The Affordable Branding Blog

Brand Building Beyond Marketing

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:16:33 GMT

Not so long ago, brands were in the limelight. They were seemingly powerful, and virtuous. Any inconvenient truths were hidden by glossy packaging and one-way, big-bang marketing campaigns. Now, as organizations become ever more transparent, people can see behind the marketing facade and are questioning what they are told. Trust in brands has diminished and consumers are more likely to view brands cynically, and to feel uncomfortable with brands desire to control. This has created a challenge for many brand owners, because they are ill equipped to cope with greater openness. See the full story at the link.

Logo Lust Redux

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:56:08 GMT

Identifying with a luxury brand is a lot more subtle among wealthy consumers than you think. "Subtle Signals of Inconspicuous Consumption," a paper appearing in the current issue of Journal of Consumer Research, suggests that high-end shoppers are more in tune with "discreet markers, such as distinctive design or detailing," than obvious brand logos. Read the full story at the link.

Another Boston Chicken-type cautionary tale?

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:46:56 GMT

Elissa Elan reports that Cinnabon, the 25-year-old chain known for its cinnamon rolls, intends to transform itself into a full-fledged bakery-cafe. It's testing egg sandwiches in the morning and espresso-based beverages and panini-type sandwiches for lunch this summer as part of a strategy to increase the brand's customer base and attract new users outside of the mall. Was it too much to expect that a place called Cinnabon would actually stick to its focus? Is it the curse of the narrow name, like when Boston Chicken changed to Boston Market to appeal to more people? Except it wasn't more appealing. While there's no mention of a name change to go along with the re-invention, when I go to a Cinnabon it's to get a cinnamon bun. From Al Ries' book Focus: "Management demands substantial increases in annual sales and profits, even when companies are in markets that show no overall growth." Cinnabon president Gary Bales: Whats happening specifically in the malls is traffic is going down and we need to increase the amount of customers who stop in front of our stores. Focus: "Predictably, in order to meet these targets, companies offer more varieties and flavors." Cinnabon: "Cinnabon...is reinventing itself as a bakery-cafe concept complete with breakfast and lunch service as well as an expanded beverage program." Focus: "Or they branch out into other markets." Cinnabon: "...is part of a strategy to attract new users to the brand outside of the mall markets it primarily trades in." Focus: "Whether you call this expansion process 'line extension' or 'diversification' or 'synergy,' it's the process itself, the urge to grow, that causes companies to become unfocused." Cinnabon: "...were looking for products and product lines that will expand our customer base or attract new customers" Focus: "When you try to be all things to all people, you inevitably wind up in trouble. It's better to be strong somewhere rather than weak everywhere." Cinnabon: "What weve found is that people, because of health consciousness, are looking for non-sweet snack occasions. We think we can fit the bill with some of these products." Confucius: "The man who chases two rabbits catches neither."

Branding a Thing of Beauty

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:33:18 GMT

Mike says: I would think differentiating and positioning beer is not an enviable task. But the Stella Artois name itself is intriguing enough that I would want to know what it means. And what about the mystic behind the special Stella Artois glass that it's served in? And what is the country of origin? But to position the beer as "a thing of beauty" seems a bit of stretch to me. Scott says: I agree, being tasked with positioning a beer is rough, especially when you have no say in the product because it's already been developed. But I will admit I like the "luxury beer" positioning. It takes microbrews and craft beers to a new level. I'm not sure if "luxury" and "beer" are a believable combination, but the position is at least one that remains unoccupied to my knowledge. Plus there's a successful precedent for photography-based liquor ads with the Absolut campaigns. Combine that with the exotic name and the lavish glass and they may actually have a unique and compelling brand identity on their hands.

