Brand Champions

It's Not About the Logo

Last week when I read several accounts about the possibility of GM changing their logo, I recalled one of my brand mantras, "It's Not About the Logo." Most of the stories I read involved GM changing the logo background from blue to green. Many reported the change would be more closely aligned with GM's enhanced commitment to making more environmentally-friendly automobiles. That may not be a bad solution down the road, but not right now.

As most of us know a logo is simply a graphic representation of our brand. It should reflect our mission and what our brand stands for. With all of GM's current challenges, the last thing they should be doing is tinkering with their graphics. If they are successful in retaining their current brand champions, and are able to recruit new brand champions based on proven strategies like going green, then making modifications to their graphic standards might make sense in the future.

When organizations limit their brand focus on their logo and not enough on their mission, core values and stakeholder engagment, then their brand is diluted. Oh by the way, it's not about the tagline and advertising campaign either. I hope the new GM leadership (whom I like) takes charge of the brand instead of the communications department or the agency that GM is working with now.

Education Branding, Admissions, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Converge in San Antonio

In another week I will be heading to San Antonio, Texas where I will have the opportunity to present for the third year in a row at the Noel-Levitz National Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing and Retention. Two years ago in Orlando I presented a higher education brand 101 session. Last year in Chicago I presented on the relationship between education brands and social media. This year in San Antonio I will be presenting along with John Dolan, VP for Enrollment at. John and I will be sharing a case study on the brand initiative that we have been working with other stakeholders at La Salle University.

In my view La Salle University is creating the model for education brand building by which other institutions will determine is a best practice. La Salle University is one of the few institutions that has embraced brand development based on mission, core values and employee engagement. In the past, most colleges and universities, like most businesses, have taken a traditional approach to branding based on advertising and taglines. La Salle is also one of the few universities that has had the admissions department play a lead role in brand development.

I love the fact that Noel-Levitz is utilizing social media as a communications tool. Like many conferences are beginning to do, this conference has a hash tag (#NCSRMR09) that allows participants to engage before and during the conference on Twitter. Participants can also opt in to getting conference updates on their mobile device. For those who will be at the conference I hope to see you on Thursday, July 23 at 11:15 am. I will also be tweeting before and during the conference as I did yesterday. I look forward to engaging with brand champions from their respective colleges, universities and other organizations.

Brand Champion of the Day- Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche

Yesterday Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche formally announced his retirement from the National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche. Over the course of the past few months most people have speculated that last season was his final year in an Avalanche sweater. During the past several days local sport pundits have written much about Sakic's accomplishments and are now attempting to rank Sakic against other Colorado athletes.

In my opinion the Sakic brand stands for class, competitiveness, grace, humility, leadership and other attributes. Most of those terms I do not associate with hockey, but with Sakic the person. In addition to those strengths people here in Denver will never forget that it was Sakic and the rest of the Avalanche that finally brought a major sport championship to our city. Because of all he has contributed, Joe Sakic is the Brand Champion of the Day. In terms of where he ranks on a list of Colorado athletes? Like many of his brand champions, I rank Super Joe number one.

Sorry Elway, you are number two. By an avalanche!

Governor Sarah Palin Needs a Brand Strategy

In the past I have shared my views about political brands ranging from Fidel Castro to Barack Obama, from the US Republican Party to the Taliban. Today, I need to put down on digital paper what has been going through my mind for nearly a year. Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin needs a brand strategy. Given the recent news of her resignation, I believe that now more than ever.

Let's start with the basic understanding that a brand is our name and the associations that people make with our name when they hear or see our name. Like a mission statement, our brand is what we stand for. If people are uncertain who we are and what we stand for then we allow them to define our brand for us. It feels like that is what is happening with Governor Palin. She was flung into the last US presidential race and the Republican party sort of defined her brand. After the race the media and others like David Letterman gave it a shot. When she has resigned her position as Governor everyone is giving it a go.

Perhaps now that Governor Palin has resigned her position as the CEO of the State of Alaska she can take the appropriate time and steps necessary to develop a brand strategy allowing HER to communicate her brand promise and the reasons to believe in the Sarah Palin brand. That will provide the direction required to effectively recruit and retain her brand champions. No matter what the future holds.

I am here if you need help with this!

Brand and Strategic Plan

I am often asked my opinion about the relationship between a brand and the strategic plan of the organization. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? That depends upon where your organization is at in both its brand development process and its strategic planning process. Hopefully your organization is involved in both. If you have one or none then the answer becomes much clearer.

In my view all planning and development starts and ends with the brand. Your brand is your name and what your name stands for. A strategic plan is the process by which you are going to make your brand come to life and ensure that it is sustainable. In the real world, most organizations have developed a strategic plan and periodically update it. In the interim, the plan collects dust. So, how do we connect our brand and strategic plan, and make them both relevant for our stakeholders?

No matter where your organization is in the brand building and strategic planning processes, the first rule is that you must fully engage your stakeholders in the process. Only then will they understand the value of the brand and the strategic plan. In so doing you will demonstrate your value for them. If your organization already has a strategic plan in place, and are in the process of building or re-building your brand, then your strategic plan can play a significant role in helping you define your identity. If you have a brand strategy in place then your strategic plan will help operationalize the vision for your organization. Ideally these two concepts should fit hand in glove. If you have one without the other then your organization is out of alignment.

How does your organization connect its brand and strategic plan to recruit and retain your brand champions?

Brand + Social Media = No More Advertising Agency

Yesterday in four separate meetings the above formula was brought up by a graphic designer, a marketing director, an advertising salesperson and a brand manager, all independent of one another, and all of their careers have roots in the advertising agency model. Based upon their respective experiences, as well as the emergence of brand (without the ing), social media, the economy and other factors, each one of these professionals agreed that the advertising agency model is going the way of other traditional ways of doing business. Think newspapers, collateral materials, television advertising and billboards.

For much of my career I have worked with advertising agencies on the client side. Many of my friends and former colleagues currently work at agencies. So I have always had respect for agencies. Unfortunately many agencies still operate based on a 20th century model. An organization hires the agency to develop solutions based on advertising. Guess what? Most people don't like advertising anymore. Most organizations don't have the resources to devote to advertising anymore. Younger generations want to make a difference in the world and align with organizations that understand their mission and stand for something, not what they advertise or how they advertise. Add social media to the mix, and the traditional advertising model is going the way of media like offline newspapers.

If your organization does not embrace brand building based on mission and core values, it does not embrace social media and does not know what it stands for, can it be called a 21st century company? Does your brand formula equate to success? Without a 21st century model, how can companies sustain themselves, and how can they effectively recruit and retain brand champions?

Brand Champion of the Day, Roger Federer, Wimbledon Victor

On Mondays and Fridays I highlight someone or some organization that understands what it means to be a brand champion. Last Friday, William L. Weaver, Associate Professor from La Salle University shared his wonderful insights on what it means to be a brand champion of his institution of higher learning. When I am unable to connect with someone to share their words, I provide my own. My instincts told me that it would be a futile attempt to get Roger Federer to be a guest blogger today.

After last year's marathon men's final at Wimbledon I featured Rafa Nadal as the Brand Champion of the Day. That event signified for many a passing of the torch from Roger Federer to Nadal, and the greatest event in tennis history. My how things can change in one year. The champ from Spain had to sit out this year's tournament because of injury, and Andy Roddick from the USA enters the picture to make last year look like a walk in the park.

As an American I was rooting for Andy to win, but a part of me, a big part of me, was hoping that Roger would win. By so doing Federer achieved the magic number of 15 grand slam tennis championships and now officially sits atop of the all-time list of great champions. In my view at the top of the world of sport. When I think of the Roger Federer brand, words like class, grace, humility, intelligence, and many others come to mind. Those attributes very much align with the Swiss and Wimbledon brands. It is easy to become a champion of any or all three of those brands. Which of course I am!

For all he has accomplished, Roger Federer is the Brand Champion of the Day!

Education Brands Should Embrace Mobile Marketing

Over the course of the past few months I have thought a great deal about this idea, and have shared my views with anyone who will listen. As an education brand consultant, I work closely with colleges, universities, K-12 school systems and other organizations with an education mission. My primary role is to develop and implement a brand strategy that aligns the organization's internal culture and external reputation.

As part of that brand development process it is important to assess current and future communications channels so that the brand strategy can be delivered effectively to internal and external audiences. For schools these audiences include prospective and current students, prospective and current employees, alumni, donors and others. Since most people utilize mobile devices for communicating via text, email and phone, doesn't it make sense to deliver your brand message that way?

When we hear or see the words mobile marketing, we tend to think about an ad being pushed on us. That is not what mobile marketing is all about. Mobile marketing is about allowing your prospective and current customers with the option of communicating with you by mobile, especially text messaging. Once students and others realize the value of mobile as a business resource, and when schools realize that students and others are ok with mobile as a way to update them, mobile marketing is going to explode.

