This morning, one of my Des Moines social media cohorts wrote a post about the recent onslaught of social media companies, consultants and “Superstars” that have recently dotted our fine city. Troy Rutter hasn’t hidden his distaste for the trend of social media consultants popping up out of nowhere (here, here, and here). But in this morning’s post, he created a correlation to other markets and specifically to the hotbed of social media action that is Boston – calling names like Chris Brogan, CC Chapman and Chris Penn as the benchmark to which all social media “Superstars” would be measured.

While Troy opens his post with a slight “hat tip” to the growth of Des Moines’ social media industry, he quickly jumps into a bit of a “back-handed” compliment:

“What is it about Des Moines that is a breeding ground for so-called Social Media Experts? Is it the corn? Can the city support three social media firms, and countless wannabes who think they have all the answers?

“The Des Moines social media scene is concerned more with being local leaders than global. They fight with/over each other to be the definitive “expert” while simultaneously patting each other on the back to make themselves feel good.”

And in comparison to the Bostonians:

“Maybe that’s the biggest difference. The Bostonians give back to the social media community, not really looking for their own accolades. While Des Moines experts seem bent on making a name for themselves any way they can.”

Okay, Troy, let’s talk this out objectively…

While I can’t comment on the national scene, personally,  I’ve felt nothing but camaraderie and compassion from the other local social media citizens. As a matter of fact, in March of 2006, I wrote my first blog post and was immediately welcomed by Drew McLellan – a national Superstar in his own right. I’d say that was pretty encouraging.

I’m also thrilled with the growth of social media in the Des Moines area. And while I agree that Des Moines is “Saturated” with “Social Media Stars,” to compare Des Moines’ social media community to Boston’s is a bit shortsighted.

The “Stars” in Boston certainly have “street cred.” They’ve built the foundation that others all over the country (and the world) are hoping to stand on. And while people like Penn and Brogan can pull crowds and garner attention better than E.F. Hutton, setting the “Social Media Star” standard by their reputations alone is unfair to the efforts being made here in Des Moines.

A simple marketing lesson I learned years ago states (and I’m paraphrasing):

“The first to the market will define and own that market until,
1) They are knocked out of the top position by a competitor
or (and this is the bigger point),
2) Another “segment” of the market is designed for the competitors to shine.”

Brogan and the rest of the Bostonians established the “Social Media Superstar” market. So, for now, it’s theirs as defined to own and defend. And it’s entirely what they’ve built their personal and business brands on.

I say, “Genius!”

What I see Des Moines social media practitioners doing is taking a loose model of what our East Coast brethren designed and creating a niche segment within the social media marketplace that better fits our community and the Midwestern economy. We (the Midwest) don’t need superstars to swoop in and save the day. On certain levels, I think the conservative nature of our neighbors would reject that model, anyway. The business model Des Moines companies gravitate to do not tolerate “Ego,” whether it’s intentionally inflated self-worth or not. Companies like LavaRow, Catchfire and One Social Media are capitalizing on that fact and creating a new “Relational Social Media” niche to fill that need.

So, to your point, Des Moines DOES deserve recognition for the social media acumen it possesses and encourages. Definitely! Should the social media practitioners strive to be some kind of hero or super star to warrant that credibility? Hell no.

To appease your hunger for national recognition, we could cite the recent feature CNN did on regional social media and the noise being made here. Many of the people you point at in your post were linchpins in many aspects to those events.

It’s just a matter of time before this model of “Relational Social Media” to break through to a bigger, more national level. But for now these companies are providing astounding insight, customer service, education and pride for Des Moines, central Iowa and the Midwest as a whole!

With that, I ask plead with my readers. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Does Des Moines (and the Midwest in general) have the social media chutzpa that will bring us to a national and / or international light? Or do you think that we have too many “wanna-be” practitioners muddying the waters?

Back to you…

Until next time,

Keep Cooking! (’cause social media is yummy for EVERYONE!)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Myopic Manager: “Hey, I need a video.”

Worker Wendy: (shocked) “About what, sir?”

Myopic Manager: “Something that will get us noticed.”

Worker Wendy: “For what, sir?”

Myopic Manager: “You know. Something catchy and, what’s the word? VIRAL!”

Worker Wendy: “Viral, sir?”

Myopic Manager: “Yeah! Put it on FaceTube! That’ll do it!”

***

There are so many things wrong with that conversation, I can’t begin to list them. But this was a summarized dialogue a friend of mine recently had with her employer. It seems as though, after 25 years in business, “said employer” finally purchased a ticket to the 21st century and realized he was wearing a suit made in 1989 – you know, padded shoulders, thin, cotton tie… the whole enchilada!

