(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

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

Yes, I said it. As “The Brand Chef,” that’s something I never thought would come out of my mouth.  But in a recent meeting with a friend, I closed my laptop, pushed my chair back and looked him straight in the eye and said these exact words:

“Your marketing can’t fix crazy…” (and this was in reference to HIS company!)

Now, this could either be a lesson on how to shoot yourself in the foot during a casual meeting with a friend; or it could turn into a logical discussion on branding versus marketing.  This discussion could cover how, because branding is at the core of a company’s culture, business and communications model, your brand isn’t something that you can just decide to give a “face lift.” Marketing, on the other hand – what many people think of when branding comes up in a conversation – can be changed to suit an ever-evolving brand…

Here’s the difference: Marketing is the strategic communication effort that results from a TRUE core brand promise, targeted to a specific audience, with the goal of enticing engagement with that brand.

So, to say it again, just for affect:

“Your marketing can’t fix crazy….”

You see companies, almost on a daily basis, “rebranding” themselves.  But deep-down, without a TRUE brand strategy, the marketing that results is guaranteed to reflect what is going on inside the company – for better or worse…

Based on the conversation that ensued after my “shocking” statement, my friend and I came up with five simple takeaways.

Marketing can’t fix…

1. … a company that has changed its “brand strategy” 5 times in the last 5 years. This happens when deeper brand issues stall out the progress marketing should be making.  Instead of stopping and performing a TRUE brand evaluation, the CEO or CMO simply jump the track to find a different way.  Different doesn’t fix what’s broken.
   
2. … a company’s inability to make brand-based decisions. Unfortunately a company with this problem usually slows or destroys its marketing efforts simply by not being able to take action.
3. … a broken marketing communication system by only using “internal staffers.” Few “Internal Marketing Departments” have enough perspective to do all of the brand evaluation and execution without outside counsel. Trust me, I’ve seen many companies try and many have failed.
4. … a company with a lousy product or service (even at a discount). In this economy, when people are looking for value, quality still is at the core of our decision-making process.  If your product or service is at the bottom of the quality scale in that category, you’d better re-think more than your brand.
5. … a program with an insufficient budget. The phrase “money talks and B.S. walks,” for this point, is painfully applicable.  Plan all you want.  Scheme big dreams and map out creative strategies until your face turns fuchsia.  None of it will succeed unless you have the resources to support it.  How many campaigns have gotten out of the starting blocks in a blur, only to fall to its knees a quarter way through the race because it’s out of funding?

TRUE Branding (Truthful/Transparent, Relevant, Unique and Engaging) is the core to building a successful marketing communications program.  With strategic marketing you can analyze a company’s TRUE Brand position, develop a successful plan and implement a program to raise awareness and engage your market. But remember, branding takes time and sometimes painful effort. It shouldn’t be viewed as a quick fix, or a “face-lift.”

With that, I’d like to send a big “Thank you” out to my friend for letting me vent to (at) him.  Although the coffee was good, I appreciate the conversations that make me think and evaluate how I can better help clients and their brands.

Next time, the coffee is on me.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Social media tools are easy to acquire…  Sure.  But just like a sharp knife, you may not want to hand it over to any shlub that walks into the kitchen.  If your company wants to start cooking up some social media marketing, you’d better be ready to do some serious planning.

If social media is like a big cocktail party, let’s think of social media MARKETING this way…

When gathering recipes for your next big shindig, you probably don’t want to mingle the sushi with the snow cones (only at my parties).  So, in the same spirit, why would companies insist on throwing anything and everything into their social media marketing mix?

Many companies are starting to really turn up the heat on their social media “marketing.”  They’ve set up Twitter accounts and launched Facebook pages and groups; but it looks like they haven’t thought of their brand, their target audience or, in some instances, even political correctness. Seriously?

Trust me, a meal consisting of three cups of unashamed self promotion, a tablespoon of ego, 1/4 cup of chaos and a pinch of nonsense will give your target audience nothing but a serious case of indigestion.

Create engagement and value with an integrated social media marketing strategy.