When people realize that branding is not advertising, and when they realize mobile marketing is not advertising (a concept most people don't like), then the connection between brand and mobile marketing is going to allow organizations to more effectively recruit and retain their brand champions. Are you aware of how much time school age people spend texting? Shouldn't your brand be in that space?

Brand Champions Share Their Perspectives on Independence Day

For those of you in the United States and for many of those you abroad, you probably know that today is the anniversary of the date that the USA gained its Independence in 1776. This is a day that many celebrate all the reasons that they believe in the United States. Today is also a date that many reflect on the past and access the present.

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the weekly airing of Your Brand Radio. Three weeks ago I was a guest on the show and have been a fan before and after that day. The show highlights topics and people related to brand. The topic this week was July 4 in the United States. Those in the audience and those listening around the world were invited to comment on what July 4 in the USA means to them.

Most of the guests talked about their favorite July 4 memories, others talked about historic events. I shared with the audience that July 4 is a date when I reflect on the present and the many situations around the world related to the USA and how many countries are in the process of determining what freedom means to them. If you want to hear more or share your thoughts on the July 4 brand I encourage you to comment here or at Your Brand Radio website.

Interesting sidebar. Last night my neighborhood held its annual fireworks show. While listening to music through my earphones I realized that most of the play list was comprised of British musicians. The Electric Light Orchestra and Sting were particularly well choreographed to the pyrotechnics.

Brand Champion of the Day- William L. Weaver, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Science, Business and Technology, La Salle University

As many of you know, I have been working with La Salle University for the past year. During that time my organization, the BrandED Consultants Group has had the opportunity to help the university develop a brand platform. The brand platform is designed to ensure consistent communications, develop a culture to support the institution's mission and operationalize the University's strategic plan. We are  now working with the University to implement the brand platform throughout the campus community. In my world we call that internal branding.

For most colleges and universities, and for many businesses, internal branding is an emerging trend. Organizations are finally realizing the importance of engaging employees in the brand development process. At a university engaging the faculty is essential to the sustainability of the brand. La Salle University is one of the first institutions of higher learning to embrace a formal internal brand plan. During the brand building efforts at La Salle University I have had the pleasure of working closely with Associate Professor for Integrated Science, Business and Technology, William L. Weaver. Recently we met to discuss how best to utilize the brand platform with the opening of the University's new state-of-the-art science and technology building. After several meetings with Bill, it became evident that he should be recognized as a Brand Champion of the Day.

The following is what Bill wants to share with us today concerning his experience with the La Salle University brand initiative.

"The brand platform message works really well when I address parents of new students. They appreciate hearing a consistent message. It helps to deflate some of the anxiety they are feeling with sending one of their own off to an unknown place. I've also been able to incorporate my personal favorite theme of "Choice Management". The Choice Management theme works well here at La Salle when introducing our Core Curriculum.

"Too often folks view the "core" courses at a Liberal Arts college as random things that students have to get out of the way before getting to their major. As the Core is 60% of our curriculum, I like to present it in a different perspective. Regardless of major, the undergraduate degree represents training in art and science of "Choice Management". When I ask the incoming freshmen why they chose to go to college, they often reply "to get a better a job and make more money." I follow that up with "why would somebody pay more for a college graduate?" That often stumps them.

"We continue the discussion by exploring how important Choice Management is to an organization and depending on the level of the choice, how many other people's lives would be affected (for good or for bad) by making the choice. I then posit that the more consequential the choices, the higher paying the position. After that they are interested in hearing about Choice Management. That is where the core curriculum comes in. La Salle's core is comprised of three (3) components -- Powers, Frameworks of Scientific Understanding, and Patterns of Meaning.

"I have wrapped this discussion of our Core into the reasons to believe in La Salle University from the University brand platform:

Excellence in Teaching and Learning - Using effective methods to impart these choice making abilities to our students.

Personal Attention - Having the capacity to allow each student to make individual choices within the classroom and college experience and to learn from the benefits and disadvantages of those choices.

Sense of Community - Ability to provide our students the support to recover quickly from a poor decision and to have the confidence that support will be there if they fail.

Global Perspective - Allowing our students to study the ramifications and consequences of choices and their effect on systems outside their direct sphere of influence.

"Thanks to the brand platform, it makes it easier for us to discuss our professional choices using common vocabulary and to describe what we do to our other stakeholders in the University."

William L. Weaver
Associate Professor
Integrated Science, Business and Technology
La Salle University

Bill, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule with freshmen orientation and your move into the new science and technology building on campus. You are the epitome of a La Salle University brand champion!