Brand Hardee's: "On Strategy"...Again

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:46:23 GMT

I've written here before about how I love the unapologetic nature of the Hardee's (aka Carl's Jr.) offerings. They don't pretend to be something they're not. Their Monster Thickburger made headlines, and now the fast food chain is test-marketing another concept--totally aligned with their brand position: The foot long cheeseburger. My associate, Scott, agrees that this latest menu choice is on target: "It's nice to see a brand running on all cylinders. Imagine how much easier R&D is when you have a solid brand platform. And how it tastes is irrelevant to the marketing message. It's a foot long cheeseburger. The marketing is built right into the product."

"Y" Not?

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:51:22 GMT

"General Electric is a long name, so GE makes an excellent choice because it's what people will use as a nickname. The same goes for FedEx instead of Federal Express or IBM instead of International Business Machines. Can you imagine trying to drag around a name like Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing? It's no wonder they became the 3M Company. But remember, nicknames are given to you by the marketplace. It should be what people tend to call you. Don't try to force it. If people tend to use your full name, that's your name and that's what should be on your logo. Metropolitan Life Insurance can be MetLife. But New York Life will always be New York Life." -Jack Trout So...
Federal Express can change to FedEx, Kentucky Fried Chicken can change to KFC (although they did it to escape "fried," which was bad strategy), National Public Radio can change to NPR, and American Association of Retired Persons can change to AARP. But...
Pizza Hut shouldn't change to The Hut Radio Shack shouldn't change to The Shack and TGI Fridays shouldn't change to Fridays. I think the YMCA change lands right in the middle. The Y is shorthand for an acronym that's already shorthand for the original name. But it is a good opportunity to update what the YMCA brand stands for, because it definitely carries some outdated baggage. My guess is the name change will produce some shortlived buzz, but have little long-term effect on the brand in the same way the NPR change was ultimately benign.

Tagline Musings

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:19:30 GMT

The American Cleaning Institute recently went through a name change (from the compellingly-named Soap and Detergent Association), and with it, a cleaned-up tagline (For Better Living). But my associate Scott had some ponderings on the efficacy of the new ACI slogan: I'd give the American Cleaning Institutes "For better living" tagline an "I" for incomplete. Its so vague as to be meaningless. Better how? Better by what standard? Better meaning cleaner? Chemical free? Whos their enemy, germs? Its not clear, not obvious, and not a compelling benefit. A better better tagline is Wal-Marts Save money. Live better. You instantly know better is referring to being able to afford more of the products you want. Along those same lines, Home Depots tagline, More saving. More doing. clearly targets do-it-yourselfers who want to get the most from their money to tackle more of the projects they love to do. And in a great positioning move, Ace Hardwares tagline promises the non-do-it-yourselfer that they can Get in. Get help. Get on with your life. But you could slap ACIs tagline under countless company logos and itd still work. A sure sign of a weak tagline. Since ACI is a trade organization, it has two distinct audiences: consumers and members. ACIs value proposition for consumers is: Enhancing health and the quality of life through sustainable cleaning products and practices. ACIs value proposition for members is: Supporting the sustainability of the cleaning product and oleochemical industries through research, education, outreach, and science-based advocacy. As a trade organization, its the public face for this industry, so I suspect the consumer audience is who theyd primarily create their tagline for. And as a consumer, For better living doesnt tell me what ACI is or why I should care, because its too vague. But there are some alternative options American Cleaning Institute
Improving cleaning products. Improving life. American Cleaning Institute
Cleaner products. Healthier lives. American Cleaning Institute
Making cleaning products cleaner American Cleaning Institute
Cleaner living through cleaner products While not brilliant, I think these at least begin to get at the heart of what ACI does and what benefit it provides.

