From the desk of Michael Doyle: 

If you hadn’t noticed campaign season is kicking in, which means it’s time for political advertising and marketing to get started. It is fascinating to pay attention and observe how candidates “brand and package” themselves. In many cases, the branding and packaging efforts are lack luster. Politicians produce contradictory and convoluted messages that are lost in translation when they attempt to convey them to the average voter. However, one candidate has taken a different approach. Herman Cain had been branding himself brilliantly, until his recent sexual harassment accusation, and has jumped from an obscure fringe candidate to a GOP front runner because of his efforts. In this blog, we will not focus on his recent sex scandal and instead focus on the power of his simplified message and brand prior to the accusation.

With a crowded field of GOP presidential candidates, the only way to get noticed is to come up with something different, unique and easy for voters to put their arms around. Step up a former businessman who understands the power of branding and packaging. Yes, he probably learned a trick or two from his pizza days, but the old “KISS” adage sure applies here, “Keep It Simple Stupid”. Cain and his team came up with this simple and easy-to-understand 9-9-9 Tax Plan to jump start our economy.

The 9-9-9 plan, since its debut, has generated significant buzz. Every other GOP candidate and President Obama are all talking about his simple tax plan. So much talk and notoriety in fact that Cain has vaulted himself from the fringe to the front of the class.

A common criticism of this plan is that running the country isn’t like running a pizza company. But the thing that Cain understands that all the other candidates don’t is that it takes effective branding and packaging to succeed in today’s challenging business and political environment. Those that are able to clearly and concisely communicate why they or their plan is different, unique and better, will appeal to those looking for an answer. Despite your political views, Herman Cain is setting precedent for all politicians to place high emphasis on how they brand and package their message so that people can clearly grasp it and make decisions based on it.

- Michael Doyle

Arguably the best Brand Champion that ever lived

“It’s not the consumer’s job to know what they want,” one of the greatest Steve Jobs quotes of all time. How would a consumer know that they want a device that they have never fathomed existing before such as a gadget smaller than a checkbook that can hold over 2,000 songs, or a revolutionary touch screen phone with a widescreen iPod and irreplicable web accessibility, or a touchable “pad” smaller than a piece of paper than can email, surf the web, and watch movies. This is what Steve Jobs did best, envisioned and created consumer desire where there was none. Jobs created a cult following in his products by shaping his brand perception so precisely. A true Mac follower wants the new Apple product even before they know what it is. 30 million iPads, 100 million iPhones, and 300 million iPods were not sold solely because they were great products (though they are), they were sold because of the ethos of the Apple brand that people identify so strongly with. The ethos of Apple is where Steve Jobs’ genius really shined.

When we think back to the most memorable commercials of all time, we think of Britney Spears and Pepsi, “Can you hear me know” from Verizon, Budweiser frogs, and of course the 1984 Apple Commercial. The 1984 commercial started the Apple ethos that PC users were mindless drones slaving to Big Brother, and everyone unique, hip, and passionate were clearly Apple. We have seen this idea in almost every Apple marketing campaign since 1984, including the “10^th funniest commercial of all time”- Apple’s Stuffed (pictured left), where streamlined Josh Long in jeans and t-shirt embodies Mac and the “stuffed” man in a suit waddling around represents PC. Mac is perceived as the computer of the youth, which is most evident on college campuses (shown below).

Steve Jobs was on the forefront of forming and constantly maintaining this perception of Apple. Jobs personified the mac image in himself. When Apple would announce the release of a new product, Jobs would be there presenting it and championing the brand in his jeans and black turtleneck. He personally stood behind and promoted every single product Apple touched, how many CEO’s can you say that about? This dedication to the business and brand is what made Jobs one of the most well known executives of all time.

World Wide Papas (WWP) is the exclusive area developer of Papa  John’s restaurants in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region of Russia.  Founders, Darrin Stock (left) and Gary Hamilton (right), created this company on the basis that history is bound to repeat itself. This history being the idea that Russian markets are experiencing a boom in the quick-casual dining market, similar to the boom the US experienced in this industry in the ‘70s. Their idea is to provide the highest-quality pizza product and dining experience to consumers in one of the largest European markets. This concept could not have taken flight without the work of dedicated Brand Champions. Brand Champions are people who live for their brand, set their company up for success, and set good examples for brand ambassadors. In the case of this effort to bring progression to a non-westernized marketplace, Darrin Stock and Gary Hamilton have emerged as clear champions for the World Wide Papa’s brand.

