Decoding Brand DNA

To win without fighting is best - Sun Tzu

2012-01-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

The Decline of Violence

2012-01-17T10:54:00.003-05:00

Neuroscientist Steven Pinker on the triumph of peace and prosperity over death and destruction

You are less likely to die a violent death today than at any other time in human history. In fact, violence has been declining for centuries. That is the arresting claim made by Harvard University cognitive neuroscientist Steven Pinker in his new book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Viking). The title, taken from Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, refers to the way in which the modern world encourages people to suppress their inner demons and let their better angels fly.

Zippo hopes to spark sales by branching out

2011-03-23T22:09:00.002-04:00

I recently had the chance to speak with JOE Mandak about Zippo Brand.

Here is the link to the full article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42180561/ns/business-consumer_news/

“Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to cut roast beef” - Tom Robbins

2011-01-07T13:43:00.002-05:00

SMC from Svensk Magisk Cirkel on Vimeo.

Competitors

2010-09-08T11:06:00.003-04:00

“ Every morning a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running. ” - Unknown

Legions of loyalty

2010-08-12T09:40:00.015-04:00

The MAGIC of the Symbol

2010-07-21T09:46:00.004-04:00

Symbols are powerful and within them are those primitive analogies that speak to the unconscious. The Symbol is the primitive exponent of the unconscious, but at the same time and idea that is linked to our very own modern mind and intuition. Marketers must realize that that the unconscious can be reached only by the symbols.

4 Powerful Questions to Unlock Brand Equity

2010-07-15T10:46:00.009-04:00

Who are your most profitable customers?
What drives your best customers to buy from you?
What emerging consumer needs must you address?
How can you differentiate your brand to make your competition irrelevant?

Is the Dunning-Kruger effect KILLING your BRAND?

2010-07-05T10:19:00.009-04:00

"In a German study 80% of those surveyed described themselves as confident in their answers on a questionnaire, yet only 42% got even half the questions right"

In the branding world this translates to CMO's who don't know much about branding, they tend not to recognize their ignorance and fail to seek better information. By contrast powerful Brands are more likely to ask their Brand Lover for insights and build a solid Brand-Model.

Bueno Tzu said: The art of BRANDING-STRATEGY is of vital importance to the Business.

2010-06-30T10:04:00.004-04:00

It is a matter of profitability and loss, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry, which can on no account be neglected.

The art of BRANDING-STRATEGY, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account when seeking to determine how to create a POWERFUL Business.

These are: (1) Archetypal Force; (2) Brand Ecosystem; (3) The Market Place;(4) The Brand; (5) The Brand Vision and Message.

Archetypal Force causes the people to be in complete accord with the Brand, so that they will follow and join.

Brand Ecosystem signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.

The Market Place comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes;the chances of profitability and loss.

The Brand stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.

By The Brand Vision and Message is the preparation of the Organization.

The Business that knows who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail.

Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the market conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise:

(1) which of the two Businesses is imbued with Archetypal Force?

(2) Which of the two Branders has most ability?

(3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Brand Ecosystem and The Market Place?

(4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?

(5) Which Organization is stronger?

(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?

(7) In which Organization is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?

By means of these seven considerations I can Forecast Profits or loss.

The Brand that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer The Brand that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer loss.

While heading the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.

According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans.

All MARKETING-STRATEGY is based on deception.

Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the competitors believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Hold out baits to entice the competitors. Feign disorder, and crush him.

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.

If your opponent is of extraverted temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

These Branding Tactics, leading to Profits, must not be divulged beforehand.

Now the Brand who wins a battle makes many calculations in his Brand-Model before the battle is fought. The Brand who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to Profits, and few calculations to loss: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can fore see who is likely to win or lose.

Why Steve Jobs should ride a Harley

2010-05-14T12:27:00.002-04:00

We don’t know if Steve jobs tools around Cupertino on a gnarly Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But perhaps he should, for he, his company – Apple Computer – and the 106-year-old motorcycle company have “tattooed” their images into the brains of countless fanatical followers ....

Read Full Article Here

and Here is the Audio Interview

The Art of letting things happen

2010-05-13T06:40:00.000-04:00

“But the Westerner who wishes to set out on this way, if he is really serious about it, has all authority against him-intellectual, moral, and religious”

- Carl C. Jung

Well in life sometimes we get cramped up trying to over think. The rational mind is always interrupting the Unconscious. Anytime you have a fantasy or an idea the rational mind comments, “its stupid, it won’t work, or what the hell are you thinking that for” the rational mind seems to be bent on destroying the fantasy activity of the imagination.

What is one to do?

Let things happen in the mind. Letting things happen is about action thorough non-action. This idea is the key that can open the way. But most people know very little about letting things be. We all know everything good is costly and the development of a more integrated mind is among the most difficult things to achieve.

In order to become integrated one has taken the Self seriously. We must consider the Self as the most important work of life. This connection to that deeper aspect will be a catalyst for a more expanded mind and view of life.

Manage Brand Fanatics and Brand Detractors If you're not selling a commodity, you're selling a brand. B.J. Bueno offers advice on encouraging its fan

2010-05-12T10:51:00.002-04:00

By Karen E. Klein

Every business owner wants to cultivate a loyal customer base and avoid toxic relationships. But B.J. Bueno, founder and managing partner of The Cult Branding Company in Orlando, says doing so is not easy; it requires disciplined brand management and employee buy-in. He spoke recently with Smart Answerscolumnist Karen E. Klein about strategies that entrepreneurs with limited resources can employ to cope with brand fanatics and brand detractors. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow....

Click HERE to read the full Article

The Building Blocks of the Modern Mind

2010-05-04T14:51:00.006-04:00

“The collective unconscious is simply the psychic expression of the identity of brain structure irrespective of all racial differences” – Carl C. Jung

The human mind possesses common building blocks that transcend all differences in culture and intellect. This substratum is the Collective Unconscious; a biological mind common to all mankind.

The Biological Mind does not consist only of various types of emotions or thoughts, but also to common patterns and instincts.

The Collective Unconscious is the creator of the various myth motifs, symbols, and the possibility of human communication or why we talk. It is also the realm of the primordial images.

From Chaos to Implicate Order

2010-04-30T10:07:00.010-04:00

What the mind perceives as chaos and randomness is really order. But thoughts can't apprehend this. Bohm was alarmed by what he considered an increasing imbalance of 'man' and nature, He goes on to ask:

What is the source of all this trouble? I'm saying that the source is basically in thought. Many people would think that such a statement is crazy, because thought is the one thing we have with which to solve our problems. That's part of our tradition. Yet it looks as if the thing we use to solve our problems with is the source of our problems. It's like going to the doctor and having him make you ill. In fact, in 20% of medical cases we do apparently have that going on. But in the case of thought, it's far over 20%.

Wholistic Universe, quantum physics, and David Bohm

2010-04-30T09:40:00.008-04:00

This Great video features an interview with Basil Hiley, Emeritus Professor of Physics in Birbeck College.

The Difficulties Experienced By the Modern Mind In Understanding Wholeness

2010-04-28T15:34:00.004-04:00

Wholeness is the guiding principle of life that rushed humanity towards superhuman and shining heights.

The modern mind has developed a great power: the intellect. The heights being reached in the field of science where cause and effect of all things can be determined, quantified, and made “objective.” Our completely scientific bias makes us believe that we know everything. And in this way we keep the heart under the cloak of so-called scientific understandings. By applying the scientific method we explain everything, we fall under a dangerous trap.

The wisdom of the east offers the following advice:

“If the wrong man uses the right means, the right means work in the wrong way.” - The Secret of the Golden Flower

The modern mind believes that method is not only the way, but also the result, or end. But method is only a path that, if taken by the right people, leads to a widening of consciousness and transcendence of the opposites.

Rationality and intellect are the wrong tools to penetrate wholeness. It’s important to keep in mind that wholeness by definition includes what we know and what we don’t know. To get that deeper part of the wholeness we must allow for the unknown to become a living reality.

THE ALCHEMICAL MIND

2010-04-22T15:08:00.006-04:00

The spiritus mercurialis and his transformations represented as a monstrous dragon. It is a quaternity, in which the fourth is at the same time the unity of the three, the unity being symbolized by the mystagogue Hermes. The three (above) are (left to right); Luna, Sol, and coniunctio Solis et Lunae in Taurus, the House of Venus. Together they form ☿= Mercurius.

Illuminated drawing in a German alchemical ms. c. 1600.

-C.G. JUNG * ALCHEMICAL STUDIES * VOL 13

Nintendo DS now in 3D

2010-04-21T09:25:00.009-04:00

Nintendo Does it again!

Creating an amazing new system that is full blown 3D; check out the video. So cool.

Brand Extensions that Rock

2010-04-20T07:00:00.006-04:00

Please give me examples of existing brand extensions you think have been done well?

Polo, of course, was one of the first brands to enter the extension game on a large scale and still sets standards. While a licensing executive at Polo, I grew the business substantially, but always following the strategies and rationales set by Ralph Lauren. He knew his brand and he knew his customer. Every Polo/Ralph Lauren licensed product was required to deliver on the same brand promise he established when the Polo business launched. If I wanted to make the business case for a new extension, I had to first convince Mr. Lauren that the new venture would maintain and enhance his brand’s equity. Apparel for infants and toddlers appeared at first to be too far afield from Polo’s elegant image, until we created what was essentially a new product category of a higher quality and design quotient than what was then on the U.S. market.

Apple is another great example of an admirable strategy. Apple has taken its brand promise of “cool innovation” and exponentially expanded its definition, equity and revenue through brand extensions, continuing through the recent launch of IPad.

A recent extension I find really impressive is Disney’s new English language schools for children in China. Not only are they enhancing their positioning as an educational tool, Disney is introducing a whole new- and sizeable - market to their characters through numerous references in both the school and the lessons themselves.

And, in another sector, Proctor & Gamble’s IAMS brand, which promises to nourish pets and protect them from disease, recently licensed the brand into pet insurance, solidifying the brand’s protection positioning and creating an entirely new product category in the process.

Brand Extensions Strategist

Tracey is a recognized leader in the fields of brand management and brand extension. She has over twenty years’ experience in senior strategic brand management and consulting positions for world-class multinational companies, including Polo/Ralph Lauren, FILA Sports and Turner Networks. Her work spans multiple channels, product categories, industries and countries and her cross-industry experience gives her a unique perspective and expertise on the potential of brands to mine new revenue opportunities while enhancing brand equity.

Consistently designing and delivering on growth-oriented strategic and business plans for large enterprises, Tracey has also crafted numerous strategic alliances between brands and companies. She has a track record of building consensus around common goals, across multiple departments, divisions and companies, as well as a P&L management track record and perspective.

Tracey received her MBA, with a concentration in international marketing, from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is on the faculty of the University of Texas’s McCombs Graduate School of Management. Tracey speaks on multiple brand topics to industry groups and serves as an expert witness in trademark litigation.

Click here for more information on extending your Brand

Brand Rhythm and Motion

2010-04-19T13:48:00.004-04:00

Brands face the difficult challenge of balancing innumerable expectations. From consumer expectations to share holders the list goes on. How are we to find balance and rhythm for our brands? Genius Michael Moschen presents in this mind opening lecture that we must find the tiny spaces to create balance.

Humor in Brand Building

2010-04-09T06:58:00.008-04:00

We all know that humor in brand building is risky. But It can also be devastatingly effective. When done right, humor works - really, really well.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when using humor to brand:

Branding with humor works best when the message is suited to Brand Lovers
The humor must relate directly to your products if you want to be remembered
Branding with humor yields the best returns when used to market an established and commonly purchased product

Google Follows The Golden Rule of Fun

2010-04-08T09:23:00.002-04:00

It's great to see a company this big allowing themselves to have this much fun. This helps both the consumer trust the brand and love it. After all you can't hate someone that makes you :)

Here are a few other ways you can structure your branding efforts to create a magnetic brand.

Google has officially changed their name to Topeka

2010-04-01T10:15:00.003-04:00

"We didn’t reach this decision lightly; after all, we had a fair amount of brand equity tied up in our old name. But the more we surfed around (the former) Topeka’s municipal website, the more kinship we felt with this fine city at the edge of the Great Plains."

To Learn more click here

How to Evaluate your Brand Extension Strategy

2010-03-18T08:07:00.007-04:00

What critical questions would you recommend to evaluate brand extension pathways?

I would suggest four questions that brand teams ask themselves as they plan their brand extension strategy:

Do you know your Brand Lover?

It is imperative that you not only know, but really understand and integrate what your best customers believe about your brand, as this is what you must deliver in any product extension.

Does the anticipated product or service convey not only your brand promise but answer a need for its potential customers?

In many cases, the “need” is not clearly voiced, e.g. Apple’s customers may not have requested an IPad, but may have indicated the ITouch was too small, or the MAC was too heavy, etc. Well-planned and carefully analyzed research is key.

Is this a product or service you can realistically produce in-house on a quality level commensurate with your base business, or should you align with a partner that has the necessary expertise to ensure success?

Knowing your own company’s core strengths – and what are NOT its core strengths – will help you define your next step and evaluate your need for a partner.

Are you anticipating a win-win-win-win situation?

Specifically, your brand, your customer, your potential partner and your chosen distribution channel should all benefit from the extension planned. A zero-sum game is not a long term strategy. Before planning brand extensions at Fila and Nine West, for example, I spent considerable time analyzing consumer research and discussing potential strategies with international distributors and key accounts, ensuring not only that the plan was viable, but that it had their support.

Brand Extensions Strategist

Click here for more information on extending your Brand

Decoding Social Networks

2010-03-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

The world is becoming a word and the word will be measured and stored by Google. We the human race continue towards our path in the evolution of the word. Social Media gurus have made the simple complicated. Here is our attempted at making it simple again.

The New World of Word Of Mouth

View more presentations from Cult Branding .

BMW Redesigning factory for and with older workers in mind

2010-02-24T12:51:00.004-05:00

How old do you have to be to work in the BMW production line? Now older than ever; thanks to the launch of BMW 2017 Line Project. This new production line targets older workers, it has achieved some amazing results.

The new line achieved a 7% productivity improvement in one year
Current performance stands at zero defects
In June 2009, absenteeism had dropped to 2% below the plant average
BMW 2017 line used as a model of producivity and quality

BMW uncovered an innovative bottoms-up approach for improving productivity and expanding the age for an experience workforce.

The ultimate LEGO Brand experience

2010-02-16T04:46:00.006-05:00

There is no question that building a compelling multiplayer experience is hard. But when you are backed by the creative ideas from your best customers and brand lovers the road can be traveled safely. International brand power, LEGO will be unveiling LEGO Universe the upcoming massive multiplayer online game. Expect fun, creativity and of course a community of fans!

Do you own the SOUND of your BRAND?

2010-02-10T13:16:00.002-05:00

Super Bowl 2010 (XLIV) ‎ Favarite TV Spots

2010-02-08T05:37:00.008-05:00

The underdogs, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, to win their first ever title in the NFL league. The Saints upset the Colts 31-17 in front of a stadium crowded to capacity, over 100 million viewers on TV in the US and millions more across the world. This was truly a great game to watch.

Here they are my favorite TV spots for this years Super Bowl:

Hard Times

Best Fans on the Planet

Casual Friday

"Awesomer"

Einstein's Test

2010-02-04T12:10:00.007-05:00

Albert Einstein gave his students a test.

One student pointed out the test contained the same questions that had appeared on the test the previous week. Dr. Einstein replied, “Yes, but this week, the answers will be different.”

Top 7 Branded Digital Heroes of 2009

2010-01-27T04:48:00.024-05:00

In our digital age heroes continue to flourish. Today not just characters in a book but true branded digital heros with backstories and emotions. Creating for users a full experiences and the expectations for future adventures to undertake with their new friend. I should also point out each of these are major innovations and contributors to the bottom line. Creativity hard at work.

The Beatles: Rock Band

Starts off with you playing their first gig at the Indra Club. It then proceeds to go through their most famous gigs, there recordings, the dates they played at, and when their tracks were released.

Elena Fisher: Uncharted 2 Among Thieves

Not the old damsel in distress, Elena champions the right thing to do, even at cost to her own life and limb.

Bowser: Mario & Luigi:Bowser's Inside Story

When in doubt, Bowser is more than willing to punch something first and ask questions later.

Ezio Auditore di Firenze: Assassin's Creed II

He's Brash and impulsive, cultured yet emotional, and ready to defend his family at any cost. A 16th century italian casanova, perfect fit for titular assassin.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

One of the most complex and intriguing characters in all of comics. A world class martial artist with dozens of exciting gadgets. but what makes him so cool is the fact he's a world-class detective and a dedicated champion of his own principles.

Eddie Riggs: Brutal Legend

Eddie never waned to be a hero he was content to stand in the shadows and let someone else take the credit. His love of all things rock makes him the perfect hero.

Sunflower: Plants vs. Zombies

She's just a sunflower, but she powers and entire infantry. Pumping out burst of sunshine to fuel your war against the zombies plague.

Holistic Earth

2010-01-22T07:00:00.008-05:00

"The Earth was formed whole and continuous in the Universe, without lines."

- Donella H. Meadows

Books by Donella Meadows

Donella Meadows was a scientist, systems thinker, teacher, writer, and PEW Scholar in Conservation and Environment.

Thinking in Systems: A Primer

by: Donella H. Meadows

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 01/22/2010)
List Price: $19.95

Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update

by: Donella H. Meadows, Jorgen Randers, Dennis L. Meadows

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: $15.30 (as of 01/22/2010)
List Price: $22.50

Global Citizen

by: Donella H. Meadows

Avg. Customer Rating:

Amazon Price: (as of 01/22/2010)
List Price: $20.00

TCM Classic Film Festival (The first ever!!!)

2010-01-20T09:04:00.005-05:00

In April 2010, the TCM community will come together to watch great movies introduced by the people who made them, listen to behind-the-scenes stories, enjoy newly restored films, and share their enthusiasm for classic cinema. Over the past 15 years, TCM has become more than a television network - it is a community of passionate classic movie fans, a place where watching great films connects people.

To Learn More visit:

http://www.tcm.com/festival/

A Real Magician

2010-01-16T09:02:00.005-05:00

In his serious book about social and intellectual history The Magic Maker: Magic and Sorcery Through the Ages, David Carrol says, ‘There is only the magic state of being that gives life enhanced meaning. And the real compassion of a magician should be to help others raise themselves to this sublime condition.’”

happy holidays

2009-12-18T12:27:00.003-05:00

Creating Customers for Life

2009-09-23T23:44:00.008-04:00

A customer returned a wallet she ordered from online retailer Zappos, but unknowingly left $150 in it.

Her search for the missing cash was resolved when she received a letter from the warehouse staff saying, “Thanks for the return! We found $150 in your wallet and thought you might want it back.”

Integrity runs high at Zappos where employees are guided to look beyond personal gain and act in service of the greater good.

CEO Tony Hsieh tells a story about a woman who ordered boots for her husband who was soon after killed in a car accident. She called the customer service line for help with the return and received a bouquet of flowers the next day.

The customer loyalty rep made the decision to order the flowers on company credit, without needing to consult with a supervisor. “At the funeral, the widow told her friends and family about the experience,” Hsieh recounted. “Not only was she a customer for life, but so were those 30 or 40 people at the funeral.”

Zappos doesn’t have specific guidelines to deal with customer service situations. Employees are encouraged to trust their judgment. Most of all, they’re empowered to make decisions from the heart.

Hsieh explains, “We’re not trying to maximize transactions. We’re trying to build a lifelong relationship with our customers.”

Now that’s an insight worth spreading.

The Power of Word of Mouth

2009-09-23T06:00:00.003-04:00

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, knows a thing or two about the power of word of mouth. In the beginning, Hsieh made a critical decision to invest the majority of his marketing and advertising budget into the customer experience.

Over 80 percent of Zappos customers hear about the brand through word of mouth or online advertising. Once customers place their first order and experience Zappos's stellar customer service, they usually come again.

Today, 75 percent of sales come from repeat customers. And it’s those happy customers who gladly share their enthusiasm about the brand with others.

What’s makes Zappos talk worthy? Zappos loves their customers and will go to great lengths to make them happy. Here, “P-E-C” or “Personal Emotional Connection” with the customer reigns.

Customer loyalty reps send hundreds of thank you cards to customers every week—not the automated email variety, but personalized notes handwritten on paper.

While most companies would see this as an unnecessary expense, Zappos understands the value of building relationships with its customers.

Level 5 Leadership at Zappos

2009-08-31T10:31:00.011-04:00

Jim Collins in Good to Great, clearly spelled out the attributes of great leaders. Level 5 leaders, as Collins calls them, exemplify a seemingly incongruous mix of personal humility and professional will.

Humility + Will = Level 5

“Level 5 Leaders are a study in duality: modest and willful, humble and fearless,” Collins explains. They don’t allow their egos to interfere with their primary focus on the larger goal of building a great company. Collins clarifies that Level 5 leaders are usually highly ambitious, but their ambition is directed for the good of the institution, not themselves.

At Zappos, you won’t find any sacrosanct corner offices reserved for the higher ups. Zappos executives are fondly referred to as “Monkeys” and sit in what is aptly named “Monkey Row.” Here, CEO Tony Hsieh sits in an open cubicle among other executives, and encourages his employees to throw peanut shells on the floor of his workspace. Hsieh sends a subtle yet clear message that he’s not more important than anyone else in the company.

Collins further explains, “The good-to-great leaders never wanted to become larger-than-life heroes. They never aspired to be put on a pedestal or become unreachable icons. They were seemingly ordinary people quietly producing extraordinary results.” Aligned with this core principle, Hsieh openly advertises his email address and encourages people to drop him a message. You might be skeptical, thinking that your message would go unanswered, lost in a flood of emails. Hsieh, however, means what he says and stands by his word.

How can a CEO of a billion dollar company be so responsive? According to Collins, it’s because Level 5 leaders have a “ferocious resolve” to do whatever it takes to make the company great. And by his very nature, Hsieh embodies the perfect balance between personal humility and professional will, leading Zappos's transformation into the great company it is today.

Love is Letting Go of Fear

2009-08-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

“A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear.”
-Herb Kelleher

Great brands understand the importance of culture and aren’t afraid to take risks to build them. At Southwest Airlines, former Chairman and CEO Herb Kelleher made it a personal trait to hug and kiss his employees. With fears of harassment lawsuits lurking in the shadows, it’s all too easy for a company to dissuade public displays of affection.

But to Herb and other executives at Southwest, being openly demonstrative and affectionate could not come more naturally. It’s a simple yet powerful way of expressing respect, friendship, gratitude, and most of all, love.

Like Southwest Airlines, love abounds at the offices of online retailer Zappos.com. As an employee, you might visit the office of personal coach Dr. Vik, not just for career advice, but also for a hug to help you get through the day. At Zappos, employees connect to one another, first and foremost, as people.

When companies are constrained by fear, culture building is thwarted. When companies foster an environment bound by love, the culture thrives and prospers. No two companies live by this principle better than Southwest Airlines and Zappos.

Brand Extensions that work

2009-08-11T08:23:00.005-04:00

Hi Tracey can you give us a few examples of existing brand extensions you think have been done well?

Tracey Nelson:

Polo, of course, was one of the first brands to enter the extension game on a large scale and still sets standards. While a licensing executive at Polo, I grew the business substantially, but always following the strategies and rationales set by Ralph Lauren. He knew his brand and he knew his customer. Every Polo/Ralph Lauren licensed product was required to deliver on the same brand promise he established when the Polo business launched. If I wanted to make the business case for a new extension, I had to first convince Mr. Lauren that the new venture would maintain and enhance his brand’s equity.

And, in another sector, Proctor & Gamble’s Iams brand, which promises to nourish pets and protect them from disease, recently licensed the brand into pet insurance, solidifying the brand’s protection positioning and creating an entirely new product category in the process.

Our Brand Extensions Strategist

Click here for more information on extending your Brand

Kindness Begets Kindness

2009-08-03T09:16:00.004-04:00

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
- His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama

Apparently, kindness is also the religion of online retailer Zappos.com.

Companies that uphold Cult-Brand values expect the best from their employees, because as humans, they have the intrinsic capacity to feel, contribute, and most of all, love.

At Zappos, Thursday is Random Acts of Kindness Day. Every week, three people are randomly selected to be the recipient of his or her own hit parade, complete with noisemakers, bullhorns, a royal banner and crown to be donned for the entire week.

Kindness also spreads throughout the corridors of Zappos through song. Take a listen to the Zappettes, Zappos’s female singing sensation, uplifting co-workers’ spirits in three-part harmony.

And when employees are inspired to spread kindness among each other, customers will be touched with the same.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs

2009-07-31T12:12:00.001-04:00

Abraham Maslow postulated an ascending order of human needs, and arranged them in a pyramid.

Physiological Needs: These needs are either homeostatic (like maintaining biological balances of salt and water) or nonhomeostatic (like sleep and sex). These needs would be the primary driver of behavior if a person was stripped of everything he owned. All actions would be directed at satisfying these needs.

Safety Needs: These include the need for security, stability, and a general preference for the known over the unknown.

Belongingness and Love Needs: People exhibit these needs in the desire to marry, become part of a community, a member of a gang, or joining a bowling club. This is the level where the support systems of modern society begin to break down. Fragmentation is increasing, and the importance of neighborhoods and families to an individual's well being is often overlooked.

Esteem Needs: The esteem needs are divided into two groups: the need for esteem from others and the need for self-esteem. Esteem from others is met externally through status and dominance, whereas self-esteem is met internally through independence and mastery.

Self-Actualization: This is the need to be what one has the potential to become. This is the need felt by musicians to create music and poets to write. It is the need to be true to your own nature.

How Cult Brands Leverage Human Needs

The hierarchy of human needs helps explain why people do what they do. Cult Brands leverage higher level needs, satisfying what people find missing in their lives.

All Cult Brands offer a sense of belonging through fostering the creation of social groups around their brand, allowing like-minded people to come together.

Cult Brands fulfill some combination of esteem needs and self-actualization. In doing so, they become irreplaceable in the minds of the customers.

Cult Branding Videos

Videos from The Cult Branding Company that give insights into what it takes to create unrivaled customer loyalty.

IKEA, Cult Branding Done Right

Harness the Power of Your Brand (Pt. 1)

Harness the Power of Your

When is Extension the Wrong Strategy?

2009-07-29T07:24:00.005-04:00

Tracey Nelson:

I want to say again – as I’ve said so many times before - that if quick and/or short-term revenue is the objective, extension is the wrong strategy. Brand equity is among the most valuable assets owned by a company and extending the brand is a long-term strategy to build that brand equity and enhance the positioning and footprint of the brand, with long-term bottom line revenue a strong benefit of a well-planned and executed extension strategy. But there are risks.

The extensions will not be perceived by consumers as coming from a licensed company or partner, but from the source of the brand itself. Extensions’ successes – as well as their failures, quality issues, delivery problems, etc. – will be tied to the brand. The extensions will BE the brand and need to be planned with the same strategic considerations as the base business.

Clearly, if the brand is still new, does not have a clear identity, does not have a defined profile of its brand lover or has little awareness, brand extension is probably the wrong strategy at that moment. Research may reveal areas in which to fortify the brand, with the goal of extending it at a later date.

In a previous conversation, I mentioned the licensing agents knocking on the door of any reasonably hot brand. While several excellent agencies exist, brand teams should be aware that many represent both sides of a potential extension, contracting with product companies to obtain licensed brand names as well as brands seeking products. The brand’s priorities need to be the driving force behind any extension strategy, and partners chosen accordingly.

Our Brand Extensions Strategist

Click here for more information on extending your Brand

Zappos: The Bald and the Beautiful

2009-07-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Can you imagine a day at the office where you might be asked to shave the head of your co-worker? Or better yet, how about taking a razor to the mane of your CEO? Leave it to the folks at Zappos to create not just a day, but an annual event called the Bald & Blue Head Shaving Day.

Social grooming is a means through which animals, including humans, who live in proximity can bond, build and reinforce social relationships. CEO Tony Hsieh explained that what originally started out as a dare evolved into a fun team building activity. Now every year, Zapponians line up and get groomed, all in the name of team spirit.

The benefits? Research has shown that social grooming is positively associated with relationship satisfaction and trust. For Zappos, relationships built on trust are the bedrock of their organization.

Watch this short clip on social grooming, the Zappos way.

What Drives Extreme Customer Loyalty?

2009-07-25T07:33:00.012-04:00

Cult Brands command a level of loyalty unmatched by their competitors. All Cult Brands share common features and take advantage of an understanding of human needs. The Cult Branding Company has uncovered these features to understand what it takes to build a Cult Brand.

What Are Cult Brands?

Cult Brands are brands that exist on the extreme end of the loyalty continuum. Creators of Cult Brands understand that loyalty comes not from creating a brand that no one hates, but one that a few people love.

No Brand Land: These companies don't focus on the customers and constantly change their focus at the newest opportunity, never standing for anything.

Leaky Brands: These brands have basic identifiers, like logos and tag lines, but offer nothing distinct to their customers.

Average Joe Brands: These tend to be the product of large companies that actively advertise to their customers, giving them a large reach. But they never produce a consistent message which dilutes their brands and confuses the customers.

Iconic Brands: These brands are easily recognizable and perhaps even part of our culture. They often occupy top of mind awareness and have loyal customers. But they don't offer an irreplaceable position in the hearts and minds of their customers.

Cult Brands: Cult Brands build lasting relationships with their customers. They have no competition. This is the realm of Apple, Oprah, Harley-Davidson, Ikea, Southwest, Star Trek, and Jimmy Buffett.

The Seven Rules of Cult Brands

All Cult Brands adhere to seven basic rules:

1. The Rule of Social Groups: Consumers want to be part of a group that's different.

2. The Rule of Courage: Cult-Brand creators show daring and determination.

3. The Rule of Fun: Cult Brands sell lifestyles.

4. The Rule of Human Needs: Cult Brands listen to the choir and create evangelists.

5. The Rule of Contribution: Cult Brands always create customer communities.

6. The Rule of Openness: Cult Brands are inclusive.

7. The Rule of Freedom: Cult Brands promote personal freedom and draw power from their enemies.

Books About Cult Brands

2009-07-22T18:13:00.002-04:00

These books will give you a look at the inner workings of powerful Cult Brands.

The Southwest Airlines Way

by: Jody Hoffer Gittell

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 06/30/2009)

More Than a Motorcycle: The Leadership Journey at Harley-Davidson

by: Rich Teerlink, Lee Ozley

Amazon Price: $27.30 (as of 06/30/2009)

The Cult of Mac (Paperback edition)

by: Leander Kahney

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 06/30/2009)

Cult of iPod

by: Leander Kahney

Amazon Price: $18.21 (as of 06/30/2009)

These books will give you a deeper understanding of the processes underlying Cult Branding.

The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can, Too!)

by: Matthew W. Ragas, Bolivar J. Bueno

Amazon Price: $17.13 (as of 06/30/2009)

Cult Branding Workbook: Seven Steps to Growing Your Business by Better Understanding Your Customer

by: Bolivar J. Bueno

Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 06/30/2009)

Selling the Dream

by: Guy Kawasaki

Amazon Price: $11.25 (as of 06/30/2009)

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 20th Anniversary Edition

by: Al Ries, Jack Trout

Amazon Price: $17.79 (as of 06/30/2009)

Motivation and Personality

by: Abraham Harold Maslow

Amazon Price: $86.17 (as of 06/30/2009)

Humor as a Core Value

2009-07-20T06:00:00.005-04:00

Chris Robert, assistant professor of management at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business, studied the effects of humor in the workplace. While it’s an axiom that a happy workplace boosts morale, Robert found that humor is positively associated with workplace performance and employee retention.

Robert explains, “If you have positive emotions about your job, you’re less likely to quit. You might get a better job offer, but it will take more to draw you away when you like where you work and you like the people you work with.”

Great companies like online retailer Zappos intuitively understands the power of humor and its ability to ease stressful situations, build rapport and foster cohesiveness within the workplace. At any moment during the workday, the folks at Zappos might spontaneously rally around a friendly Oreo-eating competition, or a “Chubby Bunny Contest.” How many marshmallows can you fit into your mouth?

At Zappos, you might also be a contender in their Thumb Wars competition, or have as much fun watching it on the sidelines:

While these antics might be grounds for termination at your average corporation, Zappos encourages its employees to create fun and a little weirdness. In fact, it’s third on their top-ten-list of core values.

In Zappos’s eyes, employees are not just goofing off and wasting time. This is a valued and expected part of their workday. When humor infuses the workplace, it becomes a breeding ground for happiness, productivity, creativity and innovation. And when employees are feeling positive, customers are the first to take notice.

Louis Vuitton: Designed for the Archetypal Experience

2009-07-17T05:00:00.002-04:00

Tapping into the unconscious can be difficult and often tricky. There are only a few things that unlock the hidden possibilities of archetypal light of beauty. Design and art are among the most rapid to enter the subconscious mind. Add music and the brand becomes a new program.

Asking the consumer to project value onto any object can be difficult without the power of art. Notice the various archetypal motifs particularly in the images and animations.

What Symbols do you recognize? What effect do you believe they have on the mind?

Tony and the Art of Twitter

2009-07-16T06:00:00.003-04:00

If you haven’t jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet, there is one reason to do so now: Tony.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is a visionary leader committed to the pursuit of growth, trust, and most of all, happiness. Twitter, he acknowledges, has helped in his quest to become a better person. According to Tony’s blog, Twitter keeps him accountable to his personal values; encourages him to see life through a funnier, more positive lens; inspires him to make a positive impact on other people’s lives, and serves as a reminder to appreciate the small things in life.

Some of his tweets will make you laugh, and feel oddly yet soothingly reminiscent of “Deep Thoughts” by Jack Handey:

Feeling pensive today and pondering life's big questions. For example, what does Luke Skywalker do on father's day?

Going fishing for first time w/ board member. I think they might be taking the whole "teach a man to fish" thing too literally

At a friend's house and when I walked by a cactus it poked me. Personally, I find that unnecessary and a bit immature.

Others will provide a glimpse into his disarming and self-effacing sense of humor:

At MGM for Britney Spears concert! Wait, did I really just admit that to 500k Twitter followers? I meant I'm at home reading.

At Vegas airport. While in bathroom, I had an AMAZING revelation: Toilet seat covers are shaped exactly the same as life vests!

Others are simple and beautiful inspirational quotes:

“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” - Abraham Lincoln

"In the pursuit of knowledge, something is added every day. In the pursuit of enlightenment, something is dropped every day" -Lao Tzu

Be Humble: “In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki

Others are an amalgam of the above. My all-time favorite Tony tweet, quoting Winnie the Pooh: “If the person you're talking to isn't listening, be patient. Maybe he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

Tony is a master at building relationships and cultivating community, simply by being himself. He’s found a way to use Twitter to speak to his strengths and inspire legions of followers.