Here are three simple “Brandchef-a-fied” questions to ask yourself before that next tweetfest…

1. Are you working from a proven recipe?
   If you have a marketing plan with goals and targets, see how social media can be integrated into it.  Don’t throw the whole dish out just because there’s a new ingredient.

   Social media is so new that social media marketing is struggling to keep up with new developments, new policies, new technology, not to mention new users.  The right recipe – a proven crowd-pleaser – will help to solidify your position, extend your marketing message and your brand.  Just spice it up using the great tools social media has to offer!
   

2. Does your meal have any nutritional value?
   Empty promises or veiled attempts at engagement, just like empty calories, won’t add value.

   If you have a truly strategic marketing plan (with the customer in mind), your social media marketing efforts should reflect those same values and benefit your audience.  Superficial fluff, inane updates and ego-driven campaigns will only show your audience that you’re in it for yourself and soon they’ll walk away from the table – full, and dissatisfied.

3. How many dishes are in your sink?
   Máma BrandCheffio used to say, “If you have a sink full of dishes, you know you have a house full of happy kids.” The same goes for your social media marketing campaign.

   If you can measure results based on a working strategy, then you know what kind of appetite your audience has.  Set your goals, feed them the first course, and watch for the return. With those kinds of metrics you can make changes to your recipes on-the-fly – assuring an always full sink.

With any soiree, the planner has a lot of responsibilities.  As long as your strategy is truthful, transparent, relevant, unique and engaging, everyone at the party will have a great time,  and soon you will be the talk of the town.

Keep Cooking (tasty social media treats)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Do you know anyone that you’d call a “Go-Getter?” Yeah, that guy/gal that always seems to be working on getting results at virtually any cost?  Sure, I know ‘em quite well. I know, because I have always been one… A “do-er,” as one employer labeled me.  I wore it like a badge of honor, holding my head high as if I’d been knighted by the Queen.  That’s all I knew.  That’s how I defined my work days and eventually, my personal brand.  But it always seemed to take so much effort.  So much time.  And “getting” rarely received equal return, let alone a satisfactory profit.

If you’re wondering why that work seems so much like…  well…  WORK, maybe those efforts are being focused too much on the end result and not the path that gets you there.

There IS a path to success, and the authors of The Go-Giver, Bob Burg and John David Mann, see it much differently than I or most other Go-Getters do…  did…

Burg and Mann made me ask five simple questions:

1. How do I add value every day?
2. How do I serve those around me?
3. Do I place others’ interests as a priority – even to my own?
4. Do I relate to others genuinely?
5. Do I expect the same in return?

The story of The Go-Giver follows one of these “Go-Getters” on a journey of realization that giving and sharing can be MUCH more profitable than he previously expected.

I have been called a Go-Getter.  I don’t think I want to be called that any longer…

********

On that note, this week is the Meals from the Heartland packaging event in central Iowa.

Starting this Thursday, September 3rd and going through the 7th, church organizers, nursing homes, schools, businesses, housewives, children, and anyone else that you can think of will merge on downtown Des Moines, Iowa; bringing hearts, hands, and the passion for helping others to Hy-Vee Hall to package meals for those around the world less fortunate than us.

Meals from the Heartland is a non-profit organization that annually coordinates and administers the biggest food packaging and fundraising event in the United States. For five days, volunteers of all ages, races, and religious beliefs gather, side by side, and scoop, drop, pour, and seal millions of meals for distribution to starving communities around the world.

In 2008, Meals from the Heartland packaged over 4,000,000 meals.  This year, by the looks of the amazing influx of volunteers and in-kind donations, they’ll be well on their way to matching and surpassing that amazing number.

Your support would be appreciated. You can (for a VERY short time) still Volunteer to package.  Or a donation to help buy the supplies is always a good way to show your support.

To Volunteer, please go to this link.

To Donate, please go to this link. (Only $25 funds over 100 meals!)

With that, go be a Go-Giver.  Make your path to success rewarding for you and everyone around you!

Keep Cooking (for everyone around you)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef