GE's sponsorship of the Olympics began in 2003 with the goal of raising brand awareness and opening doors to new sales and marketing opportunities globally. GE saw the Olympics as a way to build relationships and visibility in growing markets like China. Metrics showed significant increases in brand favorability and awareness for GE after the Beijing and Vancouver Games. GE's involvement provided infrastructure and medical equipment for the Games while allowing them to showcase their technologies and host customers. The executive advises that sponsorships should carefully align with a company's strategy and values in order to drive business growth.

1. .BIZ BUILDER BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS WITH INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
July/Aug 2012
Branding Issue
THE OLYMPIC BRANDING
GAMES - GOING FOR GOLD?
In This Issue:
Olympic Gold - GE Grows Its Corporate Branding FAQ: What Can Olympic Teams
Global Brand as London Yes, There Is More to It Than Teach Business Leaders?
2012 Olympics Sponsor You Think

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5. 7
TableContents
of
Olympic Infographic: The Evolution of Olympic Coverage
in Print, TV and Social Media {4 - 5}
Olympic Gold: GE Grows Its Global Brand as London 2012
Summer Olympics Sponsor {6 - 11}
U.S. Olympic Hall of Shame: Hard Charging Olympic
Athletes Who Have Faced Charges {12 - 14}
16 London’s Burning: Controversy Heats Up Over Protecting
the Olympic Brand {16 - 18}
What Olympic Teams Teach Business: The Truth
about High Performance Organizations {20 - 23}
Olympic Fashion Flubs: Lessons from Ralph Lauren,
Roots and Stella McCartney {24 - 26}
How to Be a Winner: P&G’s Winning Sponsorship of the
2012 Olympic Games {28 - 31}
What Hollywood Teaches Business: How to Find Your
43 Brand Story {33 - 37}
Social Media Cocktails? Aligning Your Brand with
Relevant or Popular Conversations {38 - 40}
Busted! Five Brand-Busting Myths Exposed {42 - 44}
Brand Engineering: The Science Behind the Art {46 - 49}
Brand Ambassadors Needed: How to Build a Brand
Through Social Media {50 - 52}
Olympic Buzz: McDonald’s Demonstrates Owned-Media
56 Prowess on Eve of Olympics {54 - 55}
What’s Your Brand EQ? A Questionnaire {56 - 58}
Branding FAQ: What You Must Know {60 - 62}
Funny Business: Buzzwords That Hurt Brands {64 - 65}
Twitter Winners: Most Engaged Brands Online {67 - 72}
BONUS BRANDING GUIDE: How to Work with a
Branding Agency (and More) {71 - 82}

8. Olympic Gold
GE Grows Its Global
Brand as London 2012
Olympics Sponsor
Brian Pittman’s exclusive interview with GE Olympic Sponsorship President Peter Foss
“Any company must carefully align partnerships, while helping to reinvent GE
sponsorship opportunities with its as a truly global brand. “Before the
corporate values—and recognize it’s all Beijing Olympics,” Foss illustrates, “the
about growth at the end of the day,” says Chinese thought GE was GM and that we
Peter N. Foss, President, Olympic were in the car business.”
Sponsorship and Corporate Sales at GE.
“If you can’t find a link to driving Not only has GE’s brand awareness in
company profits—don’t do it!” warns China skyrocketed since the Beijing
Foss, who in addition to coordinating Olympics in 2008, but GE has also
GE’s global Olympic Sponsorship also ramped up its Olympic sponsorship
manages the company’s Sales Force initiatives—and the London Summer
Effectiveness program. Olympic Games are no exception. Here,
Foss shares key metrics underscoring
“In our case, GE’s values are all about GE’s Olympic sponsorship ROI, what he’s
integrity and so are those of the most looking forward to in the London
Olympics,” he explains. What’s more, the Games and his quick tips for businesses
company has driven hundreds of billions seeking greater visibility via marketing
of dollars in infrastructure projects and sponsorships of any size or type:
sales abroad through its Olympic 6

9. Why did GE decide to sponsor the In terms of return on
Games? investment, GE’s general
GE’s partnership with the Olympic awareness prior to the
Games aligns with our global growth Olympic Games was less
strategy by opening doors to new sales than 10%. After the
and marketing opportunities in all of the Games, it was 50%.
host countries. GE is uniquely suited to
meet the infrastructure needs required to big areas of potential growth outside of
stage the world’s largest sporting event, the U.S.—but we just weren’t known
as well as the healthcare needs to there. The biggest interest was in Beijing,
provide quality care to the athletes. Our because China was a big market for GE.
continued investment in the Olympic We were doing close to $5 billion a year
Games is part of our commitment to there. They thought GE was GM and that
deliver world-class infrastructure and we were in the car business. We saw
healthcare solutions that leave a Olympics as a brand that we could
sustainable legacy to future generations. saddle up and ride in with.
We are proud to be associated with the It was a great way to build relationships
Olympic Games, as the values of this with key individuals in China as they built
global, trusted brand match GE’s. Our up the Olympics and announced they
sponsorship provides funding for were spending $50 billion on it—double
athletes that would otherwise not be what was normal. Beyond that, other
able to participate in the Olympic infrastructure projects were more like
Games. We are very proud of that. $200 billion—including transportation,
power, water, lighting and all the things
When did GE’s sponsorship begin and we do as a big infrastructure company.
what were the goals?
We announced our sponsorship in 2003, We realized the head of the Olympic
and it was at same time NBC was organizing committee in China was
bidding for 2010 and 12 broadcast Liu Qi, and that party secretaries and
rights. As part of that, we went in as GE mayors served on committees, as well. If
to put in a bid to be a TOP (The Olympic we built a strong relationship with them,
Partner) Program Sponsor. This started we could demonstrate our capability and
with the 2006 Olympics in Torino and ability to be a good partner on
then in Beijing, Vancouver and London. infrastructure projects. They were going
Those were the four in our first package. to start at a given time and we needed to
deliver.
The thinking was the company was
becoming more global. When I started, That gave us a great opportunity. We got
95% of sales were in U.S., but it was to know them and ultimately built great
probably 60% ten years ago. There were relationships with them. GE’s general
awareness there prior to the Olympics
7

