The Affordable Branding Blog

Why Branding Matters to You

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:55:26 -0400

Did you know that an average supermarket has 40,000 SKUs? Now for the shocker: an average family gets 80 to 85 percent of its needs from only 150 SKUs. That means there’s a good chance you’ll ignore 39,850 items in that store.
While your business is likely NOT a grocery store, the principles are the same. There is an explosion of choice out there in your community, on the web, and in your marketplace, and you need a business brand that will: • Deliver your message clearly • Confirm your credibility • Connect you to your target market emotionally • Motivate the buyer • Cement user loyalty And the best way to build a powerful brand is to make it RADICAL! More here:

14 Questions to Ask Before Embarking on a Rebrand

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:44:00 -0400

A logo change--or even a complete rebranding--is a fact of business life. Businesses need to remain relevant, authentic, and differentiated in the minds of their target audiences. Sometimes that means building a new foundation on which to base your strategy.
Ask these 14 questions before taking any steps toward rebranding. 1. Why are we considering a rebrand? 2. What paint point are we attempting to relieve? 3. Are our competitors gaining new footholds? 4. Have our customers fundamentally changed? 5. Are generational differences changing our relevance? 6. Is our business pigeonholed in a way that no longer matters? 7. Does our brand tell the wrong (or no-longer-relevant) story? 8. Are we as relevant as we once were? Does anyone care about our offerings? 9. Have we determined exactly WHO is our target audience; our brand lovers? 10. Is our business connected to a value proposition associated that is no longer meaningful? 11. Are all our communications in alignment with our dominant selling idea; our unique sales proposition? 12. Is our brand differentiated and positioned AGAINST the competition? 13. Do we have a brand champion; a cheerleader—like our CEO—who can lead us into the brand battle against our competitors? 14. If we were launching this business today, would our current value proposition and brand essence be the solution we arrive at?

Learn from These 4 Branding Blunders

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:34:41 -0400

Ironclad rule: Luxury doesn't take the bus, or in this case, luxury doesn't drive a Kia. It's not that Kia is a bad brand; on the contrary, Kia is a true success story from Hyundai--a low-market, entry-level auto brand with impressive styling cues and value pricing. Remember the failed Volkswagen Phaeton? The VW with the $60,000 price tag? VW spent a fortune bringing the upscale Phaeton to market and reviewers LOVED the vehicle. But it turns out (no surprise) that putting a big VW emblem on the grill turned the Phaeton into something nobody wanted. You can't brag about a $60,000 "bug". Now Kia seems to be heading down that same dead end road. Lesson: Don’t change branding horses in the middle of the race. The Shack: When Radio Shack tried to reinvent itself to be hip and relevant by laying a new nickname on themselves, “The Shack,” authenticity flew out the window. Radio Shack should embrace the geeks who brought them to the party. Not surprisingly, the retailer continues to struggle. Oh, and their association with Lance Armstrong isn’t helping much either. As Warren Buffet said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Lesson: Be who you really are today, so that tomorrow you don't have to remember who you were yesterday.
I saw this news item recently, and I just couldn't believe my eyes: In the past few months, Bud Light has launched higher-alcohol Bud Light Platinum, killed Bud Light Golden Wheat and debuted Bud Light Lime "Lime-A-Rita," a margarita-flavored malt beverage in a can. Lesson: Budweiser has been down this brand road in the past and these line extensions are diluting what Bud stands for. What is “a Bud”? Apparently, now it’s just some form of alcohol-based liquid. Ya know, when you know very clearly what something is not, it means you also know very clearly what it is. So when I saw a story about a Lambourghini with four seats, I about went through the sunroof. I mean, imagine a Harley without the noise, or a low-end Gucci bag from Walmart. It does not compute. A Lambourghini is the ultimate high-performance sports car, not a grocery-getter. And it never will be. Lesson: Branding is about standing for “one thing” to the marketplace.

When Rebranding is Done Right

Sat, 9 Mar 2013 11:08:30 -0500

One of the most common criticisms of rebranding (and in this case, I’m focusing on the corporate identity—or logo redesign—aspect of rebranding) is that it isn’t necessary. Founders and loyal customers alike often become wedded to the original mark and wonder why a change is necessary at all. But in most cases, a logo becomes dated, irrelevant, and tired with time and use (and misuse). Some notable examples of timeless logos are Coca-Cola’s iconic script or the Ford Motor Company signature, both of which have gone through evolutions over the decades, but still maintain their original integrity and intent. Which brings me to White Knight Laundry Services. White Knight offers domestic laundry services, serving businesses like hotels, restaurants, and healthcare, as well as individual households throughout the South and Southeast of England. They also hold a Royal Warrant, meaning they are cleared to serve the royal family’s laundry needs.
The redesign speaks for itself. What a dramatic improvement. While I could wax on about the lameness of the original logo, I would rather admire the excellence of the new mark. From the royal purple background to the photographic treatment of the mark itself, the before-and-after is a testament to the power and validity of rebranding when done right. The primary words in the name—White, Knight, and Laundry—are all elegantly captured and reinforced by the simple visual of the pressed and gleaming linens creating the armor helmet. Simple, memorable, and stands by itself even without the wordmark portion of the logo. I look at a lot of redesigns, and in my book, this one is a real winner. For more on logo design theory, click on the link below.

“Let’s Be World Famous!”

Sat, 2 Mar 2013 11:30:10 -0500

Creating an on-purpose brand Any business—regardless of size, singular location, or glamorousness—can become remarkable. Here’s an example: the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington. How can an entity like a humble local fish market—just several hundred square feet in size—become world famous? According to one of the founders, they just decided to.
Years ago, John Yokoyama, the owner of Pike Place Fish, a retail fish market in Seattle’s historic Farmer’s Market, was struggling. In fact, his business was at a crisis point. So John contacted Jim Bergquist, founder of BizFutures Consulting Company, for advice. To begin this process, they created three powerful intentions: • To show other business leaders what becomes possible when they are willing to commit themselves to empowering their employees. • To demonstrate what happens when you create a mighty purpose for your organization that includes prosperity and success as obvious by-products for every employee. • To let people see the actual possibility of intentionally creating the future through a process that makes a difference in the quality of life for all people. Yokoyama recalls: “In one of our early Pike Place Fish meetings with BizFutures, we asked, ‘Who do we want to be?’ One of the young kids working for me said, ‘Hey! Let’s be world famous!’ I thought, ‘World famous? What a stupid thing to say!’ But the more we talked about it, the more we became excited about being world famous. So we printed ‘World Famous’ on our boxes.” After a while, the team asked, “What does being world famous mean?” And the fishmongers created their own definition. It means going beyond just providing outstanding service to people. It means really being present with people and relating to them as human beings. You know, stepping outside the usual “we’re-in-business-and-you’re-a-customer” way of relating to people and intentionally being with them right now, in the present moment, person to person. The team made a commitment to have their customers leave with the experience of having been served. They set out to discover how they can make a customers’ day—every day. Yokoyama reports, “Customers experience being known and appreciated whether they buy fish or not. And it’s not good enough just to want that—it takes an unrelenting commitment. We’ve made it our job to make sure that experience happens for every customer.” And what do you know? Pike Place Fish Market really is world famous!

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Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:28:40 -0500

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How Anheuser-Busch Takes Both My “Best Spot” and “Worst Spot” of the 2013 Super Bowl

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 14:40:51 -0500

Let’s state the obvious right up front: At $3.8 million per 30-seconds of airtime during one of the year’s top-viewed television events, advertisers really need to get their money’s worth from a Super Bowl commercial. Anheuser-Busch (InBev) managed to garner my personal best AND worst for 2013. But first, let’s talk about the importance of memorability. Twenty years ago, a Super Bowl commercial featuring basketball legends Michael Jordon and Larry Byrd (“Nothing But Net”), aired and to this day, many consider it one of the best examples of Big-Game-Day advertising. When I read that, I distinctly remembered the spot (and I could picture the playful tit-for-tat of the two greats), but I could NOT recall the advertiser. (It was McDonalds, by the way.) Which brings me to what I thought was the worst commercial of Super Bowl XLVII. While there were some dogs, I take issue with the Budweiser strategy of yet another line extension: Budweiser Black Crown. They offered no reason to consider this new brew except that it comes in a black bottle. Did they learn nothing from Budweiser Platinum? The guy at the end says, "Here's to taste. Here's to our kind of beer.” Does that mean other Budweiser beers have no taste and are NOT our kind of beer? Thoroughly confusing, unremarkable, and further muddies the Bud platform.
My best commercial pick? Budweiser’s Clydesdale spot, dubbed “Brotherhood”. Sure, it tugged at heartstrings, had a perfect accompanying song, and was shot beautifully. But that’s not why it was the best in my estimation. The Clydesdales are an iconic visual hammer (as brand expert and author Laura Ries would describe it) and reminds us that Budweiser IS the King of Beers (a great verbal nail to drive home the reason that I would consider Bud). Bud has always been positioned as a great American brew, and the patriotism and the strength of the Clydesdale image informs me of that without any overt flag-waving. Adweek says, “Budweiser hasn't had a commercial this good—or this popular—on the Super Bowl in years. The story of a Clydesdale foal and its breeder, separated early on and reunited years later, is by far the most shared ad of the 2013 Super Bowl, and for good reason. A great, simple story wonderfully told.” Finally—and unlike the McDonald’s example offered earlier—it’s impossible to remember the Clydesdale commercial without also remembering that this is a Budweiser spot. And that’s why—when people buzz for the next few weeks about Super Bowl commercials—they won’t be able to mention Clydesdales without also thinking about the King of Beers wagon that the workhorses are pulling. If you haven’t seen the commercial, do yourself a favor and grab some tissues and click on the link below.

Rebranding in the Age of Social Media

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:50:11 -0500

Social media, and the ability to virtually voice your opinion (warranted or not) is making branding agencies, and the companies that hire them, the targets of much recent vitriol. The outcry was so loud—and well organized through social channels—that the University of California recently reversed their rebrand when stakeholders (and ordinary folks who suddenly became interested in corporate identity design and brand standards) rebelled. But regardless of the social backlash at highly-visible redesigns, rebranding is the right solution when your existing brand no longer aligns with the organization's business strategy, goals, and priorities. Or, your existing brand perception, message, and image are outdated and no longer reflect the company’s current standing in the marketplace. This was certainly the case when American Airlines announced its rebrand last week.
The social interwebs sprung into action as loyal passengers, industry pundits, and yes, even those who have never flown commercially in their lives—but who have a Twitter account—played Monday morning quarterback. But at the end of the day, a logo is just shorthand for X (X being the attributes people associate with a brand). So whether you’re a lover or a hater of the new American logo, without a new X, or reality, it's just a meaningless image. And while the character of a logo itself does imply something of the character of a brand, that’s less true of a brand which is already saddled with so much negative baggage (including American currently being in bankruptcy). That said, most brands require a reboot of their look from time to time if only to remain contemporary. And that seems to be what American Airlines has done here. For more on logo design principles, click the link below.

