As a designer & marketer, I love seeing rebrands. Some are very successful and others are not so much. At least Gap listened to their fans and brand community via social media and public mockery on TV, radio & print. Some advertising experts say this may have been a stunt to get media attention. Just this morning, the Today Show on NBC mentioned the brand going back to the classic logo then immediately asked why that was considered news.

Do you have a favorite brand that did a great rebrand or maybe another brand horror story? Do tell.

Here is a great example of a company keeping their soul and holding onto their roots. I recently found this tea called Sweet Leaf Tea at Whole Foods and I found the company’s unique charm written on the outside. On the side of the bottle instead of saying the standard, “Refrigerate after opening” like most brands, this company says “Keep in icebox after opening.” It says the same thing, but the word “icebox” shows their old fashion, country background.

The back of the label talks about how they used to brew tea in pillowcases and they admit that they’ve grown past that now, but they still follow one particular piece of their history. They state that their “Mimi” taught them to never use ingredients that they can’t pronounce. The front of the tea even has a picture of their Mimi.

This brand is unique in their look and language and they focus on their brand differentiation by focusing on the ingredients they use and their history. When I see this bottle, I think of a couple of guys and their grandmother making tea instead of a factory with millions of bottles on a conveyor belt. Each bottle even comes with some of granny’s wisdom under the cap. You can find more granny wisdom on their website.

Do you have a favorite brand that has keep to its roots or maybe sold its soul?

Net censorship is a huge deal. Not just for citizens of the free world, but for the less fortunate living under authoritarian regimes and dictatorships it means the difference between freedom and tyranny. Being able to share differing views and opinions is a basic human right that just about every civilized nation can agree on.

Governments should be transparent and honest, because it is the governments job to protect and serve it’s people. If it weren’t for its citizens, a government would have no reason to exist. And just like the government, without your customers your business would have no reason to exist.

I don’t think it’s a huge jump to compare your business’ brand perception with the perception of the most powerful businesses in the land.

Having an open, transparent facade is not only important for governments, but it can be immensely important for your business as well. This can be especially true for firms that acquire more influence and power as they grow.

Being a rights junkie and free speech advocate to the max, one of the things that bugs me to no end is when a business gets upset at bad reviews or negative criticism and tries to delete those reviews or criticism from it’s blog, Facebook page, review site, etc.

It’s completely dishonest and misleading. Normally, it causes a bigger stir and free press for the reviewers, which only  makes it worse for yourself.

Recently, Nestle Foods created a huge fiasco by deleting negative comments on their Facebook page. In the end, they ended up making themselves look bad and only helped Green Peace get some free press, which is exactly what they were trying to avoid. Read the CNET article here.

Any rational person knows that a business won’t be right 100% of the time. The question you need to answer is, “How do you handle it now,” and “What do I do to fix this?” The correct answer is not covering up the problem and pretending like it never happened.

For most businesses, the answer is finding out what you did wrong, then fixing it so that it never happens again. Negative feedback from customers can be crucial when finding problems in your business model.

What are your thoughts on government censorship?

Classic Jack in the Box logo.

Jack in the Box, a national burger restaurant rarely found here in Louisiana, recently introduced their new logo by Duffy & Partners. (Old & new logos shown on the right).

The new logo is definitely an update from the old balloon letters of yesteryear to the slick almost Web 2.0. A recent article on BNET contrasted the necessary update versus the change of a classic, nostalgic brand identity. The article’s author also pointed out the trouble the company will have with the slight two-tone red box. Hopefully Jack in the Box can afford a printer that can print the files correctly. (Half-hearted joke.)

The new logo is a solid update and will work well in many uses including signage and package designs. The focus is now on “Jack” which/who is literally in the box. I’m curious if they will eventually drop the text below the logo to further imply “Jack in the box”. My only concern is the short-lived life of the logo. The logo is trendy but will probably be stale and outdated quickly. I assume that Jack in the Box is trying to tap into a younger generation that does not relate to the older identity and ignores their in-your-face character on TV. (Yes, Jack in the Box had the old, somewhat inappropriate character before Burger King introduced their new king.)

New Jack in the Box logo.

My biggest beef with the burger joint is their lack of brand cohesion. When we rebrand a company , we do not just introduce the logo – we implement the new identity. For now, the Jack in the Box website and stores still use the old logo (check it out at: http://www.jackinthebox.com). When developing a new brand, show it to the audience as a package. I completely understand the stores not being updated overnight; that is expensive and unnecessary. Jack in the Box should change their website & talk about the new look, run TV commercials with the new logo, email fans of “The Box”, and put up cut outs of their Jack mascot in stores introducing the new logo.