10. In China, we saw a +31% ground: our revenue team (sales), our PR
rise in favorability after team, our marketing team, and our
the Olympic Games. In hospitality team.
Canada, we saw a +92%
rise in favorability after How do the Olympic values align with
the Olympic Games. GE’s?
From a brand value perspective, we
was less than 10%. After the games, it have a code of ethics in the company
was 50%. That was good for us. We also and the spirit of the letter is that integrity
did a lot of advertising in the country, comes first of all. The Olympics values
which helped. are all about striving for truth, integrity,
spirit, team building and sportsmanship.
Next came the announcement that the There is nothing there that doesn’t align
Summer Olympics were to be held in with our own values. Integrity is number
Rio. That was another great opportunity one for us. One strike and you’re out.
for us as an infrastructure company to
grow into a thriving economy. We are How have you leveraged the power of
now signed up through 2020. So overall, the Olympic rings to enhance GE’s
it has turned into a very nice opportunity brand?
to build stronger relationships in areas of We have Brand Tracker studies that
the world that are important to us. show our brand awareness grew by 1/3
from 2005 to 2010. We also look at
Can you touch upon what GE provides things like unaided awareness around
the Olympics? specific campaigns. For example, we ran
Our Olympic Green program in Beijing ads and launched initiatives tied to
and also in London includes providing healthcare around the Vancouver games
more energy efficient sport lighting, —and awareness of GE as related to
electrical infrastructure and more. We healthcare certainly grew.
also built health clinics for athletes with
diagnostic imaging equipment. So, it We integrated efforts across traditional
runs the gamut of all of our product media, digital and PR to drive results. As
lines. The IOC actually said “GE stands a result, we saw significant impact
for ‘Generally Everything.’” across key brand measures in China
(2008) and Canada (2010). Specifically:
We were their first infrastructure sponsor
as opposed to consumer companies like • In China, we saw a +31% rise in
Samsung or Visa. Those companies’ favorability.
interests were a year out from the games
being held—but we are there on the • In Canada, we saw a +92% rise in
ground to help with infrastructure the favorability.
moment the host city is announced. We
immediately put four teams on the
8

11. What has been the commercial impact functioning trauma center and operating
of GE’s involvement in the Olympics— room) and more.
any hard metrics?
Well, we placed GE technology in all In London, we have:
competition and non-competition venues
120
in Beijing, Vancouver and London. GE’s
involvement with the Olympics helped us infrastructure
define commercial process to more Projects
effectively address large-scale projects. Notable projects include a full
Specifically, we created a centralized range of diagnostic imaging equipment
team to respond to all Olympic-related for Polyclinic (hospitals for athletes and
infrastructure opportunities and to work Olympic officials), three Jenbacher CHP
across GE’s diverse lines of businesses. engines installed in the Olympic Park
energy center, 120 EV charging stations
In Beijing, we saw: installed to support London 2012 electric
400 vehicle fleet, GE lighting technology
infrastructure across a number of the Olympic venues
(Olympic Main Stadium, Aquatics,
Projects Basketball, Field-Hockey, etc.), and a
Notable projects included a partnership to re-lamp Tower Bridge with
wind farm outside of Beijing to energy efficient LED technology. This
provide renewable power for the games, resulted in a 45% energy savings over
a rain water capture system for “Bird current street lighting applications.
Nest” stadium (main stadium), and a Beyond that, legacy projects include GE
lighting and electrical distribution for donating £4.8m of advanced healthcare
multiple stadiums and arenas. equipment to Homerton Hospital—
including fetal monitors, incubators and
In Vancouver, we saw: magnetic resonance scanners, to
Homerton University Hospital in
120 Hackney, East London.
infrastructure
Projects Also important was that we were able to
showcase GE’s contributions to
customers from around the world. For
Notable projects included a range of example:
diagnostic imaging equipment for two
Polyclinics (hospitals for athletes and • In Beijing, we hosted over 2,500
Olympic officials), CT, MR, X-Ray, customers.
Ultrasound, ECG and Healthcare IT, a
Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) in Whistler • In Vancouver, we hosted over 1,000
(an 18-wheel trailer that served as full- customers
9

12. • In London, we will host values—and recognize that it’s all about
approximately 1,300 customers growth at the end of the day.
You also oversee corporate sales— We looked at Olympic
how has the Olympics sponsorship sponsorship as a way to
contributed to sales force create revenue. But we
effectiveness? also learned that it helps
One way to answer that is to look at our with brand building.
“Decathlon Challenge,” which was an
internal program to help drive sales with I don’t understand some sponsorships.
our team and distributors. It involved a We get two to three calls a week for
series of training contests tied to sales. things that don’t fit. I don’t get it. We
Research showed that this program don’t do it if it’s not a fit. The Olympics
helped drive $190 million in revenue were our first global sponsorship—and
growth in 2007 and 2008). we’re a 140-year company! So, be
careful.
What’s your advice to other
businesses regarding picking big I don’t understand things like putting
events or even smaller community your name on a stadium. What does that
events to sponsor? do for you? If you are Citibank naming a
I think when you consider a sponsorship, baseball field, maybe that helps because
you have say, “What is my strategy for you’re reaching consumers. But if we put
growth and how does this help me?” our name on a stadium, they wont’ be
Any decision should be based on how buying a jet engine tomorrow. The
such an opportunity helps your company consumer piece at GE is less than four
grow revenues. If you can’t find a clear percent of our business-and it’s all about
linkage—then don’t do it! light bulbs and appliances. It’s small, so
we wouldn’t pursue a sponsorship like
For us, we could measure things like: 1. that.
Revenue (we were selling goods that
helped build venues), 2. brand Where are you getting the most online
awareness, and 3. client and prospect and media buzz as related to GE’s
relationships. All of those fit into our sponsorship of the Olympics?
strategic objectives. A few weeks ago, we launched a
“Healthy Share” Facebook application as
If you are a consumer company like part of our movement to integrate health
Coke, it’s different. You get involved with in a consumer way. This is part of our
it just for the exposure and brand “Healthy Imagination” program. The
building. They are 80% non-U.S. in focus is fitness and using the games to
terms of global revenues. And their last inspire people to improve their health
three CEOs were all international. Again, based on athletes’ experiences. As part
you must align with your company of this program, we developed
10

13. challenges people can take to be like the measures body composition to see
athletes. For example, soccer player which side has more muscle
Alex Morgan provided a program where development. He had that done earlier in
you can stretch and do things he does in the fall.
his training. This program has been
generating a lot of media buzz. We did How is golf like business?
the activation at Rockefeller Center, I have played golf since I was eight years
where Olympic swimmer Summer old. I am a big proponent of golf and
Sanders hosted a class to take her believe in getting youth involved in it. It’s
challenge. a lifelong sport and teaches great core
values. It builds character and
What are you most looking forward to emphasizes integrity and honesty. Golf is
during the Summer Olympics in a game where there are a lot of judgment
London? calls you have to make. Nobody is
The Summer Olympics offer so much to standing there telling you what to do and
see and do. I try not to miss swimming, how to do it every step of the game.
for starters. It has become so exciting, Being a student of the rules of golf helps
from seeing Mark Spitz to now, Phelps you in business and life, I think. What
… They are extraordinary. That will be you learn about sportsmanship, honesty
the hottest ticket in town. I enjoy that. and judgment carries through your life.
Watching Usain Bolt run is also always
cool. Track and field is never boring. Final parting words about the value of
Beach volleyball is fun, like a party. And GE’s Olympic sponsorship?
it will be held at a neat place, in the The biggest pieces I take away from this
horse parade area. I will even go watch are that we were a “stodgy old industrial
table tennis one day. company” that never sponsored
anything. We looked at it as way to
What are your thoughts about golf create revenue—but learned it helps
being back in the Olympics, starting brand building. Also important are the
with Rio? legacy gifts we leave in Olympic cities.
I’m very excited about that—golf is Those things make me feel the best
important to me. I’m not good enough to about our Olympics involvement. We are
compete. I play on weekends. I live in proud of not only being a great
Charlotte and there is good golf here. I company, but also a good one.
play on Saturday and Sunday mornings View on CommPRO
whenever I can.
Brian Pittman
We are a marketing partner of the PGA is a partner at
tour and our player just won the U.S. CommPRO.biz, where he
Open (Webb Simpson). He’s involved in focuses on editorial and
an extension of our health initiatives. He content while helping to
was scanned by our DEXA machine that build the community.
11