Join Tony’s close-to-a-million-and-counting followers at: http://twitter.com/zappos.

Are You Ready to Extend Your Brand?

2009-07-14T07:59:00.009-04:00

BJ Bueno:

How do you know when your brand is ready for extension?

Tracey Nelson:

One of the most common mistakes in brand management occurs when a brand team jumps into extension too soon. Based on their metrics for success in one category, many corporate teams seize on extension as a low-cost means of generating licensing revenue, most of which can fall to the bottom line – a heady temptation! Also, those calls and emails start coming in from licensing agents dangling big opportunities if only you let them manage your brand extension plans! I would suggest a few questions to ask yourself before seriously considering extension:

First: Do you really understand your current customer?

Most brand executives will just nod their heads here or think about their target customer, rather than their actual customers. Knowing the answer to this first question involves in-depth research.

Who are your brand lovers and what is it about your brand that they love? It’s essential to understand this as: a) brands cannot risk their current business by alienating the brand lovers won so far and, b) the brand must continue to deliver what they love in any extension product or service. It is very important to articulate the unique transferable characteristics of the brand before embarking on an extension strategy.

Second: Is the reach of the brand wide enough to support new products?

For example, a brand may be well known in the Northeast, but does it have sufficient recognition and equity in the Southwest to support an extension with national distribution plans? If a brand is only known to automobile aficionados, are there enough of them shopping in the grocery channel to ensure a success there? Again, this evaluation requires research and clear-eyed analysis.

Third:

If the results of the research indicate some “holes”, either in brand perception or reach, is the company willing and able to invest in the marketing necessary to fill in those holes?

Fourth: In what markets and product/service categories could the brand meet channel and consumer needs?

Again, knowing what needs a brand currently fulfills is essential to answering this question, as well as extensive analysis of any new product categories considered. Not to mention a bit of inspired creativity!

Our Brand Extensions Strategist

Click here for more information on extending your Brand

Trust Me: Lessons from Zappos

2009-07-13T06:00:00.010-04:00

Businesses aggressively strive to establish trust with their customers, but oftentimes neglect the need to cultivate trust in their own workplaces. Economist John Helliwell researched the determinants of workplace happiness, and found that trust is the greatest contributor, beating out pay, workload, or perks. A one-point increase on the trust scale can mean the equivalent of the psychological benefits associated with a 40% wage increase.

Online retailer Zappos embraces trust as an essential ingredient in cultivating an enthusiastic and happy workplace. Zappos made its inaugural debut at #23 on Fortune Magazine’s List of “100 Best Companies to Work for,” making them the highest-ranking initiate for 2009. For Zappos, trust is a core business value, established through a steadfast commitment to transparency.

Here are 5 ways that Zappos champions trust within their organization:

The Culture Book: Zappos publishes an annual book, a compilation of employees’ thoughts and reflections on the Zappos culture. Every submission is included and edited only for spelling and typos. The book is given to potential hires for an unfiltered look into the Zappos culture, inclusive of the good, the bad, and the beautiful.

The “Ask Anything” Newsletter: Employees can literally ask anything about the company, even and especially about financials. Answers are compiled and published in a monthly newsletter.

Extranet for Vendors: Vendors can log in and view insider data such as inventories and sales. When asked if Zappos worries whether the information will get into the hands of competitors, CEO Tony Hsieh is not concerned. He is confident that the benefits outweigh the risks, by providing vendors a critical window into their business, promoting a sense of control, and above all else, building relationships based on trust.

Company Tours--Come One, Come All: Zappos has an open door policy and offers everyone a tour of their company headquarters. When reporters visit the headquarters, there’s no official algorithm that dictates who they can speak to and who they cannot. When you have nothing to hide, every employee is authorized to speak to his or her own experience.

Twitter: Zappos actively encourages its employees to join Twitter, and in fact, offers Twitter class as part of their employee orientation. With over 400 employees tweeting, Zappos policy is more of a non-policy: “Be real and use your best judgment.” Hsieh understands the power of Twitter, not just as a way to cultivate transparency, but also to empower employees and strengthen ties within the organization. Hsieh tweeted: “Twittering is like hugging. Just because it's hard to measure the return on investment doesn't mean there isn't value there.”

When employees feel trusted, they tend to be happier. The pay off for companies? Greater productivity and less turnover. And when employees are satisfied, customers tend to be satisfied too. So what do you have to hide?

Artist and Brand Wyclef Jean Embraces his Twittering Fans

2009-07-11T10:47:00.013-04:00

Most artists don't understand branding, nevertheless embrace their most loyal fans and brand lovers. But Wyclef Jean is one artist who gets it. He has embraced the digital age and understands what branding is all about (inclusion).

In fact, Wyclef is so devoted to his fans that in honor of reaching 100,000 followers on Twitter, he performed a live acoustic concert for his "Twitt heads." He also gave fans a peak into his world by filming the concert from Platinum Sound Recording Studios.

Embracing your fans takes listening. Are you ready to hear what they have to say?

P.S. Wyclef Jean now has over 400,000 followers. When you embrace your fans, the brand prospers and grows.

http://twitter.com/Wyclef

New Brand Model Designed to Drive Long-Term Profitability

2009-07-09T15:29:00.008-04:00

Brand loyalty research firm offers effective brand model for predicting consumer behavior.

Orlando, Florida (PRWEB) July 2, 2009 -- Just as we use traffic models to forecast our daily commute time and meteorological models to forecast the weather, brands use models to predict consumer behavior.

Brand models help marketers predict consumer behavior through quantitative analyses. A truly holistic brand model, however, must offer both quantitative and qualitative evidence to explain the psychological motivations behind consumer purchasing patterns.

Leading brand strategist BJ Bueno explains: "An effective brand model is a representation of the most important elements that drive your business. It describes the consumer's mindset, attitudes and behaviors toward your brand."

Loyalty research confirms that a brand's most loyal customers are its most profitable. The Cult Branding Company recently unveiled the first comprehensive brand model combining both quantitative and qualitative assessments rooted in humanistic psychology and centered around this special breed of customers called "Brand Lovers."

Bueno says, "The predictive capability of Brand Lover Model 2.0® gives businesses an unparalleled competitive advantage." The Brand Lover Model 2.0® is now offered in three formats based on the size and needs of your organization:

'Brand Lover Model - Basic' is designed for small and mid-size businesses looking to differentiate themselves from the competition and drive greater sales for their products and services. This model offers a broad snapshot of the psychological motivations of Brand Lovers.

'Brand Lover Model - Complete' offers mid-size and large businesses the opportunity to intimately understand their best customers using statistically verifiable measures.

'Brand Lover Model - Enterprise Edition' is designed especially for publicly-traded retailers and other "mega brands" that require a more thorough and expansive offering.

An effective brand model is a representation of the most important elements that drive your business. It describes the consumer's mindset, attitudes and behaviors toward your brand.

The predictive capability of Brand Lover Model 2.0® gives businesses an unparalleled competitive advantage.

ABOUT THE CULT BRANDING COMPANY - The Cult Branding Company is the recognized leader in loyalty research, helping brands cultivate authentic customer loyalty. Using its trademarked Brand Lover Model 2.0®, The Cult Branding Company helps businesses model their brand around the needs of their best customers.

Extending Beyond The Immutable Laws of Branding

2009-07-08T07:47:00.010-04:00

Hello Branding Geniuses and Marketing Rock Stars!

Today's post will be a bit different. For the next couple of weeks, I will be sending interview questions about building powerful brands to awesome consultant Tracey Nelson and sharing her answers here. Tracey is a recognized leader in the fields of brand management and brand extension. She has over twenty years of experience in senior strategic brand management and consulting positions for world-class multinational companies, including Polo/Ralph Lauren, FILA Sports and Turner Networks.

BJ Bueno:

How would you respond to Ries & Trout’s twelfth “Immutable Law of Branding”?

Tracey Nelson:

Law 12 of Al Ries and Jack Trout’s excellent book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding states that “…There's an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand and it's a mistake. Instead one should create new brands to address new markets/products.” A superb rule, as it probably protects consumers from many ill-conceived product extensions!

However, there are multiple examples of successfully extended brands which support the addition of an amendment to that law: “…it’s a mistake if undertaken primarily for quick profit, rather than to extend the long-term equity of the brand and without objective research and strategic planning…”

Clearly, Ralph Lauren’s multi-billion dollar empire would not exist had we restricted the Polo brand to just ties. Nor would the Disney brand be the global force it is today had Walt stuck with one animated mouse. These two men were visionaries, but any brand team can certainly learn from them. They understood the relationship that their brand, at its core, had with its customer. Then they made sure that, as the brand extended into multiple product categories, it continued to deliver on its promise.

A simple concept, but one that requires research, objective evaluation and careful strategic planning.

BJ Bueno:

Thank you Tracey. More questions coming your way soon!

Click here for more information on extending your Brand

Connecting to a Higher Purpose

2009-07-06T06:00:00.004-04:00

Many companies believe that fostering employee satisfaction and retention is achieved by offering stock ownership plans that help employees feel like part owners. However, as we know, a slice of the profits is just not enough.

Peter Senge, Founding Chair of the Society for Organizational Learning (SoL) wrote in his book, The Fifth Discipline, about the need for a shared vision in organizations. Senge writes, “One of the deepest desires underlying shared vision is the desire to be connected to a larger purpose and one another.”

At online retailer Zappos, CEO Tony Hsieh’s vision is grand and clear. Hsieh says, “At Zappos, our higher purpose is delivering happiness. Whether it's the happiness our customers receive when they get a new pair of shoes or the perfect piece of clothing, or the happiness they get when dealing with a friendly customer rep over the phone, or the happiness our employees feel about being a part of a culture that celebrates their individuality, these are all ways we bring happiness to people's lives."

When your employees are aligned to a larger, shared vision, they’ll be more satisfied and loyal. When you commit to a higher purpose, you also commit to making the world a better place in the best way you know how.

For more on Zappos’s happiness philosophy, take a look at this slide show presentation delivered by Tony Hsieh at the 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival.

Zappos - SXSW - 3-14-09

View more documents from zappos.

The Hero's Adventure

2009-07-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

"Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world."

- Joseph Campbell

IKEA: A Powerful Cult Brand

2009-07-02T07:03:00.005-04:00

People are camping outside. Traffic jams are so severe that highway exits must be shut down. Traffic lights are rendered useless requiring police to direct traffic. Is it a new Star Wars film? No, it’s the opening of a new IKEA store. The Brand Lover Passion has taken IKEA to the top of their game. From 1997 to 2005, IKEA doubled its market share and tripled its sales from $600 million to $1.7 billion to become the seventh largest furniture store in the United States.

But when executives first hear about the notion of building a Cult Brand, they often wonder, "Can we really do it? Can our brand achieve 'cult' status? And if so, what would that look like?" The answer, of course, is, "Yes, you can." Check out this brief video of an IKEA store grand opening.

Once upon a time when Coca-Cola was not a brand...

2009-07-01T09:07:00.005-04:00

"If I could get $25,000, I would spend $24,000 advertising and the remainder in making Coca-Cola. Then we would all be rich" - John Pemberton

Psychology Of The Winner

2009-06-30T10:03:00.006-04:00

“A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.”

- Larry Bird

You don't have to risk the adventure alone. The winners of all time have gone before us. This slide presentation shows the way to unlocking our highest potential and developing the mindset of the winner.

Zappos Redefines Customer Service

2009-06-29T08:15:00.002-04:00

The bar has been permanently raised. Companies like Zappos, L.L. Bean, and Amazon.com have set a new standard in customer service. There’s simply no going back, but apparently many retailers still haven’t received the memo.

I recently purchased a gift card at the clothing retailer Forever 21. When I submitted the order, I waited for my confirmation receipt via email. I waited several days but nothing came. A week passed; still no word. I logged into my account online to double check that my order was placed. The order was listed but no other information was provided.

I called the customer service center. Apparently, I missed the fine print that my order would be received within 5 to 10 business days. When I asked when it was supposed to ship, the rep replied, “I don’t have that information.” To prevent further delay, I inquired how I could change the shipping address to ensure my niece would receive her gift before graduation day. I was told, “You can’t change the order once it’s been submitted.” Even though the order hasn’t been shipped? The rep repeated, “You can’t change the order.”

With every question, I became increasingly frustrated by the customer service rep's lack of creativity. She was clearly sticking to the rulebook and primed to say “no" with every inquiry.

I asked one final question, “Can I just cancel my order?” Finally, I got a “yes.” The customer service rep replied, “I’ll go ahead and cancel your order. Can I help you with anything else?”

No, you’ve done enough.

Forever 21 needs to take a lesson or two from Zappos. At Zappos, customer service is an art form, not a necessary evil. It’s not relegated to a specific department, but rather cultivated throughout the entire organization.

CEO Tony Hsieh understands the importance of communication and perceives the telephone as “one of the best branding devices available.” Representatives of their Customer Loyalty Team are not evaluated by length of call time or sales-based performance goals. In fact, team members are expected to ensure that the customer’s needs are fulfilled—however long it may take. If Zappos doesn’t have a specific size or style in stock, customers may be directed to competitors’ websites.

Hsieh explained, “People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” So even if a sale is lost in the moment, the investment pays off in the long run.

Forever 21 not only lost a sale, but most of all, a customer. When the bar is raised this high, who can afford to be Forever Mediocre?

How Biology Creates Believers

2009-06-27T12:15:00.011-04:00

Prof. Robert Sapolsky is an American scientist and author. He is currently professor of Biological Sciences, Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University.

I. The Biology of Religion. Some opening caveats, disclaimers and fine print.

II. Religion and belief

III. Religion and ritualistic practices

IV. Religion and the attribution of causality

Links:

Old rules? Going…going…gone

2009-06-26T03:59:00.013-04:00

“The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress” - Charles Kettering

Brands that are built on fear, are failing quicker than ever. And those that are set in their ways and refuse change are already dead. The funeral is just a detail. Trends such as time compression are erasing the lines of what we once called “natural” change. Industry control freaks are having to face a very scary proposition because all bets are off.

We are living in the most am·big·u·ous time: Now open to more than one interpretation.

Consider that the average consumer is in contact with over a thousand products daily. When customers go shopping the number expands to over 35,000 products and brands. Now add the human factor. The human mind experiences an average of 50,000 thoughts each day. This overflow of information and sensory experiences are eroding what we once considered in marketing the immutable laws.

“Stability is a dead fish floating downstream. The only kind of stability we know in this country is change.” - Henry Ford

To succeed in this crowded marketplace, we must be open to ambiguity. Knowing that there is no longer one right answer. Those days are gone. It's time to embrace change. The easiest way to get started is to reverse our perception:

Reward failure and Adopt change.

As humans we have always survived by adaptation and breaking habits that were no longer conducive for survival. It's now time for brands to do the same. Change can be a wonderful thing.

Onward!

Look it here!?! We got ourselves a reader....

2009-06-25T03:47:00.012-04:00

Ok, so I am a nerd. What can I say? I love books. Books are my most profound teachers. A book can unlock a practical problem or provide a hint to something your unconscious is trying to solve.

Reading also uses the whole brain (symbols turn into words, words turn into meaning, etc). In short, I love books. I am always thankful to learn something new. There is nothing like the feeling of Aha!

5 books that deliver an abundance of Aha! moments:

The Language Instinct
by Stephen Pinker

The Hero with a Thousand Faces
by Joseph Campbell

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies
by Jared Diamond

Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious
by Carl G. Jung

Maslow on Management
by Abraham H. Maslow

The Power of Cause Branding: 6 Benefits of Meaningful Alignment

2009-06-23T12:03:00.000-04:00

A powerful way to reach your consumers is through your Brand's alignment to a cause. Even something as simple as caring for others can transform the perception of your business. Having a cause gives your brand purpose and power. Sometimes it really is about the heart of the matter.

Companies that demonstrate a sense of social responsibility stand out in a world of increasingly undifferentiated goods and services. Goodwill is the only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy.

The key to cause branding is the selection of a cause aligned with your corporate goals. Most cause-branding programs should be, at their heart, about enhancing corporate brands in ways that are meaningful to key constituencies including customers, employees, communities, public officials, or suppliers.

Cause-branding strategies directly benefit your business by:

Deepening consumer loyalty
Transforming the brand's reputation
Deepening employee loyalty
Growing the number of Brand Lovers
Strengthening ties with business partners
Growing sales, at times exponentially

Despite its many advantages, cause branding does have limitations and pitfalls. It is not an antidote to a damaged reputation. A cause can never turn a brand into something it's not. Rather, it's a way of making a strong brand even stronger.

Remember to activate your brand and bring your Cause Branding to Life.

The Importance of Modeling the Brand

2009-06-16T07:00:00.003-04:00

"Our brains are essentially model-making machines. We need to construct useful, virtual reality simulations of the world that we can act on. Within the simulation, we need also to construct models of other people's minds because we primates are intensely social creatures. (This is called "a theory of other minds.") We need to do this so that we can predict their behavior."

- V.S. Ramachandran, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego

The Power of Modeling

A good model allows us to focus on the essentials while screening out trivial details. Imagine you want to teach children about the world. While taking them into space might provide them with the most objective experience of Earth, a "Field Trip to Outer Orbit" is a hard sell to any parent. The alternative? Here, a model of Earth will do just fine. Children get the essential details from the model to deepen their understanding of the world. If the context were different (for example, if you wanted to teach children about the Milky Way galaxy), a different model would be required.

