Brand Champions

Engaging Stakeholders Helps Ensure Brand Sustainability

I think more and more organizations are understanding the need, and actually now do engage their stakeholders in the brand development process. It seems almost a given these days to do so. In fact our stakeholders expect it. Unfortunately most organizations have not done so in the past. As a result they need to build systems and processes to do so.

My organization helps others develop sustainable brand strategies based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement. Right from the get-go our clients understand the value of their stakeholders providing information about their perceptions of the brand. In all cases aha moments happen in terms of how closely aligned the organization's internal culture is with its external reputation. In many cases the challenge to overcome is internal.

Let us face it, organizations have not been as effective as they could have because they have not done a very good job of orienting their employees about the brand that they are going to work for. If you do nothing else, ask your employees what they think about your brand. Then establish a thorough employee orientation system. Your chances for sustainability will be much greater. You might just be able to recruit and retain your brand champions.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

 

Brand Champion of the Day-Susan G. Komen for the Cure

This coming Sunday is the day our city plays host to the annual Race for the Cure. For the past few weeks and the days leading up to the event, everything is pink in Denver. As it should be. Why would you not like the pink brand Susan G. Komen for the Cure?

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is arguably one of the most socially responsible brands on the planet. Education, advocacy, research, fund-raising for beating breast cancer are all reasons to believe in the brand. I anticipate there are as many brand champions for Susan G. Komen for the Cure as any brand we know.

This week, let us all sport some pink and recognize the importance of recruiting and retaining brand champions for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

 

Joseph Michelli Understands Brand Experience

Last week I received an advanced copy of The Zappos Experience. I look forward to cracking open the book today and reading about one of my favorite brands, Zappos, written by one of my favorite authors, fellow brand strategist and mentor, Joseph A. Michelli, Ph. D. The book will be available soon for you and without yet reading it myself, I feel confident in recommending it to you.

I was first introduced to Dr. Michelli reading one of his earlier works, The Starbucks Experience. I recall distinctly digesting as much as I could, at a Starbucks in San Antonio. I was in Texas working with a client on a P-12 education brand project and could not wait to share with my client how I thought the Starbucks brand development process could be applied to a school system. I had felt strongly about this application before, but now Michelli was confirming it for me. Later the book became required reading for the client's senior leadership team.

Since then I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Michelli and appreciate his time and mentor-ship. I have enjoyed reading his later works, The New Gold Standard, which provides an insider's view of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and Prescription for Excellence, the story of the UCLA Health System brand and the amazing on-brand experiences employees and patients soak up every day.

Now comes The Zappos Experience. Those of you who follow this blog, have read my take on Zappos and the model for customer service provided by the Zappos brand. You have also read my previous accolades about the Joseph Michelli brand. This read should be quite a ride for us brand fanatics. If you are not already, I anticipate the read will turn you into a brand champion. Enjoy the trip!

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day-Ralph J. Lomma

Have you ever played putt-putt golf? Of course (no pun intended) you have, and chances are you played a course developed by Lomma Enterprises, the company founded by Ralph J. Lomma. One of the most innovative creations of the company was a prefabricated course that could be assembled in one day. For about $20,000 one could buy greens, equipment, scoring materials and of course the clown face on the 19th hole green. Add your name and the brand is yours.

There are not too many places in the United States where we do not find a minature golf course. Arguably they are a part of Americana. I am not sure that is what the nation brand wants to be known for, but hard not to make some type of association. I love the quote attributed to Lomma in the Wall Street Journal story about him. "Mini golf lets a child and his 94-year old grandpa play together."

I anticipate that whether we have known it or not, most of us have been brand champions of Ralph J. Lomma. Today he is the Brand Champion of the Day.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Aligning Personal and Organizational Brand Strategies

Tomorrow I have the privilege of presenting at the campus communicator's conference at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I will be talking about the importance of aligning university, department and individual brands. Included will be the process for developing a personal brand strategy and how to create more value for one's life and career. Then how to execute that strategy through social media.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to talk with a group of students and alumni at another university in our state on the importance of a personal brand strategy for students to help them guide their job search. Tomorrow I will be speaking with professionals and the benefits of personal branding for them. For any organization, whether it be a university brand or other business, mission and core values establish the essence of a brand. The same is true for us.

We need to understand who we are and what we stand for. When we are able to do so, we are much more effective in connecting with the right people and organizations to enhance our life and career. Only then can we effectively recruit and retain our brand champions.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Martin Lindstrom and Brandwashed

Today I am traveling across the United States for a meeting tomorrow with an east coast client. I look forward to engaging in a dialogue about implementing a recently adopted brand strategy. I am also excited about cracking open my copy of Brandwashed, the latest publication from my friend and fellow brand strategist, Martin LIndstrom. Martin has been a guest blogger on this site and I often cite his works.

Many of you who frequent this space or know me are familiar with Martin's previous works, including buyology, Brand Sense, Brand Child and others. He has a ton of brand champions. I had the opportunity to meet Martin during a symposium he was facilitating several years ago in Berlin. I was a fan then and a bigger one now. Even though he is younger than me, I consider him a mentor. I have learned a great deal from Martin and have applied many of his findings and teachings to my client projects.

Today I get to fly one of my favorite brands, Southwest Airlines and read more from one of my favorite brand champions. Upon learning new gems while reading the book and certainly upon completion, I will share some of perspectives and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Yahoo! Brand Appears to be on Life Support

Yahoo! has been in the news recently more than I can remember. Firing CEO Carol Bartz has generated quite a lot of buzz. I am not sure that it is good or bad for the brand. On the plus side, perhaps it is making the brand realize there is only one way to go, and that is up. On the downside, could the transparency be the undoing of Yahoo!?

With all due respect, I have never been a champion of the brand. Often times I have been more neutral than negative. For brands positioning themselves effectively, neutral is probably worse than negative. Usually negative views result in many positives on the other end. In other words there are brand champions over there.

Even before I embraced technology and dove head first into the social media space several years ago, Yahoo! seemed to less savvy and clunky than its competitors. Facebook, Google, Twitter and other technology companies seem to stay ahead of the quickly evolving world of innovation. Yahoo! seems to always trying to play catch up. Even though I will probably never be a brand champion, I do hope Yahoo! finds its place and survives.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day-Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum, Authors

This weekend I finished off That Used To Be Us, the latest from Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum. I have been a long time champion of the Friedman brand. I love his work in The New York Times and on shows like Charlie Rose and Meet the Press. This was my first introduction to Mandelbaum. I anticipate I will be a brand champion of his too.

That Used To Be Us is a fitting title of the woes of the United States and how the nation brand has lost its way. Like Friedman and Mandelbaum I am a champion of the United States brand. We are Americans. Like them I am concerned about our recent past and what the future holds. The authors make the case that globalization, technology, debt and climate change are four overarching factors affecting the United State's ability to regain its mojo.

I agree that without a long-term plan to address these issues the United States brand will continue to be diluted. As is the case with personal and organizational brands, a strategic approach to brand buiding ensures sustainability. Leaders need to support brand strategies that go beyond their real or perceived time as CEO. Term limits, party politics and celebrity wannabes are challenges to developing a long-term brand strategy for nations, and for organizations. Without it, brands die.

Thanks Friedman and Mandelbaum for writing what most of us are thinking. You are the Brand Champions of the Day.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Brand Champion of the Day-Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Ice Hockey Team

You probably know by now of the tragic plane crash in Russia that took the life of 43 people. The plane was carrying the Kontinental Ice Hockey team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Two of the members of the team who passed were past members of my home town hockey brand, the Colorado Avalanche. Karlis Skrastins and Ruslan Salei played here in Denver.

It is so unfortunate when events like this take place. It reminds us how fragile life is and how one never knows what life holds for us when we represent a brand we love. In this case coaches, players and crew who were on their way to a hockey game. Those who represented their company and ten nations from around the world. Ice hockey is a great sport and has brought many people together.

Today we come together to mourn those who passed. The Brand Champion of the Day. May they rest in peace.

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group

Who Champions Your Brand?

With the evolution of the Internet and social networking, it is easier than in the past to know who advocates your brand. We connect with people and companies every day and have a good idea who they are based upon their transparent profiles. Even people you do not know might be championing you and your brand. About once a month I Google myself and my company to see what comes up.

I am always humbled to learn that a graduate student in China is citing my work or a sharing site in Europe has included one of my brand videos from YouTube to help others understand the value of branding. I have not counted, but I anticipate about a quarter or more of my collective connections on Facebook, Foursquare, Linked-In and YouTube are from nations outside mine. The map to the right even gives me a visual of who I am connecting with here on the blog each day.

It all starts with an understanding of who you are and what you stand for. Then determining ways of sharing and aligning your guiding principles with those who share similar views. Even those who do not share your views will respect you and can become your advocates. None of this is possible though without a brand platform. A short baseline summary that guides your communications in an accurate, authentic, concise and consistent manner.

Without a brand strategy it is difficult to recruit brand champions. Without a sustainable brand strategy it is nearly impossible to retain your brand champions. Who champions your brand?

Rex Whisman

BrandED Consultants Group