Ask Marian

On a recent visit to Cornell University I saw this sign in the engineering school library: "Librarians—the ultimate search engine."  ... followed by the exhortation to "ask a librarian." I could only stare. It was like a scribbled note from an earlier century, from a people so distant that they must have been living in a black-and-white world and cooking extinct animals. 

"Ask a librarian"—such a quaint notion.

"Ask about a new typewriter," the sign might have said. Or this: "Get space in our college of taxidermy."

I walked a step or two away and came back and stared some more. Maybe this was a history exhibit. Perhaps that sign—"Ask a librarian"—was found rolled up in a bottle, having been tossed into the sea by a race of people who once walked the earth and valued physical books, loved the feel of printed paper, were calmed by the sound of pages being turned in a hushed hall, and enjoyed the hunt through a library's "stacks" for surprising troves of knowledge. 

I started off to my meeting... wondering: What would I ask a librarian anyway? Would I ask if she or he missed the sound of hoof-beats on cobbled streets? Would I ask about life before telephones? 

I walked on and rounded a corner. It came to me—what I wanted to know... I would ask the librarian how—in the many centuries before search engines—one ever found any answers.

brandsinger  

Why invest in a branding program?

Today I fired off this memo to a prospective client who asks, reasonably enough, for "the benefits that companies have realized as the result of a rebranding."

Memo from Claude                                                                                    February 5, 2013

Re: Value of branding programs… 

I cannot go back over the past decades of branding in today’s economy. The reasons for developing and supporting a strong brand are many and compelling – even undeniable in a day of instant communications, myriad choices, bombardment of messages from all sources, and rapid rise of powerful potential competitors. Having a strong brand is a necessity – like having walls during the Middle Ages.

Does anyone else offer what you offer? Is there a risk of commoditization of what you sell? Do competitors have or threaten to have lower prices? Does any competitor have a better-known name? ...established business relationships? Do you need to attract the best talent? Do you want to instill pride in those who work with you?

The answer to these questions in any company, any industry is usually YES. And the best way to have a fighting chance against the forces of destruction is having a strong brand – vibrant, clear, consistent, contemporary, with a glowing personality, a clear value proposition and ability to deliver on the promise.

What does Warren Buffett look for in a target company? Brand. That’s number one on his list of criteria. Without a strong brand, you’re just fighting it out on price. 

Brandsinger 

Ram commercial INSPIRED

I've always hated Ram commercials—with their cartoon machismo symbolized by the "guts, glory" theme. I also despise Coors ads, by the way... and anything from Prudential and Merrill—since I see them as warped cultures doing no good.

And then—in the midst of Super Bowl's orgy of bad taste—the desperate attempts by advertisers to be funny—this stunning statement appears from Ram. "God made the farmer."

Are you kidding me! Right when the party has become its raunchiest—and teenagers are throwing up on the lawn and screams of "look at me, look at me" echo into the night—in walks the biggest, toughest kid on the block who stops everyone in mid-gyration, looks each person in the eye one by one, and speaks a few simple words from the heart right into that tiny remaining millimeter of our brains where we are receptive to timeless truth and poetry. "...and God made a farmer."

Holy planting time! Some genius on the Ram team (the Ram team!—it's a transparently manipulative name in itself) said simply, "Fuck irony. I'm bringing back sentiment."

So thanks to an advertiser who normally blows millions of dollars filming trucks splashing through mud puddles, thanks to these guys, we were compelled by force of drama to spend a few seconds thinking about duty and love and strength and family and work and anonymity. That's right, anonymity. That commercial was about standing all alone unknown at dawn—in a drizzle.

"To the farmer in all of us." —says Ram, making us stop and think.

Sweat-stained hats off to Ram, says Brandsinger.


 

Great Brands You Never Heard Of

Time for Brandsinger's first annual Great Brands You Never Heard Of citation with insightful commentary. We begin with a provocative question: So, you think you know about brands? ... and then we kind of lose interest and wander off and finish that beer and the last of yesterday's muffin... but then we come back and ask again—Hey you! (because now we've gotten a little more deeply into a combative mood since it's getting late and a long week lies ahead)—Yes you! You think you know brands? Well... looky here... Great Brands you never knew existed, my friend. Check 'em out!

Number 1: Everest Scaffolding 
That's right. You want to erect toweringly high structures outside your establishment? What better name than Everest—as in the highest piece of rock on the planet! Is that a name or what?

Number 2: J.W. Construction
From Bristol, Connecticut comes a brand you are completely ignorant of—and named with sublime simplicity: just two initials and one word describing what none of us can do without—construction.  Where would you be if there were no construction? Where?... I thought so.