Hamilton and Stock realized during the inception of WWP that having a strong parent brand of Papa John’s in the states was not necessarily going to translate into having a strong brand in Russia. Realizing this was key to the success of WWP, Hamilton and Stock worked with Brand Iron to create a unified brand that could be identified and communicated throughout the US and foreign markets. Brand Iron worked with WWP on corporate design to develop a logo (shown left) that would resonate with the parent brand while still introducing a visual image unique to WWP.

Extending this brand was critical in developing everything from the investor presentation to the PR pieces to promote the Initial Public Offering. Hamilton and Stock worked with Brand Iron to develop a strategy to communicate a compelling brand story to attract the bridge funding to strengthen all aspects of the Company and prepare for a listing of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. WWP embraced the concept that branding is more than a snappy logo, and can actually affect your ability to attract customers, generate profit, and expand your presence in the marketplace.

With this Branding and Investor Communications campaign, Brand Iron was able to assist Hamilton and Stock in reaching the right investor audience to attract more than €14 million EURO in capital – a critical component to preparing the Company for the listing on the FSE and fueling expansion plans to grow to 40+ restaurants in the Russian region. Throughout the process of bringing Papa John’s to Russia, Stock and Hamilton encountered numerous hardships. First, they had to overcome the hurdle of being headquartered in the US while having business operations in Russia. Also, they continue to work in the Russian market, which is  vastly behind the US market in terms of fast-food. Additionally, having very low brand recognition for the parent brand in Russia compared to the US was an obstacle Stock and Hamilton wrangled. Overcoming these hurdles, is another contributing factor to what has made Hamilton and Stock stand out as supreme Brand Champions for their company.

We hope that Gary Hamilton and Darrin Stock can serve as strong examples of Brand Champions.The top companies in every industry have people that truly RIDE for their brand. Brand Champions stop their company from running in the middle of the herd and take charge, leading their company to differentiate itself from the rest of the saturated market. Brand Champions are individuals within an organization who lead the charge to separate their brand from the competitor. These two men have taken an idea to a foreign market and transformed it into a hugely sucessful company by living for their brand. They have obtained real results from developing a brand promise that people could get their arms around, and they consistently deliver on that promise by creating a great brand experience.

How to Cheat Your Sales Numbers and Increase Your Odds of Success

As a branding agency, we think of branding and marketing as a way to support sales and drive revenue. By thoroughly understanding your company’s revenue goals, you can learn how to work backwards to “cheat your sales numbers” and make sure your efforts are going to produce the desired results. The more you know how to cheat your numbers, the more you increase your odds of getting new business. Here are eight ideas you should apply to your business to increase your odds of success:

1)     Know your numbers

Know just how much marketing and sales activity you need to have in your pipeline in order for you to obtain your forecasted revenue goals and objectives. Understand and know your close ratio and how that affects your numbers.

2)     Have a large pool of prospects in the database

Most companies don’t understand that marketing and sales is a numbers game, it takes a large pool of quality suspects and prospects in the database to make the numbers work in your favor. So to cheat your numbers and reach your sales/revenue goals, you must have a big pool of prospects that you consistently stay in touch with.

3)     Use a CRM tool/database

It is consistently baffling that there are a number of companies that don’t have enough suspects and prospects to call upon to get the results they are aiming for.  Even more surprising is the number of companies that do not utilize a true Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool. A CRM system can help manage the client information and provide help and real-time information on how you’re tracking against those numbers. Many companies are still relying on an outdated excel sheet to “manage” their clients, when using a CRM tool is far more effective.

4)     Regularly reach out and touch prospects

They say most sales people give up after 3-4 touches, which sounds about right; yet they say it takes 7-12 touches in order for a prospect to get to know your company and make a purchasing decision. Make sure you are a company that makes enough touches to get them in your store.

5)     Use strategic partners to help build relationships

One of the most effective things companies can do is to tap into strategic partners for referrals and co-market each other’s products or services to both customer bases. Utilizing a key contact for leverage and an introduction is priceless and often can be one of the most effective things companies can do to shorten the sales cycle. Get a quality referral, and stretch your marketing efforts.

6)     Identify your unique position and own your space

It is critical to not only be different, but also have strong value points spelled out clearly and concisely. These value points need to verbalize why you are better and what differentiates your company, making you the clear choice and the only real option available.

7)     Utilize a strong call to action

In order to help get the response you need for your marketing, advertising and sales efforts, make sure you have a strong call to action. To do this, utilize an impending date or deadline that a special offer expires, a value add that they can only get for a limited amount of time, or an added incentive or bonus to sweeten the deal if you act now.

8)     Reevaluate and refine your efforts

To ensure you’re going to reach your goals, you need to consistently evaluate whether your efforts are producing the desired results. If they aren’t, you will need to make adjustments, tweak your offer, or find other strategic partners that understand the benefits of a reciprocal partner relationship.

Cheating your sales numbers is like adjusting the carburetor on your car, a little fine tuning is sometimes required to have a smooth running engine. Once you get the engine running just the way you want it, you can blow the doors off your competitors.

Michael Doyle

CEO of Brand Iron

Brand Champions are leaders inside a company who “champion” the business cause, pushing their company to be the very best they can be and reach their goals and objectives. The things we at Brand Iron look for in Brand Champions are: someone who demonstrates leadership and inspires others to ride for the brand, someone who is creative and entrepreneurial as well as being a visionary, someone who is results oriented and successful, someone who is separate from the heard, owns their own space and clearly communicates why they are the best.

Though we have worked with hundreds of Brand Champions during our lifespan as a branding agency, recently David Puchi has stood out as someone who lives for his brand, is setting his company up for success, and is setting a good example for his brand ambassadors. David Puchi, a managing partner at Baseline Investments, has successfully lead Baceline to be nationally recognized as the “No Debt, All Cash” experts. David has been an invaluable asset to his company by not only raising millions in capital to fund Baceline’s investment activities but also by staying committed to drive his company to their full potential. By recognizing the importance of Brand Iron’s concept of holistic branding, David was able to work with us to embrace the integrated marketing strategy. David led Baceline to utilize Logo Design, Investor Presentations, Sales Materials, Public Relations, Trade Show Marketing, Direct and Email Marketing and Print Advertising.           

Living the Baceline brand has allowed David to successfully reposition Baceline Investments during tough economic times. By working with Brand Iron to develop a business plan and investor presentations (shown right), David has truly been able to “champion” his brand and forge ahead. David recognized that his brand must show through in every medium from advertising and public relations to the branding and packaging of Baceline’s investment funds.

 David was able to put together messages for Baceline’s print advertisements that really resonated with his target market (shown right). He created a brand identity that was used to package each of Baceline’s Funds -No Debt Real Estate Investment Funds, the Heartland Funds, and the Distressed Real Estate and Debt Opportunities Fund.    Baceline Investments was able to successfully reposition itself to attract investors. By attracting quality investors, acquisition opportunities increased and Baceline achieved national awareness by raising $140M in assets within five years.

The “I love New York” logo is an iconic symbol, displayed on coffee mugs, t-shirts, and everything in between. You may look at it and think, it’s so simple, anyone could have come up with that. Or you may look at it and realize what pure genius might be behind it. Either way, what’s most interesting to me is that the logo wasn’t intentionally created to become a symbol of the city, it was originally meant to serve as an advertising piece for a brief amount of time and then fade away.

So who invented it? I Heart NY was designed by graphic designer Milton Glaser in 1975 when he was recruited by New York State Department of Commerce Deputy Commissioner to develop a unique but attractive design based on the marketing campaign conceptualized by Wells Rich Greene. Glaser expected that the logo would be used for a brief stint as it was meant to be introduced to the public for a couple of months. “I did the bloody thing in 1975, and I thought it would last a couple of months as a promotion and disappear,” said Glaser in a 2009 interview for Big Think.

Now the logo hangs on shop walls, in coffee shops, and goes home with hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists every year. Its timeless simplistic design might be one reason for its longevity.  But one thing’s for sure, it’s become an iconic image of one of the world’s most famous cities. Although it has changed slightly over time, the basic elements still exist today.

Read more details about the design here: http://www.whoinventedit.net/who-invented-i-heart-ny.html

America needs a Brand Champion

It’s July – we just had our Independence Day and we have been in a recession for years. Millions of people are and have been out of work. We are facing a debt and budget crisis. Our political parties seem to just be jockeying for positioning instead of getting real things accomplished. The people of America want and a need a Brand Champion.

Brand Champions don’t come up with catchy slogans or cool-looking logos. No, they understand that real results come from developing a brand promise that people can get their arms around, and they deliver on that promise by creating a great brand experience, consistently.

America is just like any other business or organization that needs a leader to take charge. Who will define what an organization wants to get accomplished, craft and create how that is going to happen, and execute that on a consistent basis. We need someone – anyone – within our government to step up and be our Brand Champion, and act as a leader who builds consensus and builds bridges. We need someone who has not just an idea or an agenda, but a real action plan. Someone who has tactics that will help us as a country overcome our problems, (debt and budget) and put people back to work. This requires a Brand Champion that all people, not just one party or the next, but all people can believe in, stand behind, support and have faith in.