Looking at the logo designers website, Duffy & Partners did develop 4 whimsical icons for the different types of food served at Jack in the Box. These should not be implemented until the stores have been rebranded so customers will not be surprised.

New icons for the different types of food served in stores.

What do you think about the new logo and/or implementation of the brand?

Mastercard Priceless Commercial with Brand Icons

Mastercard touched our hearts with a charming continuation of their Priceless ad campaign with a gathering of the brands we all grew up with from childhood. We see the Morton Salt Girl touch the Pillsbury Dough Boys tummy and the Vlasic Pickles Stork chomping on a pickle while the Jolly Green Giant looks in through the window. Mr. Clean even does the dishes in the end of the ad.

This commercial shows the impact a brand identity can have on the buying public and the importance of consistency.

If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, you can view it at: http://www.priceless.com/us/personal/en/pricelesstv/

But, this will not be a post about the snow in New Orleans; rather a craving I had for coffee while watching the snow fall. When my roommate woke me about the little white fluffies falling from the sky, I first rolled over in my bed in disbelief, but then upon seeing the white scene… wanted some Starbucks coffee… right then. I imagined myself getting all bundled up (scarf and all) and driving to Starbucks on the way to work, waiting in line with all the other pretend coffee consumers, and ordering a Grande Mocha. Maybe their brand has gone to my head, but what a great way to structure a company!

In the end, I did refrain from the Starbucks. Instead, I saved 5 bucks, went to work and pulled a fantastic shot of espresso from River Road Coffees which hit the spot just as well!

Every time you go to the store, you make a conscious effort of what you buy and in particular what brand you buy. (They don’t call it brand marketing for nothing.) When you need toothpaste, you probably go to your favorite store (first brand) and go to the health and beauty section. There you stand amongst 20-100 brands all screaming at you to, “BUY ME”. (They don’t literally scream, but the packaging is sometimes really convincing.) Each time you go, you find your toothpaste that you’ve used for years and continue on with your shopping adventure. Now, lets think about that moment. Did you consider using a toothpaste from another company? Probably not because you’ve used Crest, Colgate or some other brand most of your life. You are part of that brand community and brushing your teeth would not be the same with any other toothpaste, right? I told you that you had a relationship with your toothpaste as you probably do with your shampoo, coffee, cereal, and the vehicle you drive. The goal for you is to figure out why your clients are a part of your brand community and how to attract others to be a part of your community. Let’s take another step back, we all like being part of a community, but we all hate being sold to. Did anyone ever really sell your toothpaste to you? Probably not, you can probably blame your parents for making that decision for you when you were a kid and you never switched.

People blow off brand marketing as hog wash until they cry about their local stores closing like here in New Orleans with the loss of K&B Drug, Schewagman’s Grocery Store, McKenzie’s Bakery, Maison Blanche Department Store and other brands that were a part of your life. Now do you believe me that branding is just stupid marketing fluff?

Wow! Can the economic news out there get any more depressing? The bad news has become so oppressive and so prevailing that even businesses that are somewhat shielded from the macro-economic landscape have become concerned for their well-being in the near future. So, what is a hardworking marketing-focused business team to do during times like these? Dig out your toolbox and COMMUNICATE!!

During good economic times, well-run customer centric businesses can build remarkably powerful goodwill with their customers, prospective customers, employees, suppliers, distribution team, and raving fans. This group, collectively, is what we call the Brand Community. A Brand Community is built when people become associated with the Brand for reasons of their own choosing, but Community members are sustained when the Brand makes an effort to reciprocate interest in those Commmunity members. So, who is it that is most likely to support the Brand’s well-being during hard times…the Community! Of, course!

Here’s an example: Joe the Plumber is well known for his value-added customer service, his reliability, and his professionalism. By doing what he does best, his customers begin to refer his services to their friends, family, and associates. This continues until Joe can no longer provide his preferred level of service to the prospective customers who want his service. So, Joe recruits, hires, trains, and equips a team of new “Joes” to provide the level of service he has become known for providing. Now, Joe has a complex operation and a good deal more overhead to cover, so he brings on a scheduling and administration team. All the while this business growth is taking place, he is keeping his Brand Community informed and engaged through his e-announcements, newsletters and web site updates, and through personal discussions with his raving fans. These raving fans tell their connections about Joe’s success story when the opportunity to discuss their favorite plumber arises. Then, the economic winds change direction. Unexpectedly, renovation and home-addition projects dry up. Money is tight, and consumers begin cutting back by looking for less expensive solutions to their problems (like clogged toilets). What is a guy like Joe to do? He just expanded his operations, and added lots of new (and expensive) resources so he could continue to deliver what his Brand Community has come to expect from him. Oh NO! Poor Joe! The cost! The concern!

