Brand Champions

3 R's of Branding-Recognition, Rewards and Retention

Let us focus today on the three R's. No I am not talking about the traditional three R's. Although those are very important, I am talking about the contemporary three R's of branding, recognition, rewards and retention. This blog is devoted to topics related to brand, and how those relate to the ability of organizations to recruit and retain brand champions.

Much of what I have offered up in the past is how to effectively recruit brand champions. The ability to retain brand champions is the key to developing a sustainable brand. Once we have uncovered our passionate ambassadors both inside and outside our organization, we need to recognize and reward them. They keep the brand alive. Plus we rely on them to live our brand and deliver on our brand promise.

Most organizations have some type of formal rewards program for their employees. This may take the form of an annual awards ceremony, an annual pay for performance, recognition in a weekly newsletter, lunch with the CEO or a host of others. Enhance or transform those into brand rewards. If we do not say thank you for being on-brand we run the risk of our biggest champions becoming our biggest inhibitors.

Recognize those who are on-brand. Reward those who are on-brand. You will retain those who are on-brand. This process will also help others understand what it means to be on-brand. The process will also sift out those who will never be on-brand.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day-Apple

On Mondays and Fridays I devote space here to feature someone of some organization who understands what it means to be a brand champion. One of my earliest posts was giving a nod to Steve Jobs, Apple founder. Today I tip my hat to his company.

There are few organizations who have been as successful recruiting and retaining brand champions as Apple. From the Mac to the iPhone, iTunes and more, Apple has a legion of loyal fans that love them. Those who are willing to stand up for the products that they love. That said, I think Apple is at a cross roads and needs to be careful how far it stretches its brand.

Aside from Virgin and a few others, there are not too many brands that can successfully stretch. With the iPad that many true Applites do not like and now problems with the latest version of the iPhone are the brand gods telling Apple to be careful? I think they might. But, for now, Apple is the Brand Champion of the Day.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Stakeholder Engagement Allows You to Discover Your Brand Champions

Many people think that the chief executive officer, board of directors and marketing managers are the brand champions of their organization. Those who fill these roles should arguably be the biggest advocates of any organization, and often are, but not always. Sometimes they are either too close to any situation or too far away that their ability to champion their brand is inhibited.

By engaging all stakeholder groups in the brand development process allows an organization to discover brand champions. Often times the most passionate ambassadors of a brand are employees and customers that no one knows exist. Interviews, focus groups, ideation sessions, surveys and other mechanisms that give stakeholders a voice determines who the real champions are.

Once you find your champions be sure that you recognize and reward them. Whether that be a loyalty program, pay raise or simple hand-shake, do not be afraid to say thanks for championing my brand. Engaging stakeholders helps recruit your brand champions and rewarding them helps retain your brand champions!

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Developing a Personal Brand Strategy for Higher Education Professionals

On Sunday, November 7, 2010 I have the pleasure of co-facilitating a pre-conference tutorial on personal branding in San Diego at the 2010 Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, a program of the American Marketing Association. I will be facilitating along with fellow brand champion, Harry Hayward, director of emerging media from the University of Washington.

I met Harry two years ago at the 2008 conference in Chicago. We realized that we have many common philosophies on brands in general and how to apply those to higher education branding. We have both presented previously at this conference and shared many valuable case studies. This year we wanted to shake things up a bit.

Conferences are supposed to be about professional development, so we thought what better way to help attendees than to provide a personal branding tutorial. At the end of the day one's success and enjoyment is when their personal mission and core values align with those of others and their job. In this forward-thinking session attendees will come away with a clear plan of action to develop a personal brand strategy, understand how to more effectively deliver communications and marketing at the department and organizational levels, and ensure a place at the strategic table.

I have taught a number of workshops on personal branding. In each case people come to learn how a personal brand can help them in the professional life. They walk away understanding how a personal brand helps them in life. They also realize how to recruit and retain their brand champions. I hope to connect and re-connect with many higher education marketing professionals next November in San Diego. To learn more go to the AMA website.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day-Landon Donovan, USA Footballer

Who did you expect? For those of you who follow the blog or periodically check in, you probably know that on Mondays and Fridays I feature someone or some organization who understands what it means to be a brand champion. Based on his performance over the past couple of years, who he stands for and of course what he accomplished this past Wednesday, it would be difficult for me to highlight anyone else.

A self-proclaimed, self-centered and immature person during the last World Cup, Donovan has become much more humble and much more productive. He has come to embody what America and the USA football team is known for, a never give up attitude. On Wednesday that approach came to the brink when Donovan scored the winning goal in stoppage time. The USA went from the Group Out House to the Group Penthouse.

Of course tomorrow is another day and we will see if Donovan can deliver another on-brand experience. For now, Landon is the Brand Champion of the Day and has a host of brand champions following him. Landon now appears to have a sustainable brand strategy!

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Does Brand Pollution Kill Brand Champions?

