- 1. .BIZ BUILDERBUILDING YOUR BUSINESS WITH INTEGRATED MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONSJuly/Aug 2012Branding Issue THE OLYMPIC BRANDING
GAMES - GOING FOR GOLD?In This Issue:Olympic Gold - GE Grows Its
Corporate Branding FAQ:What Can Olympic TeamsGlobal Brand as
LondonYes, There Is More to It ThanTeach Business Leaders?2012
Olympics Sponsor You Think
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details on Commpro.biz 3. Welcome.BIZ Builder Vol. I, Issue 2
JULY/AUGUST 2012Welcome to this issue Snapshot. Published by:
CommPRO.bizContent with convenience. Editor-In-ChiefIts our calling
card and our commitment to you. Brian PittmanWere here to serve and
to help you become moreChief Creative Officer / Designersuccessful.
One way we do that is by making it EASYTodd Fabacherto consume and
share the latest, greatest content Publishercovering whats new and
whats working to grow yourFay Shapirobusiness using integrated
marketing andcommunications.Chief Strategist Bruce MerchantThats
why were offering the latest issue of .BIZBuilder Magazine in
manageable bites. Whether youre Contributorsa reader, partner,
contributor or even advertiser, we.BIZ Channel Partnersthink youll
nd our issue preview Snapshot to be a Critical Now: From Critical
Mentionquick and engaging way to consume and share the Social
Video: From Latergycontent we bring together for the thousands of
Digital Visibility: From Zog Digitalmembers of our growing
community PR ROI: From PRIME Research .BIZ BloggersIn this edition,
we explore two timely billion-dollar IR Therefore I Am - Gene
Marbachtopicsboth of which are widely misunderstood: The Social
Media Zone & The Pulse - VickiOlympics & Branding.
Exclusive features range from an Flaugherinterview with GEs Olympic
Sponsor President PeterFoss and an article by UTAs Laurence
Vincent.BIZ Blog Contributorsrevealing Hollywoods branding secrets,
to a list of Top Marco Bertini, London Businessbrands on Twitter
and a How-to Branding Guide for Schoolbusiness. Mark de Rond
Christina Houghton, Siegel+GaleEnjoy! And share!! Michele Adelson,
The PhelpsGroup Laurence Vincent, UTA Joey Sargent, BrandSprout
Donetta Allen: Hunter PR Mark Brock, Wray Ward Brian Pittman
CommPRO.biz, LLC 222 East 34th Street Suite 1201 New York, NY 10016
View our Media & Sales Kit 4. Click here to learn more about
branding issues thatmatter to you. 5. 7 TableContents of Olympic
Infographic: The Evolution of Olympic Coverage in Print, TV and
Social Media {4 - 5} Olympic Gold: GE Grows Its Global Brand as
London 2012 Summer Olympics Sponsor {6 - 11} U.S. Olympic Hall of
Shame: Hard Charging Olympic Athletes Who Have Faced Charges {12 -
14}16 Londons Burning: Controversy Heats Up Over Protecting the
Olympic Brand {16 - 18} What Olympic Teams Teach Business: The
Truth about High Performance Organizations {20 - 23} Olympic
Fashion Flubs: Lessons from Ralph Lauren, Roots and Stella
McCartney {24 - 26} How to Be a Winner: P&Gs Winning
Sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic Games {28 - 31} What Hollywood
Teaches Business: How to Find Your43 Brand Story {33 - 37} Social
Media Cocktails? Aligning Your Brand with Relevant or Popular
Conversations {38 - 40} Busted! Five Brand-Busting Myths Exposed
{42 - 44} Brand Engineering: The Science Behind the Art {46 - 49}
Brand Ambassadors Needed: How to Build a Brand Through Social Media
{50 - 52} Olympic Buzz: McDonalds Demonstrates Owned-Media56
Prowess on Eve of Olympics {54 - 55} Whats Your Brand EQ? A
Questionnaire {56 - 58} Branding FAQ: What You Must Know {60 - 62}
Funny Business: Buzzwords That Hurt Brands {64 - 65} Twitter
Winners: Most Engaged Brands Online {67 - 72} BONUS BRANDING GUIDE:
How to Work with a Branding Agency (and More) {71 - 82} 6. Olympic
Gold GE Grows Its GlobalBrand as London 2012Olympics SponsorBrian
Pittmans exclusive interview with GE Olympic Sponsorship President
Peter FossAny company must carefully alignpartnerships, while
helping to reinvent GEsponsorship opportunities with its as a truly
global brand. Before thecorporate valuesand recognize its
allBeijing Olympics, Foss illustrates, theabout growth at the end
of the day, saysChinese thought GE was GM and that wePeter N. Foss,
President, Olympicwere in the car business.Sponsorship and
Corporate Sales at GE.If you cant nd a link to drivingNot only has
GEs brand awareness incompany protsdont do it! warns China
skyrocketed since the BeijingFoss, who in addition to
coordinatingOlympics in 2008, but GE has alsoGEs global Olympic
Sponsorship also ramped up its Olympic sponsorshipmanages the
companys Sales Forceinitiativesand the London SummerEffectiveness
program. Olympic Games are no exception. Here, Foss shares key
metrics underscoringIn our case, GEs values are all aboutGEs
Olympic sponsorship ROI, what hesintegrity and so are those of
themost looking forward to in the LondonOlympics, he explains.
Whats more, the Games and his quick tips for businessescompany has
driven hundreds of billionsseeking greater visibility via
marketingof dollars in infrastructure projects andsponsorships of
any size or type:sales abroad through its Olympic 6 7. Why did GE
decide to sponsor the In terms of return onGames? investment, GEs
generalGEs partnership with the Olympicawareness prior to theGames
aligns with our global growthOlympic Games was lessstrategy by
opening doors to new sales than 10%. After theand marketing
opportunities in all of theGames, it was 50%.host countries. GE is
uniquely suited tomeet the infrastructure needs required to big
areas of potential growth outside ofstage the worlds largest
sporting event, the U.S.but we just werent knownas well as the
healthcare needs tothere. The biggest interest was in
Beijing,provide quality care to the athletes. Our because China was
a big market for GE.continuedinvestment in the Olympic We were
doing close to $5 billion a yearGamesis part of our commitment
tothere. They thought GE was GM and thatdeliver world-class
infrastructure andwe were in the car business. We sawhealthcare
solutions that leave a Olympics as a brand that we couldsustainable
legacy to future generations. saddle up and ride in with.We are
proud to be associated with theIt was a great way to build
relationshipsOlympic Games, as the values of thiswith key
individuals in China as they builtglobal, trusted brand match GEs.
Our up the Olympics and announced theysponsorship provides funding
forwere spending $50 billion on itdoubleathletes that would
otherwise not bewhat was normal. Beyond that, otherable to
participate in the Olympicinfrastructure projects were more
likeGames. We are very proud of that. $200 billionincluding
transportation,power, water, lighting and all the thingsWhen did
GEs sponsorship begin and we do as a big infrastructure
company.what were the goals?We announced our sponsorship in 2003,
We realized the head of the Olympicand it was at same time NBC was
organizing committee in China wasbidding for 2010 and 12 broadcast
LiuQi, and that party secretaries andrights. As part of that, we
went in as GE mayors served on committees, as well. Ifto put in a
bid to be a TOP (The Olympicwe built a strong relationship with
them,Partner) Program Sponsor. This startedwe could demonstrate our
capability andwith the 2006 Olympics in Torino andability to be a
good partner onthen in Beijing, Vancouver and London.infrastructure
projects. They were goingThose were the four in our rst package.to
start at a given time and we needed todeliver.The thinking was the
company wasbecoming more global. When I started, That gave us a
great opportunity. We got95% of sales were in U.S., but it was to
know them and ultimately built greatprobably 60% ten years ago.
There wererelationships with them. GEs generalawareness there prior
to the Olympics7 8. In China, we saw a +31% ground: our revenue
team (sales), our PRrise in favorability afterteam, our marketing
team, and ourthe Olympic Games. In hospitality team.Canada, we saw
a +92%rise in favorability afterHow do the Olympic values align
withthe Olympic Games.GEs?From a brand value perspective, wewas
less than 10%. After the games, ithave a code of ethics in the
companywas 50%. That was good for us. We alsoand the spirit of the
letter is that integritydid a lot of advertising in the
country,comes rst of all. The Olympics valueswhich helped. are all
about striving for truth, integrity,spirit, team building and
sportsmanship.Next came the announcement that the There is nothing
there that doesnt alignSummer Olympics were to be held inwith our
own values. Integrity is numberRio. That was another great
opportunity one for us. One strike and youre out.for us as an
infrastructure company togrow into a thriving economy. We areHow
have you leveraged the power ofnow signed up through 2020. So
overall, the Olympic rings to enhance GEsit has turned into a very
nice opportunitybrand?to build stronger relationships in areas of
We have Brand Tracker studies thatthe world that are important to
us. show our brand awareness grew by 1/3from 2005 to 2010. We also
look atCan you touch upon what GE provides things like unaided
awareness aroundthe Olympics? specic campaigns. For example, we
ranOur Olympic Green program in Beijingads and launched initiatives
tied toand also in London includes providing healthcare around the
Vancouver gamesmore energy efcient sport lighting,and awareness of
GE as related toelectrical infrastructure and more. Wehealthcare
certainly grew.also built health clinics for athletes
withdiagnostic imaging equipment. So, itWe integrated efforts
across traditionalruns the gamut of all of our productmedia,
digital and PR to drive results. Aslines. The IOC actually said GE
stands a result, we saw signicant impactfor Generally
Everything.across key brand measures in China(2008) and Canada
(2010). Specically:We were their rst infrastructure sponsoras
opposed to consumer companies like In China, we saw a +31% rise
inSamsung or Visa. Those companies favorability.interests were a
year out from the gamesbeing heldbut we are there on the In Canada,
we saw a +92% rise inground to help with infrastructure
thefavorability.moment the host city is announced. Weimmediately
put four teams on the8 9. What has been the commercial impact
functioning trauma center and operatingof GEs involvement in the
Olympicsroom) and more.any hard metrics?Well, we placed GE
technology in allIn London, we have:competition and non-competition
venues 120in Beijing, Vancouver and London. GEsinvolvement with the
Olympics helped usinfrastructuredene commercial process to more
Projectseffectively address large-scale projects. Notable projects
include a fullSpecically, we created a centralized range of
diagnostic imaging equipmentteam to respond to all
Olympic-relatedfor Polyclinic (hospitals for athletes
andinfrastructure opportunitiesand to workOlympic ofcials), three
Jenbacher CHPacross GEs diverse lines of businesses.engines
installed in the Olympic Parkenergy center, 120 EV charging
stationsIn Beijing, we saw: installed to support London 2012
electric400 vehicle eet, GE lighting technologyinfrastructureacross
a number of the Olympic venues(Olympic Main Stadium,
Aquatics,ProjectsBasketball, Field-Hockey, etc.), and aNotable
projects included a partnership to re-lamp Tower Bridge with wind
farm outside of Beijing toenergy efcient LED technology.Thisprovide
renewable power for the games,resulted in a 45% energy savings
overa rain water capture system for Bird current street lighting
applications.Nest stadium (main stadium), and a Beyond that, legacy
projects include GElighting and electrical distribution
fordonating4.8m of advanced healthcaremultiple stadiums and arenas.
