There it stands before you – a big eyesore. It’s weathered and showing it’s age. Your neighbors scowl and roll their eyes as they drive by. Time and the environment have dilapidated the exterior, showing flakes and deep veins of coarse texture. But the foundation and supports within are thick, stable and as strong as the day your grandfather built it.

As you look at it you see more than a dusty, old building. You see a lifetime of sweat equity. It’s not just a barn, it’s part of your life. From a simple point of view, it provided shade on hot, Summer days. But in perspective, it created a focal point for your entire existence. It sheltered livestock and equipment. It kept dry the seed and fertilizer for the upcoming planting seasons. It was a playground for you and your family. But through the memories, through the anxiety of change, you realize… it’s time.

So, with your hand on you son’s shoulder, just as your father did with you, you say, “Well, boy, it’s time to paint the barn.” He looks up at you not realizing this is HIS time.  Time to take the first step into his own destiny.

How do you think you, the farmer, would continue that conversation? Do you picture handing the boy a big bucket of red paint (’cause all barns are supposed to be red, you know) and yelling “HAVE AT KIDDO!” I’m sure the boy would have loved that! Ker-SPLASH! Or do you think “the farmer” would have knelt down beside the boy and explained the need for planning and preparation?

It’s a story that we hear almost on a daily basis (especially those of us in the Midwest). The passing of the torch. The changing of the guard. It’s called succession. Succession is the road map that the above farmer’s family has lived on for generations. While this story talks of a farmer and the “family business,” it applies perfectly to any business looking for success and longevity. It’s imperative when it comes to planning for business and development. It’s imperative to remember when branding.

It’s all about PLANNING for the future.

So, what happened with the boy and the farmer?

Of course, as the boy rolled his eyes, the farmer told him about preparing the surface of the walls for painting. He told him about removing aged paint and sanding the rough spots. He told him about pulling old nails and replacing boards that were too weathered.

He explained to the boy that protecting the barn was one of the most important jobs on the farm, for the barn provided the shelter and a starting point for virtually everything that took place around them. And he told him that his father taught him these things, just as his grandfather had done. And some day, the boy would pass the same advice and values on to his children.

When the farmer was done talking, they both stood there surveying the barn. It was huge. It was going to be a lot of work to paint this barn. It would take days, if not weeks for the two of them to get the barn back to it’s original glory. Intimidating. Tiring. Frightening.

Soon, the boy looked up at the farmer and said, “Dad, why don’t we just rip it down and sell the scrap to craft shops and mills at 170% more than your original purchase price? Then we can parcel off the land to out-of-state commercial developers for $3,500 an acre making you and mom millionaires! That way, I could go off and live on a beach with my gorgeous, yet vapid trophy wife…”

Sigh.

How does your company plan for the future? Are you looking for growth, sustainability and generations of pride and quality? Or are you looking for a quick buck and an escape to an “easier” life with little effort or accountability?

Food for thought.

Keep Cooking (for a future worthy of your children)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

It was never my intention to make this a post on The Brand Chef.  A sudden turn of events made me reconsider.

A friend – no, really, a guy I’ve met a handful of times – died yesterday. While driving to see his mother in a rural area of Iowa, he had a heart attack and crashed his car.

I always admired Ray. From what I could tell, he was a good man. He was infectious and passionate. He spent true, quality-time with his family. He gave back to his community – so much so that they elected him Mayor. He raised what I consider to be great children (My daughter goes to school with his daughter, and his son is a leader in professional football).  But, with all his goodness, all that generosity yet to give, God decided it was Ray’s time to leave.

I’m shocked and saddened.

So, this is how I choose to deal with the passing of someone I’d wished was a closer friend. This is how I choose to deal with my own mortality.

---

I wrote this Thursday night, before Ray’s death, but with the intention to give to my father. I never did.

Stand Proud

Stand proud my father. Stand proud.
Bring the past with you – leave it at the door,
For, with me, the past has gone.

Step up and walk with me, father. Walk.
Ease your mind. Soften your brow.
Breathe easy and talk.

Keep your eyes high, father. Look ahead.
Raise your thoughts, your gaze your spirit,
For your work is done and done.

Take my hand, father – hold tight.
Let me guide you,
As father and son like when we were young.

Stand proud my father. Stand proud.
Bring our past with you – for all to see.
For from here, we start again. We start anew.

I’m going to read it to him tonight.

There are lessons here, but I’ll let you figure them out this time.

Keep Cooking! (to strengthen connections to those that matter)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Ray, you’ll be missed.

2/2/10 – I didn’t call my dad and read the poem to him.  I chickened out.  But this morning, I emailed him this link.  At least the door has been opened.