Number 3: Care Here!
You probably thought you would get your care there, right? Well wise up: You get your care here...right here in this airport (I've forgotten which one—but I'm sure it was an important airport and that I was on an important mission.) You identity designers probably never would have thought of putting "here" in ital, right? That exclamation point says that this place is here to stay.

Number 4: NYSIGN
That's right, check it out. Would you have thought of putting the N in blue, the Y in orange, the S in yellow, the i in red, the G in orange, and the N in blue? No, you would not have thought of that. And that's why the NYSIGN truck is proudly parked in Times Square right in front of any damn pharmacy it wants. This brand's visual identity has... well, what it takes!

Number 5: Inferno
When you're cold and the place is dark and you just heard a suspicious sound in the other room, do you want a smoldering speck of kindling glowing in the fireplace?—or do you want a blaze that would make the Devil himself pull on his collar in misery? I thought so—you'd want an Inferno—and that's what these wood pellets promise and deliver. That's right. (Actually I'm a little unsure as to what these things do... but I'm confident from the name that they're very hot.)

And that's our annual review. Five great brands—all simply named and boldly proclaimed. Pretty sure you never heard of any of them—but I believe that, because of the honest spirit of each name—all of these brands are on their way to success.

Vibrant undiscovered brands are all around us. Watch out Coke.

brandsinger

Is winter a brand?

Winter is about details. You notice little things, like tiny paw prints in the snow or a bubble forming on the surface of soup.

In the city people lock their jaws as the wind stings their faces. On the subway they burrow into parkas and hide their heads under stretchy hats. Human bodies—smooth and vulnerable—are covered in layers of plastic, wool and artificial fur.  

In parks the ground crunches under foot. First the heel goes in with a thud. Then the front of the foot rocks forward with its own grinding noise.

Winter is no time for the big picture. You focus. You notice that every log burns in its own way at its own pace. The cedar pieces like to pop. The soggy, dense logs never really flare up enthusiastically but just lie there and melt.

You hang on specific words. Is it “immune to adversity” or “immune from adversity”? You notice a long shadow outside. Is it already 2:30? Then a snowflake. Then another. Then another. Every flake is unique, they say. And another.

Winter broods—and draws us into its moodiness. Winter can be very still and quiet. It promises us nothing. What it delivers we ourselves have to create.  

Brandsinger

Netflix + Facebook = One More Financial Faux Pas

Tonight's Guest Post is by Calvin Allen, experienced PR professional and candidate for a Masters Degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at NYU.

Communication snafus of varying degrees happen daily. The foul-up may be hitting “reply all” on a questionable e-mail or Virgin Mobile running an offensive holiday ad. Whichever the case, these events rarely lead to litigation. Unfortunately for Nexflix CEO Reed Hastings, the Securities and Exchange Commission served Hastings with a Wells Notice for posting “material information” on Facebook.

            For those unfamiliar with Wall Street speak, material information is any information that may influence investors to buy or sell stock. Under the Regulation Fair Disclosure Act, known as Reg. FD, material information cannot be selectively released. This rule prevents certain investors from gaining a competitive edge.

            The offending post stated that Netflix members had watched more than a billion hours of content in June.

Posting material information on Facebook is a first offense for Netflix, but Hastings’ problem isn’t unique. In fact, his problem speaks to a larger concern—all employees in publicly held companies should have an understanding of what type of company information can be disseminated via social media.

            Disseminating material information on social media is as much an in-house employee communication issue as it is a financial regulatory concern. As I see it, there are two key steps companies can take to protect themselves:

1. Empowering Social Media Policies: The importance of social media policies has been written about extensively. What is often overlooked is the need to make these policies as empowering as possible. Richard Edelman, of Edelman PR, notes in his blog that employees can be some of the strongest brand advocates. Social media policies should not be about stifling speech, but instead should provide enough guidance for employees to confidently engage in advocacy, promotion and genuine communication.

2. Employee Training: Financial regulation literacy training should be a rite of passage for all employees. Sure, this additional training may add 5 or 10 minutes to the company orientation, but think of all the headaches and very real financial and legal complications that may be prevented later.

            Mixing business and social media can be a litigious minefield—this goes double when you factor in financial communications and regulation. We’d be well advised to learn from Hastings’ ordeal and ensure that our companies offer a basic understanding of disclosure law and have a well-articulated social media policy.

Calvin Allen

Apple Brand Voice

Brand consultants love to use Apple as the paragon of brand consistency. Every product, package, and person from Apple reflects and reinforces the Apple persona. If you ask a roomful of people to write down what adjectives come to mind when you say Apple, they will inevitably produce a narrow cluster of qualities—words related to sleek, efficient, reliable, human, elegant, and cool.

And Steve Jobs' yacht?... Well... What adjectives would you use?

brandsinger