03.30
[Originally published on B2B Brand Debate]
The goal of branding is sometimes explained as an attempt to create an emotional connection between brand and customer. It’s easy to demonstrate the effectiveness of this emotional side of branding with examples like Disney, Starbucks, and Harley-Davidson (brands that you may associate with happiness, indulgence, and rebellion, respectively). Brand managers working with business-to-business (B2B) brands, however, often chafe at the idea that their company or product—maybe an accounting firm or an esoteric scientific research tool—should be connecting with its customers at an emotional level.
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03.19
[Originally published this on B2B Brand Debate, where it got some comments including one comment from Al Ries himself.]
Before Al Ries and Jack Trout wrote their seminal book “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind,” David Ogilvy—one of the true Mad Men—set the stage for their thesis, stating “It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product.” Ogilvy’s “big idea”—one that reflects the qualities of the brand and differentiates it from competitors—is Ries and Trout’s “position.” A quick glance at the websites and whitepapers of today’s leading branding firms suggests that elements of this definition remain intact. They speak of “relevant differentiation in the marketplace” (Landor) and ensuring that customers “can tell the brand apart from others” (Interbrand’s Brandchannel.com). Some experience in the world of branding firms and a look at the work posted on their sites, however, reveal that definitions and deliverables don’t always align.
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03.17
It's been un-geekified
Landor has renamed the Sci Fi Channel. The new name? “Syfy.” I assume it’s homophonic with “SciFi.” Reasons for the name change, according to a TV Week article and a few blog posts, include:
- A desire to create a “more open and accessible and relatable and human-friendly brand.” – Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel
- Disassociate the channel with “geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that.” – TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network
- Make the name more “ownable,” since there are “hundreds of sci-fi Web sites and sci-fi publications.” – Dave Howe
- To stay connected to the channel’s “heritage and the track record of success.” – Dave Howe
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03.11
Have you always wanted to create a top-notch brand identity—complete with name, logo, and tagline—but don’t have a clue how to get started? You could hire someone, but the best branding agencies will charge you thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Finally, there is a solution. With my proprietary (patent pending) 10-step RandoBrand™ process, you can build your brand entirely for free! Interested? Of course you are. Let’s get started.
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03.10
[Written in December, 2008]
An open letter to Bill Gates, or anyone who’ll listen at Microsoft
Dear Mr. Gates,
I’m sorry to say I was bewildered yet again by Microsoft’s most recent marketing efforts when I read about your partnership with rapper Common to launch your new line of DOS-inspired graphic tees, “Softwear by Microsoft.” This most recent stunt by your often brilliant advertising agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP&B), seems like yet another misstep in a futile attempt to go toe-to-toe with Apple on the “fun/cool” front. While I’m personally a fan of Common, Jerry Seinfeld, and even geeky MS-DOS references, this campaign isn’t resonating with me. Here are some reasons why.
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03.05
[Originally published on B2B Brand Debate]
“Welcome, to our viewers in the United States and around the world.” Every week, Fareed Zakaria, acclaimed author and columnist, begins his broadcast with these words. The show is Fareed Zakaria GPS, a weekly international affairs program on CNN, and the topic is public affairs with a focus on international issues (“GPS” stands for “Global Public Square”).
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