Before you delete that “junk mail,” you may want to reconsider…  And here’s why…

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t get a lot of email through my Studio 24 site. I rarely look at it and it’s grossly out-of-date. When I do get email from there, it’s usually SPAM.  So, out of habit, I hit “delete” – without even reading!

REALLY BAD IDEA…

Recently, I almost messed up a HUGE opportunity for the Brand Chef blog to be included in some pretty heavy company.  It was a simple oversight, but looking back on it, I realize what a monstrous gaffe it would have been.

***

On a quiet Sunday morning, over a bowl of Grape Nuts and a cup of coffee, I decided to weed out my in-box – after over a MONTH of negligence…

You know how it goes…  Facebook notice…  delete… delete…  Twitter…  delete…delete…delete…  SEO Guarantee…  delete…delete… I was in a pretty good groove!  “Special” offer…  delete… delete… “Need a Date?”…delete… delete…

and then…  BrandManagement.com… de-HUH?… I had to pause.

I read it again. “A Message from BrandManagement.com”

Edward Mance, Co-founder and CEO of BrandManagement.com sent me an email.  Odd. But odd because of the long path his message took…

Edward found me through my old blogspot blog, and subsequently through the form on the Studio 24 web site.  This simple fact shows that he made a concerted effort to contact me.

With the push of a button, the story could have ended there. But it didn’t.

As I opened the email and read, my jaw about hit the counter (thank God it didn’t, my mouth was full of partially chewed Grape Nuts)…  Brandmanagement.com was being launched in late May, and according to Mr. Mance,

” …a significant element of the site will be comprised of leading thought writers’ most current, daily/weekly works.“

And he continued on to say,

“In short, we love the blog entries on your site, and we would love to republish those entries on the BrandManagement.com site as they become available on your site…”

Wait a minute… Me? I had to read it two more times and once to my wife, just to clarify who it was really addressed to…  Not only was I honored, but I was astounded that someone else (besides me) thought I had something of value to say.

As I reviewed the site, I realized that Mr. Mance was including The Brand Chef in a pretty darn respectable group of branding consultants, professionals from advertising agencies, the marketing communications field and respected commentators and branding advocates – people that I’ve read and respected for years – Oliver Blanchard, Anna Farmery, Tom Fishburne,  Katie Konrath, Laura Ries,  Dan Schawbel, and Chris Wilson just to name a few!  Go here to see a full list.

I immediately gave Edward my contact information, my RSS feed and anything else he asked for (could have asked for my first-born son, I would have considered it).  And, low-and-behold, the site was launched, on schedule, and there I was, right next to some of the biggest names in branding commentary and blogging.

What’s my return?  Self respect.  And click-through traffic has jumped a bit, but the sheer fact that I was included is return enough for me (honestly).

So, as a direct message to Edward Mance, Thank you!

My lesson learned from this?  Be careful what you delete from your inbox, because opportunity may be knocking – albeit quietly.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

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…

Until next time…

Keep Cooking
Andrew B. Clark
–The Brand Chef

I ran by an article this morning on Law.com (no idea how I got there). In it, I was intrigued by the dichotomy that law students or law grads have struggled with forever – Law can be a VERY profitable career, BUT it’s frowned upon to aggressively market your services.

Doctors market themselves with very little push back. Accountants and credit counselors market themselves (especially these days). So why, if lawyers market themselves, do they come off as ambulance chasers or some kind of smarmy worms in Brooks Brothers’ suits?

Shai Littlejohn, from The National Law Journal outlines a simple solution,

“…Although you may be able to do anything with a law degree, a law degree and solid experience alone will not do it for you. For those young attorneys who dream of becoming top lawyers, the key is to be three parts lawyer and one part marketing agent.”

She continues with,

“Through expertise, involvement and shared values, top lawyers continuously cultivate reputable self-brands. It’s the essence of those brands that separates top attorneys from colleagues destined for repeated lateral moves or career stagnation.“

Using personal branding (for recent grads) and professional branding (for established careers and firms) to build a “reputation” that becomes marketable for growth — what a novel idea…

Throughout the article, while including networking, charitable involvement, and family activities, Littlejohn continues to support branding in the legal profession to benefit and advance careers and service to clients.

It makes perfect sense. In these times of exploding growth in social media networking, aggressive advertising and promotion by virtually every industry on the planet; lawyers need the same skills to build a brand that will be beneficial to their careers as well as benefit the service they can provide to their clients – without the concern for guilt or stigma of impropriety.

Hmmm. Sounds like a recipe for success to me.

Let’s cook up some conversation… I’d love to get your input. Do you know a lawyer that utilizes personal or professional branding to enhance their exposure and growth? Do you think lawyers that aggressively market their brand come off smarmy or cheap?

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
– The Brand Chef