In 2010, global technology brand Apple surpassed Google to become the most valuable brand in the world, according to “Brandz Top 100″ from Millward Brown and Optimor. Apple increased in value by 84% to $153.3 billion.
Interestingly, technology companies took four of the top five places, including the first three, on this year’s list. They include 2009’s top brand Google coming in second with a value of about $111.5 billion (down 2%), IBM falling from second to third even as its value rose 17% to $110.8 billion, McDonald’s jumping from number six to number four as its value grew 23% to $81 billion, and Microsoft slipping from number four to number five, with 2% growth to $78.2 billion.
I think most taglines used by businesses today are a cop out. They feel good but promise nothing. A reader wrote and asked if I’d talk about the other side of the coin – what makes a tagline great?
Creating and using a strong tagline takes real courage. A tagline that will last for decades is one that makes a bold statement or promise.
So what do you need to consider as you evaluate your own tagline?
A strong tagline makes someone take pause. It might be the person it’s directed at like – Just Do It. Or it might be the employee who has to keep the promise – when it absolutely positively has to be there overnight.
A memorable tagline should be a bit daunting. That’s why it’s impressive. If BMW has told us their cars were a nice ride, would you have remembered? But who doesn’t want to drive the ultimate driving machine? Talk about setting high expectations!
An enduring tagline is tied specifically to the product/service: Another element of a strong, test of time tagline is that we connect it to the company who owns it. We don’t remember it just because it’s clever. We remember who said it. Take this little quiz. Who told us “you deserve a break today” or promised us “we try harder.”
This is where the generic taglines about “our people” and quality lose their steam. Who doesn’t believe they provide good quality and that their people are dedicated to their jobs?
A memorable tagline tells a story: In a single sentence, we got the picture when Timex told us “it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” We can only imagine what might happen if forgot the warning “don’t leave home without it.”
We learn through stories. We teach lessons through stories. And we buy and sell around stories. It’s much easier for us to remember a story than straight facts. Which is why a story telling tagline sticks.
A powerful tagline points out how the product/service is unique: Who doesn’t know the unique advantage of an M&M? They “melt in your mouth, not in your hand,” right? The Marine’s tagline reminds us that they’re very choosy about who they let into their club. “The few. The proud. The Marines” lets us know that there’s exclusivity to their brand.
Everyone wants a strong tagline but most businesses are afraid to make a bold promise. What happens if it doesn’t get there overnight? Or if the watch breaks?
Good marketers understand that a tagline is not an absolute. Sure, every once in awhile you’re going to miss the mark. But how you handle it when you fall short is part of the brand promise too.
A brand…if it is going to be effective, has to be bold. It has to stand for something. It has to plant a flag into the ground and stake out its territory. A brand cannot be neutral.
Your brand loyalists will love you. But, there’s no ying without the yang. In other words, if some love you, others will hate you. You can’t be everything to everyone and be a strong brand.
Love, love this explanation of why your brand can’t live in what we call the mushy middle!
Which is why I *love* the new Miracle Whip campaign. They’re basically calling us out — and saying, you either love it or hate it. Declare which side you’re on. They totally get that some people absolutely hate their product. And they’re fanning those flames. Why? To get the people who love their product to take a stand.
Check out their current TV spot and enjoy smart branding. But then come back… because of course, we need to talk about your brand.
Okay — time to look at your own brand. Can you define who hates you or at least who should? And don’t get all “people who don’t want quality” should hate us. Lame.
Seriously — it’s time you step out of the mushy middle and be brave enough to take a stand.
By the way — check out all of these stories, stats and results from Kraft’s gamble on the Miracle Whip brand. Do you think they would have generated this kind of buzz if they did a mushy middle “everyone loves us” campaign?
It seems like just about everyone is jumping onto the mobile app (iPhone, Droid, Blackberry) wagon these days. Most apps fall into one of four categories:
They’re functional/useful (they help you do something you want to do)
They’re about access/ease (they help you get stuff/information you need)
They’re entertaining (they amuse us, keep us busy, are funny)
They’re lame (they couldn’t think how to fit into one of the above, so they’re sort of dumb)
For many brands, they’re rushing to be there but have no idea why. (which leads to lame apps like Coke’s* — where you you tip it back and it’s like your drinking a Coke – sound effects and all)
It’s much easier to create a functional or get me access type app. You’re Walgreen’s and you let me renew my prescriptions. You’re DropBox and you let me access my files. But to be genuinely entertaining AND drive home your brand message? Now that’s impressive.