equipment to Homerton Hospitalincluding fetal monitors, incubators
andIn Vancouver, we saw: magnetic resonance scanners, toHomerton
University Hospital in120 Hackney, East
London.infrastructureProjectsAlso important was that we were able
toshowcase GEs contributions tocustomers from around the
world.ForNotable projects included a range ofexample:diagnostic
imaging equipment for twoPolyclinics (hospitals for athletes and In
Beijing, we hosted over 2,500Olympic ofcials), CT, MR, X-Ray,
customers.Ultrasound, ECG and Healthcare IT, aMobile Medical Unit
(MMU) in Whistler In Vancouver, we hosted over 1,000(an 18-wheel
trailer that served as full- customers9 10. In London, we will
hostvaluesand recognize that its all aboutapproximately 1,300
customersgrowth at the end of the day.You also oversee corporate
salesWe looked at Olympichow has the Olympics sponsorship
sponsorship as a way tocontributed to sales force create revenue.
But weeffectiveness? also learned that it helpsOne way to answer
that is to look at our with brand building.Decathlon Challenge,
which was aninternal program to help drive sales withI dont
understand some sponsorships.our team and distributors. It involved
a We get two to three calls a week forseries of training contests
tied to sales. things that dont t. I dont get it. WeResearch showed
that this programdont do it if its not a t. The Olympicshelped
drive $190 million in revenue were our rst global
sponsorshipandgrowth in 2007 and 2008).were a 140-year company! So,
be careful.Whats your advice to otherbusinesses regarding picking
big I dont understand things like puttingevents or even smaller
community your name on a stadium. What does thatevents to sponsor?
do for you? If you are Citibank naming aI think when you consider a
sponsorship, baseball eld, maybe that helps becauseyou have say,
What is my strategy for youre reaching consumers. But if we
putgrowth and how does this help me? our name on a stadium, they
wont beAny decision should be based on howbuying a jet engine
tomorrow. Thesuch an opportunity helps your company consumer piece
at GE is less than fourgrow revenues. If you cant nd a clearpercent
of our business-and its all aboutlinkagethen dont do it!light bulbs
and appliances. Its small, so we wouldnt pursue a sponsorship
likeFor us, we could measure things like: 1. that.Revenue (we were
selling goods thathelped build venues), 2. brand Where are you
getting the most onlineawareness, and 3. client and prospectand
media buzz as related to GEsrelationships. All of those t into
oursponsorship of the Olympics?strategic objectives.A few weeks
ago, we launched a Healthy Share Facebook application asIf you are
a consumer company like part of our movement to integrate
healthCoke, its different. You get involved within a consumer way.
This is part of ourit just for the exposure and brand Healthy
Imagination program. Thebuilding. They are 80% non-U.S. in focus is
tness and using the games toterms of global revenues. And their
last inspire people to improve their healththree CEOs were all
international. Again,based on athletes experiences. As partyou must
align with your company of this program, we developed10 11.
challenges people can take to be like the measures body composition
to seeathletes. For example, soccer playerwhich side has more
muscleAlex Morgan provided a program wheredevelopment. He had that
done earlier inyou can stretch and do things he does inthe fall.his
training. This program has beengenerating a lot of media buzz. We
didHow is golf like business?the activation at Rockefeller Center,
I have played golf since I was eight yearswhere Olympic swimmer
Summerold. I am a big proponent of golf andSanders hosted a class
to take herbelieve in getting youth involved in it. Itschallenge.a
lifelong sport and teaches great corevalues. It builds character
andWhat are you most looking forward toemphasizes integrity and
honesty. Golf isduring the Summer Olympics in a game where there
are a lot of judgmentLondon? calls you have to make. Nobody isThe
Summer Olympics offer so much tostanding there telling you what to
do andsee and do. I try not to miss swimming, how to do it every
step of the game.for starters. It has become so exciting,Being a
student of the rules of golf helpsfrom seeing Mark Spitz to now,
Phelps you in business and life, I think. What They are
extraordinary. That will beyou learn about sportsmanship,
honestythe hottest ticket in town. I enjoy that. and judgment
carries through your life.Watching Usain Bolt run is also
alwayscool. Track and eld is never boring. Final parting words
about the value ofBeach volleyball is fun, like a party. AndGEs
Olympic sponsorship?it will be held at a neat place, in the The
biggest pieces I take away from thishorse parade area. I will even
go watch are that we were a stodgy old industrialtable tennis one
day. company that never sponsoredanything. We looked at it as way
toWhat are your thoughts about golf create revenuebut learned it
helpsbeing back in the Olympics, startingbrand building. Also
important are thewith Rio? legacy gifts we leave in Olympic
cities.Im very excited about thatgolf is Those things make me feel
the bestimportant to me. Im not good enough to about our Olympics
involvement. We arecompete. I play on weekends. I live inproud of
not only being a greatCharlotte and there is good golf here.
Icompany, but also a good one.play on Saturday and Sunday
morningsView on CommPROwhenever I can. Brian PittmanWe are a
marketing partner of the PGAis a partner attour and our player just
won the U.S.CommPRO.biz, where heOpen (Webb Simpson). Hes involved
infocuses on editorial andan extension of our health initiatives.
He content while helping towas scanned by our DEXA machine that
build the community. 11 12. U.S. OLYMPIC HALL OF SHAME:Gold Winner
Tonya Harding, Conspiracy and Domestic Violence (2x
Wiener)World-class brands often want to bebigger, stronger, faster.
They always wantto be better. For better and worse andoccasionally
for best and worst, the twofrequently get together to do
business.Before, during and immediately after majorsporting
eventsnone more major than theOlympic Gamesthese
whirlwindpartnerships between winning brands andmedal winners are
formed in the face oferce competition due to the mutual drive
toSilver Winnersucceed. Unfortunately, they are oftenKobe Bryant,
Sexual Assaultfueled and fail by the mutual need for speed. Charles
Barkley, Aggravated BatteryThe sponsoring spokespeople dash for
thecash while their golden glow still attractsclients, kudos and
cameras. By Larry Thomas, President, Latergy 13. Hard Charging
Athletes Who HaveFaced Hard Charges Bronze Winner Marion Jones,
Dope Jennifer Capriati, DopeyMichael Phelps. DoperEvery now and
then, the athletes foul outleaving the brand to serve the
penaltyfor guilt by association. Here are a few US Olympians who
looked like winnerscrossing the nish line (or hitting the jump
shot), but who lost their way (at leasttemporarily) when the crowds
dispersed.You can expect the volume of falls from grace to rise
along with the popularity ofonline video and social media. Even IF
a seemingly disproportionate amount ofpampered athletes subscribe
to the Its not wrong if you dont get caught" theory,more will be
caughton cameraand their reputation and earning potential willdrop
like a puck at center ice.Whether via strip search or stripped
medal, brands that align themselves withathletes gone bad can no
longer sever ties, apologize, pull commercials, hire anew
spokesperson and wait for it to go away. In the socially fueled,
video-centric, long-tail-wagging world we live in 13 14. ...content
never sleeps. And even if itIf Phelps acquires goldoccasionally
falls off pace, it never fadesand stirs national prideaway. Even if
you pull the video from TV again this summer, helland all things
digital, the visual be back. Nothingassociation of your brand with
a goldengenerates gold like aboy or girl in handcuffs lives on
viagood comeback story.online video clips of sporting events,
talkshows and conversations. Old news is agony of defeat. The
associationold news until someone Googles it. between a brand and
an athlete has long made marketers ecstatic and nervous atIn due
time, a ne product and swift the same time. We know that theaction
will help the public forgive and euphoria from a quick spike in
brandforget both the brand and the athlete. recognition and market
share can endKelloggs knows that, so they quickly quickly with one
failed drug test, onedisqualied the smoked sh in hot water violent
episode or one corny ake of aand went back to the serial cereal kid
with a fondness for water (pipes).business. Unfortunately for the
snap,crackle and pop family, the relationship It may not end it
forever. If Mr. Phelpshasnt crossed the nish line yet. acquires
gold and stirs national pride again this summer, hell be back.