14. U.S. OLYMPIC HALL OF SHAME:
Gold Winner
Tonya Harding, Conspiracy and
Domestic Violence (2x Wiener)
World-class brands often want to be
bigger, stronger, faster. They always want
to be better. For better and worse and
occasionally for best and worst, the two
frequently get together to do business.
Before, during and immediately after major
sporting events—none more major than the
Olympic Games—these whirlwind
partnerships between winning brands and
medal winners are formed in the face of
fierce competition due to the mutual drive to Silver Winner
succeed. Unfortunately, they are often Kobe Bryant, Sexual Assault
fueled and fail by the mutual need for speed. Charles Barkley, Aggravated Battery
The sponsoring spokespeople dash for the
cash while their golden glow still attracts
clients, kudos and cameras. By Larry Thomas, President, Latergy

15. Hard Charging Athletes Who Have
Faced Hard Charges
Bronze Winner
Marion Jones, Dope
Jennifer Capriati, Dopey
Michael Phelps. Doper
Every now and then, the athletes “foul out”—leaving the brand to serve the penalty
for guilt by association. Here are a few US Olympians who looked like winners
crossing the finish line (or hitting the jump shot), but who lost their way (at least
temporarily) when the crowds dispersed.
You can expect the volume of falls from grace to rise along with the popularity of
online video and social media. Even IF a seemingly disproportionate amount of
pampered athletes subscribe to the “It’s not wrong if you don't get caught" theory,
more will be caught—on camera—and their reputation and earning potential will
drop like a puck at center ice.
Whether via strip search or stripped medal, brands that align themselves with
athletes gone bad can no longer sever ties, apologize, pull commercials, hire a
new spokesperson and wait for “it” to go away. In the socially fueled, video-
centric, long-tail-wagging world we live in …
13

16. ...content never sleeps. And even if it If Phelps acquires gold
occasionally falls off pace, it never fades and stirs national pride
away. Even if you pull the video from TV again this summer, he’ll
and all things digital, the visual be back. Nothing
association of your brand with a golden generates gold like a
boy or girl in handcuffs lives on via good comeback story.
online video clips of sporting events, talk
shows and conversations. Old news is
agony of defeat. The association
old news until someone Googles it.
between a brand and an athlete has long
made marketers ecstatic and nervous at
In due time, a fine product and swift
the same time. We know that the
action will help the public forgive and
euphoria from a quick spike in brand
forget both the brand and the athlete.
recognition and market share can end
Kellogg’s knows that, so they quickly
quickly with one failed drug test, one
disqualified the smoked fish in hot water
violent episode or one corny flake of a
and went back to the serial cereal
kid with a fondness for water (pipes).
business. Unfortunately for the snap,
crackle and pop family, the relationship
It may not end it forever. If Mr. Phelps
hasn’t crossed the finish line yet.
acquires gold and stirs national pride
again this summer, he’ll be back. After
all, nothing generates gold like a good
comeback story. When Michael dives
back into the swimming and business
pools this summer, he will be going for
more than just gold (or is that just more
gold?).
The moral of the story: Be wary of whom
you run (shoot and swim) with, because
branding is a marathon—not a sprint.
And, the players are in the public eye
and mind long after the race is over.
Watch Video on YouTube
View on CommPRO
Whether driven by quarterly results or
Larry Thomas is president of
one quarter of a second, participants in
Latergy, a video services
both worlds compete fiercely for fame
boutique that provides
and fortune. The breakneck speed and
multimedia content strategy,
the thrill of victory occasionally lead to
production, distribution and
hasty decisions and, ultimately, the
measurement services.
14

18. London's Burning:
Controversy Heats Up Over Protecting
the Olympic Brand
By Marco Bertini, Assistant Professor of Marketing,
London Business School

19. The Olympic Games in London are Licensing rights refer to the use of
officially kicking off, providing us the Olympics logos and trademarks on items
opportunity to witness the world’s most ranging from stamps and coins to t-
prestigious sporting event. As Olympic shirts and stuffed animals. This year in
athletes descend upon London, local London, Adidas emerged as a Tier One
businesses are finding ways to capitalize Partner, allowing the sportswear
on the moment. company to receive marketing and
licensing rights in addition to other perks
But there’s been debate around some (game officials, volunteers and staff will
companies many say are overstepping all be donned in Adidas sportswear).
their bounds, using the Olympic symbols Other tier-one partners for this year
without permission. For instance, include BMW, BP, British Airways, BT,
Bloomberg BusinessWeek interviewed EDF, Lloyds TSB.
Dennis Spurr, a butcher in Dorset who
depicted the Olympic rings as sausage But once the sponsorships and licensing
links and was confronted by officials rights are in place, it’s important to
from the Olympics. And The Daily Mail examine the flow of revenue.
reported that London’s cake stores are
being told not to use any Olympic logos Where Does the Money Go?
on cakes due to copyright. The revenue from the principle sources
is allocated to: The International Olympic
London is one of the premier cities in the Committee (IOC), National Olympic
world. It has its own recognizable appeal Committees, International Federations
and brand. Thus, it would make sense and Organizing Committee for the
that others would try to capitalise on it. Olympic Games (OCOG).
So what’s the big deal and is it really all
that harmful for local companies to use In the case of the Sydney Olympics, the
the Olympic logos in a creative way? major beneficiary was the host city
OCOG, which used the funds to stage
To fully understand this issue, let’s first the Games. Historically, 50 to 60 percent
look at the economics of the Olympic of the revenue from broadcast rights and
Games and points of profitability. international sponsorships, plus 100
percent of the revenue from ticketing,
How Does It Work? domestic sponsorship and licensing
By almost any measure, the Olympics rights, went to the OCOG.
are big business. For instance, the 2000
Sydney Games generated $2 billion in Of the remaining revenue, the IOC kept a
revenue from five sources: broadcast portion to cover its administrative and
rights, international sponsorship, operational costs and allocated the rest
ticketing, domestic sponsorship and to the 205 National Olympic Committees
licensing rights. of the IOC’s member nations and to the
17

20. International Federations of the sports of This is a brand name the IOC wants to
the Olympic Games. make sure grows in stature. But this is
complicated in that the brand is
Who is Responsible to Monitor and “borrowed” to host cities. That is, the
Control Logo Use? IOC “owns” the brand in a sense, but the
Of the five sources of revenue, the IOC – host is the one who manages it in the
a non-profit organization based in running of the event.
Lausanne, Switzerland – is responsible
for negotiating and managing the I can understand that local London
broadcast rights and international businesses feel some sense of shared
sponsorships, while the host city’s ownership. After all, the Games are held
OCOG is in charge of ticketing, domestic in their town and they paid their share for
sponsorship and domestic licensing. the construction of the infrastructure.
But irrespective of this feeling, the fact
According to a report in The Guardian, remains that the Organising Committee
London already has a range of legal has final ownership of the brand. The
protections in place, but the IOC since store owners will likely still benefit from
the Sydney Games in 2000 requires an the increased traffic in London from July
additional layer of legal sanction. In fact, through August. But those running the
there are laws in place that are meant to event have the obligation to make sure
prevent non-sponsors and non-licensed (a) their name is represented accurately
businesses from employing images or and positively, and (b) that the rights of
wording that might suggest too close a those corporations that have paid good
link with the Games. money to be formally associated with
the Games are respected and upheld.
So as you marvel at the Olympics this
year, you might also think about all of the
strategy that is behind the scenes. And
while many might become frustrated
with the IOC’s strict regulation, you can’t
deny that they’ve kept the Olympic
brand shining – year after year.
The Danger of Non-Licensed
Businesses Using the Olympics Logo View on CommPRO
The Olympics are no different than any
other business. Most companies spend Marco Bertini is a professor
good money on building their brands. of marketing at London
While few would question the right of Business School. He focuses
these businesses to protect this asset, on consumer/managerial
the same has to be the case for the decision-making, and the
Games. behavioral aspects of pricing
& promotions.
18

22. What Can Olympic Teams
Teach Business Leaders?
By Mark de Rond, Ph.D., Author, “There Is an I in Team:
What Elite Athletes and Coaches Really Know About
High Performance”
Over the next few weeks, the world’s crews of four are forced to race each
brawniest athletes will lock horns in other. After the first race, two rowers,
pursuit of sport’s biggest prize: an one from each crew, swap places. The
Olympic title. The world’s number one race re-starts, with the goal of isolating
Taekwondo star, Aaron Cook, won’t be the effect of a single rower on a crew in a
one of them. Controversially, he was real boat on actual water. The process
passed over in favor of world number 59, continues until coaches have sufficient
Lutalo Muhammed, in only the latest of a data on each oarsman’s ability, and the
series of high-profile selection disputes relative speed of different combinations
in the Great Britain camp. of rowers. This “seat racing” should
deliver an objective ranking of the best
To avoid just such confrontations, boat movers.
selection decisions are typically based
on the most objective grounds possible: While peerless on paper, seat racing is
having athletes compete against each not always straightforward in practice.
other for a place on the team. A good Occasionally A beats B who beats C
example of this is rowing, where two who in turn beats A, which leaves
20

23. coaches with more questions than Also, teams are characterized by
answers. Sometimes, oarsmen and paradox: They mobilize tensions that pull
coaches choose to downplay objective members in contrary directions. The
results as they push for inclusion of an most obvious are cooperation and
athlete who, by virtue of his social skills competition, where individuals continue
is considered able to raise performance to compete for resources, reputation and
levels overall for the crew. After all, it is career prospects with others, even as
the combination that matters. effectiveness hinges on coordinating
with them. The temptation is often to
The lesson to business: Teams in downplay – or disallow – competitive
sports and business benefit from variety. tensions for the sake of harmony. The
It matters greatly to have differences in assumption is familiar: The better people
talent and in personality, and even in pay get along, the better they will perform.
within teams. It is only by combining
individual differences that one creates a But studies show that harmony is more
genuinely effective team. likely the consequence of, not condition
for, performance. Few things bond more
What else can we learn about business strongly than a shared accomplishment.
teams from sports? Following are three
lessons based on my extensive fieldwork What to do: The best way to build a
with teams over the past 15 years, and team is to set them a work-related
recent results from the experimental labs challenge and give them something to
of Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, feel good about collectively. In addition,
Chicago and Cambridge: don’t try to weed out rivalry in the
interest of harmony. This is only likely to
1. High performance teams are drive it underground. As a result, people
will continue to compete by belittling the
not easy places to be. efforts of those around them.
We glamorize teams, but life on the
inside often feels “slightly off-balance”
for much of the time. It is important not
2. The best team is often not
to confuse what things “feel” like with made up of the best individuals.
what they really are like, given there are
two natural causes for this: What this means is that we may
sometimes sacrifice competence for
First, the individuals you work with are likability. As alluded to in the seat racing
good, but the qualities that make them example, it occasionally makes sense to
so can make them difficult to tolerate as compromise on technical skill if what
team members; overconfidence can be one gets in return improves the overall
alienating, restlessness exhausting, performance of the team. As a recent
intelligence intimidating. study points out, if people are actively
disliked, their technical competence is
21

24. often irrelevant to team selection. Unless Studies of hospital
they can be put to work on their own, teams are replete with
others are unlikely to seek them out for examples, often with grave
advice or to share information. consequences. In one study,
a team of researchers phoned
What to do: Focus on finding the right 22 nursing stations, pretending
combination of individual high to be a hospital physician and
performers – not only in terms of skills asking for 20mg of a new drug to be
but also personalities. There is evidence given to a patient. They were keen to
that levels individual performance are find out how many nurses would
strongly influenced by social context (or administer the drug that had not been
who else is in the team). You wouldn’t approved for use there, that was twice
want a team of lovable fools, but it can the recommended dose, and that had
pay dividends to select a socially gifted been ordered by physician unknown to
individual over one more competent to the nurse. In 21 cases, researchers had
allow the team to handle disagreement to intervene and stop the nurse from
more effectively and raise their overall overdosing the patient. In this case,
level of performance. nurses self-censor by deferring to
authority.
Finding the right combination may rely
on objective performance data. Despite In my experience, the Abilene Paradox is
the availability of such “analytics,” it is alive and well, and teams the worse for
unlikely the optimum combo is found by it. I wish people would spend as much
using numbers alone. Characteristics money and effort making their
such as how people react under organizations psychologically safe as
pressure, how they respond to failure they do on getting people to work in
and how they behave when not being teams. I suspect that if one gets the
watched are important but unlikely to be former right, the latter will come
captured by numbers alone. naturally. People are pack animals – their
desire to work together only stymied by
3. Problems in teams can arise their fear of being “found out.”
not because there is conflict—but What to do: Ask yourself: How safe is
because there isn’t any. my team psychologically? How likely is it
that team members self-censor for fear
Known as the “Abilene Paradox,” team of being considered negative, incapable,
members self-censor for fear of being needy, unsupportive or unintelligent, and
seen as negative or subversive, as how do you know? Many teams suffer
looking silly or incompetent, or for fear of from lack of safety. As a team leader,
destroying any existing team spirit. might you be the problem? Would it be
worthwhile bringing in an external
facilitator to find out?
22

25. and worry about.
Further, might it be useful to implement a
“donkey question” rule, where everyone As we watch the world’s finest, there is
is expected to ask at least one “donkey one final lesson to be had: Sports
question” a week, or the kind of question teams have clarity of purpose missing
to which the answer probably should in most organizations. Individuals know
have been obvious, just to make sure all why what they do is important, what’s
bases are covered and all assumptions expected of them and when, and how
smoked out. what they do matters to the rest of the
team. To get this right in our own teams
Remember that when team members may well be our most difficult, yet also
provide explanations of why things are most rewarding, challenge.
the way they are, these explanations are
far more useful in clarifying what View on CommPRO
matters than what happened. People
use facts selectively. Their Mark de Rond, Ph.D., is
explanations for team a Fellow of Darwin
performance can differ College at the University
strongly. These variations of Cambridge Judge
are useful because they Business School. He has
can help shed light on consulted execs at IBM,
the things they care KPMG, Shell and others.
Champions of
Integrated
Marketing
Communications
IMC
1
2 3
23