The inspiration for this time-traveling adventure came from a growing collection of customers asking why they couldn’t find their favorite “widget” on the Internet. They couldn’t find their website. They couldn’t “Like” their FaceBook page. Heck, if they didn’t get up off their butts and walk through the door, they couldn’t tell the company was actually still in business!

“So, where do you start?” she asked me. And that’s where my “Mr. Marketing and Branding” persona jumped out – somewhat abruptly…

“Are you kidding?” I shot back at her. “Your company is nowhere near ready for Facebook, YouTube or social media marketing. Why don’t reign in Michael J. Fox over there and start with basic TRUE Branding?”

I explained to her that TRUE Branding was the road-map to where her boss wanted to go. They needed to discover the truth about their company – the who, what, when, where and why of their brand and brand community (‘cause they obviously have one). Then they needed to do some deep research to find out what made their company / brand relevant to their brand community. After that they needed to focus on what made them unique in that community. If there was ten other “widget” makers in the vicinity, what were unique propositions to going to their shop? And finally the needed to figure out where that community spent it’s time engaging their brand. Obviously they needed a stronger Web presence, but were FaceBook and YouTube really going to be where the best engagement would take place?

I’m sure, by the end of our conversation, my face was red and the veins in my forehead resembled what that road-map may look like. But the takeaway was put perfectly when she called up her employer and said, “Sir, we really can’t skip steps when it comes to TRUE Branding and marketing. Let’s take a strategic look at what where we want to go and then my friend Andy can come by and work with us to get there”

*Sigh*

As Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Elton John put it, “That’s What Friends Are For.”

I know this comes off as a bit of a rant, but there are a lot of companies out there that are still behind the curve when it comes to social media marketing. It isn’t so much using the tools of social media like Facebook YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn, but the brand and marketing strategy that powers these tools. And it’s going to take time and a lot of thought to get that road-map to the future figured out.

Contrary to what Michel J. Fox and Steven Spielberg told us in 1985, time travel is NOT possible; the flux capacitor hasn’t been built yet; Delorians won’t withstand the pressure of time travel; and Doc Brown is just another wild-eyed pedophile in an Einstein wig and lab coat.

But I digress.

Could I have taken my friend’s company (and their money) and thrown together a FaceBook page and a few videos for YouTube? Sure. But I wouldn’t have been doing my job as The Brand Chef if I did it without TRUE branding and a strategic road-map. And they wouldn’t have seen results from any of it – making us all look stupid.

Just to sum up…  You can’t jump from 1989 to 2010 with the simple activation of a Twitter account. Research, plan, integrate and engage with social media AFTER you’ve figured out where your brand should be going within the marketplace. Then make a commitment to staying up-to-date with your brand, your industry and your community.

Until Next Time (within the next 25 years)…

Keep Cooking (timely, relevant branding decisions.)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

I sat back in my chair at Caribou this morning looking over a dark roast and a french toast muffin (a MUST try, by the way), thinking about the next post for The Brand Chef blog. I’ve written extensively about branding, personal branding and social media marketing. Heck, I’ve even thrown in a Get-Going Groove of the day compilation and put up a page dedicated to it (great traffic there, thank you!)… But I wanted to get away from the regular routine.

So, today I decided to expound on the social media world’s fascination with BACON.

Yep, Bacon! It’s the American blogger’s food-porn aphrodisiac. If it came between naked pictures of Kaley Cuoco (Penny on “Big Bang Theory”) and bacon, I truly worry that the bacon would get more views. Maybe Kaley’s photos would have a lower bounce rate, but that’s a whole different blog (and innuendo)…

Anyway! I honestly can’t go a single day without seeing a tweet or a post or a photo (notice the bacon bra?) of something to do with bacon. It’s everywhere!

So, why bacon? Why? WHY!?!

1. Bacon Emotes True Passion - Starting out with the obvious, bacon is… FREAKIN’ bacon!

You can whisper “I have bacon” in a crowded room and it’s pretty certain that you get a glorious, harmonizing response of “yummmmmmm…” similar to those Tibetan Deep Throat Chants.  (video)

that aside, the draw to bacon is so powerful, some retailers and hotels have been branded JUST by the bacon they serve!  I’ve read of entire restaurant menus dedicated to bacon, but to have an endorsement like this,

“if Bacon had a God he would live at The Roger Smith Hotel!” – Chris Brogan

makes an impact for bacon’s case that knocks you off your feet.

2. Bacon Has Spanning Relevance - While I really don’t need to go into the origins of bacon, I would assume that it took some grunting relative of ours about 10 seconds to figure out the salting and curing of the fatty back parts of pigs turned a generally disgusting part of the animal into one of the most succulent slices of meat human kind would ever stumble upon. It can be fried, diced, baked, grilled and even made into ice cream. So how can bacon NOT be relevant to every social and economical demographic under the sun?