Worst Brand Extension of 2012?

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 20:13:43 -0500

Adweek is doing some polling amongst its readers asking the question: “Which marketers pushed their products to new frontiers—and which ones pushed things too far?” According to brand-extension agency Parham Santana, “A successful brand extension is a logical fit with the parent brand and uses that name to competitive advantage. It also broadens the consumer’s perception of what the parent brand can represent and—of course—it produces sales.” I have a more direct way: The “noun test” Before you extend your brand into new territory (this does not include colors, flavors, or incremental movements within your area of expertise and dominant selling arena), do the noun test. Here’s how it works: Since a brand can only stand for one thing in the mind of your supporters or prospects, determine what that one thing is—your noun—and make sure your new product, program, offering, or initiative WORKS with that noun. [Brand] is a [Noun]. Here is an example: [Zippo] is a [lighter].
If Zippo is a lighter, than how can Zippo also be a woman’s fragrance? Yes, it’s true. Zippo released Zippo for Women. Have you ever smelled lighter fluid? What other flammable thoughts pop into your mind when you think of a Zippo-branded fragrance? This was my vote for the worst brand extension of 2012. What’s next? Zippo baby food? Zippo energy drink? Just because your packaging is distinctive and iconic, doesn’t mean you should put perfume—or anything else—in it. Besides. It totally fails the noun test. More on creating successful brand extensions at the link.

Differentiating By Daypart

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:49:35 -0500

We’re all familiar with NyQuil and its daytime counterpart, DayQuil. What a great way to stand out in the crowded over-the-counter cold remedy market: differentiating by daypart. While it’s not easy to find other examples of this method of differentiation, here are a few more: Aviara, a nutrition company based out of San Diego, California, offers an AM morning health drink and a PM evening health drink. And Life NK has Jump Start Bath & Shower Gel to start your day, and Ultimate Unwind for evening time showering. Now there’s a restaurant concept taking hold in Denver and destined to spread around the country. Tom’s Urban 24 uses an “always open” concept as a way to stand out and be different than other restaurants. No, Tom’s Urban 24 isn’t the first eatery to be open 24/7, but expressing the brand promise through their name will likely help Tom’s to build buzz and generate word of mouth notoriety.
From their website: Destined to become an iconic downtown Denver landmark, Tom’s Urban 24 is the only place on Larimer Square where you can get hand-crafted comfort food with an urban twist-whenever you want. Sourced with over 30 Colorado food companies and produce farmers, Tom’s Urban 24 offers the best of everything – breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night, epic cocktails, comfort food and good company. I predict Tom’s Urban 24 will do well. Differentiation is a great place to start. More on differentiation at the link.

Introducing a New Logo: Perils and Pitfalls

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:02:36 -0500

When the University of California unveiled its new logo and identity system recently, their stakeholder audiences literally rebelled.
At the center of the controversy: a Facebook page and petition that received 50,000 signatures in just a few days, forcing the University to retract their new mark under increasing pressure. My associate, Scott, offered this perspective on the debacle: I think this is a legitimate concern in the era of social media. Any time you put something out there for stakeholders to comment on, they can't help but play designer/copywriter and make endless uninformed comments. And now that social media has made everyone a stakeholder with a voice, you're going to get the same reaction: endless numbers of people making endlessly stupid comments. Granted, these are the brand's students, alumni, donors, etc., so their perceptions DO matter. Which means any rebranding activity (particularly something as tangible as a logo) is at risk of sparking this negative human tendency to play the critic and cast self-righteous judgment. Just look at recent design changes from Gap, JCPenny, and Tropicana. Were they really as terrible as the public blew them up to be? Probably not. But it doesn't matter. If the public perceives the rebrand as a big deal, then that's the reality. And this is the lesson marketers will need to take away from it all. At the link is a good foundational article on considerations for a logo refresh.

Yes Virginia, There Are Riches in Niches

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 16:02:26 -0500

Think of niching as slicing your market vertically. There are many ways you can focus your offerings. Here are just a few ways you can niche your business. Geography. A bottled water brand called Fred started by focusing only on a few hip boroughs of New York. Income level. Hundreds of luxury brands from Lexus to Rolex to Neiman-Marcus take this approach. Gender. DanActive yogurt is aimed specifically at women. DMA (Demographic Market Area). Curves became a business phenom when it focused on small towns. Price point. Walmart focuses on low prices while Williams-Sonoma is happy to take the other end of the scale. Sales channel. Publisher’s Clearinghouse made a fortune by focusing exclusively on selling magazine subscriptions through direct mail channels. Distribution model. Think of Dell computers originally selling direct, or Gevalia coffee selling exclusively through continuity programs. Audience-driven offering. Think about something as simple as vegan pizza, focused on the narrow need of a specific audience. Age. Consider all the products, for instance, that are targeted at the aging population, from the Clapper to Medic Alert services, and even a online dating service called Our Time. I could go on, but you get the idea. Niching is where it’s at, no matter how you slice it!

Standing for a Singular Idea, Then Proving It

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 09:17:16 -0500

The best way into a consumer’s mind is to stand for something relevant, authentic, and different from the competition. From Why Johnny Can’t Brand (a great book, BTW): “Branding is about finding a specific IDEA that you stand for, finding a way to own that idea in a credible way and ultimately building total trust that you will always deliver.” Let’s see that principle in action.
Bosch windshield wiper blades
The singular idea: Extreme weather wiper blades
Idea ownership: Backed with the latest in design and technology, Bosch can own the idea of extreme weather blades because they innovate using beam technology, dual rubber process, Quiet-Glide™ and a micro-finish wiping edge.
The proof: To demonstrate their extreme weather promise, Bosch enlisted professional storm chasers as expert endorsers, making a linkage from product to performance. How can your business stand for a singular idea...and then prove it? It’s a winning formula for branding success. More about your “one thing” at the link.

