Brand Champions

Managing a Brand is a Lifetime of Work

That is a quote that I often use and cite from the source, Howard Schultz, Chairman, Starbucks. I thought about that appropriate comment yesterday as I was reading about Starbucks' performance this year vs. last year. Starbucks reportedly earned $150 million during the quarter that ended in September. Last year it earned $5.4 million.

Starbucks is a great example of an international brand that is in it for the long haul. yes, they have their peaks and valleys just like any other brand. But, unlike most, they understand that a brand is only as important as how you engage your employees in the brand building process and how well you bring to life your mission and core values.

Well, I am off for a meeting at my local Starbucks for an on-brand experience. What am I meeting about? Talking to an associate about the fact that managing a brand is a lifetime of work. What a great world. 

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Brand Book vs. Graphic Standards Manuel

Tonight I will be engaged in a discussion on this topic as the next step in the brand development process for an organization that I have been working with for the past year. I look forward to conversations about how best to create standards that helps ensure consistence use of graphic standards and a guide for delivering the organization's brand promise, as well as developing a culture to support the mission and core values.

In the 20th century most companies approached this critical step by limiting their view and execution to a standards manual that contained ways to use or not use the company's visual identity. How best to implement a logo or tagline. While this is an important component, many stakeholders think this only applies to the graphics people, or that this becomes the "rule book." Most people don't like to think about rules.

Another approach, a 21st century approach is to design a brand book that captures the essence of the organization and helps develop a culture to support the organization's mission and core values. A great example is the Starbucks' Green Apron Book. Designed to look and feel like a company passport, this pocket-sized book includes the company's mission, core values and expected behavior for being a champion of the brand. There is usually a copy for sale on e-bay so take a look.

How does your organization approach brand standards to recruit and retain your brand champions?

Brand Strategy- Getting Your Ducks in a Row

When I talk to others about the process of developing a brand strategy I explain that it is the methodology of aligning an organization's internal culture with its external reputation. In other words it is about getting our ducks in a row. Ideally we want our internal stakeholders (employees and others) and our external stakeholders (prospective customers and others) to be in sync with our strategic plan. When this occurs we have a great chance of creating a sustainable brand strategy.

That sounds cool to most people. Then I tell them that the process takes time. All of a sudden that does not sound so cool. So people, often marketers or agencies persuade the organizations they work for or with to do something really cool like change our logo, come up with a trendy tagline or spend a bunch of money on an advertising campaign that will blow away our customers! Those approaches may look and sound cool today, but a week month or year later,they are not so cool any more. Why, because they are not sustainable. In the end they dilute our brand and scare away our brand champions.

Get your ducks in a row by developing a brand strategy based on your mission, core values and getting your stakeholders engaged. That process will result in the ability to recruit and retain your brand champions, both internal and external.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Is Obama Delivering on His Brand Promise?

Now that we are at the one year anniversary of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States many are asking themselves and others, is Obama delivering on his brand promise?. As you know, many voted for him because he promised to deliver change and hope. That promise related to the war, the economy, international relations, health care, bi-partisan politics and more. So have things changed? Is there still hope? I think it too early to call.

When I work with organizations to help them develop a promise statement as part of their brand platform, I tell them that it will probably take a year or two to see measurable outcomes. Intangible outcomes can take a while too. For example, if an organization is looking to create a culture of collaboration, there should be some evidence of change early, but depending upon how much change is expected that could take years. In the case of Obama, I think he was talking about changing the culture of politics in Washington, D.C. While noble, that type of change could take two terms of office or beyond.

I think Obama was telling his constituents to hope for the United States to re-establish credibility internationally. I believe there is evidence of increased respect around the world. That said, I am convinced that his decision on what to do in Afghanistan and Iraq, and what to do now, will ultimately determine whether or not he delivers on his promise of hope and change.

Didn't most people become brand champions of the Obama brand because he promised to end the war(s)?

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

AARP Brand Demonstrates Flexibility

I recently read that AARP is providing financial planning help to individuals in their 20s and 30s in an attempt to assist the woes of financial literacy, and to recruit and retain brand champions. A few years ago the organization changed its name from the American Association of Retired Persons to its acronym of AARP. Now that boomers like me do not want to think of ourselves as old or that we see retirement any time soon, the organization realized that to stay current it needed to change its brand.

A couple of days ago I posted some thoughts about Chad Johnson changing his brand to Chad OchoCinco. As I mentioned then I am rarely an advocate of name changes because organizations and people have so much equity in the name. To discard that might prove harmful. In the case of AARP, I think that change was warranted. I also think the attempt to recruit and retain younger brand champions is a sound move. We need to help everyone be financially literate.

However, for the vast majority of organizations, changing their brand can be the final straw. Just because the world is changing at warp speed and the economy is still hindering much of the economies around the world, that is not the reason to change your brand. In fact, now it is more important than ever that we think about our brand in terms of our name and what that name stands for. Our mission and core values should be guiding what we do. Not the economy or what might appear to be the need too flexible with our brand. We need to retain our brand champions.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Sustainable Brands Start with Thinking About the Word Brand as a Noun

Several instances over the past few weeks have provided me with the feeling that it is time to get back to some basic thinking about terms like brands, branding, social media and sustainability. Because of the way that many organizations and people apply those concepts, many others consider those buzz words and don't think they have relevance to their organization. I completely understand that thinking. Too often organizations limit their thinking and execution of concepts like branding to short-term, tactical approaches like advertising, mottos, taglines and other traditional marketing channels. They think too soon about the word brand as a verb.

