Sign of the Times

My wife and I share three wonderful kids…some older than others. Our youngest, Jenna, is a 4th grade student at George White Elementary School. It’s a California Public School going through its share of issues given the economy, state budget crisis and the trials and tribulations that normal, everyday 4th grade girls invent.

Recently, Jodi and I, being good parents that we are, attended Jenna’s Open House. It’s a day where we get to see what goes on at school, and it’s filled with her writing projects, class activities, art and a whole lot of excitement.

On the way out, I was admiring a display of student art on the door and suddenly was struck by what appeared to be either a colossal mistake or a sponsorship opportunity. Here, for your edification, is a sample of picture of the door.

OK…so what do you see? Your answer may just give away a few things about you.

To the teacher, it seems like it was an art lesson using an iconic symbol of the ‘60s—the peace symbol. You remember, or MUST have at least heard of the ‘60s—peace, love and all that other stuff?

Well to the casual observer you’re correct. It would appear to be a fitting tribute to the Age of Aquarius. But to me, your friendly, neighborhood Certified Brand Strategist and a product of the 60’s—it was a laughable moment which reminded me about the influence logos have in our lives and how important it is that the iconic power of the brand symbol remains unique, protected and clear.

OK, OK…this peace sign is missing one of the legs at the upside-down Y segment. Yes…true. What was in fact on the back of Mrs. Slade’s door was a great display of Mercedes logos—a clear sponsorship opportunity for Mercedes Benz of Laguna Niguel.

I demonstrated to me the diminishing value of on icon versus the other. Over the same number of years, Mercedes has done a lot to promote its brand and uses its logo as an anchor of that effort in a way to quickly and easily make their product stand apart for their competition. Sadly for the good old peace symbol, there isn’t anyone to promote it actively through the vast communications channels Mercedes has available.

Hmmm….maybe if there was, the world WOULD be a better place.

“May you live in interesting times.”

I’ve always used this quote in a positive way. I recently found, however, that it is really the English translation of a Chinese curse. Well, in today’s brand driven world, that saying…in both translations may never be more true: For brands these times are a blessing AND a curse.

A recent research report, released by Deloitte, suggest that this recession has actually put brands in a more difficult position than we’ve witnessed in the last great recession of the 70’s. (To read more about the Deloitte Study as reported in Media Post, follow this link: Deloitte Study: Consumers Love Spending Less.

Way back in the 70’s—well maybe NOT so long ago, people were gravitating to brands more. Brand were what cost conscious consumers trusted and in hard times; consumers wanted to be certain they spent their money on, what they perceived as, quality products they knew and trusted. And while Private Label and Generic products were a short-term rage an buying haven for price driven consumers, brands continued to thrive even in tougher times.

Today, however, the major grocery chains and retailers have done such a good job and packaging their own private label products as “brands” the way we know them, that consumers are widening their consideration set and including more store “brands” in than ever before. Grocery chains and retail outlets have been largely successful through copy-cat marketing and taking a big page out of the brand development book. But they also have weeded out secondary and third level competing brands in favor of their own store brands to help their own margins and strengthen their bottom line.

As a result, consumers believe that these store brands are bona fide “Brands”, but they feel that if they are store brands they are likely, according to the Deloitte study, made by the major brands anyway.

It is a fascinating turn of fate, and further illustrates the power of brands and brand development—no matter the source.

It’s not about the ads, it’s about your brand.

Take this quick quiz: tell me which brand is associated with these famous ad taglines. (Answers are at the end.)

• The Ultimate Driving Machine.
• When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be There Overnight.
• What Can Brown Do For You?
• Fly The Friendly Skies.
• Think Different.

OK. How’d you do? Now that you identified who they are…tell me what they stand for?

A little tougher in some cases. It surprises me, and maybe it shouldn’t, how many people really don’t understand what a brand is and how it’s built.

The most common misperception is that a brand is built by advertising. Not true—and that’s coming from a guy who has spent the better part of 34 years developing some very effective, award-winning ads.

Advertising builds awareness. People build brands.

Yes, advertising has the opportunity to help you define your brand through copy points, visuals, emotion, etc. But a brand is built by arriving at and understanding its essence.

It starts at the top, down to the ground floor, through a carefully crafted brand development plan and a commitment by the top management and CEO to not only do the heavy lifting and provide the guidance needed—but to continue to nurture their brand daily, weekly, monthly, annually. Or they risk having it diminish.

As MOST, it all starts with a Brand Development session called Brand Discovery. It’s there that our proprietary process helps identify “who you want to be when you grow up” and puts in place the key steps to get you there—your entire organization there.

It starts with understanding what is unique about you, your organization and your brand and the development of a clear, complete, concise brand essence: that which defines who you are.

Can you tell me what your brand essence is…completely, concisely, clearly? More importantly, can everyone in your company?

That’s just one step. Stay tuned and we’ll be sharing others in future issues.

(Answers: BMW, Fed Ex, UPS, United Airlines, Apple Macintosh)

You’re a Good Brand, Charlie Brown

In my office I have an original Charles M. Schultz marker—signed by Schultz himself. It’s a simple drawing of Charlie Brown on the pitcher’s mound conferring with Lucy and Schroeder. Likely, Charlie Brown was about to deliver a pitch that would get his wardrobe blasted off of his body, as it always was.

I found the drawing in a gallery in Soho and it’s special because it reminds me a lot of my childhood and reading the funny papers on Sunday’s. Peanuts was my favorite comic strip: I related a little too well with Charlie Brown and loved Snoopy. In fact, we had beagles and one of them was named Snoopy. That was several decades ago and after many TV specials, music DVDs, books and an unlimited amount of merchandise sales, Peanuts and its characters have a strong place in the hearts and minds of almost anyone you’d meet around the world.

The power of the Peanuts brand was further demonstrated this week when the brand franchise and rights we’re purchased for $175 million by the Iconix Brand Group and—oddly enough, the Schultz family, (who have regained a 20% stake.)

There is a great article in Ad Age this week, “It‘s a Great Franchise, Charlie Brown,” on the brand franchise and it only further illustrates—no pun intended—the power and longevity a brand can capture if properly nurtured and managed. It’s likely that very few of today’s kids will have a strong affection for Charlie Brown and company—short of watching the “Charlie Brown Christmas” or “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” at the behest of their parents. They’ve become attached to something as god-awful as SpongeBob SquarePants. But for millions, the Peanuts brand, its characters that everyone seems to be able to relate to in some way remain an enduring and relevant part of American pop culture.

Even Metropolitan Life saw the value of associating themselves with the Peanuts brand. By virtue of their Met Life brand association with Snoopy and the other characters, the big bad insurance company looks a little more caring, approachable and human as a result. A lot to be said when were talking about insurance companies. Every insurance company out there has their icons:

• Traveler’s has their red umbrella—I happen to love their campaign

• Pacific Life, who have offices right outside my window—have their whales. A huge Wyland whale is directly out in front of their building and I am the beneficiary of their investment

• The Hartford using a large stag

• The Prudential has what might be one of the best recognized and most iconic of all—the rock, which they have used for decades to exemplify the “Rock Solid” financial standing of their company (I worked on that account, too!)

Each of these brands has carefully crafted and build a brand image supported by an icon to give them a presence, a way to remember and a quick imagery that will make consumers feel better about using their services.

Good brands stand the test of time and changes in pop culture. It’s nice to see that a great brand franchise has done that and the care and feeding of this American icon has paid off handsomely.

Listening to the Consumer: Wal-Mart vs. Washington

As I was putting the finishing touches on a blog questioning the sanity of giant retailer Wal-Mart and their decision to eliminate over 300 branded items from their store, I ran across THIS story in Advertising Age, Walmart Reversal Marks Victory for Brands.

Apparently Wal-Mart did two things:

· They listened to the consumer backlash caused by the removal of their favorite branded products.

· They came to their senses.

OK, maybe these are really one and the same. Had it not been for the voice of the consumer and the ability of Wal-Mart to listen to them, this would never have occurred.

On the other side of the aisle—as they like to say in our nation’s capitol— you have Congress who has decided NOT to listen to the consumer. On Sunday March 21^st, the House passed Healthcare legislation that in nearly every credible poll—left or right of center—shows consumers are against the plans that were passed. Chief among the complaints are about how this was accomplished: the earmarks and special deals that were cut to “buy votes.”

It remains to be seen what will happen to this legislation, but the message is clear: listen to us (the consumer) or we will take action. Wal-Mart, to their credit, got the message and quickly, in a matter of weeks after their decision, reversed field and delivered back to their constituency.

When will the politicians do the same? I guess we’ll have to wait until November to see if they get the message.

Brands That Almost Weren’t

I was in a Carl’s Jr. the other day and was surprised to see that one of the country’s strongest hamburger chains never started out that way. In fact, originally Carl’s was a hot dog stand that morphed over time and repositioned itself as a hamburger QSR legend. Apparently, from an article I just read, it isn’t uncommon.

“If you don’t know where you’re going…any road will get you there.” It’s one of my favorite quotes and I use it most often to refer to creative executions or ideas in search of a strategy.

But in this case, my favorite quote almost works in reverse. Some very favorite brands are household names that almost were not, if not for the one ingredient that sometimes separates the brand “haves” vs. the “have-nots”... and that is persistence.

Wrigley, Raytheon, Taco Bell, Samsung…even Ben & Jerry’s didn’t start out to be the businesses or brand icons they are today.

There is a great article located on MSN that traces these rather meandering roots: MSN Money: 10 Companies That Almost Weren't

I recall the story about Ray Kroc, the founder of the McDonald’s franchising empire, who started as a milkshake machine salesman. He saw the concept and had the vision that the original McDonald brothers never did. The brothers McDonald, you see, were happy to keep their success and vision located in Des Plaines, Illinois. But Ray Kroc saw more and ultimately bought the brothers out. Later when the brothers finally got it, and opened another McDonald’s nearby (thus violating their contractual agreement), Kroc had to sue and legally made the McDonald brothers take their own (brand) name off their new restaurant…and they were never heard from again.

All this leads to some of the intangibles of building a brand:

• Having an idea or unique concept.
• Uniquely positioning it in a way that cannot be easily or inexpensively duplicated.
• Having the vision to know where you are going and staying on the path you’ve chosen.
• Not being afraid to modify the vision of a better concept that arises from the experience.

After all, Edison didn’t start out to invent the lightbulb.

Personal Brand Value: Another “Brand” soon to be diminished?

We’ll here we go again…if it wasn’t bad enough that someone that I believed to be one of the real stand-up guys in sports, Tiger Woods, had his life and his “Personal Brand Value” implode publically—we have another impending disaster on the way—if someone doesn’t ride to the rescue.

One of the hidden benefits to my recent marriage is that I am the “new” father of a now 8-year old darling girl named Jenna. She’s an amazing young girl and reminds me a lot of my first-born, Jennie. Having Jenna in my life is a window to the world of an entirely forgotten brand audience: I’d simply grown beyond them and their influence. As a result, I now know who Selena Gomez and even Sponge Bob are!

One of Jenna’s favorite media outlets is the Disney Channel. Disney is a great, well-recognized brand, though I think they struggle with the urge at times to be all things to all people. One of Jenna’s favorite shows has been Hannah Montana, which stars a very talented young lady named Miley Cyrus. Miley is the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, (of Achy-Breaky Heart fame—oye, don’t get me started). Miley simply has become her own little cottage industry: she and her Hannah Montana character are a multi-million-to-billion dollar enterprise.

But all good things must come to an end, and the pre-teen Miley has now grown up. As a result, Miley decided that part of “finding herself” is to do things like a questionable photo-shoot in Vanity Fair and to add some more edgy and risqué features to her live shows. Hey, I understand she’s growing up: I was a teenage boy once too, so believe me, I understand.

But in the recent issue of Harper’s Bazaar, she states that, “… she’s not someone’s parent.” Meaning she’s not a role model or responsible for how what she does is imitated or emulated by her teen fans. It harkens back to the days when Charles Barkley, the gregarious, trash-talking Hall of Fame NBA star proclaimed, even in an ad, “I am not a role model.”

Miley, Charles, Brittany, Lindsay…guess what? You are! Whether you like it or not …and too bad. You wanted to be the star. Your wanted public adoration and all that came with it. Well, be careful, you just might get what you asked for.
What celebrities fail to understand, especially today’s crop, is that who you are, what you stand for and how you present yourself does matter and it comes with the turf. Celebs want all the pluses at no cost of the minuses. Wouldn’t we all.

But that’s not how it is. Unless you want a “bad boy” or “naughty girl image”, do not present yourself otherwise or prepare for the backlash. No one is above that simple marketing precept. And no one found out they weren’t immune more hardly or quickly, than Tiger.

The morale of this story is that the same holds true with brands we deal with daily. They are presented or positioned to us in a way that we buy into, believe in and make a part of our own identity, so much so that we are devastated when they betray us. Look at how the world reacted when, for the first time ever in history, the #1 brand changed their formula to be more like the #2 brand. Coke vs. Pepsi. Coke is THE most ubiquitous brand known worldwide. The betrayal felt by their lifelong fans shook the earth all the way to the hallways in Atlanta. Just like we were all shaken by Tiger and sadly, just like how I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop for Miley Cyrus.

I like Miley Cyrus. I think she’s very talented, and I hope she will make the right decisions about where she takes her “personal brand image” and its value. If she doesn’t get a good circle of advisors, (much like a company has advertising agencies, brand development gurus and trusted consultants to understand, live and breathe the brand), I am fearful that Miley will become the next running joke on TMZ. Let’s hope not and let’s hope for better.

Domino’s: A Brand with a new crust, new sauce and a ton of marketing guts

I, like many of you, am sure you’ve seen the recent ads for Domino’ Pizza, who have taken the remarkable step of admitting that their pizza wasn’t the stuff that dreams are made of. And the battle lines are being drawn on their decision from late night talk show hosts to marketing professors and consultants.

I feel that it’s a pretty bold move to step out front and confront your own brand weaknesses. For me, it’s a smart move that will serve them well…but only time will tell. Credit a lot of this to the time we live in, where social media allows the consumer to spread their feelings everywhere, on just about anything. We’re in a more transparent age where the old PR spin of the past simply won’t do. You have to be true to yourself and in this case, admit and act on your shortcomings.

Domino’s has done just that by reformulating their crust, which they seemingly admit was closer to the flavor profile of cardboard and their sauce—usually the secret to any great food, which was closer to Heinz ketchup than it was an authentic sauce.

The question is, how will the public react to this startling revelation? I don’t think we’ll see the backlash that a ubiquitous brand and brand franchise like Coca-Cola did when they did the unheard of—and reformulated their product to more closely imitate the #2 brand, Pepsi. The Coca-Cola essence was far more than the formula—a little sugar and bubbly water with some caramel color added. When Coke foolishly changed their product, they tampered with a brand that seemingly forgave what they thought was a flaw. So what if they lost in blind taste tests in the “Pepsi Challenge.” What Coke forgot is that they were established in the hearts and minds of their customers-loyalists—as “The Real Thing” or “Coke is IT.” Pepsi, also a strong brand was very clearly the “choice of a new generation”…the Pepsi generation. With the rebound via Coke Classic, they tapped back into the core loyalist and brought back all of the flavor—but more importantly, the nostalgia, the memories and the “gestalt” that people plunked down their cold hard cash for every day.

Domino’s doesn’t face quite the same barrier, which is why I believe they will succeed in delivering a better product. Another important question is, will their customer base really like the flavor? Flavor profiles are sensitive things to tamper with, but Domino’s clearly feels that it’s worth the risk to do it all now at once, vs. a slow, dial-turning adjustment over the next several years.

Stay tuned, it will be interesting to see the response from Pizza Hut, (who appear to be positioning themselves as more of an Italian Restaurant choice) and Papa John’s, (who have been banging the drum on their “best ingredients” for years.

Here’s a great article on this subject with comments from the president of Domino’s.

Enjoy. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34812047/ns/business-consumer_news

A tribute to a man and his brand.

This week’s blog is dedicated to a man who really believed in the power and meaning of his brand.

Allan Gantt passed away last week. He was a young man at 64 years old and a very dear friend of my wife, Jodi.

A born leader, he served our country and was awarded a Purple Heart and most impressively, a Bronze Star which is the fourth-highest U.S. Armed Forces award a soldier serving our country can receive. He also proved to be a leader in his chosen profession of real estate where the list of his achievements, accolades and elected offices in the North Orange County Association, California Association and National Association of REALTORS® would take much longer to recite than this blog could hold. One thing Allan firmly believed in was the value, importance and power of the REALTOR® brand and the ‘R’ that identifies a member of their local, state and national association. Allan wore his REALTOR® lapel pin religiously everyday whether he was going to the grocery store, an open house or an industry meeting…and didn’t understand why other people wouldn’t.

Allan believed in what the REALTOR® brand stood for: doing better, doing more, and treating people ethically when they were going through the most complicated and most valued transaction they might ever engage in. He carried that same belief into every aspect of his life. He believed wearing the REALTOR® ‘R’ lapel pin distinguished him and showed peopled just who he was: A man of honor and a professional who subscribed to a Code of Ethics, much like he subscribed to a code of honor in the military.

Allan never lost that sense of honor in dealing with his clients, or advising and mentoring young professionals in the business, or in fighting for homeowner rights when he visited the statehouse or Capitol Hill or how he treated his friends.
Allan always felt it was an honor to serve his country, and an honor to wear the REALTOR® ‘R’ lapel pin. It separated him from ordinary agents and he believed that well beyond the day he left this life.

I didn’t know Allan for as long as a lot of the attendees at the standing room only service I attended this week. I met him several times and he was always friendly, offering a open hand in friendship. I knew he loved his wife, Diane; he loved his profession and the people he interacted with daily. I didn’t know Allan was a hero in so many ways. We, who knew Allan; who he was and what he stood for are better people for our time with him. Everyone who knew him will miss him.

This past Tuesday, Allan Gantt, father, soldier, patriot, husband, mentor, friend and REALTOR®, was laid to rest. He could have chosen to have his Purple Heart and his Bronze Star accompany him into eternity. But Allan chose to have only the REALTOR ‘R’ pinned over his heart. We wanted it that way; he insisted on it.

Brand Distinction: The New York Yankees clearly have it.

Alright, I am admittedly a diehard Yankee fan. Yes, that was me you could hear all the way from the left coast screaming as they won their 27th World Series Championship.

The Yankees are indisputably the greatest and most successful sports franchise—EVER!

That, my friends is not the ranting of a crank fan after a few too many brews before the 7th inning cut off…it’s your friendly neighborhood certified brand strategist stating a fact…and a claim of distinction that no other team can make. In fact, no other team, EVEN comes close.

The Yankees’ 27th championship is over twice as many as the next team in MLB history. Who is that? The St. Louis Cardinals with 10. (Sorry Red Sox fans, you have a long way to go with your 6.) In the NBA, the Celtics recently won their 17th Championship—now 10 behind the Yankees. And in hockey, Les Habitants, the Montreal Canadiens, have 24 Stanley Cups. Sadly for the Montreal fans, their team hasn’t been close to Lord Stanley’s cup in decades.

The point here is that as a raving fan I have a great brand to root for and an irrefutable brand distinction to hang my hat and build my argument/strategy on: More than any other major sports franchise in history. In the same sense, however, Montreal also has a great brand distinction in their own universe of the National Hockey League. They have won 26% of all Stanley Cups ever contested. The Celtics in the NBA are the only original franchise to have won as many championships—17. The Lakers of LA started in Minneapolis. Try to make the connection that winning in Minneapolis is as pressure packed as L.A.? I don’t think so.

Brand Distinction is what it’s all about. It what separates the men from the boys, the boys from the girls, and the true brands from those products who blend into the woodwork like so much bad wallpaper. Brand Distinction is what companies many times want but fail to deliver upon. They fail to deliver on the wish list and promises kept which require that brand distinction to be adopted and embraced all the way through the organization. The CEO is the person who must understand and articulate just what that brand distinction is…in this case it was George Steinbrenner—The Boss, who accepted no other win as a victory unless it was a World Championship. He invested, and does to this day, millions on talent to do nothing other than win the World Series. And, like him or not—he has relentlessly pounded that notion, that belief, that brand distinction into every person in his organization.

Now it doesn’t take Steinbrenner’s billions to do that. Any company can be just as successful—once they’ve gone through the Brand Development process and identified those elements, the distinctions that will assure greatness. The real challenge is the backbone, the fortitude and the unswerving willingness to see it through—year after year, decade after decade.

Congratulations to The Boss—no matter your opinion. His distinction and place in business and baseball history is assured.

Brand Value: In the Eye of the Beholder

Perception is sometimes reality. In our brand-driven world, the value people place on brands (i.e. the perception of what price they may be willing to pay as a result of a brand’s value to them personally) differs as widely as the Mississippi River.

I’ve come to understand a lot about consumer luxury goods in my career—whether understanding the mindset and price point for an everyday luxury like Grey Poupon, or higher-end watches and jewelry you might find at Tiffany.

Recently, my home was robbed.

It was a typical quick entry and exit, and today’s burglar has a specific target for what they are stealing. Jewelry is usually high value, portable and can be easily moved at the local pawn shop. I found it interesting, after my blood-pressure returned to normal, the types of things that weren’t stolen. Manolo Blahnik shoes, Coach purses, Armani and Hugo Boss suits, Taylor and Gibson guitars. Clearly, the garden variety, scummy burglar doesn’t take items like these, possibly because they don’t know the cost or value. (The police actually related they are too bulky to carry, too.)

Now what is interesting in the brand perception model is how the insurance companies “value” brands. Put more simply, they don’t.

The police advised, and it was later confirmed by my insurance agent: the insurance company values a lost piece as equal to its current value, meaning it’s worth is determined by what you could buy it for at a tag sale/flea market. Great.

Tough on my psyche as a Brand Evangelist and even tougher as a person who had several thousand dollars worth of goods stolen. Not to mention they also had a lot of sentimental value, too. Basically, I care about sentimental value—Allstate doesn’t.

There are strongly internalized intrinsic factors that brands have that sometimes just can’t be articulated or measured. I remember when I had to switch from Mac to PC. I demanded a Dell with an Intel Pentium II processor. Why an Intel processor, my IT guy asked? I literally had NO logical or rational answer. But, I was convinced that the Intel brand was one that would deliver fast, reliable high quality. So for me, enough said.

We make these brand decisions—consciously or unconsciously, rationally or emotionally, on factors like brand values each day.

I guess I am thankful that the burglar wasn’t as discerning about all of the brand choices he had when he robbed us. Otherwise, my wife would still be mourning the loss of her Manolo’s right now.

By the way, I just invested in a new brand…it’s called ADT.

Another Day of Infamy: The Martin Agency Loses the UPS Account

It was just announced that Ogilvy has just won the UPS Global Advertising account. It's a sad day for all of us in advertising and branding.

UPS, you know the great “Whiteboard” campaign on TV with the long haired guy who impeccably draws out all the values and features UPS offers that its “unnamed” competitors don’t? Well, that amazing branding campaign which legitimized UPS, is over and the brilliant agency, The Martin Agency of Richmond, VA has been shown the door.

So how could this have happened? Was there a new VP of Marketing? Does he play golf with the head account guy at Ogilvy? Did the President of UPS wake up and have a bad breakfast?

Who knows, but this much is true: not since the late 70s when Needham, Harper & Steers (my alma mater, among others), lost the McDonald's business to Leo Burnett, has an agency which has so richly rewarded the client with sharp strategic thinking and brilliant creative execution been so royally screwed by them by giving the account to another agency.

Martin put UPS on the map and made UPS a REAL brand and a recognized viable competitor to Fed Ex. No offense to the winners, but you have some PRETTY big shoes to fill—and it better not be the run of the mill crap McDonald's settled for in the 80s which led to the demise of the brand. God love Keith Reinhardt—who had the guts and fortitude to make it his life's mission to get the McDonald's business back to DDB. It took him well over a decade-plus, but he got them back. Their work is better because the man at the top had a passion and love for the McDonald’s business. It was personal to Keith Reinhart.

I’m not sure the people at Martin will want to. If I were Fed Ex, I’d be popping the cork on some very nice champagne to celebrate the weakening of their chief competition and I’d call the Martin Agency and sign them on.

Walking Talking Brands: You meet them every day

It’s probably no surprise that I’m studying brands everywhere I go and everywhere I travel. Just last week, I got to visit two walking, talking, living, breathing brands in Napa Valley: Top Chef Masters runner-up Michael Chiarello who is the Owner/Chef at Bottega—one of Napa’s hottest restaurants and the owner of Napa Style; and vineyard owner David Long of David Arthur Vineyards, one of THE best premium smaller production producers in Napa Valley.

What they have in common as people and as “brands” is their remarkable persona which you are drawn to immediately upon meeting them—but also how their persona and philosophy permeates the products that carry their “brand” names.

My experience with Michael Chiarello was simply fantastic and just classic. He saw me, or should I say my wife Jodi, on a bench waiting for a table at his very popular restaurant Bottega. Michael, being the quintessential Italian he is, commented, “What’s this pretty lady doing without a glass of sparkling wine?” and promptly sent over two complimentary glasses of Proseco. (I was the lucky beneficiary of his fascination with Jodi.) I struck up a conversation and mentioned we’d just been to his Top Chef Masters rival, Rick Bayless’ restaurant, Topolobampo in Chicago. I noted that Bayless had added his Top Chef Master’s winning menu to his tasting menu and Michael quickly filed away the piece of field intelligence. But the best was his comment about his new-found friend and rival, Rick Bayless, “Nice man…I was only a mole away from kicking his butt!” We all had a great laugh.

Chiarello has done a magnificent job of turning himself and his persona into a brand that reflects his inner beliefs. Leveraging his celebrity on Food Network cooking shows and his cookbooks, everything he does conveys a Chiarello sense of style, high quality for a fair and reasonable price. It pays off in spades at Napa Style which is quickly becoming a top retail location and his restaurants are booking up well after his posted closing hours.

Best of all, he is as accessible a person as he is a brand. While my wife Jodi was easily smitten…I also couldn’t help but be drawn in by his truly genuine, authentic charisma and caring for each person that he exudes when he comes in contact with them. As it happens, a good friend of Michael’s in David Long.

If you roam around the vineyards in Napa Valley, you’d not only find great wines of character, but great characters in the vineyards. Meet David Long, owner of David Arthur Vineyards. He and his charming daughter Laura conduct one of THE great personalized tours in Napa Valley. No time limit, no rush, no charge and lots of David, his stories and his passion for what he does and his wines. Laura is his guiding light—she’s grown up there on the vineyard in the family business and keeps him focused. It’s a great moment to see the two of them conniving on which barrel they should tap into next to share with their eager tour attendees.

The David Arthur brand is a small, well managed vineyard and brand; I discovered it at TRU in Chicago when a sommelier recommend his ’97 Cabernet to me. That, as Laura later told me, was THE vintage that put them on the map. Since then, the David Arthur brand hasn’t slowed down or wavered. They offer premium quality, hand crafted, beautiful composed wines that give you an insight into the greatness David wants in every bottle. David’s doesn’t do it the usual way…in his tours, in the way he plans or in the wines he makes. And every bottle is a reflection of the man himself.

So nice to see that whether they are book smart marketers or street smart living breathing brand icons, that some people just know how to do it right.

For more information on my two new BFF’s:
David Arthur Vineyards; http://davidarthur.com//index.cfm
Bottega Restaurant: http://www.botteganapavalley.com
Napa Style: http://www.napastyle.com/home.jsp

Taking A Stand For Your Brand

If you’ve ever been on a packaged goods account like I have…coming up through the ranks you’ll have to deal with a level of client staff that has the title: Brand Manager—a misnomer at best. The Brand Manager in companies like Nabisco, Kraft or Coca-Cola may have that title, but in reality, they can’t call the real shots. Some just aren’t capable of making the big calls that help build or preserve the long-term equity of the brand they are assigned to.

After all, many of these freshly minted MBA’s are on their brand for a “lifetime” of two years…in which time they have to prove themselves in some way or they don’t get their bonuses or promoted upward. A more accurate title may actually be Business Manager.

For me, the real, or as I’ve long referred to them as, the Ultimate Brand Manager, in any well run company, is the CEO. Whether that is a large conglomerate or a small business, nothing is really going to happen nor will any substantive brand cultural change occur without their support and most importantly, their leadership. With them ride the big decisions. The really great ones understand the value and equity their brands hold. And this equity is sometimes an intangible that their brand manager doesn’t get.


Last week, the Ultimate Brand Manager for one of my favorite brands—The National Football League—(yes, it IS a brand!), showed his true mettle and earned my admiration as a fan and as a Certified Brand Strategist. That Ultimate Brand Manager is Roger Goodell.

After Paul Tagliabue gave up the reins as Commissioner—and having succeeded a legend, Pete Rozelle, who shaped the league into what it is today, I wondered what mark Mr. Goodell could possibly make. Well, he made a very loud brand statement last week and proved he gets it—he understands where the brand value in the NFL really is.


You see, last week, Roger Goodell announced that two players of very high visibility and notoriety—Plaxico Burress of the NY Giants and Michael Vick formerly of the Atlanta Falcons—each who recently garnered a more notorious rep, would not be considered for re-admission to the NFL this season. What? But they’re stars! They’re Franchise Players! Michael Vick was the face of the Atlanta Falcons?! Doesn’t he know that the players are the game…that they are the NFL?

The average garden-variety fan and the players/NFL Players Union believe the players ARE the game, the franchise, the raison d’être, the equity. But thankfully, Goodell knows better. The players? Ha! NO…it’s in the game itself and the reputation they’ve worked so hard to infuse into the equity that Roselle and Tagliabue handed down for him to manage on his own…and wow has he.


Michael Vick was a great quarterback—but he financed an underground ring of illegal dog fights. Plaxico Burress-- who helped lead the Giants to the Superbowl in 2008, shot himself with his own gun: an unlicensed, concealed weapons charge and he wasn’t out hunting…unless that’s what clubbing in New York has turned out to be. And now Goodell has Dante Stallworth to contend with…Stallworth may be an upstanding guy, be he’s killed some poor unfortunate soul while driving drunk.


So what’s the branding lesson here today, one that Goodell so ably applied?

By taking the stand that he did, he’s effectively told every player in the league…no matter who you are, you are NOT bigger than this game or this brand…at least not on his watch. And this wasn’t the first time he’s shown this discipline. Last year, it was Pac Man Jones and then T.O. Good for you, Goodell!


So let’s hear it for a very unlikely, but new personal branding hero: The Ultimate Brand Manager that is so wisely managing the inheritance, the game and the brand from Coaches like Lombardi, Landry, and upstanding players like Staubach and even “Mean” Joe Green. They can all hold up their heads a little higher today, no matter where they are.

Welcome to MOST and our Brand Development Blog

Welcome to the Brand Blog at MOST. We’re the wise-sized™ brand development and advertising agency with a specific passion for Brands…understanding, building and adding value to them. We have the experience to prove it and want to work with other companies and clients with the same passion for maximizing the value of one of the most important assets they have. After all, where would Nike be without “Just Do It” and their Swoosh? Or MacDonald’s without their “I’m Loving It” and the golden arches? When you hear the name Ritz-Carlton, what pops into your head? Their logo? No. An experience of a lifetime, exquisite service, amenities and a passion for getting it just right? Maybe, depending on the way you see what their brand means to you.

Stop by often and we’ll be posting some thoughts for your consideration. We’ll have a point of view, I promise you. Because for me, there is nothing better than a well executed brand vision and nothing sadder when you see “Brand Managers” fritter away the very essence of what makes or made their brand great. While you’re at it…drop us a line, leave your own thoughts and contributions to the overarching discussion we’re trying to create here.
It ought to be fun. We’ll make it interesting. We promise you.

Virgin Airlines meets their customer: Turbulence Ahead.

I received the article below from my daughter who never forwards ANYTHING. However, this complaint letter was so amazing she felt compelled beyond belief to spread the word—as do I. (Thanks, Jennie!)

You know me for being a huge advocate of great brands—especially brands that I love, grew up with or have an active relationship with. You also know—I have some level of appreciation for the “disaster stories” that I tell about great brands that just can’t seem to help but screw things up…beyond belief. A case in point and one which has been making the rounds on the Internet: Virgin Airlines.

One of the world’s great brands, and a person who really gets it, is Virgin and its founder Richard Branson. He has expanded the brand from records into all sorts of ventures including a very well thought of, very brand loyal airline. Below is a letter from a Brit who felt compelled to let Richard know just what other people in his organization we're doing to his brand. It includes cell phone camera pix and a running narrative which, while quite Brit, is hysterically funny and sad, all at the same time.

The net net…a person who loved the Virgin brand saw it so desecrated that he couldn’t help but report in…and report in he did—right to the top. To Branson’s credit—he reportedly responded back personally to the passenger who took the time and cared enough to write it. And that’s what I see. People do make choices –Brand choices–from airlines, to their brand of vodka, to the fast food they eat, to the labels on the clothing they wear, and really do care. And importantly, they are offended when a brand—THEIR BRAND doesn’t deliver on the brand promise.

It’s a pact between the brand and its customer, and when the delivery falls short, advocates have two choices:

1. Those who care will do, as this bloke did, and respond to the Ultimate Brand Manager…the CEO—forget the people below.

Or

2. They silently abandon the Brand and begin to tell their own stories about how the Brand failed them, why they’ll never go back, and why the person they are telling the story to should act the same way—and pass the warning along to their friends.

Thus the snowball heads down the slope and becomes a behemoth sphere followed by an avalanche.

Strange how great brands drift out to sea. It seems pretty elementary, but maintaining the brand’s focus on its core values must be closely watched and monitored monthly, weekly, daily if needed. Especially as new employees who may have no understanding, connection, love for, relationship, passion or mental investment in your brand come and go daily into the employment of big companies. Thus the challenge, thus the dilemma.

It’s a great warning for all of us who are charged with the building of, maintenance and care for the health and well being of “our Brands”. Enjoy the following…there is clearly a lesson to be learned.

June 2007, Orange County Metro: “Making The MOST of a Small Space”

October 2008, Orange County Business Journal: “MOST Ranks #20 in Fastest Growing Businesses in Orange County”