After all, nothing generates gold like a good comeback story. When
Michael dives back into the swimming and business pools this
summer, he will be going for more than just gold (or is that just
more gold?). The moral of the story: Be wary of whom you run (shoot
and swim) with, because branding is a marathonnot a sprint. And,
the players are in the public eye and mind long after the race is
over. Watch Video on YouTube View on CommPROWhether driven by
quarterly results orLarry Thomas is president ofone quarter of a
second, participants inLatergy, a video servicesboth worlds compete
ercely for fameboutique that providesand fortune. The breakneck
speed andmultimedia content strategy,the thrill of victory
occasionally lead toproduction, distribution andhasty decisions
and, ultimately, themeasurement services.14 15. Londons
Burning:Controversy Heats Up Over Protectingthe Olympic BrandBy
Marco Bertini, Assistant Professor of Marketing,London Business
School 16. The Olympic Games in London areLicensing rights refer to
the use ofofcially kicking off, providing us theOlympics logos and
trademarks on itemsopportunity to witness the worlds mostranging
from stamps and coins to t-prestigious sporting event. As Olympic
shirts and stuffed animals. This year inathletes descend upon
London, localLondon, Adidas emerged as a Tier Onebusinesses are
nding ways to capitalize Partner, allowing the sportswearon the
moment. company to receive marketing and licensing rights in
addition to other perksBut theres been debate around some(game
ofcials, volunteers and staff willcompanies many say are
oversteppingall be donned in Adidas sportswear).their bounds, using
the Olympic symbolsOther tier-one partners for this yearwithout
permission. For instance,include BMW, BP, British Airways,
BT,Bloomberg BusinessWeek interviewed EDF, Lloyds TSB.Dennis Spurr,
a butcher in Dorset whodepicted the Olympic rings as sausageBut
once the sponsorships and licensinglinks and was confronted by
ofcials rights are in place, its important tofrom the Olympics. And
The Daily Mailexamine the ow of revenue.reported that Londons cake
stores arebeing told not to use any Olympic logosWhere Does the
Money Go?on cakes due to copyright. The revenue from the principle
sources is allocated to: The International OlympicLondon is one of
the premier cities in the Committee (IOC), National Olympicworld.
It has its own recognizable appealCommittees, International
Federationsand brand. Thus, it would make sense and Organizing
Committee for thethat others would try to capitalise on it. Olympic
Games (OCOG).So whats the big deal and is it really allthat harmful
for local companies to useIn the case of the Sydney Olympics,
thethe Olympic logos in a creative way? major beneciary was the
host city OCOG, which used the funds to stageTo fully understand
this issue, lets rst the Games. Historically, 50 to 60 percentlook
at the economics of the Olympic of the revenue from broadcast
rights andGames and points of protability.international
sponsorships, plus 100 percent of the revenue from ticketing,How
Does It Work?domestic sponsorship and licensingBy almost any
measure, the Olympicsrights, went to the OCOG.are big business. For
instance, the 2000Sydney Games generated $2 billion in Of the
remaining revenue, the IOC kept arevenue from ve sources:
broadcastportion to cover its administrative andrights,
international sponsorship, operational costs and allocated the
restticketing, domestic sponsorship andto the 205 National Olympic
Committeeslicensing rights.of the IOCs member nations and to the17
17. International Federations of the sports ofThis is a brand name
the IOC wants tothe Olympic Games.make sure grows in stature. But
this iscomplicated in that the brand isWho is Responsible to
Monitor and borrowed to host cities. That is, theControl Logo Use?
IOC owns the brand in a sense, but theOf the ve sources of revenue,
the IOC host is the one who manages it in thea non-prot
organization based in running of the event.Lausanne, Switzerland is
responsiblefor negotiating and managing theI can understand that
local Londonbroadcast rights and internationalbusinesses feel some
sense of sharedsponsorships, while the host citys ownership. After
all, the Games are heldOCOG is in charge of ticketing, domesticin
their town and they paid their share forsponsorship and domestic
licensing. the construction of the infrastructure.But irrespective
of this feeling, the factAccording to a report in The
Guardian,remains that the Organising CommitteeLondon already has a
range of legal has nal ownership of the brand. Theprotections in
place, but the IOC since store owners will likely still benet
fromthe Sydney Games in 2000 requires anthe increased trafc in
London from Julyadditional layer of legal sanction. In fact,through
August. But those running thethere are laws in place that are meant
to event have the obligation to make sureprevent non-sponsors and
non-licensed (a) their name is represented accuratelybusinesses
from employing images or and positively, and (b) that the rights
ofwording that might suggest too close athose corporations that
have paid goodlink with the Games.money to be formally associated
withthe Games are respected and upheld.So as you marvel at the
Olympics thisyear, you might also think about all of thestrategy
that is behind the scenes. Andwhile many might become
frustratedwith the IOCs strict regulation, you cantdeny that theyve
kept the Olympicbrand shining year after year.The Danger of
Non-LicensedBusinesses Using the Olympics LogoView on CommPROThe
Olympics are no different than anyother business. Most companies
spend Marco Bertini is a professorgood money on building their
brands. of marketing at LondonWhile few would question the right
ofBusiness School. He focusesthese businesses to protect this
asset,on consumer/managerialthe same has to be the case for
thedecision-making, and theGames. behavioral aspects of pricing
& promotions. 18 18. What Can Olympic TeamsTeach Business
Leaders? By Mark de Rond, Ph.D., Author, There Is an I in Team:
What Elite Athletes and Coaches Really Know About High
PerformanceOver the next few weeks, the worldscrews of four are
forced to race eachbrawniest athletes will lock horns in other.
After the rst race, two rowers,pursuit of sports biggest prize:
anone from each crew, swap places. TheOlympic title. The worlds
number one race re-starts, with the goal of isolatingTaekwondo
star, Aaron Cook, wont bethe effect of a single rower on a crew in
aone of them. Controversially, he wasreal boat on actual water. The
processpassed over in favor of world number 59,continues until
coaches have sufcientLutalo Muhammed, in only the latest of adata
on each oarsmans ability, and theseries of high-prole selection
disputesrelative speed of different combinationsin the Great
Britain camp.of rowers. This seat racing shoulddeliver an objective
ranking of the bestTo avoid just such confrontations,boat
movers.selection decisions are typically basedon the most objective
grounds possible: While peerless on paper, seat racing ishaving
athletes compete against eachnot always straightforward in
practice.other for a place on the team. A good Occasionally A beats
B who beats Cexample of this is rowing, where twowho in turn beats
A, which leaves 20 19. coaches with more questions than Also, teams
are characterized byanswers. Sometimes, oarsmen andparadox: They
mobilize tensions that pullcoaches choose to downplay objective
members in contrary directions. Theresults as they push for
inclusion of an most obvious are cooperation andathlete who, by
virtue of his social skillscompetition, where individuals
continueis considered able to raise performanceto compete for
resources, reputation andlevels overall for the crew. After all, it
iscareer prospects with others, even asthe combination that
matters.effectiveness hinges on coordinating with them. The
temptation is often toThe lesson to business: Teams in downplay or
disallow competitivesports and business benet from variety.
tensions for the sake of harmony. TheIt matters greatly to have
differences inassumption is familiar: The better peopletalent and
in personality, and even in pay get along, the better they will
perform.within teams. It is only by combiningindividual differences
that one creates aBut studies show that harmony is moregenuinely
effective team.likely the consequence of, not condition for,
performance. Few things bond moreWhat else can we learn about
businessstrongly than a shared accomplishment.teams from sports?
Following are threelessons based on my extensive eldwork What to
do: The best way to build awith teams over the past 15 years, and
team is to set them a work-relatedrecent results from the
experimental labschallenge and give them something toof Harvard,
MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, feel good about collectively. In
addition,Chicago and Cambridge: dont try to weed out rivalry in the
interest of harmony. This is only likely to1. High performance
teams aredrive it underground. As a result, people will continue to
compete by belittling thenot easy places to be. efforts of those
around them.We glamorize teams, but life on theinside often feels
slightly off-balancefor much of the time. It is important not 2.
The best team is often notto confuse what things feel like withmade
up of the best individuals.what they really are like, given there
aretwo natural causes for this: What this means is that we may
sometimes sacrice competence forFirst, the individuals you work
with are likability. As alluded to in the seat racinggood, but the
qualities that make them example, it occasionally makes sense toso
can make them difcult to tolerate as compromise on technical skill
if whatteam members; overcondence can be one gets in return
improves the overallalienating, restlessness exhausting,
performance of the team. As a recentintelligence intimidating.
study points out, if people are actively disliked, their technical
competence is21 20. often irrelevant to team selection.
UnlessStudies of hospitalthey can be put to work on their own,
teams are replete withothers are unlikely to seek them out
forexamples, often with graveadvice or to share information.
consequences. In one study,a team of researchers phonedWhat to do:
Focus on nding the right 22 nursing stations, pretendingcombination
of individual highto be a hospital physician andperformers not only
in terms of skillsasking for 20mg of a new drug to bebut also
personalities. There is evidence given to a patient. They were keen
tothat levels individual performance arend out how many nurses
wouldstrongly inuenced by social context (oradminister the drug
that had not beenwho else is in the team). You wouldntapproved for
use there, that was twicewant a team of lovable fools, but it
canthe recommended dose, and that hadpay dividends to select a
socially gifted been ordered by physician unknown toindividual over
one more competent to the nurse. In 21 cases, researchers hadallow
the team to handle disagreement to intervene and stop the nurse
frommore effectively and raise their overalloverdosing the patient.
