If I’m your brand advocate, we, in some significant way, have made a connection. Your unique message has fought through the din of chaos and clutter and found it’s way into my heart, my mind and even my soul. It’s now a part of me. So engage it with care.
I’ve had the honor of hearing and seeing some very good keynote speakers throughout my career. Some have left me with tears in my eyes or a fire in my heart while others… have… well… just left me.
On the positive, I’ve seen tremendous motivational speakers like Hajj Flemings (@HajjFlemings on Twitter) and Angel Maiers (@AngelaMaiers on Twitter), innovative business marketing and branding speakers like Michael Wagner (@BigWags on Twitter) and Liz Strauss (@lizstrauss on Twitter).
Every time, I make it a point to get a few minutes, face-to-face with the speakers to make an introduction – often times just so they can put a name to the face “@TheBrandChef.“ And every time I approach these speakers, they are engaging, honest and forthright when it comes to offering advice or simply talking about the day’s event.
That’s TRUE brand engagement.
That’s how to build a connection to brand advocates and help build a sustainable brand in the minds of your advocates! WHY? My personal take-away? As your advocate, I feel like I am a bigger part of the event and with the conversation and even a signed book (or whatever swag) I feel I’ve made a connection that meant something to both of us.
So what’s with the Brand Posers?
Yeah, I know, kind of negative, but I have to call ‘em for what they are. I’m talking about the people that stand up and preach brand and personal connections and engagement, but carry themselves in a way that is quite the opposite. They POSE. And they suck.
I take branding personally. I am, after all, The Brand Chef. So when I am inspired by a speaker from my industry (or out of for that matter), I have the passion to pursue engagement and connection at ANY level possible. When this happens, it’s electric. Not just for me, but for my work, my career and my own brand advocates. And I’d hope that for the speaker, the brand I have subscribed to, feels a bit of that spark as well.
So, on the negative, when the correlation of brand “performance” to brand engagement is SO far off, it makes me… well, write posts like this. Because, if I hadn’t had a disappointing experience with a “Brand Poser,” I wouldn’t be relegated to vent. I wouldn’t be forced to wave my blogging fists in the air. I wouldn’t have felt dismissed, disappointed and trivialized.
Being TRULY ENGAGING takes more than a handshake and a kiss in the air by my cheek.
For every clammy palm you have to press and for every Polaroid you have to fake, there is going to be 1000 more that you’ll miss. And THOSE are the misses that matter. The misses with the people that count, the misses with the people who care, the CONNECTIONS with your brand advocates is what will get you where you want to go. So at least make an effort.
Your accolades, your book and the Armani suit have NOTHING to do with your brand.
So as your brand advocate, I offer this miniscule seed of advice, “Pay attention to those that you look down upon, because they, like you, are climbing the same hill… And years from now, they just might know how to spit further than you.”
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!
I’ve had the honor of hearing and seeing some very good keynote speakers throughout my career. Some have left me with tears in my eyes or a fire in my heart while others… have… well… just left me.