26. Olympic Fashion Catapults Brands to
International Success - or Sinks Them:
Business Branding Lessons from Ralph Lauren, Roots and Stella McCartney
By Christina French Houghton, Associate Strategist, Siegel+Gale
Hideous. Just strengthens the
case for Scottish Independence!
I bet that Stella McCartney Britain is neither great nor united.
Olympic pajama suit isn't flame
proof and would go oooosh if
you got the flame near it!!
24

27. One of the most widely televised events provider of Team USA’s Olympic gear.
in the world, the Olympic Games, For Lauren—whose clothing is already
provides unprecedented visibility for regularly emblazoned with the American
athletes from Argentina to Zimbabwe. flag—this project is a natural (and
These performers promise to create immensely successful) task. The bold
moments of great national pride—or, red, white and blue color palette
embarrassment—on a global scale. leverages American pride, which is
synonymous with Ralph Lauren. As a
In this environment, presentation is result its brand visibility and sales soar.
paramount. Enter the crème de la crème
of couture. Every two years, top fashion
houses are tasked with creating their
country’s national uniform. And just like
the athletes who wear them, these
uniforms are scrutinized through the lens
of national pride and achievement.
In the best of cases, designing an
Olympic uniform can create a unique
opportunity for a brand whose core
design principles are already aligned
Roots, a Canadian apparel company,
has a similar history of success. Like
Ralph Lauren’s ties to American culture,
Roots’ rustic aesthetic, replete with
emblems of canoes and iconic Canadian
wildlife, fits perfectly within a Canadian
self-image of being in touch with the
natural environment. Though it took two
years for the brand’s owners to secure
the contract to clothe the Canadian
Olympic team, the effort paid off. Roots’
with the essential tenets of a national distinctive jackets, first created for the
character. Take Ralph Lauren, for 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan, drew
example, a brand that has long been the widespread attention and praise. This
STEEEELLLLLLAA
... the GB flag is RED
white and blue, NOT AAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
blue, grey and blue ...
25

28. global visibility—prompting the likes of designing for an Olympic team one must
President Bill Clinton, Prince Charles channel the pride of her nation and allow
and actor Robin Williams to don Roots the small, creative flourishes to live
gear—helped catapult the brand to within a national rubric of success. In
international success. other words, do not “interpret” your
country’s beloved national flag in such a
Yet, this charge can also present way that prioritizes aesthetics over
significant hurdles. Stella McCartney national symbolism.
recently unveiled her designs for the
British Olympic team. Even Regarding her recently unveiled
though her brand is beloved Olympic kit, McCartney said she
in the UK and abroad, wanted to take the iconic image
British citizens reacted to of the Union Jack and
her work with outrage. The “dismantle” it to “make it more
Independent hailed fashionable.” Unfortunately,
McCartney’s designs as this approach led to her
arguably the “worst kit in embarrassment.
history” and Facebook fans
berated McCartney in a With Ralph Lauren designing for
public forum. With the ease Team USA and Prada for the
of information-sharing Italian Sailing Team, many top
enabled by social media and the brands appreciate the international
Internet, news of the brand’s perceived visibility the Olympic platform delivers.
failure has been broadcast far and wide. As long as these designers find an
alignment between their brand essence
The different reception that these brands and the esprit du corps of the nation for
have received begs the question: What which they are designing—as their most
risks do designers run when they important priority—the relationship
engage in this kind of international between high fashion and the Olympic
challenge? Why have Brits reacted with Games can be brilliant indeed.
such ire to Stella McCartney’s designs?
The lesson is clear, national pride should
To find an answer, one could look to the not be underestimated. When branding
heart of the criticism, which stems from national icons, proceed with care.
McCartney’s creative interpretation of
the Union Flag. I would argue that this View on CommPRO
reproach brings to light a sort of
unspoken rule: namely, that winning a Christina French Houghton is
bid to design Olympic gear does not an associate strategist at
give fashion houses artistic license to Siegel+Gale, where she solves
push creativity to its limits and present branding problems for some of
fresh, unexpected designs. Rather, when the most interesting companies
worldwide.
26

30. Branding
Champion
P&G’s Winning Sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic Games
By Michelle Adelson, Chief Brand Officer, The Phelps Group
Corporations invest millions of marketing rolled out through TV, spread virally by
dollars in sponsorships in an effort to consumers, reinforced at point-of-
impact awareness and brand perception. purchase in retail and in the end, realized
A prime example is how brands hope to through corporate social responsibility.
win glory and consumer affinity with the The result is a truly aligned campaign
Olympic Games. However, to drive that is consistent, recurrent at each
maximum return for such sponsorships, touch point and most importantly,
companies must connect their brand to credibly ties into P&G’s brand DNA.
the sponsorship in a relevant and
meaningful way. So how exactly do you
do that?
Proctor and Gamble’s sponsorship of the
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games highlights the best practices of
integrating a brand with a sponsorship
partner.
Consistent Messaging
P&G began with a consistent message The campaign story includes 28 athletes
that ties to the overarching brand and from Team USA and breathes new life
aligns with each of its product groups into the company’s longstanding position
while emotionally connecting to the core that has transcended generations to
audience of moms (or “mums,” as they support moms for the past 175 years.
say in London). From there, an The creative platform reinforces P&G’s
integrated campaign was developed and banner philosophy as a Proud Sponsor
28

31. of Moms and expands it to include not or being mothers themselves, the “Thank
only the mothers of Olympic athletes, You, Mom” message traverses the
but those around the world and in the product brands while connecting at the
future. “Thank You, Mom” acknowledges corporate level.
the critical contribution of the mothers of
athletes and celebrates their enduring
efforts to raise young Olympians. The
campaign is a continuation of one P&G
first launched for the Vancouver 2010
Winter Games, with plans to run through
2020. Since it was first unveiled, P&G’s
sponsorship has evolved to a larger
involvement with more athletes, deeper
alignment with its brand promise and
further assimilation into its portfolio
products. The Olympics are seamlessly woven into
the message. P&G Beauty’s line of
products including Secret® and Cover
Brand Alignment Girl® use messaging that reinforces
power and confidence, common themes
that resonate with women and athletes.
The range continues with Duracell’s®
commitment to powering devices and
powering athletes through messages of
motivation that will display in the
Olympic stadium. P&G illuminates
components of its sponsorship in a
natural progression across its brands in
a way that doesn’t feels forced, while
staying true to each product’s offering.
Looking at the brand platform, the
recognizable identity that mirrors an
Olympic medal is prevalent and
consistent across all consumer touch
points, providing an evocative iconic
representation that allows consumers to
connect with a now familiar symbol.
Drilling deeper into the product lines, the
message prevails as the overarching
brand communication. Since many of
P&G’s multi-product consumers share a
common admiration as having mothers
29