In this case,level of performance. nurses self-censor by deferring
toauthority.Finding the right combination may relyon objective
performance data. DespiteIn my experience, the Abilene Paradox
isthe availability of such analytics, it is alive and well, and
teams the worse forunlikely the optimum combo is found byit. I wish
people would spend as muchusing numbers alone. Characteristicsmoney
and effort making theirsuch as how people react underorganizations
psychologically safe aspressure, how they respond to failure they
do on getting people to work inand how they behave when not
beingteams. I suspect that if one gets thewatched are important but
unlikely to beformer right, the latter will comecaptured by numbers
alone.naturally. People are pack animals theirdesire to work
together only stymied by3. Problems in teams can arisetheir fear of
being found out.not because there is conictbutWhat to do: Ask
yourself: How safe isbecause there isnt any.my team
psychologically? How likely is itthat team members self-censor for
fearKnown as the Abilene Paradox, teamof being considered negative,
incapable,members self-censor for fear of being needy, unsupportive
or unintelligent, andseen as negative or subversive, ashow do you
know? Many teams sufferlooking silly or incompetent, or for fear
offrom lack of safety. As a team leader,destroying any existing
team spirit.might you be the problem? Would it beworthwhile
bringing in an externalfacilitator to nd out? 22 21. and worry
about.Further, might it be useful to implement adonkey question
rule, where everyoneAs we watch the worlds nest, there isis
expected to ask at least one donkey one nal lesson to be had:
Sportsquestion a week, or the kind of question teams have clarity
of purpose missingto which the answer probably should in most
organizations. Individuals knowhave been obvious, just to make sure
allwhy what they do is important, whatsbases are covered and all
assumptions expected of them and when, and howsmoked out. what they
do matters to the rest of theteam. To get this right in our own
teamsRemember that when team members may well be our most difcult,
yet alsoprovide explanations of why things aremost rewarding,
challenge. the way they are, these explanations arefar more useful
in clarifying whatView on CommPROmatters than what happened.
Peopleuse facts selectively. Their Mark de Rond, Ph.D., is
explanations for team a Fellow of Darwinperformance can differ
College at the University strongly. These variationsof Cambridge
Judge are useful because they Business School. He has can help shed
light onconsulted execs at IBM,the things they care KPMG, Shell and
others.Champions ofIntegratedMarketingCommunicationsIMC 123 23 22.
Olympic Fashion Catapults Brands to International Success - or
Sinks Them:Business Branding Lessons from Ralph Lauren, Roots and
Stella McCartneyBy Christina French Houghton, Associate Strategist,
Siegel+GaleHideous. Just strengthens thecase for Scottish
Independence! I bet that Stella McCartneyBritain is neither great
nor united. Olympic pajama suit isnt ame proof and would go oooosh
if you got the ame near it!! 24 23. One of the most widely
televised eventsprovider of Team USAs Olympic gear.in the world,
the Olympic Games, For Laurenwhose clothing is alreadyprovides
unprecedented visibility forregularly emblazoned with the
Americanathletes from Argentina to Zimbabwe. agthis project is a
natural (andThese performers promise to create immensely
successful) task. The boldmoments of great national prideor,red,
white and blue color paletteembarrassmenton a global scale.
leverages American pride, which is synonymous with Ralph Lauren. As
aIn this environment, presentation is result its brand visibility
and sales soar.paramount. Enter the crme de la crmeof couture.
Every two years, top fashionhouses are tasked with creating
theircountrys national uniform. And just likethe athletes who wear
them, theseuniforms are scrutinized through the lensof national
pride and achievement.In the best of cases, designing anOlympic
uniform can create a uniqueopportunity for a brand whose coredesign
principles are already aligned Roots, a Canadian apparel company,
has a similar history of success. Like Ralph Laurens ties to
American culture, Roots rustic aesthetic, replete with emblems of
canoes and iconic Canadian wildlife, ts perfectly within a Canadian
self-image of being in touch with the natural environment. Though
it took two years for the brands owners to secure the contract to
clothe the Canadian Olympic team, the effort paid off. Rootswith
the essential tenets of a nationaldistinctive jackets, rst created
for thecharacter. Take Ralph Lauren, for1998 Winter Olympics in
Japan, drewexample, a brand that has long been thewidespread
attention and praise. ThisSTEEEELLLLLLAA ... the GB ag is REDwhite
and blue, NOT AAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!blue, grey and blue ...25 24.
global visibilityprompting the likes of designing for an Olympic
team one mustPresident Bill Clinton, Prince Charles channel the
pride of her nation and allowand actor Robin Williams to don
Rootsthe small, creative ourishes to livegearhelped catapult the
brand towithin a national rubric of success. Ininternational
success. other words, do not interpret your countrys beloved
national ag in such aYet, this charge can also presentway that
prioritizes aesthetics oversignicant hurdles. Stella McCartney
national symbolism.recently unveiled her designs for theBritish
Olympic team. EvenRegarding her recently unveiledthough her brand
is belovedOlympic kit, McCartney said shein the UK and abroad,
wanted to take the iconic imageBritish citizens reacted toof the
Union Jack andher work with outrage. Thedismantle it to make it
moreIndependent hailedfashionable. Unfortunately,McCartneys designs
as this approach led to herarguably the worst kit
inembarrassment.history and Facebook fansberated McCartney in aWith
Ralph Lauren designing forpublic forum. With the ease Team USA and
Prada for theof information-sharing Italian Sailing Team, many
topenabled by social media and thebrands appreciate the
internationalInternet, news of the brands perceivedvisibility the
Olympic platform delivers.failure has been broadcast far and wide.
As long as these designers nd an alignment between their brand
essenceThe different reception that these brandsand the esprit du
corps of the nation forhave received begs the question: Whatwhich
they are designingas their mostrisks do designers run when they
important prioritythe relationshipengage in this kind of
international between high fashion and the Olympicchallenge? Why
have Brits reacted with Games can be brilliant indeed.such ire to
Stella McCartneys designs? The lesson is clear, national pride
shouldTo nd an answer, one could look to thenot be underestimated.
When brandingheart of the criticism, which stems from national
icons, proceed with care.McCartneys creative interpretation ofthe
Union Flag. I would argue that thisView on CommPROreproach brings
to light a sort ofunspoken rule: namely, that winning aChristina
French Houghton isbid to design Olympic gear does notan associate
strategist atgive fashion houses artistic license toSiegel+Gale,
where she solvespush creativity to its limits and presentbranding
problems for some offresh, unexpected designs. Rather, whenthe most
interesting companies worldwide.26 25. BrandingChampionP&Gs
Winning Sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic GamesBy Michelle Adelson,
Chief Brand Ofcer, The Phelps GroupCorporations invest millions of
marketingrolled out through TV, spread virally bydollars in
sponsorships in an effort toconsumers, reinforced at
point-of-impact awareness and brand perception. purchase in retail
and in the end, realizedA prime example is how brands hope
tothrough corporate social responsibility.win glory and consumer
afnity with theThe result is a truly aligned campaignOlympic Games.
However, to drive that is consistent, recurrent at eachmaximum
return for such sponsorships,touch point and most
importantly,companies must connect their brand tocredibly ties into
P&Gs brand DNA.the sponsorship in a relevant andmeaningful way.
So how exactly do youdo that?Proctor and Gambles sponsorship of
theLondon 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames highlights the best
practices ofintegrating a brand with a
sponsorshippartner.Consistent MessagingP&G began with a
consistent messageThe campaign story includes 28 athletesthat ties
to the overarching brand and from Team USA and breathes new
lifealigns with each of its product groups into the companys
longstanding positionwhile emotionally connecting to the core that
has transcended generations toaudience of moms (or mums, as they
support moms for the past 175 years.say in London). From there, an
The creative platform reinforces P&Gsintegrated campaign was
developed andbanner philosophy as a Proud Sponsor28 26. of Moms and
expands it to include notor being mothers themselves, the Thankonly
the mothers of Olympic athletes,You, Mom message traverses thebut
those around the world and in theproduct brands while connecting at
thefuture. Thank You, Mom acknowledgescorporate level.the critical
contribution of the mothers ofathletes and celebrates their
enduringefforts to raise young Olympians. Thecampaign is a
continuation of one P&Grst launched for the Vancouver
2010Winter Games, with plans to run through2020. Since it was rst
unveiled, P&Gssponsorship has evolved to a largerinvolvement
with more athletes, deeperalignment with its brand promise
andfurther assimilation into its portfolioproducts.The Olympics are
seamlessly woven into the message. P&G Beautys line of products
including Secret and CoverBrand AlignmentGirl use messaging that
reinforces power and condence, common themes that resonate with
women and athletes. The range continues with Duracells commitment
to powering devices and powering athletes through messages of
motivation that will display in the Olympic stadium. P&G
illuminates components of its sponsorship in a natural progression
across its brands in a way that doesnt feels forced, while staying
true to each products offering.Looking at the brand platform,
therecognizable identity that mirrors anOlympic medal is prevalent
andconsistent across all consumer touchpoints, providing an
evocative iconicrepresentation that allows consumers toconnect with
a now familiar symbol.Drilling deeper into the product lines,
themessage prevails as the overarchingbrand communication. Since
many ofP&Gs multi-product consumers share acommon admiration as
having mothers29 27. The mom story has both a unique andemotional
angle and P&G invites Social Media Engagementconsumers to
explore each brandsOlympic story as it comes to life.Through a
dedicated section on itswebsite, consumers can understandhow
products help moms in theireveryday lives. This connection links
toretail where the P&G-Olympicspartnership is center stage in
storeaisles. P&G showcases the sponsorshipthrough impressive
activations includingdramatic displays, in-storedemonstrations and
more than 600 Speaking of emotive, P&G launched
theOlympic-themed products on shelves foundational component of
itsthat provide strong visibility for P&G. sponsorship, Thank
You, Mom, around Mothers Day with a two-minute lm called Best Job
that was shared online and via YouTube. The lm proles mothers in
different countries helping their children along their collective
journeys to reach the pinnacle of health, talent and athleticism at
the Olympic Games while engaging in practices that require P&G
products, such as washing the dishes and doing laundry. Best Job
was repurposed into formats appropriate for television spots and
viral sharing and has been viewed by almost 13 million consumers
around the world.A notable example belongs toPampers and its
limited edition TeamUSA printed diapers and wipes. The at-retail
experience engages consumersand sparks an enduring kinship to
theconnected brands. The company haspartnered with its top
retailers to executethe installations through to the end of
theGames and P&G has placed close toone million displays
nationwide, thelargest retail campaign in its history.30 28.
P&G further empowers consumers toshare in the sentiment and
thank theirmoms with a Facebook app that has Develop a brand,
messagingbeen used to honor more than 30,000 and communications
strategymoms and counting. There is also athat aligns core
values:charitable component where theConnect your corporate
valuescompany commits to helping moms with the values of yourraise
the next generation of athletes sponsorship partner.through the
creation of its P&G/TeamUSA Youth Sports Fund. Consumers are
Relate to your audience andinvited to support through social
connect emotionally:engagement, donations and participation
Sponsorships should be treatedin brand programs from products
suchas general campaigns withas Pampers, Tide and Gillette.creative
platforms that resonateThrough its sponsorship of the Olympicwith
your core audience toand Paralympic Games, P&G has beenensure
your partnerships matterfaithful to its brand promise ofto
them.supporting the work and promoting Be consistent and
integrate:respect of mothers everywhere. Thatsbecause it: For
maximum impact, integrateone core message across all cohesively
connects toyour consumer touch points toallow your message to break
target audiences,through and be memorable. aligns its
products,Explore multiple channels fromretail, online, social,
public and and integrates the Olympiccommunity relations. message
with authenticity and eloquence.View on CommPROThe seamless
implementation inspires Michelle Adelson isthe audience to root for
moms and forChief Brand Ofcer atthe awe-inspiring Olympiads well
watch. Santa Monica-basedWe feel that much more connected
withintegrated marketingP&Gs brands for the goodwill
andcommunications agencymaking our lives that much easier. The
Phelps GroupTips for Leveraging Your Sponsorship: 31 29.
WhatTeaches Business How to Find Your Brand Story By Laurence
Vincent, Director of Theremember watching the second World Brand
Studio, UTA, Author, Brand Real Trade Center tower fall on the
television and Legendary Brandsnewscasts of 9/11. Nearly everyone
raised a hand. Yet, Dr. Fraser pointed out I am cursed with a
career-limiting visual that our memory never happened. impairment.
Its called eye rolling. Lately,People will tell you they can
remember this malady has embarrassed mewhere they were standing and
what they whenever someone tells me they help were doing when that
terrifying footage brands tell stories. When the phraseappeared on
their televisions moments were in the brand storytelling
businessafter the rst tower fell. The fact of the rolls off their
tongue, my eyes roll away matter is that footage of the second to
the corner of the room.tower falling wasnt broadcast on any
television network for nearly 24 hours. Curiously, I do believe
that brands tell stories. I just think most people who talkThe
mental magic that compels us to about brand storytelling dont know
whatlayer familiar personality traits onto a it means. The simple
fact is that story istotal stranger or remember things that how
consumers connect brands to their didnt happen in our personal
history is lives. If your eyes are rolling right now,the same
machinery that empowers let me explain. brands to tell stories. A
brand tells a story by providing an archetype of a Our brain is a
strikingly effective character we feel we know, and computing
device that works hard to providing experiential cues that push our
help us understand our world by narrative minds to complete the
story. articially closing gaps in our knowledge. When information
is missing, There are nearly always three stories it makes a best
guess. The guessescued by a brand: create linear order that allows
us to follow the story. Expert witness Dr. ScottBrand Story 1:
Fraser illustrated this phenomenon in a The Origin Story 2012
TEDxUSC speech when he asked The rst story cued by a brand is a how
many people in the audience could pseudo-historical story of the
brand33 30. itself. This is the story of recordtheabout the brand
they inevitably constructorigin of the brand, its recent behaviora
story that borrows from the larger(i.e., new product introductions
ornarrative genre of chocolate. They speaknewsworthy events) and
its reputation. of indulgence, decadence, sweets,Mention
Hewlett-Packard in Silicon passions and romance. Godiva hasValley
and tech nerds will play back the positioned itself to tell the
story of itsorigin story of inventors in a garage. competitive
eld.They will recount the controversies ofthe brands recent
history. The story of But the category story can also be usedrecord
is backward looking, and its not as a fulcrum. Sometimes, a
brandalways accuratebut its a story, and it deliberately plays
against theoften resonates with audiences because conventions of
its category. Forof our fondness for nostalgia. example, Virgin
America rarely tells the conventional story of airline travel. It
Action item: Ask yourself ifinstead frames its story in the
vernacular of club culture. Every cue leads you to someone were to
tell therecall the story of a sexy disco. You are history of your
brand, what greeted with house music, mood lighting, premium
amenities and sexy would it be and who are ight crews. Each cue
sets expectations the pivotal characters andbased on a story in
another category plot points? What feelingswhich constructs a
differentiated story for the Virgin America brand. does it
evoke?Brand Story 2:Action item: Ask yourself ifThe Category
Storyyour customers engaged inThe second story is the story of thea
conversation with othersbrands category. For example, its hardto
think about Godiva without thinkingabout your brand category,about
chocolate. This strong associationwhat genre of storieswith the
story of the category haswould they tell? What roleallowed Godiva
to extend into adjacentcategories such as spirits. Despite its
would your brand play inpoetic references to the naked lady onthe
narrative, if it appearsthe horse, when you talk to consumersat
all?34 31. they embody deep-rooted beliefs andBrand Story 3:
foundational values.The Consumer Story Some years ago, I
interviewed a womanThe third story is the story of thewho described
her loyalty to a fashionconsumer. Many psychologists use brand. She
said the clothes made hernarrative therapy to re-script a patients
feel she was getting closer to the personlife. It works because
each of us live inshe wants to be, using words likewhat author Neal
Gabler refers to as The successful, sophisticated andLife Movie.
Our life story is unfoldingsmart. She had connected with theevery
minutesome of us have multiplebrand when she was in college,
butlife stories. These include our owncouldnt afford to buy it
often. As shehistory, but they also include our progressed in her
career, she made apossible selfthe person we hope to be.habit of
occasionally splurging to buyMost of us think of the future when we
clothes from this label. The act ofthink of our self-concept, and a
majoritypurchasing, wearing and saving up forof us envision a
positive outcome. Wethe next cycle (or paying off the lastaspire to
be someone and that aspiration cycle) were all part of her story.
Theis wrapped up in a ctional story that webrand was an extension
of her identity,hope to make very real. To keep that and it was a
symbol of the person shestory from eeting, we seek cues fromaspired
to be.life that were on our way. Notsurprisingly, brands are often
involved.Action item: Ask yourself ifWhen a woman slips into a pair
ofyou were to psychoanalyzeChristian Louboutin heels, she has cued
your best customer, howup a story about herself. The same canwould
your brand factorbe said of the scientist who insists uponusing
Molecular Probes in his into their life story?groundbreaking
research. The brandsare linked to a part of a personal
identityBrand Story 4:a story about who that person is andThe
Community Storywhat they value. Those brandssometimes cue a story
that we mightTheres a fourth story thats becomingconsider to be
rather shallow andmuch more relevant. In 2004, Jamessocially
conspicuous, but just as oftenTwitchell wrote a humorous and35 32.
insightful piece for the Journal ofConsumer Research entitled An
EnglishAction item: Ask yourself ifTeacher Looks at Branding.there
is a communityTwitchell opens with a story from his around your
brand? If so,college teaching experience, and hiswhats the story
thathorror at how students linked theirknowledge of brands to
missing linesconnects that community?from nineteenth century
poetry. HeHow does the communitysurmised that brand stories
havebecome modern sagas, a collectivecontribute and share
theunderstanding rooted in a story thatstory?picks up and discards
subplots andcharacters as it is being continually problems of such
a culture (clearly, it isreformed for new audiences.wasteful and
intellectually shallow forstarters), but it may prove to be more
fairJust a few years after this piece was and democratic that what
has comepublished, social media exploded andbefore.the never-ending
brand epic found anew channel in which to morph and Why It Matters:
Show, Dont Tellconnect with audiences who, in turn,evolve the
narrative yet again. Last year, McCann Worldgroup releasedThe Truth
About Youth, a fascinatingBrand narratives are an epidemic cultural
study of more than 7,000 young peoplecurrencya shorthand that
representsaround the world. This new generation ofattitudes,
beliefs and values ofconsumers value community, justice,communities
of people.and authenticity above all else. Theycrave brands of
substance that areTwitchell notes that, The ability to enter
wrapped in a meaningful story. Mostthese communities depends not
onimportant, they want their brands to belucky birth, skin color,
religious afliation,credible. If they arent, 90% of thoseor a host
of other attributes usually surveyed said they would make a
pointinstalled at birth but a desire to consumeof telling friends
about unjust behaviorboth objects and their ctions. He from a
brand.closes with a warning and a ray of hope:I have glossed over
the obviousThis nding alone takes me back to my 36 33. eye-rolling
disorder and leads me to themost important lesson of
brandstorytelling: Brands are naturalstorytelling devices, and
brandmanagers can bring the brand story tolife by serving up cues
that tease thestory out in the consumers head.However, the story
must always be oneof truth, not ction. Suggest a storythats pure
ction in order to misleadconsumers, and I guarantee yoursuccess
will be short-lived.Some brands may extend theirstorytelling
prowess into motionpictures, television and immersive
onlineexperiences. These can be brilliantchannels for the brands
story to takecenter stage.But even these stories must be based ona
foundation of credibility. It has toconnect with what the consumer
valuesand what the brand actually stands for. Abest advice that has
been doled out tobrand exists to set an expectation. It
storytellers everywherefor centuries:gains value when experiences
with theShow, dont tell.brand meet or exceed this expectation.The
degree to which any brand canView on CommPRObecome a rock star
storyteller will vary,but the story roots of every brand are Larry
Vincent heads Theendowed from the moment of creationBrand Studio at
Unitedand brought to life through actions, not Talent Agency. He
isshowmanship. author of Brand Real. See his
presentationUltimately, the best way to make thattitled On the
Subject ofstory known is to follow the oldest andBrand Narrative
here.37 34. Social Media Optimization:The Cocktail Party
AnalogyAligning Your Brand with Relevant or Popular ConversationsBy
Jeff Herzog, CEO & Founder, ZOG decide thatDigital TM social
media really isnt forSocial media is evolving and Socialus or that
its notMedia Optimization (SMO) is becoming a the right time tonew
business requirement. This process allocate more budgetto improve
the effectiveness and to social media.visibility of online content
ensures yourbrand is visible when prospects areWhen in Doubt, Take
a Cueinterested in your product or service. from a Cocktail PartyBy
optimizing for technical and strategicSuccess in social media is
similarcomponents for networks, content,to succeeding at a cocktail
party. Ifimages and video, brands see increased you sit around
yammering abouttrafc referrals from social networks, yourself,
anyone unfortunate enough tohigher engagement and are able toenter
your sphere of inuence will makeobtain valuable consumer data in
the a polite exit. However, if you look nice,process. A large part
of SMO is aligning listen intently to others and then steeryour
brand with relevant or popularthe conversation to what others
areconversations online; essentially, the interested in, youll
likely be a hit. Thegoal is to be the conversational hit of
thelogic behind social media optimization isproverbial cocktail
party. very similar to the latter.Where Do Brands Go Wrong?In
social, a brands audience is interested in discussing themselves
andToday, most brands suffer from what we topics of interest to
them. Mostcall the me syndromedevoting much consumers arent
interested in companyof their online content to talking about
changes that do not directly affect them.the intricacies of their
own business. Themore time brands spend doing this, the Its Not
About Me, Me, Meeasier it is to lose perspective on thecontent that
will be successful. WhenA big part of SMO isthis happens, brands
fall into the me understanding who yoursyndrome trap. They often
come across customer is, and thenas at on social media platforms,
then aligning your brand38 35. conversation in such a way that it
addsgas pricesand recommended thatvalue to what they care about.
Shiftingwe create content around that topic. Toyour outreach
approach to a more accomplish this goal, we createdconsumer-centric
perspective is the rst content in the form of a widget,
whichfoundational step to begin to credibly was designed so that it
could spread speak in the social environment.organically. This
widget allowedThis allows your consumers to see the least
expensivemessage to begas prices in their area. heard and embraced.
The content is designed for an individual in a brands prospect
demographic to If youre derive value from it, and perhaps
evenreading this asshare it or forward it to a friend. Thisa
dominant aligns the brand to say, We know youre consumer packaged
concerned about gas prices, we aregood (CPG) brand likelistening to
you, and want to help easeCoca-Cola, or as a famousthe burden on
your pocketbook, by celebrity like Lady Gaga, thencreating content
you may nd useful. chances are youre probably not going to need SMO
to increase and The more value a brand can add and engage your fan
base, because yourshow theyre listening, the more likely a fans are
likely already brand fanatics. consumer will want to do business
withBut if youre like the other 98% ofthat brand. Conversations
beginbrands in the space, working to be relationshipsand
relationships growheard, or are a lower
involvementbusiness.company, then chances are you arelooking to
increase these successCocktail Talkmetrics. As a Facebook user, how
oftendo you like (and also want others to There are several other
simple ways toknow youve liked) your utility companyalign your
brand with popular onlineor your favorite brand of dish soap?
conversations. They require the ability to sift through libraries
of social data toBuild Simple Tools to Allowbetter understand the
online behaviorsConsumers to Interactwith Topics of and preferences
of your demographic.InterestAgain, this is like a cocktail party:
While all participants have a central connector,We were tasked to
align an autothere will always be many sub-groups orinsurance
client with popularconversations at each party. content topics to
increasetheir popularity in social This knowledge allows brands
tomedia. To do this, weleverage content in two ways:identied a
trending theme39 36. identifying conversations that are asharing,
in line with popular natural t for your brand; andconversations,
and still created to be identifying ways to insert your relevant
for the brand. Companies that brand into popular or timelyutilize
these themes, even those in low- conversations.involvement
industries, will be able to see vast increases in keyword
ranking,In the case of identifying conversations social post
engagement, qualied trafc,that are a natural t for your brand, its
and social impressions.likely that a cable company, for
example,will want to talk about new shows, The beauty of the SMO
cocktailseason premiers, and newly releasedparty strategy, when
donemovies or programming available oncorrectly, is thatdemand.
These topics are both brands can berelevant, as well as a logical
way for a the hitlower involvement brand to insertofthemselves into
conversational topics. the party,When looking to leverage popular
ormakingtimely conversations, a brand must havenewthe ability to
act quickly to capitalize onfriendsthese opportunities. Examples of
this(qualiedare: potential customers), and producing content around
trending establishing online topics or news (on socialthemselves in
new platforms or news outlets); orcircles (to gain producing trendy
content, additional visibility). including photo and video memes.
These topics, trends and memes might not be central to your core
View on CommPRO content themes, but they do allow you to insert
your brand into Jeffrey popular conversations, that in-turn Herzog
is increase your exposure to new CEO of audiences and send trafc to
your ZOG Digital TM, a brand by driving additional visibility.
search & social marketing technologyQuantify the Results
company in Scottsdale, AZ.These content themes are created insuch a
way that makes them ripe for40 37. 5Myths ExposedBrand-BustingBy
Joellyn Joey Sargent, Principal,BrandSprout LLCWWith business
moving at an ever-accelerating pace, branding is both a hottopic
and a moving target. In spite of therequired to nd the intersection
where abrand comes to life.buzz, not all conventional wisdom isMyth
2: Branding Isaccurate. Lets debunk some majormyths about branding
to clear the way Expensivefor a more focused and fruitful
approachLooking at the huge brand advertisingto branding your
business:investments of companies like CocaCola, Visa and Ford, I
can understandwhy many think branding is expensive.Myth 1: A Brand
Is a PromiseThe truth is, it doesnt take millions toWhile a brand
promisethe essence ofbuild a brand. Even the largest brandswhat a
company offers its customersisstarted small. Unrelenting dedication
toan important element of brand strategy, branding helped themthe
idea that a brand is a promise fallsgrow. Their big budgetsshort.
Promises get broken, forgotten are a result ofand sometimes are
made without anysuccessful branding,intention of being kept. Thats
hardly thenot a catalyst for it.kind of relationship you want with
your The real price of acustomers.strong brand is notInstead, a
brand is an intersection. Its monetary. Its athe point where brand
promise meets commitmentcustomer permission, where perception to
investmeets reality. The nexus depends as more thanmuch on your
customers willingness tobuy into your brand message as it doeson
your carefully crafted brand vision. Abrand does not become great
on itscash.own. Stakeholders all need to accept thebrand promise.
Dialog and agreement is 42 38. Companies that create strong
brandsunderstanding what makes your brandfocus time and energy
on:unique, what customers expect, what Understanding customers
andvalue you offer and how its delivered.marketsDesign follows
strategy, communicating Delivering brand value in everybrand
attributes and messages that haveinteractionbeen established
through a thorough process of evaluation and discovery. A
Consistently reinforcing brand cohesive brand image helps express
amessages companys positioning, establishing a Embodying the brand
in all aspects offramework for aspirational themesthe business
associated with its value proposition.How you interact with
customers andemployees, the products you offer andhow you deliver
services are criticalMyth 4: Rebranding Fixesstrategic decisions.
Integrate these Everythingelements into your business and you will
Ive been involved in a lot of rebrandingestablish a rm foundation
for your projects over the years, and itsbrand before you spend a
dime on interesting to see the reasonsadvertising. companies cite
for making a change. Often, rebranding is seen as a quick x for
larger business issues. Its not.Myth 3: A Logo Is a Brand
Rebranding signals change within aAs the most visible element of a
brand business, but it doesnt create change.platform, a logo
represents but it is notthe brand. Logos and brand identity
areOrganizational evolution must alwaysimportant because imagery
can invoke come rst or the rebranding effort will failan immediate
visceral response, creating for lack of substance.a strong
connection with customers.The time to rebrand is when yourWhile a
consistent and appealing look organization has adopted fresh ways
ofand feel can cement brand awareness,thinking. Changes such as an
updated logo design is only a piece of thebusiness model, entering
new markets branding process. and dramatically improved
productBefore you start designing offerings are fundamental shifts
thatlogos, sites, packaging, ads logically lead to a brand
makeover. or point of sale displays,Resist the temptation to
rebrandremember these thingsbecause sales are down or
competitionare all just ways of is heating up. Rebrand when
yourillustrating what your response to these challenges requires
brand stands for. Creatingyou to show the market that youra brand
image rst requires43 39. company has changed and your brand is In
response, companies must connectevolving in a positive way. with
customers, listening andresponding in new ways. Successfulbranding
cultivates relationships built onMyth 5: We Control Our
Brandinuence and authenticity, using brandadvocates for social
proof andThe days when businesses controlled responding to issues
that might havetheir brands are over.been ignored in the
past.Organizations used to unilaterally deneThe social voice can be
powerful,their brand messages and dictatingmaking brands
accountable forwhere those messages appeared.unpopular policies and
poor decisions.Customers shared brand experiences, At the same
time, passion for smallbut companies essentially controlled
thebrands can turn into a groundswell ofmessage.support,
catapulting new businesses toTechnologyand social mediaturnedthe
forefront of their industries.the tables, giving power to the
peopleIn this environment, companies mustand making brands more
dynamic than accept that the era of control hasever before.
Customers can be vocal evolved into a tide of inuence.
Moldadvocates or detractors of a brand, customer perceptions by
carefullymanipulating messages and shaping shaping brand messages
and activelybrand perceptions on their own. managing things you can
control, suchas how your company interacts withcustomers and the
way in which you respond to problems.Your brand has a life of its
own. It willgrow and change over time as themarket shows you what
resonates with customers and what does not. Embrace this feedback,
using thesesignals to continually improve theessence of your brand.
View on CommPROJoellyn Sargent isprincipal of BrandSproutLLC, a
consulting rmthat turns dauntingbusiness challenges intosuccess
stories. 44 40. BrandHow to Masterthe ScienceBeneath the ArtBy Mark
Weiner, CEO, PRIME ResearchA common misconception is that branding
is a purely creative endeavor based onclever phrasing, brilliant
visuals and edgy disruptive execution. While creativitycertainly
plays an important part, successful branding is as much science as
art; andthe required sciencewhich can be called brand
engineeringactually enhancesthe creative process by focusing
resources on those branding opportunities with thehighest
potential.Brand engineering is a systematic, target audiencebased
process of developingbrand, issue, or corporate positioning based
on research. Heres how to get started:Brand Engineering: Questions
You Must AnswerThe science of branding requires a systematic
process by which brand marketersaugment the creative process. The
optimal branding strategy-development processmust enable the
marketer to reach the following decisions:46 41. Engineering Who is
the most protable target audience? What motivates the target to
act? How well does our brand proposition match the target audiences
priorities and reality in terms of credibility, relevance,
sustainability and youre your own protability? How well does our
competition or opposition perform against the same criteria? Does
the brand strategy align with the objectives of the organization?
Is our branding consistent across all channels? Does the brand
resonate as strongly among internal audiences as well as it does in
the marketplace? Do we understand our audience, our brand and our
competitive environment well enough to bring our brand alive in
communications, logo and creative?The Branding Engineering
ProcessThe answers to these questions, the subsequent brand
decisions and the eventualperformance evaluation are most reliably
and successfully achieved through a brandengineering research
process consisting of ve stages, the rst of which drives therest:1.
The initial step in brand engineering uses qualitative research.
This research comes in the form of a focus group to generate a
multitude of propositional attributes and benetsbranding
opportunitiesincluding future options as well as current
approaches. Once the list is developed, the group decides on which
possibilities are the most likely to succeed, selecting twenty-ve
or so to test through quantitative research.2. The second step is
the survey stage. This stage is one in which the twenty- ve
attributes and benets of the brand are scientically tested using a
survey to interview no fewer than three hundred but no more than
one-thousand respondents.47 42. 3. The third step is a formal
analysis designed to explore the three or fourmajor drivers
revealed during the second step. This is done to uncover
thederivation and intensity of the prospects needs, and to get a
clear picture of thecompetitive environment.4. The fourth step in
the brand strategy development process is to conducta content
analysis of traditional, digital and social mediaoriginating in
those media with the highest penetrationamong the target audience.
The purpose is to determinethe extent to which the three or four
winning brandattributes are delivered by your company and
yourcompetitors. Smart brand planners give the highest priorityto
those attributes that are important to the targetaudience, viewed
as favorable aspects of the sponsoringcompany, and are not
associated favorably with competitors.5. The fth step is evaluation
to drive incremental learning andcontinual improvement. Similar to
Steps 1-4 in miniature, evaluationshould be continuous and
consistent to ensure that past decisionsremain effective in the
constantly evolving marketplace. Periodic pulse-checks provide
useful input for tactical execution to ensure thatinvestments made
in branding continue to yield positive results over time,versus
competitors and in light of best-practice. Attributesimportant
toAttributes not the protable associated with competitors
customerOpportunityCredible attributesfor your brand 48 43. Once
research uncovers your brand landscape, invest your tactical
resources onthose activities that deliver the best return on
investment.Branding MythsWhile people speak of branding, its
denition, application and understanding are notuniversal. In such
an environment, there is a danger for conventional wisdom to
takehold without question. Avoid the following traps when you
approach brand investmentdecisions: Its better to be approximately
right than absolutely wrong: The resources for eventhe biggest
companies are limited, but smaller organizations are more severely
cappedin their branding efforts. This reality may suggest that one
dispense with brand engineering altogether but even a limited
approach is better than nothing. Beware of overly simplistic brand
measures: A recent wave of distilled market assessment led markets
to believe that one canquantify brand performance with a single
question. While theanswer may provide a simple pulse-check, it
cannot tell the market what can and should be done as a result
which is, after all, what everyone needs to know. Dont skip steps:
Focus groups can be helpful and inexpensivebut, at the end of the
day, they represent only the opinions of a dozen orso strangers.
The focus group is a way to test hypotheses, explore
brandpossibilities and to learn about how the consumer thinks about
yourproduct, service or brand. Follow the focus group with
quantitative research to ensure reliable and projectable
intelligence to avoid risk and optimize returns. Branding doesnt
equal Advertising: The truth is that branding weaves
itselfthroughout the entire organization, not just across the
traditional marketing mixincluding advertising, price-promotions,
social and digital, in-store and tradepromotions, and public
relationsbut spanning accounting, shipping, and everydimension
which touches the customer either directly and indirectly.Given the
importance and disproportionate amount of resources devoted to
marketingand branding in light of an extraordinarily disruptive
period in marketing history,branding serves as both a sword and a
shieldit pays to get it right. View on CommPRO Mark Weiner is the
CEO of PRIME Research, a global communications research and
consulting rm based in New York City He is the author A Contrarians
Guide to Marketing and Communication, published by John Wiley &
Sons. He can be reached at mailto:[email protected]. 49 44.
Brand Ambassadors Needed!How to Build aBrand Through Social MediaBy
Donetta Allen, Social & Digital Media Practice Leader, Hunter
Public Relations50 45. Consumers are showing they are willingto
engage with the products, companiesFrom time to time, humor and a
well-and brands that inuence their day-to-timed social media
response can alsoday purchasing decisions. A survey by turn critics
into fans, which will in turnLab42 found that more than 30 percent
help build a brand. Recently, Smart Carof Twitter users follow 1-5
brands on the smartly responded to this critical remarkplatform,
but just 10 percent dont followon Twitter: Saw a bird had crapped
on aany brands. Another survey by HubSpot Smart Car. Totaled it.
Smart Car tookshowed that of Facebook users who that comment, did
some calculationsfollow brands, more than 50 percent and responded
with an infographicfollow between 2-5 brands, with another about
how much bird crap it would20 percent following between 5 to 10.
actually take to total a Smart Car. Thisresponse, as covered here,
cleverlyClearly, social media is an increasinglyreminded consumers
about the Smartimportant part of building a brand. ItCars Tridion
Safety Cell, a key safetyoffers an opportunity for brands to
feature for the automobile.participate in conversations about
theirservices that consumers previously hadWhen introducing a new
brand in 2012,only among themselves. When choosingit would be
irresponsible to not includeto build a brand through social
media,social media in the launch plan, asyoull need to embrace the
idea that youconsumers expect to nd your brand inare entering an
on-going dialogue, not amultiple places. For more
establishedmonologue, with your consumers. brands, consider pairing
the launch of asocial media program with a new adIt also lets you
further build a personalitycampaign or public relations program.for
the brand that has been established When you decide to embark on a
socialthrough advertising or years of service.media program to help
build your brand,Known for your customer service? Utilizewhether
internally or with the assistancethat when building your social
mediaof an agency, consider these steps toplans to connect with
your customers. establish a social media presence:Brands like
Comcast and JetBlue havefound consumer relations success in 1.
Listensocial media as they troubleshoot The rst step is to listen
to your mostconsumer problems through Twitter.active consumers.
Spend the time tosearch for your brand on various socialBrands who
embrace social media alsomedia platforms and see what theseknow
that ongoing communication withbrand ambassadors are already
sayingtheir core fans can turn a fan into anabout you.