Why is it important to model the Brand?

A Brand Model is a representation of the most important elements, both perceived and experienced, that create the Brand System. Modeling the Brand offers the business four important benefits:

The Brand Model is descriptive. It describes the consumer's mindset, attitudes, and behaviors toward the Brand.
The Brand Model is predictive. It takes "what if" questions and turns them into observations to consider for future action.
The Brand Model is normative. It provides us with information about what is needed to reach our goals.
The Brand Model provides a synthesis of the whole, creating "The Quintessential Brand."

Here are a few direct benefits your organization can acquire from modeling the brand.

A Brand Model:

Leads to better decisions ("Better" in this context = Business Results are Achieved).
Uncovers emerging consumer needs and highlights where to innovate next.
Pinpoints changes in the Consumer Ecosystem faster and adjusts strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
Helps identify what actions will benefit your brand the most (based on its descriptive and predictive power).
Solves for a specific problem. Data without context turns into white-noise.
Clarifies the role your brand assets play (e.g. marketing, advertising, innovation).
Organizes and structures information that CEOs, CMOs and Brand Managers can utilize right away.

How Zappos Inspires a Higher Calling

2009-06-11T18:05:00.004-04:00

Jobs are everywhere. We clock in and clock out, putting in the bare minimum just to get the work done. Sometimes though, we find a career where we have a deeper vested interest in our work, motivated by achievement and advancement. Yet if we’re lucky, we’ll eventually find our calling where work becomes our life mission, and our life mission becomes work.

Online retailer Zappos is on a mission to inspire their family of employees to a higher calling. Since the beginning, they weren’t satisfied hiring people just looking for a job to pay the bills. Under their visionary leader Tony Hsieh, the company made a bold organizational move in 1994, relocating their headquarters from San Francisco to Las Vegas, to align themselves with people looking for a career.

Hsieh wrote in Inc. Magazine, “We were having a hard time finding good customer service people in San Francisco. Las Vegas has a lot of call centers and lots of people who want to do customer service as a career.”

Zappos embraces a singular vision—to provide the best customer service—and attracts people who share this passion. But the folks at Zappos aren’t satisfied knowing that their employees are committed to a career in customer service. They constantly strive to inspire their employees to find their true calling—to find personal meaning in their work guided by a higher purpose.

To achieve this, Zappos employs a full-time on-site personal coach, Dr. Vik, who invites employees to take a seat on the royal “throne” for a one-on-one consultation. He regularly tells his guests, “You are worth a billion dollars. Come have a seat and take your life to the next level!” With Dr. Vik’s guidance, employees are empowered to reach their full potential across their work and personal lives.

How many companies employ a full-time personal coach? Most businesses would view this as an unnecessary expense and immediately reject the idea.

Yet Zappos understands that a company’s employees—their people—are a reflection of the brand itself. When employees find their true calling, work is greatly satisfying and meaningful. Their enthusiasm and passion is infectious. And the customers are first to take notice.

Seeing the Brand is Believing the Brand

2009-06-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

As humans, we are highly visual creatures. The visual cortex of our brain has over thirty areas dedicated to helping us see and make sense of the world. When we see things, we don't just see shapes, but we also emotionally experience what we are perceiving.

The connection between emotions and the brain has been clearly demonstrated by modern neuroscience. Brain scans reveal the hidden connections between what we see and how we feel about what we see. Without feelings, objects in our visual field hold no significance and fall into the background of our perception. If an image doesn't trigger the emotional center of the brain, it's without meaning. We feel disconnected to what we see, even when it's people as important as our parents or children. Biologically, all memory is tied to an emotion.

Emotions = Energy

Every image, including your Brand Image, must pass through the thalamus--the relay station in the brain that takes in sensory information and then passes it along to the cerebral cortex. Simply put, the thalamus tells customers how they feel about your brand.

Your Brand Image carries energy, and provides information to the consumer about the brand experience. For example, the Apple logo is one of the most widely recognized images in the world, associated with creativity and innovation. Empirical studies have shown that subjects exposed to the Apple logo exhibit greater creativity than control subjects. Like Apple, your Brand Image stands for the sum of the brand promise.

The Brand Image has the power to connect your Brand with the emotional centers in the brain. We are wired to see. And when we see, we believe.

How much POWER does your BRAND IMAGE have today?

Planning for Competitive Pressure

2009-06-09T09:39:00.000-04:00

"If you fail to plan for competitive pressure, you risk falling into the gas-station-price-war mentality.

When you do that, you may find yourself responding to other moves by competitors, rather than taking the initiative yourself.

Essentially, you are letting the competition determine your marketing strategy."

- How to Really Create a Successful Marketing Plan

Modeling of your Brand through the Eyes of your Best Customers

2009-06-04T12:25:00.001-04:00

Creating a brand model that works

In creating your Brand Lover Model® we decode the underlying tensions behind your customers’ choices. Addressing these tensions force your enterprise to focus on what drives loyalty instead of the next transaction. We utilize trademark qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover the conscious and unconscious psychological motivators of your best customers—how they think, feel, and relate to your brand.

Your Brand Lover Model® will highlight the core emotional outcomes your Brand Lover receives by interacting with you. To discover the emotional outcomes, we analyze the hidden biological, archetypal, and cultural drivers behind your brand through the lens of your best customers. The Brand Lover Model® provides the emotional patterns that transcend demographic and psychographic data about a customer base and underscores the unifying qualities all of your Brand Lovers share.

Marketing leadership comes alive after deciphering the code of loyalty. All great brands like Apple, Harley-Davidson, Southwest Airlines, Oprah, and IKEA have decoded the keys to customer loyalty. Through the Brand Lover Model®, The Cult Branding Company offers large enterprises a methodical, humanistic approach to unlocking authentic customer loyalty.If you're committed to differentiating your brand and growing profitability, ALL of your marketing and branding efforts will be directed at creating a Brand Lover. There must be a singular vision of the Brand Lover your brand best serves. The Brand Lover Model® profiles these loyalists and the primary benefit that drives your customer relationship.

"After completing our Brand Lover Model and learning who our best customers are, BJ Bueno and his team helped us construct an entirely new, innovative merchandising system based on the needs of the customer. Sales rose 26% over the previous year after book retailers installed the new system."

— Wayne Hastings, Sr. Vice President at Thomas Nelson, Inc.

"I have never seen anyone be able to connect the dots of human psychological triggers, messaging ("storytelling") and customer behavior better than BJ. And I've been at this almost 30 years. He makes it sound easy (which it ain't), and he puts it in an almost undeniable context. He gives what we do as marketers 4,000 years of background context, rooted in mythology and tribalism. Stories. Plain & simple. While that may sound like esoteric BS, when he tells us and shows us why we do what we do -- and shows us that we've been doing for as long as we have been recording our human history -- it wins not just believers, but disciples. Because it's true. We've just forgotten that: "Our story has been written before, and we've read it ourselves a thousand times." No one else you are speaking with can help you "sell-in" with such power."

- Randy Curtis, Former WAL-MART VP of Creative and Media

Cult Branding: Loyalty Revealed

2009-06-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

Every adventure begins with the unexpected. A call to adventure. Meet Miss Anderson on her quest to discover her Brand Lover.

How to Create Powerful Brand Communities and What You Can Do to Support Them!

2009-05-27T11:50:00.000-04:00

When your Brand Lover's come together they belong. Consumers shed their individuality to to become Harlistas. Joining the collective mind of the brand.

Brand communities confront the business with two opposites; humans have a need for individuality (your own mind) on the other side we have the need to belong (joining the collective mind).

How to resolve the tension?

In our latest white paper, team member and psychologist Jenny Lee dissects in detail, the psycho-social motivations for joining communities and how to cultivate them for your brand.

Learn why brand communities form and what you can do to support them:

Download Why We Join our latest White Paper decoding the brand communities.

A BRAND Walks Into a Bar

2009-05-20T12:25:00.000-04:00

Branding with humor can be very powerful technique, but if done wrong it can make your business and brand look silly and not credible.

Humor can lead to a marketing grand slam--as long as it's done right.

Getting the most from Humor:

The humor can't overpower the brand.
The humor should fit your product or service's personality.

Entrepreneur Magazine recently asked a few experts (cult branding as well) to comment on this very topic:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2009/april/200722.html

Turner Classic Movies Gets More Love

2009-05-19T13:54:00.000-04:00

TCM has done a great job of listening to their consumers and embracing their brand "freaks." Listening to your brand lovers turns out to be a very powerful and effective strategy if you want to expand the influence of your brand.

Check out this recent TIME article featuring 15 Reasons why love TCM.

BRAND JORDAN: LOVE

2009-05-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

BRAND JORDAN is among the most interesting brand case studies I’ve ever had the privilege of learning from.

When we take a close look at most brands one will quickly notice that most companies don't have a powerful DNA. One that creates an attraction for the consumer.

