Good branding is subjective. “A good brand” is completely based on the perspective of its target audience.
One group of people can stand in a room and rip a brand from head-to-toe for everything from disconnected positioning, to poor logo design to poor packaging design. While, at the same time, another group standing the room next door, can praise the brand for touching some place in their hearts - moving them to tears, changing their lives for ever.
Understanding that, shouldn’t we really be focusing on those that the brand is trying to target? Who really cares about the nay-sayers in the first room? The brand is obviously positioning itself for those in the second room. It RELATES to them. The strategy was crafted for them…
Some of you are saying, yeah… well, duh! Well, I’m thinking that some others out there aren’t listening so much to the subjective aspect.
There’s a lot of brand hate going on out there. And for what reason? Because it doesn’t relate to you? Well my question is, “Who are you?”
Honestly, if I didn’t like the husband of my wife’s best friend, would it be smart to go through the trouble to write a post or tweet about it? Would I run down the street yelling,“So-n-so’s husband is a pock-faced, ignorant, toothpick of a man and has no right to be married to her!”
I think not. Not only would it be unwarranted, but it would reflect VERY poorly on my personal brand as to be labeled a shallow “hater.”
Humph…
Why do you think “Relevant” is the second required criteria of the TRUE Branding process (besides the fact it helped spell “True”…)? TRUE Branding is simply a framework for brand discovery. It’s a list of conceptual criteria that we should judge every brand against. If a particular brand isn’t TRUE to you, it may not mean that it’s not TRUE to others.
So, lighten up already.
Before you start criticizing a brand for “missing the point,” maybe you need to check to see if YOU were actually the target.
Disney and Marvel? As an illustrator, as an artist, as an appreciator of all things cartoon and comic; heck as someone that used to be a kid, this buyout just doesn’t sit well with me. Why would Disney, THE pinnacle of family entertainment choose to side-step their core competency (wholesome, family-values based entertainment) to buy Marvel Entertainment?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Marvel, but I’m confused with the combination of the Disney family values and the edgy, spandex-clad, buxom breadth of sexuality and violence that Marvel generates. I definitely see a brand disconnect here.
Disney seems to be diverting from their core competency to skirt the need to be truthful and relevant(let alone innovative)to their audience (very unlike them). A move that both I and Jonathan Salem Baskin, over at Baskin Dim Bulb blog and I think may be a bit like cheating - or strip mining as Mr. Baskin calls it. His analogy is dead on.
It feels like strip mining to me.
I wonder what comes next. I’m surprised that the biggies haven’t started producing “updated” (i.e. twisted and exploited) versions of the classics; Moby Dick and hundreds of other greats and near-greats at public domain, so the cost of content would be free, and any kid who paid some attention should recognize the characters. Wouldn’t realizing, say, Nicholas Nickleby only with supernatural powers (or a robot white whale) be somewhat of a competitive barrier to another version coming to market?
Where does it end?
Okay, I may be targeted for death by all of the Mikey Mouse fan-boys out there, but rather than buy the biggest superhero and fantasy comic entertainment brand out there, why wouldn’t Disney just do it themselves? Disney created the road map to character entertainment. If they wanted to get into the superhero biz, why not just call the creative department, the illustrators and story board artists and say “GOOFY SMASH… RooAAaar….”(envision silly Hulk/Dog-thing here)? Did they take the easy way out? Isn’t this kinda’ like having Poindexter take your mid-terms for you?
Marvel has managed to create, foster and perpetuate some of the most well known characters, books, movies and fans that any brand could ever want. But even Stan Lee, the glorious creator of X-Men and Spider Man, seems to be wringing his hands, waiting for the check from Disney (with ALL THOSE ZEROES).Have Stan and the other creature creators at Marvel sold out?
What happens from here? What does Disney Land / World look like in the future? Do we expect the brass at Disney corporate to start censoring Wolverine? Will Jean Gray need to be illustrated wearing shawls or over-sized sweaters, from now on (gasp)?
Food for thought.
Until Next time…
Keep Cooking (Incredible Branding Powers)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef
Explain to your parents the fascination you have with social media. Better yet, explain the advantages of social media MARKETING to a company CEO, CFO, CMO or any number of other CxO’s. They’ll stare at you like some kind of snake oil salesman.
Better yet, give them the word “Socialnomics™,“ and just watch their eyes roll into the back of their heads.
What is Socialnomics™? It’s the economy stupid (thank you Mr. Carville).
I found this POWERFUL video by Erik Qualman (@equalman) over at my blogger-buddy, Chris Wilson’s (@freshpeel) blog.
If you haven’t made the connection between social media (teens on MySpace and Facebook) and Social Media Marketing(companies building brand comminities using these platforms), then you MUST watch this video.
(Feed readers and facebookers, click here to see the video… it’s amazing!)