LG: Bringing Initials to Life

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:17:45 -0500

Naming with initials is a slippery slope. Unless you’re a brand that’s been around for a long time and pumped billions into adding meaning to the letters that make up your name (think IBM, BMW, BP, etc.) your prospects and customers will always silently be asking: What does XYZ stand for? And just as BP has morphed in the marketplace from British Petroleum to “Beyond Petroleum” to emphasize its commitment to future fuels (not a name change, just a positioning statement), LG is know by its playful “Life’s Good” tagline.
LG strives to enhance its customer’s life and lifestyle with intelligent product features, intuitive functionality, and exceptional performance. Choosing LG is a form of self-expression and a promise of satisfaction. The company claims that its customers take pride in owning an object of excellence and take comfort in knowing they’ve made a smart, informed purchase, every time. The letters “L” and “G” in a circle symbolize the world, future, youth, humanity, and technology. The company’s philosophy is based on Humanity. Also, it represents LG’s efforts to keep close relationships with our customers around the world. The symbol consists of two elements: the LG logo in LG Grey and the stylized image of a human face in the unique LG Red color. Red, the main color, represents friendliness, and also gives a strong impression of LG’s commitment to deliver the best. Oh, and what does LG REALLY stand for? The little electronics manufacturer that started in 1958 in Korea is “Lucky Goldstar.” Who knew? But more importantly, who cares? Life’s Good. More on naming with initials at the link.

Broken Promises: When the Brand Pledge is Shattered

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 10:29:11 -0400

When I say "Maytag", you say "dependable." Or at least you did. What would you say about Maytag today? Word on the street is that Maytag isn't even Maytag anymore. It was sold or acquired or something. And that’s exactly the problem. To the end-user consumer, it doesn't matter what the corporate history of the brand is--whether it was taken over by Chinese investors or just fell into disrepair. Consumers only care about one thing: your brand promise. Consumers were promised--over the years--that Maytag is a dependable brand. But that’s no longer the case. The promise has been broken.
Dependability was the brand pledge conveyed to us through "Ol' Lonely", the bored-as-dirt Maytag repairman who never had to make a house call to fix a Maytag washer or dryer. Spanning decades--and generations--the lonely repairman persona was our daily reminder that Maytag is a dependable appliance brand. But higher labor costs and complaints over Maytag product quality and service influenced a decline in Maytag sales and profit margins. By 2004, the Maytag repairman character had become to some consumers a symbol of misplaced trust in aging marketing campaigns. As one commentator noted, "Unfortunately things change, and, after some major quality hiccups, now it's the Maytag salesman who is bemoaning his loneliness. Maytag's reputation has plunged to the bottom with costly consumer class action lawsuits and numerous quality complaints." As a partial result of Maytag's quality problems, the company reported a loss of $9 million in 2004, according to Industry Week.

The REAL Reason Your Marketing Results Suck

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:26:35 -0400

Did you know that businesses waste between 30 and 50 billion dollars each year on ineffective marketing? And 90 percent of small business owners say they're dissatisfied with the results from their advertising. Can you relate? How much money are YOU wasting? Would you like to know WHY so much money is squandered on ineffective marketing? Because most small businesses, associations, and entrepreneurs try to MARKET their businesses before they BRAND their businesses. In other words, they're putting the marketing cart before the branding horse.
In my decades of helping businesses get better results from their marketing and communications, the number one problem I find is lack of a brand strategy. Why branding? Because building your marketing and advertising on a solid foundation of brand is the ONLY way you're going to • Attract and retain more customers • Build a better relationship with your best clients • Encourage greater and more loyal support • Establish greater trust, and • Stand out from your competition All small businesses, associations, and entrepreneurs are--or should be--marketing organizations. That is, they generate prospects, customers, supporters, and repeat buyers through various marketing activities to build their business. You know...to make the cash register ring. The problem is, most don’t brand first. Start at the link.

Target vs. Walmart: The New Mac vs. PC?

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 20:57:22 -0400

Brand personas. Even if you don’t believe you have one, you’re likely wrong. Take the necktie. From goofy print ties to Windsor knots to power ties to bow ties, the colored cloth you choose to wear around your neck (or don’t!) can telegraph a lot about your personality. So it is with brands. This e-card nailed it:
There’s a well-trafficked third-party website dedicated “the people of Walmart”, and it’s not complimentary. Sure Walmart is the low-price leader, but it’s known for its “low-end” clientele, which informs its brand persona. Target is often referred to as “Tar-jay” in a faux French way; a nod to Target’s more upscale offerings, shoppers, and, yes, its slightly higher prices than Walmart’s. All brands have personalities. Some are more developed than others. Red Bull is adventurous. Johnson & Johnson is a caregiver. Oil of Olay is a magician. Disney is family fun. What is your brand personality? How does it inform your decision-making? Does it come through in your product or services? How is it expressed in your marketing and communications? More on this topic at the link.

Hey, what's your I.D.?