"Pure" Brand Speculation

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:10:57 GMT

This is a line extension that seems to beg the question, "If THIS Dentyne is pure, does that mean the other Dentyne sub-brands are not?" I thought Dentyne meant "gum for bad breath." Now we're told that THIS product "neutralizes" bad breath. So that would suggest that all other Dentyne brands simply mask bad breath. Is this another case of ego-drive line extension? The corporate office is SO enamored with their name that they felt compelled to attach it to this new brand? They could have created a new category of gum (bad breath neutralizing) and launched it under a new brand name. "Pure stupidity?" I asked my associate, Scott? I think this could've worked if it had been an upgrade of the core Dentyne brand instead of a line extension. This is exactly what Crest did when they introduced their fluoride cavity prevention ingredient, Fluoristan. Similarly, Dentyne could market their new NeutraFresh ingredient. "Many products contain a piece of technology that makes it function. Yet marketing people tend to dismiss these elements as too complex or confusing to explain to people. They would rather conduct research and focus on the benefits of the lifestyle experience of the product. The problem with that point of view is that in many categories [gum included], a number of products do the same thing [freshen breath]. All toothpastes prevent cavities. It's how they're made that often makes the difference. This is why we like to focus on a the product and locate the unique piece of technology. Then, if possible, we give that element a name and package it as a magic ingredient."
-Jack Trout, Differentiate or Die
But with all of the line extensions clouding Dentyne's brand, this "magic ingredient" USP becomes much harder to market.

Your Brand IS Your Reputation

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:13:49 GMT

The reputation of your business is critical to your success in the marketplace. To build your reputation, you must first understand the needs and wants of your core market and begin building your character by flawlessly delivering on your customers' and prospects' expectations. Since your reputation resides within the minds and hearts of supporters, customers, and prospects, your reputation is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions. Check out this list of the ten most disliked and liked brand reputations. By the way, this list was compiled more than a month ago, so you can surely add BP to the list of most disliked companies! Top 10 Most Disliked Companies
1 Freddie Mac
2 AIG
3 Fannie Mae
4 Citigroup
5 Goldman Sachs
6 Chrysler
7 General Motors
8 JP Morgan Chase
9 Bank of America
10 Delta Airlines
Top 10 Most Liked Companies
1 Berkshire Hathaway
2 Johnson & Johnson
3 Google
4 3M Company
5 SC Johnson
6 Intel Corporation
7 Microsoft
8 Coca-Cola Co.
9 Amazon.com
10 General Mills
Source: Harris Interactive RQ Study

The World's Hottest Brands

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:30:49 GMT

Check out this Ad Age Insights global report that tells the stories of 30 brands succeeding on a global, regional and local level. The goal was not to create a list of the largest global marketers or rank the brands that contribute the most to their company's market value -- plenty of others tackle those lofty questions. Rather, Ad Age sought to chronicle the brands percolating at the local and regional level; sometimes great marketing lessons can happen in your backyard, sometimes halfway around the world.

Inspiring Brands

Mon, 31 May 2010 15:59:42 GMT

They are the brands that we admire, we trust, and we demonstrate loyalty toward. In short, these are some of the brands that "got branding right." That live out their marketplace promises on a daily basis. That are consistent in applying compelling and relevant messaging. Check 'em out...

Business Naming: One Opinion

Sat, 22 May 2010 14:16:23 GMT

Brandweek's Gregg Lipman says, "So Ill humbly offer this piece of advice to startup brands, big and small: Dont just name yourself for the here and now. Try instead to look inside an imaginary crystal ball (or heck, a real one, if you can find one that works) and think about the way the brand name is likely to be viewed in the near and distant future. Given the ever-increasing savvy of consumers, it will behoove you to use some forethought when it comes to naming." Full article at the link.

Seattle's Best Coffee Gets New Logo

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:03:18 GMT

In a push to squeeze higher sales from areas that once took a back seat to its breakneck U.S. store growth, Starbucks started juicing Seattle's Best. By the fall, the coffee will be sold in 30,000 locations, more than half of them Subway and Burger King stores and AMC Theaters. The chain is also pursuing franchisees.

Strong Brands

Fri, 07 May 2010 14:58:54 GMT

Strong brands are strong because people know what they stand for and how they fit into their lives.