I wish I’d had the foresight to create and trademark the word “Socialnomics™,” but kudos to Erik for being the pioneer. And thanks to Chris for posting it.
Do you get it now? Are you ready for Socialnomics™?(You better be.)
Blogs, microblogs, social networks like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube and UStream are popping up daily. Their availability to the masses is exciting and fun, even educational and inspirational. Never before has it been easier to share knowledge, express creativity, build personal and business brands and connect with others in your industry.
But because these social media channels are still fairly new to most, I’ve put together a quick, 10.5 tips that I’ve gathered during my time using these tools. It’s my goal to help you use these channels efficiently and effectively, to protect your identity and ultimately your brand, personal or professional.
10.5 Tasty Tips: Social Media Etiquette
1. Be Transparent. Say who you are. If there’s a business brand association, say whom you represent. Be honest and credibility will follow.
2. Be Accurate. Check your facts before you post them. From a Public Relations standpoint, it’s better to post the truth first than to have to post a retraction…
3. Show Maturity & Respect. Agree or disagree with others’ point of view, but do it with maturity and respect. Act as if you were actually standing in the room with your audience.
4. Be A Valued Member. Contribute positively to you community. It’s not (all) self-promotion. If you have a particular insight on a subject (say cooking), make your comment direct to the post (cooking healthier with low linolenic soybean oil NOT hey, I just self published a new cookbook. Go to… and check it out!)
5. Check Your Ego/Temper at the door. If you have passion, that’s GREAT, but weigh what and how you post with others in mind. Take the advice of Mama BrandChef and count to 10 before acting.
6. Confidentiality Is A Must. Proprietary information about your company, family or friends needs to stay confidential. This goes hand-in-hand with the respect issue. Remember, what you post today will be around for years to come.
7. Time Is Valuable. If you’re participating in social media on a personal level, make sure you respect your employer’s time and property. If you’re representing your employer or a particular brand, then make sure the posts are germane to the business/brand.
8. Don’t Be A Spy. NEVER represent someone that you’re not authorized to represent. DON’T post negative (or positive) comments about your brand under an assumed name. You will be discovered and you and the brand will suffer for it.
9. Take The High Road. Slander is slander in any forum… Be careful of what you say, because even with a disclaimer that “Your views do not represent those of…” believe it or not, the Federal Trace Commission is considering the validity of social media slander claims.
10. Be Aware Of Liability. In relation to the previous point, legal liability that connects what you post to your site and others is a serious issue. Can we say Domino’s Pizza gross-out video?
10.5 Protect Yourself. Don’t provide unnecessary personal information that could be used against you. That’s why they call it “personal information.”
The simple key to successful social media activity is to be honest about yourself and whom you represent, be thoughtful before you post and respect the community in which you’re “socializing.”
Sure… every now-and-then, a brand needs to be “refreshed.” But just like plastic surgery, “refreshing” a brand and completely rebuilding are two completely different things(think Kenny Rogers or Bruce Jenner). Care needs to be taken not to destroy your brand integrity while maintaining your current brand loyalists’ expectations.
So, for the inaugural post on The Brand Chef’s new blog (new design and domain, at least), here is a Baker’s Dozen rebranding do’s and don’ts.
Do - Consult with a branding specialist at the very beginning, rather than charging ahead on your own and then going to an agency with a half-baked plan. A good branding professional can provide additional insight that may not reside within the walls of your company. And a third-party perspective is always advisable.
Do - Have the owner/operator, CEO and head of marketing all at the table with the branding specialists. Without decision-makers in the conversation, the dialogue won’t reflect the TRUE brand of the company. (Branding specialists should demand this.)
Do - Strive for consistency. this seems to be an obvious point, but the rebranding must represent every aspect of every division of the company. From its stationery to the way the customer service representatives answer the phones - the brand should take center stage.
Don’t - Copy. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but in the rebranding game, it’s a signal to customers that your company is unsure of their TRUE brand identity and is satisfied living in the shadow of its competitors. — AND, If as a branding strategist, you hear “We want to be like…” RUN!
Don’t - Segregate the task to a small segment of the company. In addition to key stakeholders (see above), you’re better off getting in input form EVERYONE in the company. If your company is too big to do that effectively, make sure everyone’s opinion is represented in the decision process.
Don’t - Gamble with the company’s name. If you’ve been around for more than a couple of years, there’s equity in your name. If you haven’t been around for a couple of years… why are you rebranding?
Don’t - Second-guess. If you’re changing your logo every three to four years, all you’re proving to your customers is that you don’t trust you OWN decisions…Stand strong and brand stronger.
That’s it, in a nutshell. Some simple do’s and don’ts for rebranding. So, before you put your brand “under the knife,” think about the ultimate consequenses.
Can you think of additional do’s and don’ts for rebranding? Let’s discuss them here! I’d love to get you in the mix…
(or… lighten up already)