Sat, 6 Oct 2012 17:11:16 -0400

I saw a commercial the other evening for International Delight, the flavored coffee creamer. The sign-off caught me off guard, though, because the character generation morphed the "What's Your International Delight?" into simply, "What's Your I.D.?"
Now I'll be the first to admit that the full name of the product is long (7 syllables) and I have to assume, by the package design, that the company behind the brand, WhiteWave Foods, was likely hoping consumers would refer to it simply as Delight. Maybe this is just a singular campaign creative execution and the company is not trying to get its customers and brand loyalists to actually adopt the "I.D." shorthand, but the reason that it struck me was, earlier that same day, I received my issue of Associations Now, one of my favorite magazines, published by the American Society of Association Executives. The magazine was sporting an impressive and expansive redesign. In her column, though, the editor kept referring to the magazine as "A.N." Now, the ASAE staff might refer to the publication a A.N. around the water cooler, but I deal with a lot of association executives and I've never heard anyone call the magazine by this meaningless shorthand. When you’ve spent literally billions of dollars building equity into a name with initials, you can begin to get away with it--IBM, AT&T, BMW, BP, AARP, among other obvious examples--because these initial names stand on their own. No one asks what IBM stands for anymore, and even if they did the 1960s-era answer would no longer be relevant. Got initials? Do your customers refer to your business in the shorthand? In their minds, what do your initials really stand for? If your name has an alternate meaning, make sure it’s relevant and believable. Then, use those initials to express your brand essence. Otherwise, BEWARE of using initials. More on business or product naming at the link.

Using an "off-core" gimmick to differentiate

Wed, 3 Oct 2012 18:21:42 -0400

The uniform on a Hooter's waitress has nothing to do with the restaurant's food. And the prize inside Cracker Jacks has nothing to do with the sweet and salty snack. These are "off-core" differentiators, or gimmicks, if you will. But gimmicks can work to make your business stand out from the competition, get people to take notice, and build buzz. Case in point… A woman I work with has some friends in a band called The Gusto, a pop punk group playing mostly original music and some covers. They are, by her account, excellent musicians with a following. They were appreciated, but couldn’t get “noticed”. They struggled to score a recording deal.They had a tough time getting into festivals to play in front of big crowds, even when they offered to play for free for the exposure.
One day, on a whim, the band members dressed in different colored ski masks and matching shoes and called themselves the Masked Intruders. Bam! Within one year they landed a record deal and have had already been on International tours. Oh, and that Florida music festival they were trying to get into? They were INVITED to play. An off-core differentiator is an attribute not intrinsic to the category. The colored masks and shoes didn't make they guys better musicians. But it did get them noticed.

Brand Dracula: Branding Lessons From the Undead

Tue, 2 Oct 2012 19:47:24 -0400

New Affordable Branding e-newsletter is here! "Brand Dracula: Branding Lessons From the Undead" Access it at the link...

Work Out So Hard You'll Vomit

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 09:31:40 -0400

So P90X has been around for a while now, which is a credit to its success. In fact, according to Response magazine, it's one of the top running infomercials and the most successful in that genre in some time. But it wasn't until I heard a radio commercial for it yesterday that I gave it much thought. While the health & fitness infomercial market has been dominated by "quick, easy ways" to lose weight and get in shape, P90X did the exact opposite. In fact they go to the opposite extreme by billing themselves as "the most extreme home fitness workout" on the market. Ries' Law of Attributes states: For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute (similar to the Law of the Opposite). Search for an attribute that allows you to play off the leader while maintaining relevance with your target market. If the most important attribute is taken, choose the opposite or the next most important one.

Icelandic Water Rebrands

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 09:25:40 -0400

When you're the world’s first certified CarbonNeutral® natural springbottled water, do you rest on your boring packaging laurels? Nope. You celebrate your difference, showcase your unique geography, and roll out a new look and feel. That's what Icelandic recently did, and with great success. They also developed a new tagline, "Source of an Epic Life" which transcends the commodity nature of bottled water. The design firm, Team One, conducted research to identify how Icelandic Glacial could better separate itself from the competition in the water aisle as well as understand consumer perception of Iceland. The findings indicated an opportunity to leverage the culture, beauty, and natural resources of Iceland, along with the purity of the famed Olfus spring, to make Icelandic Glacial more distinctive from other premium waters. More about Icelandic Glacial at the link.

Expressing Your Whole Product Portfolio in Four Words

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:18:50 -0400

The Finland-based company, Kone, works globally to engineer, install, and maintain (deep breath)… escalators, elevators, moving walkways, automated doorways, innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance, and more. But they’ve managed to express their value and offerings in a simple, elegant, and almost visual way: ”Dedicated to People Flow”. I get that. In my mind’s eye, I see throngs of people moving effortlessly and quickly (flowing, if you will) through urban environments, airports, tall office buildings, and shopping malls. While the name of the corporation is not very memorable (I had to search for them based on tagline after seeing a maintenance truck once) and their logo is boring and uninspired, the Kone tagline almost makes up for the other weaknesses of their trade dress. Those four words also sum up their corporate objective: ”...to offer the best People Flow™ experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings...” The ”People Flow” company. I like that. They even trademarked the term. It reminds me of the apocryphal story of the demise of the railroad industry (as it once was, when it dominated the nation and made many famous millionaires). As the story goes, the railroad tycoons of the day did not want to face up to the realization that other modes of transportation were becoming more readily available, moved faster, and often more cheaply. ”But we’re in the railroad industry!”, they blustered. What they failed to realize was that they were actually in the ”moving people and freight industry,” and in order to remain competitive, they would need to embrace that larger thought and evolve with the times and the technology. Kone is not in the elevator and escalator business. Who knows if those now-common conveyances will someday be outmoded. They are in the People Flow business. And people will always need to flow. As former P&G global marketing officer, Jim Stengal, puts it, "A brand ideal is a shared intent by everyone in a business to improve people's lives. The ability to leverage this ideal is what separates great business leaders from good, bad, or indifferent ones. A brand ideal is a business's essential reason for being, the higher-order benefit it brings to the world." More on developing effective taglines at the link.

