Does your Brand tell a story?

A brand is more than a logo. It is more than clever commercials, low prices, or memorable mascots. When done correctly, a brand is just a few steps away from a living, breathing organism. The more tangible your brand, the more likely your customers are to connect with it, emotionally. When consumers make a connection with a brand, loyalty increases, word of mouth evangelism spreads and your sales rise. If you want your brand to stick, it has to tell a story. That story must be compelling and consistent.

It must be compelling

Think about it, behind every great book, TV show, or movie is a great story. Chances are, you are in love with your significant other because of their story. I am not talking about a history, that’s different. A story has feeling, it has emotion, it has driving purpose, a protagonist to root for, and an antagonist to fight against. Your brand’s story must be compelling because it’s your identity. Your brand should drive decisions throughout the organization from the products you develop to the people you hire and more.

It must be consistent

For a good example of the importance of consistency, check out a blog post by my friends at Sprout Marketing. Consumers are not stupid. If your messaging does not match their experience, they will quickly notice and will likely become disenchanted. Or even worse, they will stop believing you. If you are a hotel, and your advertising promises a restful stay, your check-in process better be stress-free, and your beds must be comfortable.

It must be told well

A great story told poorly is not a great story. Ever heard two different people tell the same story or joke? Each account is a very different experience. Nuances in timing, body language and voice inflection (just to name a few) dramatically change the effect. In your company, the way you tell your brand’s story is just as important as the story itself. This is true externally and internally. Externally, you tell your story through advertising, pr, word of mouth, product design, pricing strategies, and customer experience. Internally you tell your story through things like management style, working conditions, training, and compensation. Don’t ever fool yourself into thinking you can simply ignore this. You cannot avoid developing and sticking to a brand by simply not branding at all, because in the meantime you will develop some sort of brand. And just like that last sentence, the brand you create will be disjointed, confusing, unlikable and unmemorable. I can’t imagine any business owner would want those adjectives used to describe his company.

Start today

If you don’t know your brand’s story, it’s not too late. Start developing it today. It’s more than a mission statement—but that’s a start. It has to have emotion and compelling reasons for people to be associated with and do business with your company. And remember, make it compelling, make it consistent, and tell it well.

What Twilight can Teach us about Marketing

Say what you want, the Twilight films have been a huge commercial success for Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the phenomenon. Recent reports claim the Vampire vs. Werewolf saga’s latest release, New Moon, has raked in over $280 million domestically with some sources suggesting a worldwide haul of over $450 million. With numbers like that, even the harshest critics would have a hard time arguing the commercial success of the films. And the best news for Summit is there are at least two movies left in the franchise.

Twilight’s success, however, has not come without some opposition. Husbands and film critics everywhere are smearing the characters and plot line in a whole host of creative ways. (Here are some examples: 1, 2, 3.) Though creative, the naysayers don’t even put a dent in the Twilight machine. In fact, many of the self-proclaimed haters will inevitably end up in the theater along with everyone else. (I saw it just a couple weeks ago with my wife).

And while it is been center stage lately, this polarization between raving fans and adamant critics is not unique to Twilight. We see it all the time in the marketplace. If you bring a successful product to market, or create a recognizable brand, you can be certain you will have opposition. Not just competition, but real, in your face opposition. This is the lesson we can learn from Twilight: You cannot please everyone, and what’s better, you don’t have to.

Know your consumers, know what they want, and then deliver it.

The Relationship Between Brands and Consumers

Today I had the opportunity to attend a short seminar put on by M2 Results. The topic was branding, and I had several great epiphanies. PLUS I won an Ipod. Thanks M2!

During the presentation/conversation, I had the following thought:

Friends are our friends because we are emotionally attached to them. Because they provide a benefit in our lives, and we can trust them. The same is true with the emotional aspects of a brand. Why are Mac-aniacs so forgiving when the new Mac Book Air has poor battery life or when their iphone breaks? Because Apple is their “friend”. Sure, sometimes friends make a mistake, sometimes they let you down, BUT they are your friend. You forgive them. They have invested in you, and you in them.

Customer loyalty is one result of a well built brand. Like a group of close nit friends, Apple customers feel connected to the brand, and they almost immediately accept anything Apple puts out because Apple has demonstrated that their consumers can trust them. On the flipside, however, if you let your friends consumers down too often, they may start to reevaluate your friendship and look for the kid with a bigger trampoline or a boat.

Is Social Media the 'New Marketing'

About two months ago, I chimed in on a Twitter-conversation (twitversation?) about this:

Thought of the day: Marketing is no longer about "psychology", but rather
"sociology". Sociology is the new Psychology.

The conversation that ensued was interesting. (Check it out here. You can use the “show conversation” tool on my tweets and any of the others to see details) The discussion was a good representation of the friction between ‘old-school’ marketing pro’s and social media evangelists.
Is social media changing marketing? Sure. Technological innovations have a tendency to do that. But I am not convinced that social media is “the new marketing”, rather it is a branch of marketing. The reality is that consumers have always communicated with each other. Networks are not new. The change is in the way we communicate, isn’t it? Social media has made it easier for people/companies to communicate that maybe wouldn’t have before.
An article on emarketer.com addresses this issue as well. Is anyone surprised when they read this?

“Because online social networks do not capture the real social graph,
tapping into those extended, real-world connections are important for
marketers.”

Of course conversations happen offline as well! Yes, social media
offers a dramatically new and exciting way for companies to communicate with
consumers and vice versa, but the principles of ‘old school’ marketing still
remain true, and marketing and media are not synonyms.

You are being watched.

Forgive the creepy title, but it is true. I don’t need to tell anyone that we are in an age of extremely high visibility. Most people understand that what they do at work is monitored, and that your name will most likely be googled by potential employers, business partners, clients and vendors. But how about the way you act in normal daily activities? These may have more impact then we realize.

Recently while driving to a meeting with a client, I looked up into my rearview mirror and saw a big, full size van bearing down on me. Now WAY too close for comfort, the driver was obviously irritated. I briefly debated a quick tap on the brakes, but instead opted to change lanes and let them pass. Almost before I had left the lane, the van came roaring past. The kicker? This van had a big, bright vehicle wrap on it. (Anyone relate with this story yet?) As I sat back in my seat wondering if I had ever heard of the business, one thing was for sure, I would never forget it. To top things off, the van made a left hand turn from the straight lane exposing both sides of the beautifully wrapped vehicle to the entire intersection. No doubt the vehicle wrap had just served the purpose of creating awareness. Although I can’t imagine the business owner had hoped the mobile advertising would lead to the business name being coupled with some of the words likely uttered under several of the observing drivers’ breath. Most likely, the driver of the van was in a genuine hurry. Perhaps they were behind on a delivery, or maybe a client needed an immediate service call. Regardless of the reason behind the overly-aggressive driving, the damage had been done.

The reality is, we are being watched. You don’t need to have a vehicle wrap to be recognized in traffic, or at a restaurant, and it takes only a moment to erode what undoubtedly took months or even years to build.