It's the fried chicken, stupid

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:35:03 GMT

From AdAge (complete article at the link): "Cheap marketing stunts" such as moving the secret recipe and offering a 500-calorie sandwich that replaces bread with chicken breasts has generated a lot of ink and buzz for KFC, Emily Bryson York reports, but the sizzle hasn't translated into sales. Not only that, but the tomfoolery shows a lack of consistent brand positioning, she writes, which has contributed to a loss of six points in market share since 2005 to 30 in 2009. "They don't have a clear identity anymore, and I think that's hurt them," says branding consultant Denise Lee-Yohn. DUH! My associate, Scott says: Notice the irony in listing three different strategies after the word "focusing." Even more disturbing, as the subject line of this post points out, not one of them addresses the position they already own in the mind of the marketplace (whether they like it or not). Imagine how many small-time fried chicken joints would kill to have the brand equity KFC has. And yet David Novak is willing to throw it all away in the endless quest for a little more.

Rebranding Disasters

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:53:06 GMT

At the top of Bianca Male's list of recent rebranding disasters is the renaming of the SciFi Channel to the copyrightable, "syfy." The eminently textable name made the company "feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip," president David Howe told TVWeek. One problem, writes Male: "Syfy" is a slang term for syphilis. Also on the Top 10 list, which Male compiled after talking to branding agency Method, Inc. and branding "guru" Rob Frankel, are PepsiCo's redesign of the Tropicana carton; the "childish, ridiculous, ugly" logo for the London 2012 Olympic games; Capital One's "swoosh," which is deemed about a decade too late, and Andersen Consulting's decision to dub itself Accenture -- "the ultimate corporate name that means nothing." "The real reason to rebrand is to alter the expectations you're setting for the public," Frankel tells Male. "Changing your brand strategy means becoming a different company.... it's not just changing your name or your logo." Read the whole story at the link.

Logo Lust

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:31:19 GMT

Pretty interesting article with some fun video and slideshows at the link.

On Being Remarkable

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:27:58 GMT

From USA Today: "What's got eight wheels and fries?" asks Bruce Horovitz. "A roller-skating carhop." And, after a few decades' hiatus, they may be coming back to a fast-food joint near you, he reports. A few weeks ago, the 3,500-unit Sonic rolled out a national ad campaign featuring four roller-skating employees. Carhops were common at the chain in the 1960s and '70s, but they were jettisoned in the '80 and '90s. And last week, the 48-unit Ruby's opened its first location with skates-wearing carhops in Anaheim and is considering a second in nearby Orange. "The only thing left these days is to be remarkable, says CEO Doug Cavanaugh. "And what's more remarkable than girls on roller skates?"

Authentic Brands Live Their Story! Does Yours?

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:32:59 GMT

White paper author Carol Chapman asks, Does your brand have a story? You know--a story that's captivating and inspiring; has real meaning and comes from the heart of what you're all about as a brand. It's a story your employees believe in and they stand behind it through their behaviors and actions. It reveals itself in your systems and processes and your customers are convinced by the story because you live it. Download the white paper at the link.

Positioning Exercise

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:13:13 GMT

Todays consumers suffer from a tyranny of choice. There are currently over 40,000 SKUs in the average supermarket, 260 automobile models available, 340 breakfast cereals, 790 magazine titles, 87 soft drink brands, 70 different styles of Levis jeansand thats just the tip of the goods and services iceberg. Now add to that the more than 2,100 advertising messages the average person absorbs each day and you quickly realize why consumers are paralyzed by information overload. Here's a decent positioning exercise that will help your business cut through the clutter.

Brands Fall From Grace

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:19:50 GMT

Like people, brands make mistakes. But their mistakes are much bigger because they reach millions of people and might destroy the image of the brand leading to a phenomenal fall from grace. This is a paper about brands loosing status, respect, and prestige and how to avoid it.