This is where Brand Marketing pays off. Brand Marketing happens when times are good, but pays ROI when times are hard. How you ask? By keeping the lines of communication open to your Brand Community, a company can often learn what the community needs from it when things change. In Joe’s case, his Brand Community may tell him to focus more on maintenance and upgrades rather than renovations and expansions. Just because times get tough, doesn’t mean a business’s products/services are no longer needed. They may just be needed in a different way than before. But, how will it know if it isn’t plugged into it’s Brand Community?

So…get plugged in!! NOW!! There are a lot of very effective ways to create 2-way conversations with your Brand’s Community. And, the methods you choose to use do not have to cost you an arm-and-a-leg. Obviously, the web is a great tool. By properly utilizing your web site as the central communications hub for your business, you can send out information, and request information in return. Start a conversation, by explaining your situation to your Community. Newsletters, printed or digital, help keep your Community engaged in what the business is doing from time-to-time. You get to share your work as well as your “good work” in the community at large. Don’t you want to know everything you can about the people who do business with you. Well, they want to know why they should do business with you, too!

Training your Brand Ambassadors to create 2-way communications is also a powerfully-effective yet inexpensive Brand Marketing initiative. Ambassadors can be paid or un-paid, and can often be the MOST EFFECTIVE form of communication and advertising your business will engage in.

Oh…yeah, advertising. How does this 3-headed monster fit into the equation? Well, don’t get branded by an ad agency! Why? Because they get paid to sell you advertising, not solutions to your branding challenges. Advertising, by itself, can be very effective in driving “short-term” traffic to your business (say, during the Holidays). However, unless you engage these advertising-driven new customers by cultivating their interest in your Brand, they most likely will view you as a commodity rather than as an unique and remarkable lifestyle partner. We all know by now that it is a heck-of-a-lot harder (and expensive) to get new customers in the door rather than to get repeat customers to buy from you and refer you to others. That said, Ad Agencies don’t like helping you build Brand Communities, because it cuts into their renewable cash flow. If they can keep you advertising for new customers, than they keep themselves on your payroll. When you build an engaged Brand Community, the Community sustains your sales and provides a referral base from which you can grow your sales if you so desire.

Advertising should support, but not replace your Brand Marketing efforts. Your web site should connect you to your Brand Community not disengage your team from its responsibilities to that Community. All the other tools you choose to make available to your Brand Community should work cohesively and for the Community’s benefit. If this is done well and with the same passion you put into growing the business in the first place, your Brand Community will be there to support you when you need it the most. Like right now!

Maybe you have heard of brand marketing and know the importance of developing your brand. Until one dives into branding, it is easy to think that your “brand” is just another word for your “logo”. Your logo is just the beginning. Your brand is the experience your customers, clients and potential buyers get from you and their relationship with you, not the other way around. Brand marketing is about developing that relationship with consumers and embracing their experiences with you.

What is the difference between Wal-mart and Target? Many would agree that Wal-mart has the best prices, but Target has a better experience. Target’s stores are cleaner, products a bit nicer and Target has cooler television ads. Is this true or is it just what people experience? What do your customers think about your company? Good, bad, indifferent?

So, what makes up a brand? Your logo is part of it as well as each communication piece to the consumer otherwise known as client “touch”. This includes your website, brochures, stationery, press releases, signage, store/office interior, advertising (including radio, television, print, outdoor) and sponsorships. All these items are your brand as well as how you answer the phones, treat customers, and what others say about you are all apart of your brand. Ouch, that’s a lot. This is where advertising, marketing, design, public relations, and research companies come in for the larger companies. For the smaller businesses, some of this comes down to your instincts as an owner and just keeping a grip on why you are in business. Most likely, you are in business because you have a product or service that no one does as well as you. Your brand starts with that– the reason why you are in business and continues to grow with why your business is different from your competitors. (Fancy term – brand differentiation.) Those two items are the foundation of your brand and what your customers experience. The other areas, like advertising and marketing, are the avenues that disperse your brand; public relations manages your brand.

What is the best way to build your brand? How do you maintain your brand? You need to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Doing this will help you experience what your customers experience with your brand. If you like the experience, how can you make it stronger? If you disliked or absolutely hated the experience, what are you going to do about improving that experience? In a recent article about Target in Fortune, the Taret brand is built around the CEO and his executive team walking the sales floor as an employee and as a customer. They simply look around, without blinders, noticing what experiences engage them and tie them to the brand. Can you walk in your customer’s shoes?

All the advertising in the world is just wasted money if the experience when using your product, shopping your store or utilizing your service does not meet the expectations. Remember how you felt when you were mislead by an advertisement when the experience did not meet your expectations? Have you had an experience that far exceeded your expectations? Which would you rather your customer have with your company and with your brand?

Now, that was not so bad. Remember your brand is more than just that logo.