3. Bacon Is Ultimately Unique – It has a taste like no other meat product.  It’s kind of a cross between glazed ham and beef jerky.  The sheer individuality of bacon makes it the most utilitarian meat source on the planet. And just try to search for “Bacon Recipes.” You’ll be reading (and drooling) for days…

4. And Bacon Is Soooo Engaging – How can one food, one simple, solitary slice of meat become the biggest meme of the 21st century?  How can bacon, a fat, salty slice of cholesterol become more consistently popular than Justin Bieber or Britney Spears put together?

Let’s just put it this way, have you ever been unhappy eating bacon?

UH OH…  look what I just did…

Can you hear it?  Sizzling like fat on a 400˚ griddle…  my branding brain did it again.

Even when it comes to writing a silly post about the popularity of bacon, I pull in the TRUE Branding formula.  It’s inevitable. When it comes to branding, like bacon, there has to be truth, relevance, uniqueness and engagement.

I haven’t asked pork producers but this could all be a big conspiracy to sell more pork product, but I’m sure they’re not complaining.

How would YOU like your brand to have the fan base bacon has? Imagine having your brand, your product, your name associated with everything personally rewarding and ultimately sinfully satisfying as bacon.

Try it.

Keep Cooking (until it’s crisp and satisfying.)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

And with a hat tip to my blogging buddy @AdMavericks (Josh Fleming) I give you another tribute to BACON!

Picture this.  How do you share those “special moments?” Think back.  Is there an old family photo album somewhere gathering dust in the living room?  Sure.  Ours has one of me and brother in the bathtub, naked! Thanks mom. As disturbing as it is, it certainly is a memory (probably not one I wish to share with you).  How about those old school portraits? Reunions? Sporting events? Birthdays? Vacations?  How do you share those memories?  From the early 1900′s and on into today’s digital age, we’ve all done the same thing.

Take a picture, it lasts longer…

Last night, while watching Glee (yes, I’m a Gleek), I was sitting and lamenting over the how Miss Sylvester  was treating poor Mercedes, and off to a commercial break we went.  Now, I normally channel surf or jump up to get another Popsicle at commercial breaks, but last night I was held in my seat by the following Kodak spot.

I loved it immediately.  While I’m a sucker for any squeaking baby, I thought the spot, from a brand marketing standpoint, was perfect! It was targeted, engaging, current and allowed a brand, Kodak, who has been languishing in technological and directional confusion to stand up and re-root itself in our communication and social culture.

On the Kodak blog, A Thousand Words, Leslie Dance, VP of Brand Marketing & Communications for Kodak shared their vision with for the new marketing:

“As our agency Partners + Napier, who helped us create our new campaign defined it, the core insight into what really motivates our consumer (whom we call Katie) is that ‘My memories make me, me, but it’s only when I share them that I become complete.’

Which led us to the campaign idea, ‘the real Kodak moment happens when you share’.
 We’re taking the Kodak Moment of the past 50 years and redefining it to make it relevant for today.  The Kodak Moment that used to be the moment of capture, when we take the picture, is now more powerful when we apply it to the moment of sharing the picture.”

As a photographer, I’ve been painfully aware of the dilemma the photography industry has been in.  Since the mid 1990′s, it’s been go digital or pack up your lenses. While I love digital photography for its ease and speed, as someone that was educated in the techniques of traditional photography, processing and lab printing, I long for the days when I can turn a photo over and see “Printed by Kodak.” And with online printing taking quality and speed, and economy to new levels, I’d basically given up on Kodak.

Boy, was I wrong!

This is why Kodak has been around for over a century:

Kodak took the right (smart) approach to the technology challenges that faced them and their industry.  Instead of folding up and saying “Woah, It’s been a great 120 years, we’ll see ya’ later…” they chose to innovate, recreate and re-engage, sidestepping the “road block” and blazing a new trail for future market growth.

By providing people easier, more economical digital access – just push the button to share your memories - Kodak has positioned itself as the leader in the (previously unoccupied) “memory sharing” niche…  A brilliant way to redefine your brand for changing times and subtly shut my doubting mouth for ever.

Kudos!

So, what’s the next step for Kodak?  How can they continue to broaden their relevance with their new campaign.  How do they compete with the ever evolving mobile phone/camera niche? Can you think of other companies that have created a brand shift like Kodak’s?  I’d love to hear more!

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

(or…  lighten up already)

Tell me, just who does your brand relate to?

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.

Also, as so appropriately Tweeted by our friend @RendaInDSM this morning:

“Tigger is all right, really,” said Pooh lazily. “Of course he is,” said Christopher Robin. “Everybody is really.” -A.A. Milne

Food for thought.

Keep Cooking (TRUE, objective perspectives)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef