1. Branding is about making money – not making you feel good. Last year’s “The Lone Ranger” was a box-office flop. Its star Johnny Depp commented, “They had expectations that it must be a blockbuster. I didn’t have any expectations of that. I never do.” Maybe Depp doesn’t care, but Disney surely does, having lost $160-190Read… Read more »
“What do you want to order?” my husband always asks me at the Chinese restaurant. After fifteen years going there, we know the three lunch specials among which we rotate but imagine it is always a choice. “Oh, I’ll just have what you’re having,” I always say. Because no matter what you order there, itRead… Read more »
You think your reputation is excellent. After all: Your recruitment video is top-notch. Your “brand ambassadors” are the best on campus. Your marketing materials are beyond compare. But your news coverage is kind of…pesky. Employees “talking trash,” who never took their case to you before “spilling it.” Consider these examples: The U.S. Customs and BorderRead… Read more »
I treat my work with a raging passion: “What is this, the Boston Tea Party?” You’d think so from the intensity with which I move puzzle pieces around. Hoping it will all fit faster, better, more impressively than any other machine ever made before. The same goes for people I work with on a project.Read… Read more »
Runway models sell products. But don’t confuse them with the brand. Because the heart of who you are – your image, to other people – is more boring, a series of decisions: Who is picked to run a company, an agency, a school. How ordinary people treat one another within the organization. What kindRead… Read more »
Oreo’s “blackout” tweet. Arby’s tweet about Pharrell’s hat, Nintendo’s Wreck-It Ralph Tweet. These are some of the go-to examples of “real-time marketing.” You can’t watch a live event now without being bombarded by branded messages, all of which are meant to associate the brand with the real-time event and become part of the conversation. Unfortunately,Read… Read more »
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this morning called a live press conference to address allegations, apparently true, that his staff repeatedly closed lanes on the George Washington Bridge as “part of a politically motivated vendetta” against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J. The Governor’s words and actions during this crisis either strengthen his brandRead… Read more »
I was reading a book by Steve Yastrow this week entitled, “We: The Ideal Customer Relationship,” when I stumbled upon this insight… we are defined not by the things that make us similar, but by the things that make us different. Brilliant! The great corporate, philanthropic and personal brands that come to mind are theRead… Read more »
I had the privilege of delivering a guest lecture on personal branding at one of the local universities last week. One of the key messages I tried to convey to the students of Professor Murphy’s marketing class was the importance of telling their brand story in a way that is meaningful and easily understood byRead… Read more »
Is your brand using social media to tell its story? If not, you may be missing out on one of the best opportunities for interacting with your customers and prospects. Unlike traditional media, the conversational nature of social media can help your brand foster stronger and more personal relationships. Relationships that lead to higher levelsRead… Read more »