Wow, do we overcomplicate business communications!

I learned long ago that it can be boiled down to three key questions: What do we have that no one else has? Who would be interested in it? What are the best ways of getting to them? You can challenge me on oversimplifying but that is the basic framework for branding and marketing. What makes us unique? Who is are target audience? What channels should make up our marketing mix?

I know it gets much more complicated when you drill into each. There is no longer a single point of differentiation now it is a bundle of things that work in concert with each other to make a company, product or service truly different (so the brand becomes an experience competing on emotional not just functional attributes). Also now target audiences are no longer significant homogenous groups (remember suburban families with 2.4 children?) but rather a myriad of micro segments each with increasingly harder to find shared attitudes, beliefs, and values. And channels and how they play off each other are proliferating and are harder to track for effectiveness - they have become a veritable Rubik's Cube of communications.

Hhhhm so maybe we haven't overcomplicated business communications - maybe it is complicated and that is the fun and challenge - you decide. This blog exists to delve into the trends and best practices in business communications. It is also here to closely follow the business of communications - what is happening in the communications industry. So share with us your latest thinking, ask questions because plenty of experienced people will be joining, and stay with the conversations as they take us different directions in business communications. Lastly enjoy this quote attributed to a chap named Frank Outlaw:

"Watch your thoughts;
They become words.
Watch your words;
They become actions.
Watch your actions;
They become habits.
Watch your habits;
They become character.
Watch your character;
It becomes your destiny."

Let the biz blog begin . . .

Posted on September 4, 2007 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A Key Tenet of Branding Needs a New Look

First off, thanks for checking out this blog - keep coming back and comment at will. In this post I want to take a look at consistency in branding and communications. As you may have noticed on the home page of our site we are running a little survey regarding consistency. Basically we are asking if it is any more or any less important in branding. At time of writing this, approximately 2/3 thirds of the 175+ respondents think consistency is more important.

What I found in my work at Interbrand and now at DDB is that consistency is still integral to creating and building great brands, however, it no longer means 100% compliance to confining guidelines. In fact, I coined the term "The 70/30 Rule" in an attempt to capture a new definition of brand consistency. Applied more for context than numerical accuracy, 70/30 concerns the relative weighting given to the elements that must remain true to the brand's original intent, strategy, and design versus flexibility granted to its managers (70% locked-down and 30% flexible).

This flexibility includes language and cultural differences, target market variances, buying behavior nuances, and other strategic imperatives when managing a brand. Take McDonalds. Their restaurants and locations are very much tailored to local markets, yet, remain true to the global brand. Menu items, uniforms, promotions, and hours of operation are subject to regional conditions in order to attain utmost relevance. This does not mean McDonalds is inconsistent, in fact, it is more successful as it allows freedom within form.

This is a topic that really intrigues me and I am setting out to write a paper on it. I would love to hear your views and to have you share any interesting examples of this new consistency in branding.

Posted on September 18, 2007 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)