Conversations amongambassador. These fans elect to interactmembers
of your marketplace happenwith your brand, which means that whether
you like it or not, says expertpaying attention to their comments,
their Seth Godin. Good marketinglikes and dislikes is critical. 51
46. encourages the right sort of Think visually and gather photos,
videosconversations.and other suitable content for theThe takeaway
is to nd these existingplatform. Also, identify
upcomingconversations and then to enhance andholidays that would be
brand-contribute to them as you build your appropriate to mention,
as these providebrand through social media.an opportunity for
brands to participate in general conversation or make a2. Choose a
Platform statement. The recent Oreo Pride cookieThis initial
listening phase will help you is a prime example. And nally,
considerdetermine which platforms you should a few key things that
consumers areutilize to help build your brand through looking for
from brands, such as deals,social media. While it can be tempting
tocontests and product information, andstart with a Facebook page
since its thebuild some of these into your plans.largest platform,
there really is no onesize ts all program for brands.4. Share the
NewsIf youre nding that people are Once youve established a
presence andconstantly posting pictures about your created a
content plan, you need to letproduct, then a visual strategy
focusing your consumer base know that you areon Pinterest and
Instagram might benow on social media! Tell everyone youright for
your brand. If people oftenknow and ask them to help spread
therecommend your brand while shopping, news. Add social media
buttons to yourperhaps Twitter or FourSquare are thewebsite. Send
out a notice to yourright places for your brand. You might existing
e-mail distribution list andnd that one platform is enough for your
consider a limited media buy on theconsumers, but many nd that two
orplatform to help drive awareness duringthree platforms are
helpful for creating a launch. Youre on your way to buildingstrong
branded social media presence.an engaged community that will help
build your brand for the future!3. Create a Content PlanWhile
actually setting up a presence onView on CommPROsocial media sites
is relatively easy, youshould put some serious thought and Donetta
Allen is a partnerplanning into the strategy behind theand
social/digital mediacontent that you will be sharing on thepractice
leader at Hunterplatform. Determine the tone of voicePublic
Relations, a New(fun, playful, serious?), style of speakingYork
City-based marcom(eloquent, txt spk, punny?) you intend tofirm that
partners withuse and the visual strategy (photos, many of the
nations mostgraphics?).iconic brands.As you outline your brand
content,consider the story your brand will tell.52 47. Click Here
to Learn More 48. Olympic BuzzMcDonalds DemonstratesOwned-Media
Prowess onEve of London OlympicsBy Dave Armon, President, Critical
MentionMcDonalds will score Olympic-size buzz hell does my Quarter
Pounder within mainstream media and on social Cheese look better in
the ads than itnetworks as an ofcial sponsor of the does at the
restaurant? Within three2012 Summer Games. The juxtapositionshort
weeks, more than 6 million peopleof the worlds largest McDonalds
knew the answer.restaurant next to athletes with zerobody fat could
make for some interestingFor those who have not clicked on
theTweets.But if a recent owned-media Play button, you missed
hearing a foodsuccess from McDonalds Canada is any stylist explain
how pickles must beindication, the brand is well prepared formoved
so they are not hidden underthe challenge.sesame seed buns, and
that syringes areemployed to make mustard and ketchupIn late June,
Hope Bagozzi, marketing drip down a seared beef patty in just
thedirector for McDonalds Canada, right way to get mouths
watering.uploaded avideoto YouTube thatanswered a question that had
been Its no secret that mega consumersubmitted by a Twitter user:
Why the brands like McDonalds draw plenty of 54 49. criticism.
Social media has giveneveryone a megaphone, so its brilliantthat
Bagozzi and her team seized theopportunity to transform the doubt
of apotentially cranky customer intocredibility for the
brand.Companies likeHowcastandeHowhavebuilt successful web
businesses aroundanswering common questions through Critical
Mentions Syndicastervideo, with some of the webisodesplatform is
used by a third of all U.S.generating thousands of views. network
television afliates andKudos to McDonalds for guring out200+
newspapers to aggregatethat a journalist-style video produced
byvideo from professional reporters ina brand can be entertaining
and shared the eld and citizen journalists. Onlyamong friends and
foes alikeespeciallythe newsroom has the authority towhen the crowd
suggests the topics thatreview, edit, title, tag and publish theare
tackled. content, so we think this brand-safe approach to video
curation will workWe think brands of all varietiesfromwell with
companies and PR rms.not-for-prots and small businesses to the
biggest global B2B companies and Youll be hearing more in
cominggovernment agencieswill start askingweeks and months about
how weretheir employees, customers, online rolling Syndicaster out
so moresocial communities and other enterprises can start acting
likeconstituencies to contribute video.media companies. We look
forward to seeing what crowd-sourced media tricks McDonalds has
ready to roll at Londons Olympic Park. View on CommPRODavid Armon
is the president ofCritical Mention, and a self-described media
exec embracingdisruptive technology and the socialweb. Follow him
on Twitter:Click to View Video @daveyarmon.55 50. Whats Your Brand
EQ? EAn Engagement Quotient Questionnaire for Business QBy Sam Ford
and Emily Yellin,Peppercom Strategic CommunicationsMost businesses
are built on interactingBrand: a name, term, design, symbol, orand
connecting with their customers.any other feature that identies
oneBut even the most audience-centricsellers good or service as
distinct frombrands can become disconnected from those of other
sellers.*the audiences they seek to engageoften because customers
have been Brand engagement: a term looselyreduced to mere data
points on a spread used to describe the process of formingsheet.an
attachment (emotional and rational)between a person and a
brand.**Thats bad news. Its often the rootcause behind failed
marketing Brand Engagement Quotient: acampaigns, communications
initiatives subjective, non-scientic guideline of athat produce low
engagement, andcompany or clients brand engagementbrands that just
fall at. Ultimately,levels based on a self-reportbrands with low
brand engagementquestionnaire (see next page)quotients (EQs) lose
customer loyalty,and eventually, market share. *Source:
Dictionary.com**Source: Wikipedia.org 56 51. Test Your Brand:
Theamong marketing,communications, sales, customerEQ
Questionnaireservice, and other front-facingparts of the company to
make sureall are in sync with the entireHere is our checklist of
questions to helpexperience your audiences haveyou diagnose how
well you are keeping with your company?your ngers on the pulse of
youraudiences: Does the question, What servesour audiences best?
regularly Do you regularly go beyond talkingfactor into your
calculations ofabout audience data orROI?segmentation proles, and
actuallyobserve and talk in person with thepeople you are seeking
to engage? Do you rely on anything more than Whats Your Brand
EQ?results from surveys and focusgroups, and data from other So how
did you do? Heres a quickcompany-controlled situations, to answer
key to help you gauge whethermonitor how your customers feel your
brands engagement quotient is upand what they say about yourto
speed:company? Do you shop for and use your ownAll Yeses
Congratulations! You areproducts or services on a regular your
customer. Your company is sobasis?customer-centric that you
couldprobably teach us all a thing or two. Do your online
monitoring efforts Keep it up.consist of anything beyondtracking
mentions of your 1 or 2 Nos Youre on your way tocompany and its
products andbeing customer-centric, but redoubleservices? your
efforts and pay attention to theplaces where you could improve. Is
everyone in your companytalking daily in your meetings3 or more Nos
You might haveabout what your audiences might the best intentions,
and lots of goodthink, or how they might feel, andreasons why you
cant become morefactoring that into every businesscustomer-centric
now. But yourdecision? customers are going to bail if youdont
change course soon. Do you have regular internalconversations and
collaborations 57 52. Tips: How to BoostYour Brand EQRepeat This is
not just a one-time activity.If you didnt score all yeses, dont
worry.Only if you consistently considerHere are three steps to
start the simple every communication andbut concerted effort needed
to address business decision from yourthat:audiences perspective,
will you be better able to engage them. Listen and Make sure
everyone at your companyCollaboratebecomes an advocate for your key
audiences, and communicates thatPay attention to conversations
attitude to them. Then, watch the ROI ofthat you dont control or
prompt. all this effort grow, as your customersBecome a regular
part of the become not only more loyal but alsoonline and ofine
communities your strongest advocates in thethat your audiences
join. Foster marketplace.two-way communication, not justone-way
marketing pushes.View on CommPROEngage and be pro-active abouttheir
needs, not just reactive totheir complaints.Sam Ford is Digital
Strategy director at Peppercom Strategic Go NativeCommunications
and author of SpreadableDont only go out in the eld with Media:
Creating Valueyour sales team, sit in your call and Meaning in
acenter, or query people aboutNetworked Culture.what they think
about your latestcampaign. Get out of yourcompanys bubble, and
spend real Emily Yellin is a formertime in the places your key NYT
contributor andaudiences inhabit. What is author of Your Call
Iseveryday life like for them? What (Not That) Important todo they
care about, beyond your Us. She partners withcompany? And how do
the Peppercom onproducts, policies and messagesAudience
Experience.that you see from the companysperspective look and feel
to yourtarget audiences?58 53. By Mark Brock, Director of Public
Relations, Wray WardCorporate Branding FAQ Yes, There Is More to It
Than You Think60 54. Unfortunately, many companiesthe alignment, or
lack thereof, of theseregardless of sizedont see corporateelements
is a true measure ofbranding as complicated. Their thinking
effectiveness with corporate branding.seems to be, Develop a logo,
standardPMS colors, brand standards manual, Q. How are vision,
perceptionand a statement of vision, mission andvalues and voilayou
have a brand. and culture dened and whyis alignment important?As
important as these elements are tobrands, this is not the stuff
from whichVision is a statement from executivestrong corporate
brands emerge. Thismanagement of an organizationsFAQ sets the
record straight and arms essence at the highest level; it is
bothbusinesses with a better understandingaspirational and
attainable. Perception isof what branding isand how to go how the
organization is viewed by its keyabout building a great brand:
stakeholdersprimarily, its customers.And nally, culture is the
actual day-to-Q. What is the stuff that great day environment of a
company asexperienced by employees. Only whenbrands are made of?
you align vision, perception and culturedo you achieve a strong
corporateA team of researchers from Harvardbrand. Misalignment of
these factorsexamined this question in a study causes confusion in
the marketplace andpublished several years ago. They a weak or
negative brand image.examined a large number of globalcompanies to
determine how greatbrands are achieved. Two conclusionsQ. Why is
alignment soemerged from the study: Companies difcult?with strong
brands perform better thanothers, and effective branding is the
Again, the visual elements around aresult of the alignment of three
factors brand logo, colors, brand standardsvision, perception and
culture. manual are relatively easy. You providegood input to a
creative team, theyQ. What did this studydevelop options and you
select the onethat wins the beauty contest. For anconclude about
vision,executive team to articulate a vision andperception and
culture? then assure that perceptions by themarketplace and culture
within theThe conclusion of the study was twofold organization all
align requires a level of that these three elements
(vision,introspection that can be extremelyperception and culture)
are critica