Let us start by thinking about the term brand as a noun. Let us think about our brand as our name and what that name stands for. Once we understand our purpose and our guiding principles, then we can think about the word brand as a verb. The actions that we take to help others understand what our brand stands for and to make it memorable. I think it is also critical for us to think about using the word brand first, and then the term branding. I define branding as the process by which we align our internal culture with our external reputation. Branding is guided by our mission and our core values. Once we understand that, then we can decide how best to use social media or other traditional channels to execute our brand strategy.

When we take these critical first steps our brand strategy has a better chance to be sustainable. We also have a much better chance of recruiting and retaining the right brand champions. 

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Chad OchoCinco Develops an Effective Brand Strategy

Someone who I think understands that a brand is your name, what that brand stands for and the associations that people make with the name is Chad OchoCinco. Many of you might know him as the former Chad Johnson, wide receiver, number 85 for the Cincinnati Bengals. About a year ago Chad legally changed his last name to the Spanish version of the number on his jersey.

Like many of you, I was not a big fan of Chad Johnson, number 85. He tended to draw attention to himself by creating strange antics on and off of the American football field. It seems that after he changed his name he has a much better understanding of who is and what he stands for. Chad OchoCinco appears to be more of team player on the field. Off the field he has become quite the digital media expert. As of this post he has over 300,000 followers on twitter and he just launched his OGOchocinco online tv site.

I am not always an advocate of name changes because people and organizations have a tremendous amount of equity in their name. Changing it could dilute its value. In the case of Chad Johnson, I think the change to Chad OchoCinco is a good thing. I am now a champion of his brand. A few years ago I would not have written about him. Perhaps as a brand chump back then. Today he is a brand champ!

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

David Shrader- Brand Champion of Arts Education

When I think about brand champions, I think about people who are driven by a passion for their cause. I think about people who's core values guide them to support their passion and to help others. I think about people like David Shrader. I first met David (most people, including he, called him Dave, I called him David) when I was a young, naive education professional. I was working for an arts school at the time and had the fortune of connecting with someone who became a mentor to me.

David helped me understand what it meant to be ethical, professional and thorough in my job. He also introduced me to the arts and the value of education in our world. In many regards David provided me with the start to a great career in education. I would not be such an advocate or consulting with schools in their advocacy efforts had it not been for much the skills that David instilled in me. I thank him for that.

Like many all too familiar situations I did never told David any of this in person and won't have the chance to do so. He passed on October 18. As I do with all posts, I went to Google and Bing to find some images or references to David to support his post. This is the first time that I found nothing. At first I was frustrated because I was concerned that the post would feel diluted without a photo of David or an image of one of his great quilts. Then I realized this way is better. It is more Shrader-like.

Having no images of David or his work on the Internet is David being David. He would not want a ton of references about him on the Internet. He would prefer that the light shine on others. That was who he was. This was a man who preferred others take the credit and he the necessary work behind the scenes. His pleasure was seeing others be credited. He liked to keep things simple. So I will honor that today with a simple post about a larger than life person.

Thank you David Shrader for all you contributed to the arts and those of us who you helped play a role. You were a true brand champion for the arts.

Peace.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

George Washington- Brand Champion, Early Adopter

During a recent visit to Philadelphia I had the opportunity to spend some time on the Ben Franklin Parkway where there are several amazing sites, including this magnificent statue of George Washington. When walking around this giant piece of work about this giant of a man, I realized that the case could be made that he was an early adopter of what it means to be a brand champion.

Today Barack Obama gets a lot of play on blogs like this one for being a brand champion and understanding that a sustainable brand is based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement. But, Washington did much the same in his day. He realized that as the President of the United States, he was also serving as brand manager for the nation. How he led, the decisions he made, those he surrounded himself with would affect the image and reputation of the brand.

We can learn much about how to be an effective brand champion by understanding George Washington. We can also learn a lot about brand management from another US President named George, but that is for another day. Today, I salute you George Washington, as an early adopter of what it means to be a brand champion.

Some people who are my brand champions think I have a similar leadership style. Is it because we are both pisces, or because they think I look good on a horse?

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Fast Company Magazine- Required Reading for Brand Champions

I have referenced this magazine before and will continue to do so. Fast Company should be required reading for anyone interested in brand development. Are we not all interested? We should be because no matter where we fit into our respective organizations building a sustainable brand based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement is everyone's job. Fast Company understands that approach and many of its stories are focused on this concept.

A few days ago I read the November 2009 as I was traveling across country. The host of brand articles provided the necessary companion to make my trip seem like a breeze. The energy one feels when reading stories in Fast Company can make even a slug feel motivated to do new and innovative things within your organization. I highly encourage you to check it out.

If a hard copy is not your thing, then you can request to get a daily dose sent to you online. A great way to kick start your day is to read it with your bagel and coffee. Fast Company is required reading for all brand champions.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog