly hours.  And what did I see?  Professional courtesy…  cold, calculated and systematic.  I saw three employees smile and thank their customer (non-scripted). And one employee stood out from the disappointment by coming out from behind the counter to help an older, feeble man get through the door as no less than 10 able-bodied citizens watched on in disinterest (including me).

Here, let me get that…

I held the door at three establishments for three people each. At the morning coffee shop, I was completely ignored by all three.  One woman was talking to her friend that was already in the lobby, the second, I thought would say some kind of thank you, because she DID make eye contact; but she quickly motioned to her head (similar to the “I’m crazy” signal) with her forefinger signaling to me that she was on her bluetooth-a-ma-jiggy and couldn’t pause that conversation .  The third was a “gentleman” that seemed a little “uncomfortable” that a dude held the door for him.  Get over it Romeo.

At lunch, I tried a different establishment, but got similar results.  The first two were young “ladies” (liberally applied term) that were much more interested in giggling and texting (each other, I assume) than acknowledging my kindness.  The third was a smartly dressed business woman that simply nodded and proceeded on to cut in line at the service counter…  classy.

Finally, at a convenience store, I held the door for one 40-something blue-collar guy that roughly blurted “thanx” (yes, it would have been spelled that way) and another lady that said nothing at all.

Then, my chivalry-dream-come-true walked up the driveway toward the door.  She was a 70+, silver haired lady clutching her handbag like it was pay day in 1931.  I opened the door and looked her in the eyes and said, “Here, let me get that for you.”

She looked up at me and in a small whisper of a voice said, “… hmmm such a good gentleman… thank you, hon.” And she patted me on the chest, smiled and walked in.

That just about made me cry.

As I’ve said in the past, I tend to over thank people.  I was raised in a restaurateur’s family where it was imperative to show your appreciation for the little things people did for you.  Opening a door… Delivering a package…  Serving a meal… and my education yesterday was quite disappointing.

Why, on Facbook and other social sites, are there millions of people posting “what they’re thankful for” throughout the month of November when they can’t simply do it while standing in line at a restaurant on a basic Tuesday?

From a branding perspective, what does that say about American society?  No wonder the rest of the world thinks we’re a bunch of self-serving, materialistic bullies.

Can technology and the “Now Generation” do anything to correct this offence to basic civility?  Sure, I sound like an old-fart curmudgeon, but as technology expands even further into our lives, how will civil, face-to-face social interaction survive?

With that, give thanks today, tomorrow and every day for the things that you have.  Large or small, life is a miracle and it’s a blessing that we get to share it together on this little rock racing through space.

The alternative is frightening.

Keep Cooking (actual social interactions - always)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

[Photo by Thomas Hawk]