Stinkability

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:28:11 GMT

I've ranted about Bud Light's "Drinkability" campaign in the past and, honestly, after reading the article at the link, I feel vindicated for my gut reaction to what was obviously flawed brand strategy.

Hire Employees Who Can Deliver Your Brand Promise

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:38:46 GMT

AdAge reports that Meredith Vaughan, president of the Vladimir Jones agency, says that her agency now hires people who will champion the core values of the brand -- in this case, "soulful, eclectic, focused, smart, fearless and curious" -- and suggests that other companies should do the same. Conventional metrics such as experience, qualifications and education have gone the way of the grey suit, pumps or rep tie, it seems.

Mission Statements That Don't Suck

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:15:34 GMT

Dan Heath wrote a fun and instructive piece for Fast Company magazine that's totally worth the short read. An accompanying video, too. Check it out...

New Branding Campaign for H-P

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:13:34 GMT

In pre-recession days, branding was a big deal for technology companies. Splashy, lavish marketing campaigns were used to tout a tech brand's key attributes and get consumers to take notice. Those days are gone, but now H-P (Hewlett-Packard) is bringing back the glitz with a new eight-week, $40 million ad campaign its first in more than five years.

Better Performance from Strong Branded Cultures

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:19:04 GMT

Strong branded cultures don't just have engaged employees who are passionate and proud of their brand. They have a clear understanding of the brand's purpose and vision with a clear line-of-sight perspective as to how they contribute to the success of the brand, and they're empowered to deliver on it. Check out this interesting white paper by Carol Chapman.

UPS: On Brand Strategy or Off?

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:04:17 GMT

Check out the 30-second UPS commercial at the link. Not sure if this is accurate or not, but this UPS ad made me think of the possible brand strategy behind it: Client: We're the only delivery service that NASCAR allows to make trackside deliveries Agency: Really? That's an awesome differentiator. We should really exploit that. Why do you think that is? Client: Well, they trust us, I guess. Agency: Trust. Trusted. Trustworthy. Yeah, that could work. Creative team: What else is trusted? Abraham Lincoln? No, overused. What about other well-know delivery services, you know, the paper boy, pizza guy, and Santa. All: Perfect! My associate Scott says: So it's basically a humorous, over-the-top attempt at communicating that UPS is so reliable, it's preferred over these cultural icons of reliable delivery. Then it piggybacks on NASCAR's brand as means of social proof. ("See? Even an organization as huge and powerful as NASCAR trusts only UPS!"). But I think they're answering a question no one is really asking. Namely, "Who can I rely on to deliver my package?" Delivery is a basic expectation I have of most any delivery service. What I care about is price and delivery time. FedEx owns the overnight position. So what position is UPS trying to own? However, considering that UPS is still the leader in the shipping category, that TV commercial could work just by being tweaked slightly to emphasize UPS's leadership in delivery, even over Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Leadership is a much more compelling and indisputable attribute than reliability -- which is expected. Plus the halo effect of leadership implies reliability.

It Takes Years to Build a Brand...

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:14:45 GMT

Dove. "It's one-quarter cleansing cream." "The campaign for real beauty." Over the years, Dove has done a wonderful job of branding itself as a gentle, effective facial cleanser and deodorant...FOR WOMEN. So what did they recently do? They launched Dove Men+Care. I think Unilever made a mistake by extending its obviously women-oriented brand into the male space. While the article at the link suggests that minds are already changing, I personally would never buy a Dove product for myself, even if it WAS good. The hardest thing to do in branding is to change minds. And mine has not changed.

Brand Personality

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:43:12 GMT

You can discover your brand personality by peering through the window to your brands soul using the Johari Window.

Do Taglines Matter?

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:45:20 GMT

While not a must-have component to your brand platform, when done right, taglines can strengthen and reinforce your brand essence, help describe what you do (beyond your name), and cement your companys name or mission in the minds of your prospects and customers. Here's an interesting piece about Chevy's intent to drop its tagline.

Tiger and Toyota

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:17:41 GMT

What do Tiger Woods and Toyota have in common? They are both painfully aware of the Warren Buffet quote that says: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." In fact, I've written an eBook on the subject of growing your business by growing your reputation. More info at the link...

The Great Logo Debate

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:30:17 GMT

I've been involved in plenty of logo changes and there's one thing you can always count on: someone's not going to like the new logo. Think back to last year's freshening of the Pepsi mark. Here's an interesting piece on the new Michigan State Spartan logo. But the funny thing is, it's just a minor cosmetic tweak, not an overhaul. Much ado about nothing? You decide.

Tagline Services

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:00:40 GMT

Our tagline services will not only help support your brand essence, but it will define your marketplace position, be memorable, and provide further differentiation for your business.

Naming Services

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:11:52 GMT

Our naming services are for you whether youre a business start-up seeking the perfect name or you have a new product or extension that requires a name.

Logo Design Services

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:07:11 GMT

Need a new logo for your business? Our fixed-price logo design services means that we have no hidden charges or fees, and you dont pay until youre thrilled with the final product.

Can Special K Change Minds?

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:44:01 GMT

I won't say it can't be done. But it's not easy to change minds. In my mind's filing cabinet, Special K stands for breakfast cereal. But for the past couple of years, the Kellogg's brand is trying to reinvent itself as a diet brand. While the cereal has always been about slimming down, the Special K brand is being extended over more and more non-cereal products. Click on the link below and decide for yourself if the Special K name can be authentically stretched into the diet category.

Is "Drinkability" Dead?

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:03:24 GMT

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Anheuser-Busch InBev NV will shelve its Bud Light "Drinkability" slogan during the Super Bowl in a bid to resuscitate the beer's sales with funnier commercials." I never understood why they thought Drinkability was a good idea. I always thought it was obvious: "It BETTER be drinkable. It's a beer!" My associate, Scott, says, "First Bud Light steal's Miller Lite's "Tastes great, less filling," concept with the much lamer "Drinkability" tagline. Now Bud Light is stealing Miller's "It's Miller Time!" concept with the much lamer "Here we go" tagline. The King of Beers should be the leader, not the follower in this category." Read more at the link.

10 Worst Super Bowl Ads

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:24:46 GMT

MSNBC has an interesting discussion in the link below about going off strategy to call attention to your business during the Super Bowl. At prices around $2.5 million for 30 seconds of rarefied airtime, you'd think the companies running these spots would be careful about portraying their brand in the wrong light. My associate, Scott, says: "What's most striking about many of those commercials is that they're like 30-second skits that are simply sponsored by different companies. Almost no linkage to the brand, no attempt at positioning, and a misunderstanding of their own brand persona. And the hype and pressure of the Super Bowl media buy seems to encourage this format of getting people talking about your ad, not your product. A cardinal advertising sin. I hear this all the time in radio spots where they spend three quarters of the ad in lame attempts at being funny, then the last 5 seconds talking about the actual brand."

Your Employees ARE Your Brand

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:59:37 GMT

In this white paper, the author discusses how the idea of "brand" is now synonymous with "experience." A brand today is our cumulative experience with and perception of an entity. Not surprisingly, the single largest determinant of brand experience is an organization's employees. Despite this awareness, the path to "employee-service-profit-chain" success is mired in obstacles

Become a Brand That Matters

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:55:52 GMT

BrandChannel has a good article that was recently posted. "Brands that do not meet the expectations of today's consumer are being summarily dismissed. Brands must be fluid and dynamic. Since the consumer is rapidly changing, as well as consumer culture, the research suggests that marketers need to stay on top of their brands, constantly adapting in a proactive manner, rather than reacting when their brands start losing relevance." Check it out here.

Why Buy?

