STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS IN A CHANGING GLOBAL LANDSCAPE

Archive for September, 2015|Monthly archive page

Thoughts On Branding: What’s In A Name?

In Branding on September 28, 2015 at 1:04 pm

image

Imagine you are an up-and-coming drug-lord. What do you need? Guns, police insiders, a badass nickname like… Barbie?

La Barbie is a drug-trafficking kingpin now sitting in jail in Mexico. The American born and raised Édgar Valdez Villareal, as La Barbie is formally known, apparently got the moniker from his Texas high school football coach because his blonde hair and blue eyes made him a dead ringer for a Barbie doll. Despite his cheesy nickname, La Barbie is said to have murdered his way to the top of a large criminal empire, distributing tons of cocaine in the United States and dropping bodies all over Mexico.

Lots of criminals compete these days for more conventional menacing titles. A most-wanted-list published by the Mexican government includes names like El Lobo (the wolf), El Jabalí (the wild boar), El Rambo (speaks for itself) and Chico Malo (bad boy). Even in the world of international crime, a good name makes a reputation.

Today, reputation – at least the corporate kind – is viewed as a strategic asset that can be leveraged to gain competitive advantage. A safety buffer that can be called upon to protect against negative news. A stock of organizational equity that can be increased by engaging with the stakeholder community. And it all rests on the good name of the brand.

Corporate brand names are chosen then with the best of intentions. When leadership settled on the name Enron, no one’s goal was to pick a name which would come to be synonymous with corporate fraud, abuse and corruption. In fact, up until the scandal broke, Enron enjoyed a reputation for fairness and honesty. And Fortune magazine named Enron ‘America’s Most Innovative Company’ for six consecutive years.

In today’s scandal ridden global markets however, a brand identity, name, and logo has become the company’s public face. And choosing correctly is critical. That’s because while not everyone knows the name of the CEO, people always remember the name of a good brand. Changing that name in order to revitalize the brand, or to distance itself from a bad reputation, or even to make it sound more hip is also not always a good idea.

  • Radio Shack attempted to modernize its image and appear more hip by rebranding as ‘The Shack’. Unfortunately the image of shopping in a remote dilapidated cabin did little to save the brand.
  • The SciFi Channel in an attempt to create a more specific, text-friendly name, chose ‘SyFy’ which it turns out is a slang word for syphilis. Not exactly what they were aiming for.
  • When Andersen Consulting cut ties with Arthur Andersen, they did the worst thing a company could do – they let a marketing consultant choose the new brand name. The result sounds like the quintessential, meaningless, ‘big corporation’ name. It was supposedly inspired by the phrase ‘accent on the future’, but it tells the customer nothing. The change cost Andersen/Accenture an estimated $100 million to execute and was regarded as one of the worst rebrandings in corporate history.

In some instances however, one could argue that a name change would have been in order. French carmaker Citroën had a difficult time conquering the US market, in part because the English translation ‘lemon’ carries the connotation of a new car that turns out to be defective. Mercedes-Benz also entered the Chinese market under the brand name ‘Bensi’ which it turns out in Chinese means ‘rush to die’. Not quite the reputation either company was intending to capitalize on.

Google recently decided to restructure their businesses and adopt the umbrella name of Alphabet. Their argument being that over time companies tend to get comfortable doing the same thing, just making incremental changes. The name Google only represents one aspect, albeit very large, of what they are doing. And in the technology industry, where revolutionary ideas drive the next big growth areas, you need to be a bit unconventional to stay relevant. The change seeks to better exemplify and distinguish their areas of innovation, and give them room to do more than just Google.

Up until now, Google has built incredible corporate value around their brand name. Playing with that identity could prove a risky move. It could decrease the overall value of the brand itself and eventually render it irrelevant. Will Alphabet turn out to be the right decision then? Only time will tell. After all, even with careful, well thought-out consideration, mistakes in branding can have damaging effects from which companies sometimes never fully recover.

My Brother, The News Nimrod: Engaging With Generation X

In Targeting on September 6, 2015 at 11:46 am

public-domain-images-free-stock-photos-apple-iphone-iphone-6-1000x667

I

come from one of those families that lives and breathes technology. Not so strange considering I grew up in the Silicon Valley. Still, spend an evening with the whole gang together and you’re guaranteed to hear all about the latest gadget, start-up or be proselytized in the one true religion called Apple.

Smack in the middle of that mix is my brother, the self-proclaimed ‘News Nimrod’. Gen X-er, works for a start-up of course, and a true disciple of anything starting with the letter i. In addition, he also has a keen interest in the arts and all things political. In fact, I dare you to ask him about George Bush or Sarah Palin. Between you and me, sometimes I do it purely for entertainment.

The News Nimrod is a demographic dream. A 25-44 year old male, a group which ranks the internet as their number one leisure activity. He still has some strong ties to traditional mediums but is passionate about new technologies and up-to-date on the latest gadgets. He’s also educated, discerning, urban and has expendable income.

Today’s Gen X-ers are a sweet spot on the internet. They have embraced the medium into their everyday life and are prolific users of social networking, irrespective of their global location. They read, listen and watch. They Digg, rate, share and favorite content daily. More importantly, they are in their peak years of product and service consumption. They are moving into positions of leadership and influence. They are entering stages of mid-life and established family, and are focused on the future. They are the spenders, the decision makers, the investors.

What is the key then to engagement with this prime target audience? After all, they permeate all the major stakeholder groups. How do you grab their attention and deliver a specific message without alienating them from your brand? While certain older forms of advertising still hold some sway, word-of-mouth both online and offline today far outweigh all other mediums. That’s because Gen X-ers were weaned on MTV and are largely immune to traditional advertising. Corporate speak is a turnoff and authenticity is key. In fact, it’s not only Gen X-ers, the public in general has simply become far less tolerant of mass messaging and increasingly demanding regarding content. People also expect companies to listen and cater to their needs. It’s a bit like football then, consider it an integration play.

First, the guiding principles: 1) people want simplicity, not more choices; 2) people are longing for solutions that go with them everywhere: think phone, tv, internet, etc.; 3) people also want quick delivery to the device of their choosing. Think access anywhere, any time and the power to choose what is delivered.

Second, the strategy. Strategies today should be social and relevant to your audience. People also demand powerful apps and content that both help and inform him at the same time. This means giving it to them straight, in sound bites, because they hate marketing speech and are easily bored. Remember as well that people are short on time, not looking for too much of a deep read online. They want help cutting through the clutter. That means no article, linking to video, linking to podcast to get the complete story. Instead they need to be lured in with layered content, stuff that tickles their curiosity. A good case in point is augmented reality: two forms of media overlapping each other. For example, a CNN anchor walking on a shifting image of a map on the floor as the story unfolds. Bottom line is give them a bit of intrigue.

Third, the players. Treat the News Nimrod like he is a key member of your team. Make him feel special. To do this, interaction is vital. Gen X-ers want a relationship with the brands they bond with. Remember how much they value opinions and that they will always go looking for peer reviews. Because of this, they expect you to do the same. Work hard to build trust and give them a way to rate you and give feedback. Then show them in the content that you deliver that their voice matters.

Above all, remember that the News Nimrod is nimble, quick and smart. Treat him that way and his brand loyalty will be the best reward.