Absolut Hammer

Tue, 4 Sep 2012 13:10:45 -0400

Gotta love the consistency of Absolut vodka marketing. Because their "visual hammer" (as author Laura Ries describes it) of their distinctively shaped bottle, Absolut continues to be a top-selling brand in a crowded and uber-competitive premium vodka space. But their latest campaign continues to elevate their visual hammer--which has always been positioned as a "work of art"--into a bona fide collectible. This visual approach to marketing is exactly what Ries describes in her book, Visual Hammer, saying that, "For decades, marketing has been dominated by a verbal approach. Marketing plans, marketing slogans, marketing messages are all word-oriented with visuals used mostly for 'decoration' purposes. Visual Hammer is the first book to document the superiority of a visual approach to marketing." More about how Absolut is making scarcity and collectibility selling points at the link.

Branding and the Power of Choice

Sat, 1 Sep 2012 18:46:45 -0400

Good branding gives people irresistible reasons to work with you. When your business engenders trust, people decide to do business with you. They will CHOOSE to work with YOU if you have a strong and compelling point of differentiation. This became clear when I was looking for some kitchen and bath remodeling. Yes, watching HGTV won my wife over to spending some money on updating our home. When I began searching for local remodeler, I ran into a few online and found it difficult to understand why I would do business with them. Here’s what I mean: Impact Remodeling
Quality You Can See! Old School Builds
Committed To Quality Work & Service Townsends Builders
You'll Love Our Work Guaranteed! Now there’s nothing really wrong with any of these businesses based on name and tagline alone (although I would advise them not to use the word “quality” in their name or slogan since it has become a meaningless word—a point of parity or something expected—at best). But then I came across a company called Three-Day Kitchen and Bath. Wow. The brand promise is baked right into the name. They’ll be in and out of our home—and we can get back to normal—in only three days! For people looking for remodeling help, “speed” would seem to be a meaningful and relevant point of differentiation. By seeing the name alone, I intuitively understood their value proposition and they’ve given me a reason to look more closely. But it gets better. Right on the side of their truck (which is how I became aware of Three-Day Kitchen and Bath) it said: “We’ll put you up at the Marriott while we remodel your kitchen and bath.” Hey, cool! A mini vacation with my wife and we won’t be in the builders’ hair. Choice made! To succeed at branding, you must understand the needs and wants of your target audience. A strong brand is invaluable as the marketplace gets crowded with not only competitors, but those solutions your target audience BELIEVE are alternatives. In this case, one alternative was to attempt the remodel as a do-it-yourself project. But because of the compelling value I saw in Three-Day, I was able to identify with their brand, their value, and their difference and choose them over the dozens of options presented to me in a local internet search.

Rebranding a City

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:28:40 -0400

The Smithsonian blog has an instructive piece about how to brand a city. Since a brand is something that lives in your head--a promise that links a product or service to a consumer--brands are mental associations that get stirred up when you think about or hear about a particular car or camera, watch, pair of jeans, bank, beverage, or even a country, like Amsterdam. Read it here...

Branding Lessons from the First Man on the Moon

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:40:37 -0400

Being first in the consumer’s mind is one of the surest strategies to brand success. Who was the second man to fly solo across the Atlantic? Only hardcore aviation geeks know it was Burt Hinkler, but everyone knows the name Charles Lindbergh—even though he achieved his impressive feat way back in 1927—because “Lucky Lindy” was the FIRST! So it is with branding. Coca-Cola was the first cola, now it’s one of the world’s most valuable brands. The first hamburger chain? McDonalds, now the largest fast-food company. Nescafe is the world’s largest-selling coffee, and it’s no surprise that it was the first instant coffee. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, and he’s the person that almost everyone still thinks of when they think “astronaut.” Who knows if Armstrong was the best astronaut. What we DO know, however, was that he was first. You don’t build a winning brand by being better than the competition; you build a successful brand by being first in a new category—and then first into the consumer’s mind. Ira Kalb, professor of marketing at USC, writes, "Why was he given so much of the credit? Brand marketers will tell you that it was because of one of the most powerful forces in branding—being first to a new position. Neil Armstrong was the first to walk on the moon. He was also the first human to take a step on any physical world beyond the Earth.”

Microsoft Logo Tweak: Spot On

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 09:11:18 -0400

Emotionless and boring. Yup, they nailed it. The first new logo design in 25 years for the world’s largest software company was recently unveiled and all I could do was yawn. A good logo will convey a sense of emotion and personality. But the Microsoft brand is anything but warm and fuzzy. So the colored boxes—which are nothing more than a riff on the existing Windows logo—and the gray, institutionalized typography allows us a visual peek inside the technology behemoth. And we’re not surprised by what we see. Dreary. Detached. Dead on. Read about why it’s important that your logo is an accurate representation of your marketplace positioning, personality, and mission at the link.

