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Brand Strategy


The Power of Brands Doing Good

The Power of Brands Doing Good

One has to applaud how the Dove brand, under the guidance of Ogilvy & Mather, has become a vivid example of emotionally meaningful branding. They seized a fertile ground – women’s insecurity about their own bodies – and, rather than exploiting it as the industry typically does, set out to do something about it. In this brilliant film, Dove reveals two drawings by a forensic detective to each woman featured. The first is a drawing based on how the woman described herself to the detective. The second shows the drawing the detective drew of the woman, based on how another person described...
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Connecting the Dots That Produce All Around Results

Connecting the Dots That Produce All Around Results

In a brilliant blog post, Tom Asacker posed a series of questions, the answers of which add up to two surprising results. http://www.acleareye.com/sandbox_wisdom/2014/03/theres-your-brand-strategy.html] “So ask yourself, what are we doing to motivate people, to feed their hungers and desires? Are we helping them achieve?
 Are we feeding their hungers to be recognized, to be liked and loved?
 Are we connecting them with like-minded people and empowering them to empower others?
 Are we providing a beautiful, pleasurable, and engaging experience?
 Are we providing a sense of control, full...
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Which Comes First? A Strong Corporate Culture or a Meaningful Workplace?

Which Comes First? A Strong Corporate Culture or a Meaningful Workplace?

There’s a virtual cornucopia of so-called “culture decks” finding its way across the web today. These glitzy slideshows present the values that supposedly drive each respective company’s workforce.  A quick scan of these decks shows that many of the companies are mimicking another. They are using clever language to make things sound really sexy. And of course they employ design that makes your mouth water. These cultural displays are all well and good, however one has to question them on several levels:  To what extent are they honest, credible and accurate...
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The Value of Values

The Value of Values

Why don’t companies value their values? This question comes up for us often because we’re engaged with brands at an emotional level, not just intellectually or strategically. We’re working hard to connect brands to humans who make lasting emotional decisions a lot faster than they can come to logical ones. One of the strongest emotional binders for human beings is shared values – they’re the basis of religion, among other things – so it’s logical to conclude that companies with strong brands put a lot of value into their values. But often, they don’t. More likely, they neglect them for long...
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The Goal is to Align Employees – But the Key Question is Not “How?”

The Goal is to Align Employees – But the Key Question is Not “How?”

Nothing slows down an enterprise more than a workforce that is working at cross purposes, unmotivated and uncaring. And nothing dims the prospects of an enterprise more than having a workforce that fails to innovate, isn’t inspired to be creative, and which just checks in and checks out day after day. The eternal question is “how” to align employees to what the business needs and there are many methods, tools and professionals devoted to getting employees to shift their attitudes and behaviors. But, even these efforts are not producing the desired result. We believe this is...
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What Is Your Brand’s Future State?

What Is Your Brand’s Future State?

Why talk about the future state of your brand? Look ahead and dream about what would make your brand a kick-ass success. Now start planning for it. What if you could turn the clock back 5 years? Thinking about the state of your brand and business today, what would you have done to make your brand either stronger today, or more fit for the future it faces? If we had this magical power, we would be able to go back and pull the strings, turn the dials, and change the gears of our complex brand workings. With the power of hindsight, we’d be able to avert many of the business problems that plague...
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Why Every CEO Should Pursue a “Purpose Beyond Profit”

Why Every CEO Should Pursue a “Purpose Beyond Profit”

It’s textbook management practice to formalize a company’s “mission, vision, and values.” And while these are important steps in helping form a direction and way of being for a company, many CEOs are nonetheless challenged with a litany of business issues: Unengaged employees An inability to attract the new talent needed Customer defection Lack of marketplace differentiation Dissatisfied shareholders This list goes on and on, doesn’t it? Behind each of these business challenges is a big question: How can my business matter more to people? When your business...
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Why Recruits Say, “No Thanks”

Why Recruits Say, “No Thanks”

I came across an interesting article on recruiter.com the other day entitled, “7 reasons I’ll turn down a job after interviewing with you”. Two caught my eye: 1. You’re too negative – If you’re bad-mouthing the company, other employees, your workload, or even yourself, then chances are slim that I’ll come on board as your newest employee. Why? Because negativity is toxic. It tells me that morale is low and that you don’t enjoy your job. I recognize it’s possible that you’re just having a bad day, but it’s just too big of a risk to take. 5. You don’t tell me...
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It’s Time to Re-Value the Value Proposition

It’s Time to Re-Value the Value Proposition

The creation of the value proposition has a long history. Businesses are absolute wizards at coming up with new products and services, figuring out how to make and distribute them, and backing them up with service. Ironically, they often are unable to craft a value proposition for their offering that couldn’t be easily used by their competitors. They write bog-standard, uninspiring, business-speak statements, filled with jargon that go in one ear and out the other of both employees, prospects and customers. As such, they end up saying nothing significant to the people vital to their...
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The Future Is Now – Humanize Your Product Or Service Or It Simply Won’t Sell!

The Future Is Now – Humanize Your Product Or Service Or It Simply Won’t Sell!

Brands often look to the future for clues on how to adapt to changing technology and culture. But much of what futurists say is coming can be acted upon today (e.g. human-centric branding). To learn about what the future may bring to digital marketing, Dana Rousmaniere spoke with Gerd Leonhard, “one of the leading media-futurists in the world.” What this futurist envisions Here are a few salient points from the discussion on the HBR blog: “You’re going to stop buying things from companies that don’t fit your values, just because you can’t see giving them the money.” “All of the companies of...
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