As it officially becomes summer and the swimsuit suit season arrives, let’s look at a rebirth of a classic surf brand icon.

To begin, I must explain a little about my background. I grew up about a mile from the beach in Carlsbad, California. As far back as I can remember, we would ride our bikes down to the beach and spend the days of summer soaking up rays (pre-sunscreen days), catching waves, playing beach volleyball, tossing the Frisbee around and yes, girl-watching. I was a surf rat. I worked at a surf shop in Oceanside, California which was then called Hobie Oceanside, and has since been renamed Surfride. I grew up on brands such as O’Neil, Gotcha, Quicksilver, O.P. and Reef. My first job out of college was as a rep for several of these companies.

As a rep I learned early on that many of these brands were using sex to sell their products. Beautiful women in bikinis became a central feature of surf posters displayed in stores and on surfer boys’ walls. It had become a way for companies to make a name for their brand and to sell their product, and one of these famous surf companies did just that to stand out from the rest. Reef designed a marketing campaign that would change the face of “bikini girl marketing,” putting their models in tiny thong bikinis which they coined the “Reef Girl.” And what do you know; the idea of women in thongs was so outrageous that literally overnight this little flip-flop company became a world-wide brand. It catapulted them and their brand above the rest. From posters to calendars to bikini contests, Reef girls became the signature of the Reef brand.

After years of success in the surf company industry and wide spread popularity of the Reef brand they felt that Reef could survive without the marketing ploy of the
Reef Girl contest, and were confident that the Reef brand could stand on its own. Did they know they were cutting off their nose despite their face? The Reef Girls were such an important piece of the Reef brand, it had become their signature, and in a way it had become their brand. With the disappearance of the Reef Girls came the drop in sales for the company and Reefs marketing presence dissipated as other surf companies jumped at the opportunity to show off their own brands. Well, it wasn’t long before customers, dealers, and young boys came clamoring for their thong bikini babes to return on calendars, posters, and pictures on the website. And yes, for the Reef Girls and their bikini contests to return as well.

Following a two year hiatus, the Reef Girls returned. So is it coincidence? Could the brand and its products stand on their own without the wildly popular thong bikini stunt? Is it that the timing of repositioning their brand beyond a marketing stunt and the recession created a “perfect storm”? Is it because they listened to customers, dealers, and young boys around the world and relented to pressure? Or is it that this little marketing stunt which helped to propel their brand into a world wide recognizable one may have actually been a good idea in the first place?

Whatever the reason, they’re back and you can vote for your all-time favorite Miss Reef as well as enter to become a judge at the next Miss Reef bikini contest in Panama at http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/bikini-contest–win-reef-bikini-girl-trip_27263/. As for me, I am positive the return of the bikini thong girls will be driving tons and tons of traffic to their web site and creating quite a stir as well as helping to sell tons of flip flops. I’m also crossing my fingers that I win that contest!

by Michael Doyle, Brand Iron President

Every day we are reminded that we are in a recession…the countless news reports, articles and blogs remind us constantly about how to cut costs to assure survival during these tough economic times. As a struggling citizen of our latest societal problem, I couldn’t help but think “how did we get here?” In my lifetime as a working professional, I could never recall any economic times as tough as they are today. In fear that my generation may have to experience similar hardships as the Great Depression, I started to research more about how people (more specifically businesses) were able to prosper during that time. And what I started to discover was amidst all the negativity, we are forgetting what made some companies even more successful as a result of the Great Depression.

No doubt during “normal” economic conditions, companies wouldn’t dream about cutting their marketing budgets, so why should we stop now? In fact, since most companies are cutting their commercialization, wouldn’t now be the time to get your brand noticed while most of your competitors have gone silent? Additionally, wouldn’t you want your brand to be perceived as stronger than your competitors? Ironically the companies that advertised during the Great Depression became even more successful, once spending finally did increase. Their “staying power” actually gave the public a reason to be loyal to that brand and they came out on top while their competitors tried to gain lost ground. The common denominator among companies who persevered during the Great Depression: they did not decrease their ad spending. Therefore, those businesses who actually tried to save money and stop advertising, actually wasted the brand building dollars they had previously spent.

You could say I’m biased because I’m in marketing or perhaps that I’m overly optimistic, but with companies such as GE, Disney, HP and Microsoft all emerging out of recessions, perhaps we should all be reminded of the advertising and marketing history lessons of the past. What businesses fail to realize is, that even in recessions, people still spend money, they just look for better deals (and appreciate it more) when they do. Therefore saving money by cutting budgets in a down economy doesn’t automatically lead to successfully surviving a recession…especially if you’re not looking to stay top-of-mind of the consumer! 

Written by Rebecca Watry

“Branding, it’s not about the logo,” a topic that comes up frequently on The Stampede, and it is definitely true…but a strong logo is a key element in a successful brand. A lot of company’s update their identity frequently in order to refresh their position in the marketplace, most of the time this is motivated by the desire of change merely for the sake of change, this is not an effective way to establish brand equity. Brand equity is created by being consistent in company goals, values, operations and visual indicators such as a logo, website and other marketing pieces. It is no surprise that many of the top brands in the world have not changed their logo for decades, for example; Coca-Cola, IBM, Ford, GE. This is why the brand equity for these particular company’s are priceless…they established brand equity by being consistent with their identity.

This does not mean that a company should never change their corporate identity. Companies evolve over time and sometimes need a re-brand if their approach, or values change. Another ideal situation for a re-brand is if a start-up company compromised it’s marketing budget and created a logo using Microsoft word art, trust me this happens more often than not. If the start-up invested in it’s corporate identity at the beginning, they would not need to re-brand and potentially lose some of their brand equity.

A true corporate identity is based on an overall system approach that is a visual indicator for the company’s overall brand, which resonates their key messages and core values.  A brand is just not a logo…but a strong, consistent logo is necessary to build brand equity and recognition by consumers in the marketplace. You can make only one first impression and a strong logo is what your customers will see first when they experience your brand. Brand Iron will help your brand succeed with our holistic approach; most marketing companies stop at marketing, but Brand Iron believes that a strong brand is built through the sales, marketing and the operations processes of your company. Brand Iron will help your company establish strong brand equity; we  “forge brands, and drive revenue.”

By Andrew Hoffman, art director

I woke up the other day and was watching the news and I heard the newscasters talking about something called H1N1 and how it is spreading across the United States. My first thought was, “there another pandemic like virus in our country?” This new term caught my attention and I started to listen to what they were speaking about more closely. I quickly put two and two together and realized they were talking about “Swine Flu”.

So, why the new name? Right…

It turns out pig farmers of America have some media pull. Because of the uneducated general public’s fear for “Swine Flu” and the misconception you can get it from eating a pork product, people all but stopped buying pork products. The Swine Flu has been re-branded by name only to H1N1. I did look it up and it is a medical term for subtype form of influenza A better known as the “flu”. I still think H1N1 sounds just as scary.  Now I am not saying that H1N1 is something to not be worried about; it could still turn into a major pandemic.  I wanted to bring up that pig farmers in this country are seeing the effects of a branded name for a virus, which ultimately had an effect on sales.

This reminds me of a dietary supplement that was wildly successful in the 1970’s to mid 1980’s. The product was called “Ayds”. It was a supplement that was supposed to reduce your sense of taste to curb poor eating habits. Ironically around the same timeframe, just around the mid 1980’s the HIV virus and AIDs was largely becoming a social issue. The avid AIDs awareness in the media and public was the start of the down fall of the “Ayds” supplement. The company did not re-brand itself by name and clearly stating that this product is in no way related to the life threatening disease. So the Ayds product quickly stopped selling and eventually the product stopped being produced.

Luckily the pig farmers in this case spoke up to have the media change the name of Swine Flu. Now they should actively campaign through commercials and other media outlets to educate the public that pork could in fact help prevent H1N1 by keeping you level of protein up in your body keeping you healthy which in turns helps your immune system. Just a thought.

Written by Mike Slife

Protecting your company – or more specifically your “brand reputation” – is the ultimate goal during a time of crisis.  The ability to withstand and endure a few “chinks in the armor” goes a long way to maintaining a strong, stable reputation.

Many companies, however, fail to develop a crisis communications plan thinking they can and will deal with it as necessary (in many cases they feel they are not susceptible to a business crisis).  As a result, the typical reaction due to unpreparedness is to hide in the corner and hope the problem goes away.

But enter social media.  With the explosion in recent years of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.,   information spreads more quickly than ever.  Last month’s Dominoes crisis where two North Carolina employees posted aYouTube video doing disgusting things to food should be considered Exhibit A.  Hiding in the corner won’t make it go away.

Here are some questions to ask to determine your preparedness in the event of a crisis:

1. Do we have a protocol in place outlining how we will react during the first few hours of a crisis?  Do we know where to funnel all information about the crisis?  Do we know who will serve as our company spokesperson?  How will we communicate the situation to our employees?
2. Are we properly prepared to deal with media?  Does our media spokesperson have a familiarity and comfort level in dealing with the press?  Who is monitoring the general media as well as the social media outlets so we can respond accordingly?
3. After gathering and reviewing the situation, how soon can we prepare ourselves with the facts to address our various publics (employees, customers, community, media, etc.)?
4. What is the best and most efficient method to communicate our message?  How do we respond to their questions and concerns?
5. During the initial days following the crisis, how can we best maintain and protect our reputation?  How can we show our willingness to be proactive in dealing with the situation?

Failing to address or “take control” of the situation can lead to more damage and deeper company wounds.  Taking hold of the situation, on the other hand, will have positive effects on your overall brand.

Written by Jim Miller

I admit it, it’s taken me a long time to REALLY understand how to brand and position a company and produce tangible marketing results. The best companies don’t just blast a message out without careful thought and consideration. First and foremost, they take a step back and look at things strategically.

One of my favorite sayings is the old, “ready, fire, aim” analogy, which I see all the time when it comes to branding and positioning. The best companies take the time to, “ready, aim and then fire” when approaching their branding, their position and their go-to-market strategy. They really understand the value they bring to the marketplace and how to effectively communicate it.

I can’t tell you how times I’ve heard, “we’re going to throw some stuff against the wall and see what sticks”. Bad idea. You will damage your brand by going straight to the market tactically without first figuring out strategically what you want your brand to be.

Why figuring things out strategically is so important:

1. Throwing things at the wall and coming off half-cocked makes you look like you are still trying to figure out what you want to be when your company grows up.
2. I would estimate 90 – 95% of companies say what they do but not why they do it or why their product is better then their competitors’ products.
3. Do you really want to be just like everyone else? Or do you want to be original, unique and stand out from the crowd?
4. Do you want to be a leader or a follower?
5. Can you clearly and concisely communicate your value proposition in a compelling 30-second elevator pitch?
6. Does your brand help position your company for where it wants to go in the future (i.e., acquiring funding, going public, selling the business, etc.)?
7. Have you figured out how your brand is going to become a reality with a company-wide, holistic launch? What’s your plan to launch your brand internally and externally?
8. Will your brand have legs and resonate for a period of time or is it just a one hit wonder?

If you are committed to getting your company to the next level, following these strategic guidelines will help you develop your company’s brand and position – and will greatly increase the chances of a successful implementation. Add that to a holistic, managed brand implementation while pro-actively getting your message out to your target audience – you have a winning recipe for success.

Written by Michael Doyle, President of Brand Iron

“Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it, and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work — and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”
-Lucile Ball

You can’t avoid that these economic times are putting a lot of companies out of business. Here at Brand Iron, we have been constantly reminded of that; in the past 9 months, we’ve seen two, very local marketing companies close their doors.

We are happy to report that through a lot of hard work, our clients are going strong and Brand Iron is going strong. Everyone at Brand Iron is very excited that we are a finalist for the DMCC’s Small Business of the Year Award.

We wanted to pass on a few things that have helped us confront and dampen the economic blow:

• Build you database – broaden your world of potential clients
• Go to where the money is – focus on your most profitable vertical markets or geographic areas
• Keep your brand message relevant to your target market – adapt to their pain points
• Increase your sales and marketing activity levels – it is vital to “touch” your prospects

At Brand Iron, we don’t believe in luck – we believe in hard work, targeted work and working intelligently on the aspects of your brand strategy that make the biggest impact. Our goal is to help you keep your doors open, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, to keep new clients and customers coming through them.

Please contact us today to learn more about how Brand Iron can help you develop a holistic brand plan that addresses your sales, marketing and operations.
Written by Josh Barker

Brand Iron has been selected as one of the finalists for Small Business of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Business Awards luncheon to announce the winner will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at the Hyatt.

The award criteria includes:

• A for-profit venture
• Locally owned and privately held
• Profitable and/or demonstrating fiscal responsibility and adequate capitalization in the last fiscal year
• A company employing fewer than 100 employees
• In the business for a minimum of five successive years by current ownership

Despite the economic conditions, Brand Iron continues to grow and is coming off one of its most profitable years in 2008. We have addressed this challenge by practicing what we preach: Rather than cut back on marketing efforts during tough conditions, now is the best time of all to market your business. The opportunity to separate your business from the competition is now. Brand Iron continues to be aggressive in its business development and marketing efforts.

Small businesses are the foundation of a successful economy and make up more than 80 percent of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce membership base. We are truly honored to be one of three finalists. Please check back April 29th for the results.

Written by Meghan Herlehy, Design and Marketing Wrangler

It seems like all President Obama talks about these days is jobs, jobs, jobs. It reminds me what branding is all about: results, results, results. It really is that simple. Brand and position yourself and your company to produce tangible business results.

1. Powerful branding is all about branding yourself as unique, better, and different in comparison to your competition. In turn, you will be selected over your competitor, thus producing results.
2. Powerful branding starts from within and gets your company on the same page of what success looks like and just what it is going to take to get there.
3. Powerful branding requires that everyone in your company knows how to communicate what makes your company better than the competition.
4. Powerful branding helps your company gain the competitive edge and sets you up for positive results and success.
5. Powerful branding requires utilizing marketing activities that produce real leads that turn into sales and then real business results.
6. Powerful branding and sales results in job opportunities/job creation.

Start laying the groundwork for better results by better defining your brand, your position, the way you are going to communicate, and how you are going to effectively market to produce real leads and turn into real sales. Next time you hear President Obama speak about engaging job creation, apply that passion and philosophy to your company. Focus on building your brand to produce “results, results, results.”

Written by Michael Doyle, President of Brand Iron

When in a service industry of any kind, the state of the economy can take a large toll on a company’s profitability. Lately, the economic downturn has forced many companies to cut budgets, freeze spending, initiate layoffs, or worse – close their doors. When speaking to many of our clients, partners and friends, it seems that many people are either suffering or prospering – there truly is a balance of good and bad right now.

However, it is difficult to ignore all of the negative media coverage regarding the current economic state. The media’s redundant message of “doom and gloom” eventually convinces us all that we must surrender and give in to the recession that is upon us.

Brand Iron disagrees.

As a company, we’re opting to not participate in the recession this year. Yes, you heard it here first. Brand Iron is not giving in to the “doom and gloom.” We challenge you to do the same.

Many companies are focusing on the positives and the new opportunities that this changing business landscape has opened up. For example, in an industry (luxury travel) where economic woes can take a gigantic toll on profitability Carnival Cruise Lines is saying “we will not go quietly into the night” and await the inevitable. Carnival continues to make strides towards out-of-the-box, interactive advertising.

I’m sure we have all seen the commercial with the large beach ball floating around downtown Dallas. That commercial was an extremely effective way for Carnival to catch the attention of the business-class professional on their lunch break. Throw a gigantic beach ball onto a bustling street full of unhappy professionals and see what happens – attention, positive feedback and enjoyment, that’s what.

Today, I came across an article about Carnival’s latest attempt at interactive advertising. They’ve managed to take advantage of the empty street-level office spaces in the Houston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York and D.C. areas by installing “virtual aquariums” for all to interact with.

Picture this, you’re walking down a cold city sidewalk on your lunch break when you look to your right – no longer is there an empty office space with a broker’s contact information in the window. No, you now see a 12-foot digital aquarium. Not only is this virtual aquarium engaging, it’s interactive. In five easy steps, you can use your cell phone to design a personalized fish to appear instantly in that very same window. This is an example of a company seeing an opportunity that may not have presented itself before the downturn in the economy. This is brand evolution and adaptation at its best. If there are three pearls of wisdom that we should all recognize after this economic downturn, they would be: never stay static, always engage new ways of marketing, and consistently separate yourselves from the competition.

Written by Nicole Salerno, Junior Brand Wrangler