Use the Brand Perception Snap Shot to Develop Your Brand Strategy

One of the tools that I use to help my clients develop a brand strategy is what I call the Brand Perception Snap Shot.  Branding can be a confusing and overwhelming enigma, but the Brand Perception Snap Shotenables you to cut through the clutter and get down to what really matters.

You can take the Brand Perception Snap Shot by answering the three questions below:

1. What 5 words would you use to describe your brand today?
2. What 5 words would your customers use to describe your brand today?
3. What 5 words do you want to be used in the future to describe your ultimate brand (i.e., when your brand reaches your biggest, pie-in-the-sky goals)?

To complete your Brand Perception Snap Shot, simply review the words you used to answer the questions above.  Identify the gaps and successes.  These are the areas you need to focus on as you begin to develop your long-term brand strategy and short-term tactics that will help you reach those pie-in-the-sky goals.

Image: stock.xchng

The Most Powerful Brands Own a Word in Consumers’ Minds – Does Yours?

When a brand owns a word in consumers’ minds, that brand has been effectively positioned against its competition.  Think of it this way: Some of the most recognizable brands in the world “own” a word in consumers’ minds.  Here are some examples from the automotive industry:

• Cadillac = luxury
• BMW = performance
• Kia = affordability

Think of some of your favorite brands.  What word pops into your head first when you think of those brands?  It’s very possible that the word you think of is the same word that the majority of consumers think of in relation to that brand, and that means the company behind that brand has done an excellent job of positioning the brand and communicating the brand’s message, image and promise to consumers.

Owning a word in consumers’ minds is the ultimate goal for brand managers, and you can do it with your brand, too. [Read more]

The Death of Interruption Marketing

My new article on Entrepreneur.com discusses how the world of marketing has changed from being reliant on interruption to engagement.

Following is an excerpt from the article, which you can read in its entirety here.

“With the growth of social media, marketers have learned that simply interrupting the online conversation doesn’t always lead to sales, nor does it lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing. Now the goal of marketing is engagement. Consumers want to know, what are you going to tell them after you interrupt them?  Marketers have discovered that there is tremendous value in building brands and relationships through long-term social media strategy vs. short-term direct-marketing tactics on social websites.”

What do you think?  Is interruption marketing dead?  Leave a comment and share your opinion.

PETA Launches Distasteful Tiger Woods Ad

I’ve written about my disliking of PETA’s marketing strategies in the past (you can read those posts here, here and here).  This week, PETA launched a new billboard ad that truly takes the cake in terms of being downright distasteful.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Tiger Woods’ infidelity.  PETA seems to have decided that Tiger Woods’ family problems is the perfect fodder for a new billboard, which will be rolled out in Tiger’s own town, Windermere, Florida right where he, his wife, and his children (albeit to young to read, but that’s not really the point) can see it.  You can check it out below.

According to Virginia Fort, a PETA campaigner involved in the ad’s creation, the billboard ad is, “a fun, tongue-in-cheek approach. … We’re sure Tiger will appreciate our attempt — from a story that’s distracted the world and followed Tiger — to turn it into something positive for little tigers.” (via The Orlando Sentinel)

I think that’s the worst attempt at justification I’ve heard in a long time.  I wonder if Tiger Woods will sue, and I wonder how many people PETA will offend with this “tongue-in-cheek” ad.  What do you think?

10 Marketing Trends for 2010

My 10 marketing trends for 2010 were published on Entrepreneur.com.

If you’ve been reading my content for any length of time, then you can assume the word ‘transparency’ is probably included in that list, and guess what?  You’re right!  I won’t give the rest away though.  Follow the link above to read the complete article.

What’s your prediction for marketing trends in 2010?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Why No One Believes GM, Ford and Chrysler Deserved Bailouts

Months ago, I published a post on another blog I write for about the fate of GM, Ford and Chrysler.  I received a lot of negative comments on that post from people who disagreed with my assertion that mismanagement brought about the failure of the Big 3 U.S. auto manufacturers — specifically, focusing on short term gains rather than long term strategy. It’s a trap that executives and managers everywhere fell victim to as stockholders demanded double-digit growth year after year.

There’s a reason why GM, Ford and Chrysler found themselves circling the drain.  I think this chart says it all.  The only surprising thing is that GM, Ford and Chrysler survived as long as they did before they tanked.

The lesson for marketers to learn is this — don’t be the blue lines in this chart.  It shouldn’t take a decade to make the necessary changes to reverse those market share trends.

Brand Transparency – A Conversation with Alan Siegel of Siegel & Gale

Last week, I received a copy of Siegel & Gale’s report, “Siegel & Gale Simplicity Survey: A Clarion Call for Transparency.”  If you know anything about me, then you know that I am a big advocate of simple, clear and straightforward marketing messages and using common sense in marketing.  I’m anti-shock advertising and hard sales messages.  Consumers don’t have time to translate corporate rhetoric to try to figure out what you’re telling them.  If you don’t get your message across quickly, you’ve wasted your time and money.  Never has the need to be transparent been more crucial than it is during an economic downturn when consumers are actively searching for honest companies to do business with. 

Reading the report by Siegel & Gale put hard numbers around much of what I always preach to clients.  In short, consumers want simple language, honesty and clarity from brands.  After reading the report, I was lucky enough to secure a few minutes of Alan Siegel’s, Chairman and CEO of Siegel & Gale, time to talk about his position on simple and transparent marketing. 

I asked Alan what steps companies should take first to reposition themselves as transparent.  His response was to focus on the inside first.  In other words, policies must be set for developing clarity.  He indicated that much of the information companies provide to employees (and customers, for that matter) is self-serving with little personality. [Read more]

2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid – No Wonder U.S. Auto Companies Need a Bailout

If you had any question in your minds that U.S. auto manufacturers are completely clueless, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid from General Motors will certainly make it clear that these companies do not deserve a bailout.

At $72,000, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is probably meant to say, “Look at me!  I’m rich and I care about the environment.  Aren’t I wonderful?”  However, when I see this car, I think, “Look at me!  I leased the heck out of this car and now the bank is foreclosing on my house, and I hate the environment but this car makes me feel a little bit better about it.”

The new 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid improves fuel efficiency by 50%.  That means the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid gets a huge 21 miles per gallon!  What do you think?  Does GM deserve a bailout?

There is simply no doubt that U.S. automakers still don’t get it.  There’s a reason why the Toyota Prius is growing more popular everyday and large SUVs are being traded in for smaller cars.  Why can’t U.S. auto companies figure it out?

Update: The 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid has been named to the Yahoo! Finance Best and Worst of 2008 list as the worst car of 2008.

Image: General Motors

Microsoft’s Latest Misguided Marketing Effort – A Clothing Line

Bet you never thought you’d hear that Microsoft is launching a clothing line? 

But it gets even better (or worse, I suppose would be more accurate).  Microsoft is launching a clothing line and turned to rapper Common to help.  Apparently, Common would ad “street-cred” to Microsoft’s new line of T-shirts imprinted with phrases that celebrate Microsoft’s heyday. 

It reminds me of that old Sesame Street clip with Cookie Monster singing, “one of these things just doesn’t belong,” but in this case, none of these things just doesn’t belong.

Oh my.  Where to begin?  According to an article in Ad Age, Microsoft’s T-shirt line is an extension of its advertisements that responded to the very popular Mac vs. PC commercials.  Well, the Microsoft commercials were not particularly successful, so why not launch a T-shirt line?  You can see the logic, can’t you?  Neither can I. [Read more]

1 Million Google Andriod G1 Phones Expected to Sell in 2008

Should Apple be worried?  What about RIM?  Could the iPhone and Blackberry have some real competition from the Google Android G1?  According to the Google Android G1 handset manufacturer, HTC, they expect to sell 1 million Google Android G1 phones by the end of 2008, which is up from an original estimate of 600,000.

From what I’ve heard so far from people who have tried the Google Android G1, they’re impressed with the phone, and it seems to be a real competitor.  The major problem – the less than satisfying T-Mobile network and service. [Read more]

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