32. The “mom” story has both a unique and
emotional angle and P&G invites
Social Media Engagement
consumers to explore each brand’s
Olympic story as it comes to life.
Through a dedicated section on its
website, consumers can understand
how products help moms in their
everyday lives. This connection links to
retail where the P&G-Olympics
partnership is center stage in store
aisles. P&G showcases the sponsorship
through impressive activations including
dramatic displays, in-store
demonstrations and more than 600
Speaking of emotive, P&G launched the
Olympic-themed products on shelves
foundational component of its
that provide strong visibility for P&G.
sponsorship, “Thank You, Mom,” around
Mother’s Day with a two-minute film
called “Best Job” that was shared online
and via YouTube. The film profiles
mothers in different countries helping
their children along their collective
journeys to reach the pinnacle of health,
talent and athleticism at the Olympic
Games while engaging in practices that
require P&G products, such as washing
the dishes and doing laundry. “Best Job”
was repurposed into formats appropriate
for television spots and viral sharing and
has been viewed by almost 13 million
consumers around the world.
A notable example belongs to
Pampers® and its limited edition Team
USA printed diapers and wipes. The at-
retail experience engages consumers
and sparks an enduring kinship to the
connected brands. The company has
partnered with its top retailers to execute
the installations through to the end of the
Games and P&G has placed close to
one million displays nationwide, the
largest retail campaign in its history.
30

33. P&G further empowers consumers to
share in the sentiment and thank their
moms with a Facebook app that has • Develop a brand, messaging
been used to honor more than 30,000 and communications strategy
moms and counting. There is also a that aligns core values:
charitable component where the Connect your corporate values
company commits to helping moms with the values of your
raise the next generation of athletes sponsorship partner.
through the creation of its P&G/Team
USA Youth Sports Fund. Consumers are • Relate to your audience and
invited to support through social connect emotionally:
engagement, donations and participation Sponsorships should be treated
in brand programs from products such as general campaigns with
as Pampers®, Tide® and Gillette®.
creative platforms that resonate
Through its sponsorship of the Olympic with your core audience to
and Paralympic Games, P&G has been ensure your partnerships matter
faithful to its brand promise of to them.
supporting the work and promoting • Be consistent and integrate:
respect of mothers everywhere. That’s
because it: For maximum impact, integrate
one core message across all
• cohesively connects to your consumer touch points to
allow your message to break
target audiences, through and be memorable.
• aligns its products, Explore multiple channels from
retail, online, social, public and
• and integrates the Olympic community relations.
message with authenticity
and eloquence.
View on CommPRO
The seamless implementation inspires Michelle Adelson is
the audience to root for moms and for Chief Brand Officer at
the awe-inspiring Olympiads we’ll watch. Santa Monica-based
We feel that much more connected with integrated marketing
P&G’s brands for the goodwill and communications agency
making our lives that much easier. The Phelps Group
Tips for Leveraging Your Sponsorship:
31

35. What
Teaches Business
How to Find Your Brand Story
By Laurence Vincent, Director of The remember watching the second World
Brand Studio, UTA, Author, “Brand Real” Trade Center tower fall on the television
and “Legendary Brands” newscasts of 9/11. Nearly everyone
raised a hand. Yet, Dr. Fraser pointed out
I am cursed with a career-limiting visual that our memory never happened.
impairment. It’s called eye rolling. Lately, People will tell you they can remember
this malady has embarrassed me where they were standing and what they
whenever someone tells me they help were doing when that terrifying footage
brands tell stories. When the phrase appeared on their televisions moments
“we’re in the brand storytelling business” after the first tower fell. The fact of the
rolls off their tongue, my eyes roll away matter is that footage of the second
to the corner of the room. tower falling wasn’t broadcast on any
television network for nearly 24 hours.
Curiously, I do believe that brands tell
stories. I just think most people who talk The mental magic that compels us to
about brand storytelling don’t know what layer familiar personality traits onto a
it means. The simple fact is that story is total stranger or remember things that
how consumers connect brands to their didn’t happen in our personal history is
lives. If your eyes are rolling right now, the same machinery that empowers
let me explain. brands to tell stories. A brand tells a
story by providing an archetype of a
Our brain is a strikingly effective character we feel we know, and
computing device that works hard to providing experiential cues that push our
help us understand our world by narrative minds to complete the story.
artificially closing gaps in our
knowledge. When information is missing, There are nearly always three stories
it makes a best guess. The guesses cued by a brand:
create linear order that allows us to
follow the story. Expert witness Dr. Scott Brand Story 1:
Fraser illustrated this phenomenon in a The Origin Story
2012 TEDxUSC speech when he asked The first story cued by a brand is a
how many people in the audience could pseudo-historical story of the brand
33

36. itself. This is the story of record—the about the brand they inevitably construct
origin of the brand, it’s recent behavior a story that borrows from the larger
(i.e., new product introductions or narrative genre of chocolate. They speak
newsworthy events) and its reputation. of indulgence, decadence, sweets,
Mention Hewlett-Packard in Silicon passions and romance. Godiva has
Valley and tech nerds will play back the positioned itself to tell the story of its
origin story of inventors in a garage. competitive field.
They will recount the controversies of
the brand’s recent history. The story of But the category story can also be used
record is backward looking, and it’s not as a fulcrum. Sometimes, a brand
always accurate—but it’s a story, and it deliberately plays against the
often resonates with audiences because conventions of its category. For
of our fondness for nostalgia. example, Virgin America rarely tells the
conventional story of airline travel. It
Action item: Ask yourself if instead frames its story in the vernacular
of club culture. Every cue leads you to
someone were to tell the recall the story of a sexy disco. You are
history of your brand, what greeted with house music, mood
lighting, premium amenities and sexy
would it be and who are flight crews. Each cue sets expectations
the pivotal characters and based on a story in another category—
plot points? What feelings which constructs a differentiated story
for the Virgin America brand.
does it evoke?
Brand Story 2: Action item: Ask yourself if
The Category Story your customers engaged in
The second story is the story of the a conversation with others
brand’s category. For example, it’s hard
to think about Godiva without thinking about your brand category,
about chocolate. This strong association what genre of stories
with the story of the category has would they tell? What role
allowed Godiva to extend into adjacent
categories such as spirits. Despite its would your brand play in
poetic references to the naked lady on the narrative, if it appears
the horse, when you talk to consumers
at all?
34