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:28:59 GMT

One question that is fundamental in brand work is, "Why buy?" Why should a prospect choose YOUR company over the competition. It's important to ask that question for your small business, but big business struggles with the same issue of value proposition. Here is a memo from technology giant, Fujitsu, that explains why they are on a quest to answer the Why Buy question... Fujitsu's major competitors are some of the biggest brands in the world in any industry, not just IT. In Japan, Fujitsu is a household name. But outside Japan, awareness of Fujitsu is very low in most countries and our brand image is inconsistent. The most recent global brand survey revealed that in many countries, Fujitsu is commonly mistaken to be a "camera and film" company. To commemorate our 75th anniversary this year, Fujitsu is launching a group-wide branding program intended to strengthen business in Japan and expand business in strategic regions globally. Chairman and President Michiyoshi Mazuka has announced the brand promise "shaping tomorrow with you" in his 2010 New Year's Message on January 4. Our brand promise is derived from the Fujitsu Way. As stated in the president's message, the brand promise represents a simplified way of expressing externally the corporate philosophy underlying the Fujitsu Way. In our brand promise, "shaping tomorrow" reflects Fujitsus corporate vision and "with you" reflects Fujitsu's customer-centric perspective in all activities over the long term, for their success. Our brand promise summarizes in just a few words why people should choose us rather than our competitors it can help attract new customers, help us keep existing ones and make it easier to recruit the best and brightest to Fujitsu. At the heart of the program is a new brand platform which answers the central questions 1) Who we are and what makes us special (Brand Positioning). 2) How we create and deliver value (Brand Attributes), and 3) What we want to be known for among our stakeholders (Brand Promise). The brand platform provides a basis from which Fujitsu can deliver consistency through every touch point with the customers. This includes our own people and how we behave, the way we communicate through all media, the places we meet with customers, and the products and services we deliver to them. Fujitsu plans to roll out the brand platform globally to bring consistency in all corporate activities for delivering coherent customer experience.

Good Re-branding Case History

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:41:06 GMT

It's fascinating to observe companies re-brand. Sometimes it's a simple face lift. In other instances, a merger or acquisition suggests that a total re-branding effort is necessary. Infogroup recently went through a re-branding exercise, and I believe it was for the right reasons AND they arrived at some solid results. Judge for yourself...

More Tumbling Dominos

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:13:28 GMT

The watercooler buzz seems to be alive with talk of Domino's rebranding. Yes, even "regular folk" are using the term branding in relating tales of Domino's new recipe and it's "pizza turnaround" campaign. This is the same Domino's that became one of America's top pizza brands by focusing its value proposition exclusively on fast delivery. "Thirty minutes or it's free." Domino's was never about good pizza. It was about FAST pizza. Now Domino's is blurring the focus. Now we're supposed to believe that Domino's is fast, fresh, delicious, has great baked sandwiches, delectable desserts, and more. Will it work? Short term, sure. Long term? I'm not betting on them. This feels like a classic branding mistake. Move over KFC, and make room for the "new" Domino's.

Brand Junkie Awards!

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:01:11 GMT

What do General Motors, Benetton, Pepsi, Apple, and Facebook have in common? They are the top five controversial brands for 2009. Check out Brandchannel's other Brand Junkie winners at the link.

Money Where Their Mouth Is

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:19:10 GMT

One of the world's most recognizable logos--the Lacoste croc--is putting some teeth into its identity courtesy of a donation to save real-life crocodiles. Their "Save Your Logo Initiative" is a good example of doing social good and linking it to your brand.

Brand Mascots

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:24:32 GMT

Often, mascots are so closely associated with different brands, that they BECOME the brand. They embody the brand. They are the spokesperson for the brand. Here's an interesting piece about the evolution of five mascots. Fun reading.