Building a Brand That’s NOT For Everybody

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 09:07:49 -0400

Here’s a simply, but recognizable example of getting customers by excluding non-prospects: The U.S. Marine Corps: “We’re looking for a few good men.” The Marines has been using that tagline or sign-off for more than two centuries. It began in 1779 when Capt. William Jones advertised for a "few good men" to enlist in the Corps, thinking that would be all that was needed. It then became a challenge or a dare to young men back then--and continues to be even today--to see if they believe they are one of the “few good men” (or women) the Marines are looking for. What that simple tagline also says, however, is “Don’t bother to enlist if you’re don’t have the stuff to be a Marine. We’re special; set apart; not for everyone.” The Marine Corps still does that today with its tagline: “The Few, The Proud.” They’re not for everyone, and that’s okay! When brands target specific markets (the affluent, for example), they’re often saying, “We’re not for everyone”. That’s why I love the approach taken by the Canadian magazine, The Walrus, a smart, distinctly Canadian general interest magazine that claims to be thoughtful and intelligent and, well, not for everyone.
Their ad headlines proclaim: “It’s Probably Not For You”, and “Most People Don’t Get It”. But here’s the thing: That’s also a challenge. Often when people are challenged, their inner dialogue says, “I’m intelligent. I qualify. I would get it!” Many people actually aspire to be one of “the few”. They don’t want to be left out. Is yours an aspirational brand? Can the “here’s who we DON’T want for customers” approach work for you? It’s a powerful tool to build a brand that’s not for everyone. More on targeting your core market at the link.

10 Tips for Designing Logos that Don't Suck

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 18:41:58 -0400

A fun and informative post from Design Shack. What I like about it is that it doesn't just portray the "usual suspects" as examples (although Apple, the Nike swoosh, and Coca Cola are represented). Still, some great tips that I wholeheartedly endorse. Enjoy!

"You have to spend A LOT to have a GREAT logo," said no one ever.

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:28:31 -0400

Hey, as the Affordable Branding Guy, I'm always on the lookout for businesses and entrepreneurs who do-it-themselves; who find ways to take the off ramp and tackle this brand strategy development thing a little different. That's why this item jumped out at me: From Business insider, I present, "Here's How Much Money The World's Biggest Brands Spent Designing Their Logos". Read more at the link...

The Name's the Thing

Sun, 5 Aug 2012 15:39:29 -0400

When is it time to consider renaming your business? This NY Times piece says, "Big or small, companies always face the challenge of telegraphing a new name in a way that doesn’t alienate loyal customers. Ira Kalb, a marketing professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, said the change shouldn’t 'destroy all the positive brand equity that has been built up over years.'" A few examples are included in the story at the link.

Mike's Law of Brand Strength

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:06:08 -0400

"A brand's strength is relative to the ease of which said brand can be parodied." Yes, I just made that up, but think about it. If someone can make everyday WATER look as if it were designed and manufactured by the most innovative and creative minds in Cupertino, then Apple is doing something right. But then again, we all knew that. The Apple brand is so relevant, authentic, and different, that it can be parodied with ease.

A Study in Remaining Relevant

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:01:06 -0400

At some point, it happens to all companies: The struggle to remain relevant. It happened to mall-centric quick-serve restaurant, Sbarro. But the good new is, the new chief took steps to regain Sbarro's relevance--to make people take another look and once again care about the restaurant. Sbarro rolled out 10 test units showcasing an updated pizza recipe, open-flame ovens, and a made-to-order pasta station, all rolled into the brand’s new motto, “Hands On Italian.” Good luck, Sbarro. I hope you rediscover your relevance in a highly-competitive environment. More on relevancy at the link.

You Can't Fake Authenticity

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 20:32:55 -0400

I am not a football fan, and while I've been following the Penn State fiasco in the news, I can't say that I understand that passionate "Joe Pa" loyalty. So this piece from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught my eye, because it speaks to the principle of authenticity:  While one might argue that all college football is fake (in that it involves a symbiotic relationship between pro ball farm leagues and universities that pretends to be some kind of extension of the academy) Howard Fineman argues that Paterno had it down to an art. "The Penn State football team was a secular holy order, and because they looked so clean -- and because Paterno made sure they graduated -- he was seen as the pope of college football," writes Fineman, who adds that it was all a facade. "And those who knew the story from the inside knew that. The program wasn't clean. Paterno wasn't clean. Penn State wasn't clean. It was a masterpiece of relentless branding, built on a product that wasn't as advertised. It was a fake." More about this important branding principle at the link.

Differentiate by an Unusual Ingredient

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:37:09 -0400

I grew up with Lava soap. There was always a bar of the gritty, pumice soap in our downstairs bathroom. Turns out that Lava has been around since 1893 when coal miners and oil rig workers depended on the power of pumice in Lava to cut through the toughest grease and grime.
What gives a brand like Lava staying power? A relevant and meaningful differentiating factor (pumice), rock-solid adherence to the brand positioning (they never tried to "water down the brand" with meaningless line extensions), and a memorable name with direct linkage to the brand promise. Click the link below to discover dozens of other ways to differentiate your product or business.

A Feel-good Brand Story That's Sweeping the Blogosphere

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:17:26 -0400

Wow, this story is really burning up the ether. In the past three days, I've seen it mentioned in dozens of e-newsletters, blogs, tweets, and more. It's about a student who spent three days re-branding Microsoft. And the reason it's such a readable tale is because 1) this kid didn't just pick his neighborhood coffee shop to re-brand; he took on one of the world's largest and most visible corporations, and 2) he did a PHENOMENAL job. See for yourself. P.S. I don't think young Andrew Kim will have a problem landing a job in branding after school.

Branding Products

Sun, 8 Jul 2012 14:54:15 -0400

Build YOUR Brand YOUR Way with these do-it-yourself branding products from the affordable branding guy…

The Power of the Visual

Sat, 7 Jul 2012 10:14:01 -0400

There's real power in a visual. Not necessarily a logo, but an accompanying "visual hammer" as author and consultant Laura Ries calls it. You know, the watchband of a Rolex, the Absolut bottle, the Stella Artois glass, the polo player on a Ralph Lauren shirt, the Travelers’ red umbrella, Wells Fargo’s stagecoach, Geico’s gecko. You get the idea. The distinctive Jeep grille is another awesome visual hammer, making this minimalist ad a perfect representation of the military heritage of the the rugged Jeep brand. What's YOUR visual hammer?

Why Johnny Can’t Brand

Sat, 7 Jul 2012 08:38:07 -0400

I was prepared not to like Why Johnny Can’t Brand. I went into it with a cynical attitude thinking that it couldn’t possibly offer me anything new that I hadn’t already read somewhere else.

Be a Sword. Not a Broom.

Mon, 2 Jul 2012 21:21:36 -0400

Brand focus is a critical component in building your brand. Strong brands have one big (major) point. Weak brands are a collection of small (minor) points tied together. Build a business that's a sword, not a broom.

DIY R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Brand Manual

Sun, 1 Jul 2012 15:08:06 -0400

How to Craft a R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Brand for your Small Business or Organization. The do-it-yourself manual for building your brand strategy.

Pizza, Pizza

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:18:03 -0400

Little Caesars is mass marketing again, for the first time in 15 years. And, they’re bringing back “pizza-pizza” as a tagline, but inexplicably, NOT the two-for-one value proposition that pizza-pizza originally stood for. My associate, Scott, says: So they're capitalizing on the equity of the slogan, but not on the deal it referred to? Without the deal, it's just an empty catchphrase. What made the slogan great was that it was a memorable way to remember something that was actually worth remembering: buy one pizza, get one free. Now people's minds have to be retrained to identify the same slogan with a far more convoluted offer. "The worst thing you can do is to make customers think." -Frank Lane, Killer Brands

Did Kia Learn Nothing from the VW Phaeton Fiasco?

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:20:59 -0400

Giving branding the bird

Wed, 6 Jun 2012 20:29:42 -0400

Sometimes, I have to chuckle at the attempts at rebranding that, unfortunately, make a laughingstock of serious practitioners and legitimate, market-driven efforts. But the so-subtle-you-have-to-look-twice logo change announced at Twitter seem hardly worth the trouble--much less the money--to develop, execute, and deploy. And some fancy-sounding psycho babble about what users will "see" in the new blue bird don't help the matter; they make a mockery of the process. IMHO.

Speaking of burgers...

Mon, 4 Jun 2012 19:25:28 -0400

Must be summertime and grilling season, because I just saw my first commercial for the (kinda) new Ball Park Burger. Ya know...Ball Park. Frankfurters. They plump when you cook them. This is an example of a brand (Ball Park) owning prime real estate in your brain. Most of us were brought up to recognize the Ball Park name and the instantaneous linkage to the image of a plumping hot dog. The plumping is what makes a Ball Park frank different. It's the plump that makes people prefer Ball Park over competing brands of hot dogs. But Ball Park burgers? Really? Do they plump, too? You see, while consumers can believe that hamburgers are also a food you might consume at a baseball game, Ball Park the brand means hot dogs. Hot dogs that plump. A hamburger doesn't (or shouldn't) plump. This is a brand extension that probably shouldn't have happened, Sara Lee.

What's newsworthy about being the second priciest burger?

Tue, 29 May 2012 11:27:51 -0400

Radical branding--being outrageous--is one sure what to build buzz. Go Daddy does it with their provocative and often controversial approach to marketing, and Serendipity in New York is now doing it with their $295 burger. How can your brand be outrageous? Or, how can your business be remarkable, what author/marketer Seth Godin calls, the "Purple Cow"?

New Brand Extension Study

Sat, 19 May 2012 11:25:10 -0400

When it comes to getting consumers to consider buying a product that constitutes an extension of the core brand, the (perceived) quality of that brand matters a lot more than the fit between the heritage products it's known for and the extension. Marketing Daily has the story...

10 Major Branding Disasters

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:46:41 -0400

I don't know about you, but I often learn more about stuff by what went wrong; not by looking at what went right. That's why--even though there's nothing really new in this slide show--it's always an instructive exercise to see where branding took a wrong turn.

They just don't get it, do they?

Wed, 9 May 2012 08:03:46 -0400

I saw this news item the other day, and I just couldn't believe my eyes: In the past few months, Bud Light has launched higher-alcohol Bud Light Platinum, killed Bud Light Golden Wheat and debuted Bud Light Lime "Lime-A-Rita," a margarita-flavored malt beverage in a can. My associate, Scott, says: Where do you even start? It's one blunder after another in their search for the next big brand. And in the process they're slaughtering the brand goose that would've laid golden eggs indefinitely. The Law of Line Extensions: There's an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand. The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything. The Law of Success: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance often to failure. When a brand becomes successful, the company assumes the name is the primary reason for its success. Actually, the brand got famous because the right marketing moves were made. The Law of Subbrands: What branding builds, subbranding can destroy.

When a Business School Rebrands

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:49:30 -0400

How does a well-known and respected 130-year-old brand, like Wharton, reposition itself to stay relevant? One best practice they adhered to was framing the challenge of creating a brand position with the following: 1) Does it differentiate us? 2) Is it compelling? 3) Is it credible and authentic? Read the rest at the link.

Imagine a Rolex with an LED display and a plastic wristband

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:35:28 -0400

Ya know, when you know very clearly what something is not, it means you also know very clearly what it is. So when I saw this story about a Lambourghini with four seats, I about went through the sunroof. I mean, imagine a Harley without the noise, or a low-end Gucci bag from Walmart. It does not compute. A Lambourghini is the ultimate high-performance sports car, not a grocery-getter. And it never will be.