37. they embody deep-rooted beliefs and
Brand Story 3: foundational values.
The Consumer Story
Some years ago, I interviewed a woman
The third story is the story of the who described her loyalty to a fashion
consumer. Many psychologists use brand. She said the clothes made her
narrative therapy to re-script a patient’s feel she was getting closer to the person
life. It works because each of us live in she wants to be, using words like
what author Neal Gabler refers to as The “successful,” “sophisticated” and
Life Movie. Our life story is unfolding “smart.” She had connected with the
every minute—some of us have multiple brand when she was in college, but
life stories. These include our own couldn’t afford to buy it often. As she
history, but they also include our progressed in her career, she made a
possible self—the person we hope to be. habit of occasionally splurging to buy
Most of us think of the future when we clothes from this label. The act of
think of our self-concept, and a majority purchasing, wearing and saving up for
of us envision a positive outcome. We the next cycle (or paying off the last
aspire to be someone and that aspiration cycle) were all part of her story. The
is wrapped up in a fictional story that we brand was an extension of her identity,
hope to make very real. To keep that and it was a symbol of the person she
story from fleeting, we seek cues from aspired to be.
life that we’re on our way. Not
surprisingly, brands are often involved. Action item: Ask yourself if
When a woman slips into a pair of
you were to psychoanalyze
Christian Louboutin heels, she has cued your best customer, how
up a story about herself. The same can would your brand factor
be said of the scientist who insists upon
using Molecular Probes in his into their life story?
groundbreaking research. The brands
are linked to a part of a personal identity Brand Story 4:
—a story about who that person is and The Community Story
what they value. Those brands
sometimes cue a story that we might There’s a fourth story that’s becoming
consider to be rather shallow and much more relevant. In 2004, James
socially conspicuous, but just as often Twitchell wrote a humorous and
35

38. insightful piece for the Journal of
Consumer Research entitled “An English Action item: Ask yourself if
Teacher Looks at Branding.”
there is a community
Twitchell opens with a story from his around your brand? If so,
college teaching experience, and his what’s the story that
horror at how students linked their
knowledge of brands to missing lines connects that community?
from nineteenth century poetry. He How does the community
surmised that “brand stories have
become modern sagas,” a collective contribute and share the
understanding rooted in a story that story?
“picks up and discards subplots and
characters as it is being continually problems of such a culture (clearly, it is
reformed for new audiences.” wasteful and intellectually shallow for
starters), but it may prove to be more fair
Just a few years after this piece was and democratic that what has come
published, social media exploded and before.”
the never-ending brand epic found a
new channel in which to morph and Why It Matters: Show, Don’t Tell
connect with audiences who, in turn,
evolve the narrative yet again. Last year, McCann Worldgroup released
“The Truth About Youth,” a fascinating
Brand narratives are an epidemic cultural study of more than 7,000 young people
currency—a shorthand that represents around the world. This new generation of
attitudes, beliefs and values of consumers value community, justice,
communities of people. and authenticity above all else. They
crave “brands of substance” that are
Twitchell notes that, “The ability to enter wrapped in a meaningful story. Most
these communities depends not on important, they want their brands to be
lucky birth, skin color, religious affiliation, credible. If they aren’t, 90% of those
or a host of other attributes usually surveyed said they would make a point
installed at birth but a desire to consume of telling friends about “unjust” behavior
both objects and their fictions.” He from a brand.
closes with a warning and a ray of hope:
“I have glossed over the obvious This finding alone takes me back to my
36

39. eye-rolling disorder and leads me to the
most important lesson of brand
storytelling: Brands are natural
storytelling devices, and brand
managers can bring the brand story to
life by serving up cues that tease the
story out in the consumer’s head.
However, the story must always be one
of truth, not fiction. Suggest a story
that’s pure fiction in order to mislead
consumers, and I guarantee your
success will be short-lived.
Some brands may extend their
storytelling prowess into motion
pictures, television and immersive online
experiences. These can be brilliant
channels for the brand’s story to take
center stage.
But even these stories must be based on
a foundation of credibility. It has to
connect with what the consumer values
and what the brand actually stands for. A best advice that has been doled out to
brand exists to set an expectation. It storytellers everywhere for centuries:
gains value when experiences with the Show, don’t tell.
brand meet or exceed this expectation.
The degree to which any brand can View on CommPRO
become a rock star storyteller will vary,
but the story roots of every brand are Larry Vincent heads The
endowed from the moment of creation Brand Studio at United
and brought to life through actions, not Talent Agency. He is
showmanship. author of “Brand Real.”
See his presentation
Ultimately, the best way to make that titled “On the Subject of
story known is to follow the oldest and Brand Narrative” here.
37

40. Social Media Optimization:
The Cocktail Party Analogy
Aligning Your Brand with Relevant or Popular Conversations
By Jeff Herzog, CEO & Founder, ZOG decide that
Digital TM social media
really “isn’t for
Social media is evolving and Social us” or that it's not
Media Optimization (SMO) is becoming a the right time to
new business requirement. This process allocate more budget
to improve the effectiveness and to social media.
visibility of online content ensures your
brand is visible when prospects are When in Doubt, Take a Cue
interested in your product or service. from a Cocktail Party
By optimizing for technical and strategic Success in social media is similar
components for networks, content, to succeeding at a cocktail party. If
images and video, brands see increased you sit around yammering about
traffic referrals from social networks, yourself, anyone unfortunate enough to
higher engagement and are able to enter your sphere of influence will make
obtain valuable consumer data in the a polite exit. However, if you look nice,
process. A large part of SMO is aligning listen intently to others and then steer
your brand with relevant or popular the conversation to what others are
conversations online; essentially, the interested in, you’ll likely be a hit. The
goal is to be the conversational hit of the logic behind social media optimization is
proverbial cocktail party. very similar to the latter.
Where Do Brands Go Wrong? In social, a brand’s audience is
interested in discussing themselves and
Today, most brands suffer from what we topics of interest to them. Most
call the “me syndrome”—devoting much consumers aren't interested in company
of their online content to talking about changes that do not directly affect them.
the intricacies of their own business. The
more time brands spend doing this, the It’s Not About “Me, Me, Me”
easier it is to lose perspective on the
content that will be successful. When A big part of SMO is
this happens, brands fall into the “me understanding who your
syndrome” trap. They often come across customer is, and then
as flat on social media platforms, then aligning your brand
38

41. conversation in such a way that it adds —gas prices—and recommended that
value to what they care about. Shifting we create content around that topic. To
your outreach approach to a more accomplish this goal, we created
consumer-centric perspective is the first content in the form of a widget, which
foundational step to begin to credibly was designed so that it could spread
speak in the social environment. organically. This widget allowed
This allows your consumers to see the least expensive
message to be gas prices in their area.
heard and
embraced. The content is designed for an individual
in a brand’s prospect demographic to
If you’re derive value from it, and perhaps even
reading this as share it or forward it to a friend. This
a dominant aligns the brand to say, “We know you’re
consumer packaged concerned about gas prices, we are
good (CPG) brand like listening to you, and want to help ease
Coca-Cola, or as a famous the burden on your pocketbook, by
celebrity like Lady Gaga, then creating content you may find useful.”
chances are you're probably not
going to need SMO to increase and The more value a brand can add and
engage your fan base, because your show they’re listening, the more likely a
fans are likely already brand fanatics. consumer will want to do business with
But if you’re like the other 98% of that brand. Conversations begin
brands in the space, working to be relationships—and relationships grow
heard, or are a “lower involvement” business.
company, then chances are you are
looking to increase these success Cocktail Talk
metrics. As a Facebook user, how often
do you “like” (and also want others to There are several other simple ways to
know you’ve liked) your utility company align your brand with popular online
or your favorite brand of dish soap? conversations. They require the ability to
sift through libraries of social data to
Build Simple Tools to Allow better understand the online behaviors
Consumers to Interact with Topics of and preferences of your demographic.
Interest Again, this is like a cocktail party: While
all participants have a central connector,
We were tasked to align an auto there will always be many sub-groups or
insurance client with popular conversations at each party.
content topics to increase
their popularity in social This knowledge allows brands to
media. To do this, we leverage content in two ways:
identified a trending theme
39