"I was wrong about taglines"

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:25:24 GMT

My associate, Scott, had pretty strong feelings about the "throw-away" nature of most taglines, thinking they were generally useless. We often discuss their relative merits and pitfalls. But Scott has had an awakening of sorts. I'll let him tell it: I was watching football last weekend and noticed all the signage at the stadium -- most of which showed some combination of name, logo, and meaningless tagline. Then I've been noticing highway billboards that do the same thing. And it occurred to me that while this does get the brand name "out there," it misses a prime opportunity to associate the brand with a word, position, or promise. If branding is indeed the creation of a compelling expectation that your offering will consistently deliver a unique, meaningful benefit (its brand promise), then the tagline should be the most concise statement of what customers can expect from your brand. Instead of signage and billboards that communicate nothing, these advertising venues provided an opportunity for the brands to make a promise to customers via their taglines of what compelling benefit they can expect. Since the first step in creating an expectation among customers is to communicate it, why wouldn't you start with the words that always appear next to your name and logo? The tagline puts the brand name in context, telling customers that they can associate this name and logo with this unique, meaningful benefit. Instead of letting copywriters get cute with it, companies should deliver their brand promise/customer expectation as clearly and concisely as possible. I can't imagine a tagline any more powerful than that. And when it comes to the two types of taglines, descriptive and expressive, I think you choose these based on whether your brand promise is rational or emotional. "Better bread. Better subs." is a rational, tangible promise for Cousins. So the tagline is descriptive. But Nike and Marlboro, for instance, don't have any rational, tangible differences for their products. They're selling a mindset. So expressive taglines like "Just do it" work best for them. (Imagine Marlboro coming right out and saying, "Our cigs will make you feel rugged and cool." It would ruin the entire effect of the brand!) I was so wrong.

Top 10 Most Talked About Brands (heading into the holiday season)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:16:40 GMT

1 Wal-Mart
2 Ford
3 Target
4 Home Depot
5 Apple
6 Lowe's
7 Verizon Wireless
8 Toyota
9 Walgreens
10 Best Buy
Source: BrandIndex

Countries (states and cities) need branding, too

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:32:35 GMT

I like reading travel magazines to see how destinations position and differentiate themselves against the competition. Here's an interesting article from Caribbean Property & Lifestyles magazine called, CARIBBEAN SUCCESS STRATEGY: COUNTRY BRANDING Author Guitze Messina interviews Marta Vallejo, CEO of Granta Place and Country Branding, a consulting firm that specializes in Place and Country Branding located in Spain. In this age where globalization tries to make everything the same, travel, tourism, and the perception of each country, is not immune to being perceived as "more of the same" and that the only differentiation between all the diverse nations is price. In the quest to be able to differentiate our tourism offering with more options and value added alternatives, the author learned that Branding is a major key to differentiate and to succeed in the business and tourism worlds of the Caribbean.

Differences in Kind or Degree?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:14:19 GMT

I've mentioned here before that one of my favorite branding books is Killer Brands, by Frank Lane. In the book, Lane explains the about differences in kind and degree. Here is an example: A difference in degree is like Jolt creating a more potent soda within the cola category. But a difference in kind is Red Bull creating a whole new category called the energy drink. And as Frank Lane points out, "As Aristotle taught ... a difference in kind is inherently better than a difference in degree." Which meshes with Al and Laura Ries' claim that the most powerful move for a brand is to create a new category they can be the leader in. In lieu of that, a difference in degree is the next best option. For instance, when the Starbucks brand rose to prominence, their differentiation was the authentic coffeehouse experience (a difference of kind). Now that they seem to be focusing on better taste (a difference of degree), the brand is struggling to compete. "Differences in degree tend to be time-doomed, merely waiting for a competitive advance." It's the arms race syndrome. Which is why Bud's Select 55 won't have a USP for very long. (There is a first-mover advantage for differences of degree, but only if that difference isn't based on something measurable and potentially unsustainable like being biggest/fastest/least/most/best/etc.) For more on differentiation, click the link below.