Like other brands our Brand Champion has to be real, in that he can connect with his constituency with real ideas. He must use tactics that will show signs that we are making real progress. He can’t be all hat and no cattle, he has to deliver the goods and produce economic stability that helps businesses and the markets buy into his plan. This plan needs to work and signal stability, and with that stability, businesses can start to hire again: bringing down the unemployment rate, stabilizing the housing market, and generating cash into the marketplace.

America and I need a Brand Champion that we can believe in, whoever this Brand Champion is will probably get elected or re-elected this coming year. Whether that Champion is our current president or someone else, I pray that this Brand Champion stands up soon and leads the charge to a real plan that produces results, because that is what real Brand Champions do. They deliver real results through their leadership, consensus building and ability to get things done and execute.

Will our America’s  next Brand Champion please stand up, NOW?

This week the retail giant Old Navy launches its first campaign specifically targeting men. While previous ads have featured men’s clothing through a broad family advertising appeal, they are trying a new tactic speaking directly to the 25- to 35-year-old male target.

Adage reports that the new campaign “pokes fun at men’s fashion with “Supar Tool,” an overly metrosexual man and “Corporado,” a corporate cowboy type.” The campaign introduces the characters through videos to be distributed on YouTube and Facebook, while print ads will run in publications including Maxim. Mobile elements will include a game, style-finder, video gallery, store locator and coupons. http://adage.com/article/news/navy-targets-campaign-men/228051/

You may also recall recently a predominantly female driven advertising push for weight-loss turned to males during NBA and NHL playoffs with Weight Watchers unveiling its male targeted campaign featuring the “Beer Cheat Sheet”. It’s commercials about weight loss come about as the company claims to have seen a dramatic spike in male interest.

And about a year ago we posted this blog http://www.brandiron.net/what-gets-your-attention on the Dockers ad targeting “real men” who “wear the pants.”

So why the big push for male targeted advertising? According to Adage “The timing for a men’s apparel push is right.” According to NPD, the men’s apparel market was up 3.3% in 2010, ahead of the overall apparel category, which was up 1.9%. And for the three months ending in February, the men’s apparel category was up 12% compared to the same period a year ago.

Do you think about your value proposition and how it is helping your business?  According to a recent survey by Marketing Experiments only 10% of businesses are considered to have a strong, unique value proposition and an overwhelming 30% have no real value proposition.

Considering how important value propositions are in every process of business plans and branding this is startling and makes us wonder how you can set yourself apart and captivate your audience.

Paul Cheney, a blogger for Marketingsherpa Blog offers some important advice on these issues and how to distinguish yourself among competition.  He notes how in the movie “Elf,” Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, believes a storefront sign boasting “The World’s Best Cup of Coffee.” We as consumers know not to believe such a claim so, the issue many companies are faced with is creating a value prop that is believable and different from competitors.

Cheney says that a value prop will not be determined it is discovered. This involves a certain shift in thinking and can be created with the implementation of these steps.

1.)    Why buy from you over your competitor?

2.)    Compare what you are saying with what your competitor is saying, if your competitor can say the same thing about their products and business without lying then you do not have a strong value proposition.

3.)    Your value proposition must be instantly credible, use a statistic with as much specific information as possible.

4.)    You need to be able to test your value proposition by making it visible in every step of your sales process.

Check out the full article below…

http://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/marketing-optimization-value-proposition/#comments

I want to introduce you to the Brand Champion’s blog.  Over my 20-year marketing and branding career, I have realized that successful companies and brands succeed because they have a Brand Champion — someone who “champions” the business cause — pushing them to be the very best they can be, ultimately reaching their goals and objectives.

Branding isn’t only about logos, websites or looking cool.  No, it’s about real business results.  I have worked with hundreds of clients over the years and one thing stays consistent:  the top brands have a leader who is committed to driving the company to be the best, being the best, and owning the space in which you do business in.  They also identify and bring on the best people that produce the best results.  I call these leaders Brand Champions.

You don’t have to be the CEO to be a Brand Champion.  You just have to be committed and willing to kick ass and produce real results.  In this blog I will periodically introduce you to all kinds of Brand Champions – those who live for their brand, set the company up for success, and set good examples for brand ambassadors — individuals within the organization who may someday represent the brand and be a Brand Champion.

If you have a Brand Champion within your company that should be recognized for their efforts, let us know and we’ll highlight them.