Yesterday I scribed a few thoughts about brand junk, namely advertising that is pushed on us and dilutes brands. Last night the notion of brand pollution went to another level for me while watching the critically acclaimed GasLand documentary by Josh Fox on HBO. Have you seen it? If you have not, you need to.

For the past two months concerns have been voiced about the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its short-term and long-term impact. Those issues should be raised. After watching GasLand, I think we have perhaps a bigger problem with the health concerns that are taking place across the United States as a result of oil and gas drilling.

How do oil and gas companies enhance their brands when they are contributing to health risks around the world? Are these organizations killing off brand champions? Do they have a sustainable brand strategy based on mission and core values?

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Junk Coming to a Store Near You

You have heard of space junk. The remains from satellites and other space equipment that no longer have any relevance and float out of control in the atmosphere and sometimes back to Earth. Now comes brand junk. Stuff that is not relevant and has no place in story aisles. I am sure that you have been in a retail store and seen a fashion show or some other visual enhancement to the store. Those seem to work and do not tend to offend people. My instincts tell me this other stuff won't work.

A few days ago I read about a company that development television advertising for retail stores and will be testing them in store aisles in Maryland and Virginia this summer. Now that sounds like imposing on our ability to either enjoy our shopping experience or increase the annoyance that some people have about shopping in general. Per one of the prospects, "This is about finding a way to give advertisers the opportunities they used to have in the days of three networks." Huh?

Speaking of networks, this person appears to be unaware that Mad Men is a television show about people who succeeded in the 1960s by getting people to buy based on pushed advertising. Today in the 21st century most people hate this stuff. Why do I want to hear and see this? Talk about diluting the brand of the store, the products in the store and the companies involved in producing brand junk. Maybe brand junk is too harsh. What about brand pollution brought to you by Mad Men? Yes, that is much softer.

I can't imagine this is any way to recruit and retain brand champions.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

How Do You Recruit and Retain Brand Champions?

This was the topic of discussion at the most recent meeting of the Brand Cafe in Denver, Colorado. Each month local brand geeks gather to discuss a topic related to brand. Of course I am partial to the topic of recruitment and retention of brand champions, thus this blog. Yesterday I wanted to find out what others thought about this topic.

Most agreed that the process of recruiting and retaining brand champions need to start from inside the organization. No argument here. Identifying employees who drip the mission and core values of your brand is a key to successfully telling your organization's story. After all we rely on our employees to live our brand and to deliver on our brand promise.

Identifying and then rewarding the most passionate advocates of your brand helps ensure you are able to find more brand champions and for your brand to be sustainable. It only takes 1 percent of your followers to do so. How do you find them, reward them and keep? It only works when you have a brand strategy, by the way.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champions of the Day-Small Business Owners

While reading my local business journal this week I was reminded that too often I have devoted this space to large brands. Today's blog real estate is devoted to small business owners. If we think in terms of brand champions being those who are devoted, passionate, loyal and ambassadors of their respective organizations, then small business owners arguably fit the bill as well as anyone.

The recession has either forced or provided the confidence necessary for people to start their own businesses. In my state for example nearly 30,000 new businesses have formed in the first five months of 2010, which is a 10 percent increase from the same time last year. I hope the people who started these businesses have a long-term brand strategy in place. Too often business people do not take the time to do so. I am amazed at how many business owners I know do not have or do not know their organization's mission and core values. They have no brand champions aside from themselves.

Fifty-five percent of new businesses fail in the first five years. Seventy percent fail in seven years. Lack of capital, finding the right employees and other reasons are often cited. I believe it is because of a lack of a sustainability plan based on mission and core values. Without these key ingredients how can you recruit and retain brand champions? For those who do and those of you who understand the importance, I salute you as the Brand Champions of the Day.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Do US Veterans Need a Personal Brand Strategy?

Yesterday I read a very interesting article in the most recent edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education. The story is titled Veterans Use New GI Bill Largely at For-Profit and 2-Year Colleges. I enjoyed learning more about this interesting phenomenon. I must admit I am a bit surprised at this fact. Is the reason because proprietary schools and community colleges offer better packages for veterans? Or is it because veterans feel more at home in these environments, as opposed to more traditional private and public institutions of higher learning?

I wonder if somehow many veterans like other adult learners think they might not fit into a traditional environment or even think they can' t succeed on a traditional campus. Perhaps some lack the confidence to pursue their education in a traditional way. After spending 15 years in higher education admissions I know for a fact that veterans can succeed in all environments. Whether the student is a veteran or not, it comes down to the right fit.

Maybe because of their war experience some veterans have a identity issue and could be best served (I believe this is true for all students) by going through the process of developing a personal brand strategy. That would allow them to confirm their personal mission, core values and goals, which in turn will allow them to find the right fit for college. This process also provides students with the confidence necessary to choose the right college.

Veterans are champions of their nation, they should ensure that they are going to be champions of the right college and university brands.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group