BRAND JORDAN constitution and magnetism has created legions of loyal followers that celebrate the AUTHENTICITY of this BRAND.

The Art of making your brand AUTHENTIC, REAL, and POWERFUL.

The Birth of BRAND JORDAN

The year was 1984, and Michael hesitantly took a flight to Portland, Oregon. It was the day that he would meet Nike Founder Phil Knight for the first time....

BRAND JORDAN: EARNED But when the players can't live up to the expectations, the programs fall apart. You can't fake out the consumer. To build Brand Jordan, each step would be earned....

BRAND JORDAN: UNCOMPROMISED Going beyond a fad and becoming a brand takes a real connection with people....

BRAND JORDAN: ASPIRATIONAL One can never imagine everything that will happen. But dreams are like that. That’s what makes the journey amazing. You have to see your plan and be willing to invest in your vision....

BRAND JORDAN: AUTHENTIC AND BEYOND But true authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone else wants you to be someone else. BRAND JORDAN took this idea to heart....

BRAND JORDAN: Uncovering The Soul of the Brand Today Brand Jordan is an international icon. Creating this magic was about getting some amazing people ( Jordan + Nike + Design + Soul) together and allowing each do what they do best....

Driven From Within: by Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was named the NBA MVP five times. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. And he helped the 'Dream Team'' the USA Basketball Team bring home the gold medal. Driven from Within, includes vivid stories, anecdotes, drawings and bold photographs that capture Jordan's exceptional combination of grace, grit, power and artistry. Jordan introduces the reader to some of the people closest to him, including Dean Smith, the former UNC coach who saw Michael's superstar potential; his mother, Delores Jordan; and Tinker Hatfield, the design genius behind 14 of the 20 Air Jordan shoes. In every chapter, MJ offers examples of his values in action, on and off the court.

BRAND JORDAN: Uncovering The Soul of the Brand

2009-05-10T09:12:00.000-04:00

"There has to be a soul to the process.
There has to be a real story." - Michael Jordan

Today Brand Jordan is an international icon. Creating this magic was about getting some amazing people ( Jordan + Nike + Design + Soul) together and allowing each do what they do best. This kind of creative collaboration is very rare, making it hard to capture in a bottle. But we should try anyway.

Here are a few simple tips that Jordan reveals. While these might seem basic, the discernment to choose what really appeals to consumers will be elusive to those without an eye for design.

Brand Jordan offers these simple insights:

Performance is the name of the game.
Your product has to function at the highest level.
Tap into the power of design.
Draw attention to the product.
Bring style and function together .
Create a unique brand experience.

Consider how each insight pushes on the other to create new combinations of experiences for your customer. Each point can lead to fun and creative brainstorms to determine how to take your brand and products to the next level.

Design and Function are both linked to strong product and brand development. Check out how Nike advertising showcases and dramatizes the both the functionality of the brand and the emotional outcome.

BRAND JORDAN: AUTHENTIC AND BEYOND

2009-05-09T07:13:00.000-04:00

It is difficult to build a brand to its best when the goal is to become the best version of some other brand. Sad but true, cloning brands is often the default strategy for most large corporations. Those who take the road well traveled want security and are willing to sacrifice true innovation for certainty. But true authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone else wants you to be someone else. BRAND JORDAN took this idea to heart. No matter what, Jordan would stay the course and follow his own path.

The Air Less Traveled

“There is nothing I have to do for BRAND JORDAN to continue to grow other than to continue being myself.” – Michael Jordan

How many brands are willing to be true to their core values and Brand Lovers, or even to themselves?

Many brands are born out of the passion and authenticity of their founders but never go BEYOND. Fads come and go, but brands are enduring promises that don’t lose their value overnight.

In 1994, Nike sentiment about Jordan was simple: He retired, let’s move on. But the consumer held onto the brand because it was bigger than Jordan playing for the NBA. It was a brand some people LOVED.

Finding Your Brand’s Authenticity

Those products, companies and people who stay true to who they are usually end up being around for a long time. You have to believe in leading and going BEYOND the expectations of your category.

Start by not settling for the solutions that feel like a carbon copy of what’s already been done. Find the ideas that are PURE and HONEST. It’s about making something that at its core is REAL.

BRAND JORDAN: ASPIRATIONAL

2009-05-08T07:15:00.000-04:00

“Anything can happen if you are willing to put in the work and remain open to the possibility. Dreams are realized by effort, determination, passion and staying connected to that sense of who you are.” – Michael Jordan

One can never imagine everything that will happen. But dreams are like that. That’s what makes the journey amazing. You have to see your plan and be willing to invest in your vision. But today people are confused by the coldness of our society and its lack of values. Living without values discolors life. Without purpose, life becomes weak. This is also true for brands.

Once a brand loses it’s meaning with the public, it no longer matters. Brands without a purpose in the eyes of the customer die out. Intelligent marketing teams, however, know that aspirations and values are the keys to unlocking the power of their brands. Brand Jordan taps into the power of strong values and dreams.

Michael Jordan said, “We have built the brand based on basic values, old-school values. Those never go out of style.”

Discovering the core values that are at the core of your brand can unlock a new level of inspiration for you and your Brand Lovers. As Human Beings we are motivated not only by survival but also by those values that make us feel alive.

Are you ready to dream big?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself and tips to uncover your core values:

Why you? Why not you?
What do your customers love about your brand?
What human need does your brand help customers satisfy?
Check in with the previous two answers and ask, what core value do these two questions reveal about the brand?
Download the Cult Branding Workbook for more fun questions to uncover your true brand soul.

BRAND JORDAN: UNCOMPROMISED

2009-05-07T06:22:00.000-04:00

“You have to be uncompromised in your level of commitment
to whatever you are doing.” – Michael Jordan

There are my fads that emerge into the consumer landscape. Some live long. Some trends disappear before they are noticed. Going beyond a fad and becoming a brand takes a real connection with people. For over 20 years, Brand Jordan has connected with legions of loyal followers.

To obtain this level of loyalty and love, BRAND JORDAN followed an incredible force. This force pulled Jordan to be its very best. This powerful force is known as the constant of excellence.

Is your Brand ready for excellence?

BRAND JORDAN: EARNED

2009-05-05T07:01:00.000-04:00

"No one had to market Michael Jordan.
I marketed myself by what I did on the court." - Michael Jordan

Today’s professional business world is quick. NBA scouts are tracking twelve-year-old players to catch the next rising star. Trend software run the numbers on each player to generate risk models for casinos. And many NBA marketing programs are built with the expectation of players averaging 30 points per game. But when the players can't live up to the expectations, the programs fall apart. You can't fake out the consumer. To build Brand Jordan, each step would be earned.

Michael Jordan's entrance into the marketing world was shaky. Nike executives were nervous about the release of Air Jordan. Until this point, no one had ever made it work in the basketball industry. But Jordan was about taking everything he did to the next level. If he was on the court, the game was never over.

His fans adored this passion, which quickly translated to the bottom line:

Nikes Original Sales Goal: $3 Million

First Year Sales: $130 Million

Brand Jordan was built on hard work. From its early beginnings, Brand Jordan fought for the top. Each step was earned. EARNED is the best way to know it’s yours. If you keep taking your Brand to the next level, soon you will have a brand that has no equal.

Is your Brand earning its way to your customer’s heart?

The Birth of BRAND JORDAN

2009-05-04T08:03:00.000-04:00

"Brand Jordan exists because of what Phil Knight created
before I ever came along." - Michael Jordan

The year was 1984, and Michael hesitantly took a flight to Portland, Oregon. It was the day that he would meet Nike Founder Phil Knight for the first time. Neither of them could imagine what the next 20+ years would bring.

Realizing that nothing of value comes without hard work, the partnership between Jordan and Nike was born. The idea was so big that it created something no one could have envisioned. By committing to their shared values, Nike and Jordan created an amazing brand that has endured.

Starting Conditions: LOVE for the game. LOVE for Innovation. LOVE for the customer.

The end is determined by the starting conditions. The outcome of our plans follows its own design and patterns. What vision do you see emerging for your Brand?

Category Leadership: The Power of your Brand Position

2009-04-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

Southwest Airlines summarizes this idea best when their former leader, Herb Kelleher, said, “ I will tell your our strategic plan, its called doing something.” As crazy as this sounds, most companies don’t do anything to establish category leadership.

Most brands, by default, choose the tried-and-true path and take their place in the rankings by simply doing what they have always done. In order to develop brand leadership, you have to own your category. There is no way around it; there can’t be anyone else that serve your specific customers better than you do.

Great brands always stand alone.

Leading the pack is not easy, and it’s not for everyone. Creating market dominance means constant attention to the customer by taking meaningful action. Great brands are in a constant conversation with their customers, associates, and partners. At each point in the chain they strive to add value and stand apart from their competitors.

As one of my mentors would always say, Onward!