See the difference? Coke’s app is about them and how refreshing they are. Walgreen’s and DropBox are about the user and what they want/need.
That’s why I am applauding Sealy’s app called the In Bed Tagger. (Keep in mind that their tagline is: Whatever you do in bed, Sealy supports it.) Watch this brief video to see their app in action.
They got it. An app isn’t a sales gimmick or supposed to be a digital brochure. And it’s not about them. Their app is all about the user and having some fun with the old fortune cookie game. By focusing their app on us… it tells us a great deal about them.
*In fairness, I will say Coke’s other apps, like their snowglobe app, are much more about the user and therefore…more fun and more like the brand I know and love.
Swahili proverb: A boat does not go forward if each is rowing their own way.
Any good crew team will tell you that they rely on the coxswain to keep them in synch. During a race, the coxswain shouts commands, keeping the crew on course. No matter how polished or experienced the crew, they would not be successful without hearing the same commands over and over.
Branding works pretty much the same way. No matter how talented your team is or how many years of experience — they need a brand champion who will serve as coxswain. Someone who runs a long side them and keeps them on course, shouting directions and encouragement.
What does it take to be the brand’s coxswain?
Discipline: Sooner or later, your brand is going to put you in a spot where you have to make a tough decision. For example, do you honor the brand or just hire any breathing body because your understaffed? Branding is fun when you’re creating the logo. It’s not as much fun when you’re making difficult business decisions.
Perseverance: Branding really is for the brave. It’s a long-haul sort of proposition. So your brand champion needs to be willing to go the distance.
A learner’s heart: Leading a brand effort is often uncharted waters. So you have to enter into it accepting that you don’t know it all and will learn along the way. You need to be curious, ask a lot of questions and listen to every perspective.
A welcoming spirit: You can’t build a company’s brand all by yourself. You need to inspire others to join the cause. You need to help them understand why it matters and how they can be a part of something meaningful.
What else do you think it takes to be a brand champion?
If you look at most marketing copy — it's about the "thing" — whatever is being sold. We get features and generic benefits but our focus and the thrust of the message sits squarely on the shoulders of the product or service.
And it's no wonder. When you focus on something, you tend to write/talk about it.
Let's demonstrate.
If I asked you to write a headline for an ad selling these red shoes to the right — what would your headline say?
(Seriously, take a couple minutes and jot a few down…play along!)
Okay, for many of you your headlines probably ran along the lines of:
Isn't it time to get sassy?
Give your feet some sassy for Valentine's Day
Stop traffic without lifting a finger
Nothing wrong with those…but they are a bit generic. They be be speaking to anyone of any age, income bracket, marital status, etc.
Why? Because we don't actually know who we're talking to…other than we probably assumed it was a woman, so the copy tends to be generic. The more generic your audience (in your mind) the more generic the copy. Which forces us to focus on the "thing."
Which is why personas are so critical to your marketing success. Do you know who your business is talking to? And don't say everyone. Every business should know who their best customers are. These are the people who create the core of your customer base. Creating personas based on this customer base is critical to targeting your message. I wrote about personas and shared some examples a few years back. (click on the link to read).
Let's try the shoe example again but now I'm going to tell you about the customer. Her name is Leslie and she's 15. She's in that awkward half girl/half woman stage and she wants to grow up so badly. She's a good kid, active in school and loves to hang at the mall with her friends. She spends much of her free time texting, reading fashion magazines and watching MTV's reality shows.
I could add (and should if this was a real persona) much more depth but you get the idea. Now try your headline again.
Mine might be: Your dad is going to hate these shoes
Very specific and very much about my audience — rather than about the product. That's what personas do. They shift our focus to the prospect rather us talking about ourselves. You can't create a love affair with a generic customer. Getting to know your personas and really seeing them as a living, breathing person
Using personas is a very helpful trick for writing stronger copy, creating content that gets shared, developing customer service programs, making your website sticky and driving sales. If you haven't developed 3-4 personas for your brand — put it on your to do list for Q1 of 2011. It will make the rest of the Q's
My greatest teacher when it comes to all things marketing was not a professor or professional mentor.
It was Walt Disney.
Somehow, in the midst of ROI, measurability, counting clicks and studies that can track a person’s eye movements to see what part of an ad captures their attention first — we have forgotten that marketing and branding is ultimately about wooing and winning someone’s heart.
But Walt never did.
At MMG, we talk a lot about creating a love affair with your customer… but Walt knocked it out of the park and his cast members continue to do it today, with every guest interaction and every new story told.
A few years ago, in the midst of one of our annual pilgrimages to the Mouse, I wrote a series of blog posts that later became an e-book spotlighting some of the many ways that Walt Disney demonstrated his marketing chops.
These are tips that any business — B2B or B2C — can employ. I'd love to share it with you and have you share it with others.
The whole world is abuzz about Groupon. And who doesn't love $10 worth of Cold Stone Creamery ice cream for $5? But is Groupon right for your business?
Groupon and other social-coupon sites (like LivingSocial and SocialBuy) all work the same way — a specified number of people have to pre-purchase the coupon for the deal to be activated. In theory, that's how everyone wins. Groupon makes a prescribed amount, the buyers get a super deal and the retailer gets a guaranteed influx of cash and in theory, new customers.
But…is it right for you? Here are the big pros and cons, as I see them.
Pro:
Big advertising boost. Groupon subscribers number in the tens of thousands or more in most cities. This is a very efficient way to generate a significant word of mouth buzz, especially if you get creative in your offer.
Exposure to many new customers. It stands to reason that you're going to see a lot of new people coming through the door. Impress them and hopefully they'll come back again and pay full price.
A way to test a new product or service. Want to know if the market is interested in something new? If the Groupon coupon tips — you might well have a winner!
Con:
Does the math work? Keep in mind that Groupon takes a pretty good sized cut. Half the rate charged plus 2.5% interest per transaction. (Here's a Groupon ROI calculator you can use). So depending on your cost of goods and how many people actually redeem the coupon, you could lose your shirt like Posie's Cafe.
What does it do to your customer/vendor/employee experience? Can your business handle a huge influx of buyers? How will the increased traffic impact your loyal customers? Your vendors? Your employees? Be sure you take all of that into account before you sign up.
What does it say about your brand? Do you want to be seen as a deep discounter? Does offering a 50% off price say something about your quality, margin or pricing strategy? How will your regulars feel about the fact that they've been paying full price all this time?
Lots of opinions out there but really, it's something you need to examine for your specific business. Use the ROI calculator, weigh the pros and cons… and make the call.
How those employees look, act and perform their job functions speaks volumes to customers, prospects and even the other employees.
As I was driving into work this morning, I was behind a car with the vanity plate NAWTGRL. At first I just laughed to myself but then I got to thinking about the consequences of a license plate like that.
Putting legalities aside…let's say that you had interviewed a woman and found her to be qualified for a client-centric job opening. She would be out and about on your behalf (in her vehicle) and clients would not only see her but probably ride in her car to meetings, lunches etc.
In your mind, as the interview was winding down, you were thinking that she might be a good fit. But as you walked her to the door, you noticed her license plate — NAWTGRL.
Would that influence your decision to hire her and have her represent your organization?
How do you balance a prospective or current employee's right to express themselves (vanity plates, tattoos, hair color/style, piercings, extreme (either side) political opinions/signage in their office, etc.) or do you think that has no business being a part of your hiring decision?
I don't know the "right" answer — just curious to hear your thoughts.
Recently, three big brands have made the shift to a new, simplified logo. Each provided some rationale for the new look — but I'm curious what you think about them. I've placed the old logos on the left and the new on the right.
So — what do you think? Good choices? Bad? When does a logo have so much equity and recognition that you can go ahead and alter it? Or perhaps — if it has that much value, you should absolutely leave it alone?
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