42. • identifying conversations that are a sharing, in line with popular
natural fit for your brand; and conversations, and still created to be
• identifying ways to insert your relevant for the brand. Companies that
brand into popular or timely utilize these themes, even those in “low-
conversations. involvement industries,” will be able to
see vast increases in keyword ranking,
In the case of identifying conversations social post engagement, qualified traffic,
that are a natural fit for your brand, it’s and social impressions.
likely that a cable company, for example,
will want to talk about new shows, The beauty of the SMO cocktail
season premiers, and newly released party strategy, when done
movies or programming available “on correctly, is that
demand.” These topics are both brands can be
relevant, as well as a logical way for a the hit
“lower involvement” brand to insert of
themselves into conversational topics. the
party,
When looking to leverage popular or making
timely conversations, a brand must have new
the ability to act quickly to capitalize on friends
these opportunities. Examples of this (qualified
are: potential
customers), and
• producing content around trending establishing
online topics or news (on social themselves in new
platforms or news outlets); or circles (to gain
• producing trendy content, additional visibility).
including photo and video memes.
These topics, trends and memes
might not be central to your core View on CommPRO
content themes, but they do allow
you to insert your brand into Jeffrey
popular conversations, that in-turn Herzog is
increase your exposure to new CEO of
audiences and send traffic to your ZOG Digital
TM, a
brand by driving additional
visibility. search &
social
marketing technology
Quantify the Results company in Scottsdale, AZ.
These content themes are created in
such a way that makes them ripe for
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44. 5Myths Exposed
Brand-Busting
By Joellyn “Joey” Sargent, Principal,
BrandSprout LLC
W
With business moving at an ever-
accelerating pace, branding is both a hot
topic and a moving target. In spite of the
required to find the intersection where a
brand comes to life.
buzz, not all “conventional wisdom” is Myth 2: Branding Is
accurate. Let’s debunk some major
myths about branding to clear the way Expensive
for a more focused and fruitful approach Looking at the huge brand advertising
to branding your business: investments of companies like Coca
Cola, Visa and Ford, I can understand
why many think branding is expensive.
Myth 1: A Brand Is a Promise The truth is, it doesn’t take millions to
While a brand promise—the essence of build a brand. Even the largest brands
what a company offers its customers—is started small. Unrelenting dedication to
an important element of brand strategy, branding helped them
the idea that a brand is a promise falls grow. Their big budgets
short. Promises get broken, forgotten are a result of
and sometimes are made without any successful branding,
intention of being kept. That’s hardly the not a catalyst for it.
kind of relationship you want with your The real price of a
customers. strong brand is not
Instead, a brand is an intersection. It’s monetary. It’s a
the point where brand promise meets commitment
customer permission, where perception to invest
meets reality. The nexus depends as more than
much on your customer’s willingness to
buy into your brand message as it does
on your carefully crafted brand vision. A
brand does not become great on its
cash.
own. Stakeholders all need to accept the
brand promise. Dialog and agreement is
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45. Companies that create strong brands understanding what makes your brand
focus time and energy on: unique, what customers expect, what
• Understanding customers and value you offer and how it’s delivered.
markets Design follows strategy, communicating
• Delivering brand value in every brand attributes and messages that have
interaction been established through a thorough
process of evaluation and discovery. A
• Consistently reinforcing brand cohesive brand image helps express a
messages company’s positioning, establishing a
• Embodying the brand in all aspects of framework for aspirational themes
the business associated with its value proposition.
How you interact with customers and
employees, the products you offer and
how you deliver services are critical Myth 4: Rebranding Fixes
strategic decisions. Integrate these Everything
elements into your business and you will
I’ve been involved in a lot of rebranding
establish a firm foundation for your
projects over the years, and it’s
brand before you spend a dime on
interesting to see the reasons
advertising.
companies cite for making a change.
Often, rebranding is seen as a quick fix
for larger business issues. It’s not.
Myth 3: A Logo Is a Brand
Rebranding signals change within a
As the most visible element of a brand business, but it doesn’t create change.
platform, a logo represents but it is not
the brand. Logos and brand identity are Organizational evolution must always
important because imagery can invoke come first or the rebranding effort will fail
an immediate visceral response, creating for lack of substance.
a strong connection with customers. The time to rebrand is when your
While a consistent and appealing “look organization has adopted fresh ways of
and feel” can cement brand awareness, thinking. Changes such as an updated
logo design is only a piece of the business model, entering new markets
branding process. and dramatically improved product
Before you start designing offerings are fundamental shifts that
logos, sites, packaging, ads logically lead to a brand makeover.
or point of sale displays, Resist the temptation to rebrand
remember these things because sales are down or competition
are all just ways of is heating up. Rebrand when your
illustrating what your response to these challenges requires
brand stands for. Creating you to show the market that your
a brand image first requires
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46. company has changed and your brand is In response, companies must connect
evolving in a positive way. with customers, listening and
responding in new ways. Successful
branding cultivates relationships built on
Myth 5: We Control Our Brand influence and authenticity, using brand
advocates for social proof and
The days when businesses controlled responding to issues that might have
their brands are over. been ignored in the past.
Organizations used to unilaterally define The social voice can be powerful,
their brand messages and dictating making brands accountable for
where those messages appeared. unpopular policies and poor decisions.
Customers shared brand experiences, At the same time, passion for small
but companies essentially controlled the brands can turn into a groundswell of
message. support, catapulting new businesses to
Technology—and social media—turned the forefront of their industries.
the tables, giving power to the people In this environment, companies must
and making brands more dynamic than accept that the era of control has
ever before. Customers can be vocal evolved into a tide of influence. Mold
advocates or detractors of a brand, customer perceptions by carefully
manipulating messages and shaping shaping brand messages and actively
brand perceptions on their own. managing things you can control, such
as how your company interacts with
customers and the way in which you
respond to problems.
Your brand has a life of its own. It will
grow and change over time as the
market shows you what resonates with
customers and what does not.
Embrace this feedback, using these
signals to continually improve the
essence of your brand.
View on CommPRO
Joellyn Sargent is
principal of BrandSprout
LLC, a consulting firm
that turns daunting
business challenges into
success stories.
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48. Brand
How to Master
the Science
Beneath the Art
By Mark Weiner, CEO, PRIME Research
A common misconception is that branding is a purely creative endeavor based on
clever phrasing, brilliant visuals and edgy disruptive execution. While creativity
certainly plays an important part, successful branding is as much science as art; and
the required science—which can be called “brand engineering”—actually enhances
the creative process by focusing resources on those branding opportunities with the
highest potential.
Brand engineering is a systematic, target audience–based process of developing
brand, issue, or corporate positioning based on research. Here’s how to get started:
Brand Engineering: Questions You Must Answer
The science of branding requires a systematic process by which brand marketers
augment the creative process. The optimal branding strategy-development process
must enable the marketer to reach the following decisions:
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