Tagged Brand

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August 2, 2011
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in Best Practices, Strategy

The Brand Charter (& A Basic Guide to Branding)

Ever typed "branding" into Google? Did you run away in tears after seeing the results and the varying array of opinions?

It can be daunting. Maybe you're an entrepreneur, small business owner, marketer, or non-profit. Or maybe you're just an individual. In any incarnation, you are either the brand itself or helping to build and cultivate it over time.

I always like to discuss marketing as the heart of a truly successful organization. The best of the best in the world (call them Fortune 500 or just call them smart) understand this intrinsically. They know marketing must not be accommodated but built from, through and around.

Part of marketing is the brand. And even deeper are all the components, nuts, and bolts that bring a brand to life.

I came across the term Brand Charter in an Inc. article about maintaining brand consistency across product lines (highly intelligent read). It was a term I hadn't heard of before, but I instantly gravitated to the idea of a charter that wholly integrates all aspects of the brand.

Components of a Brand

Brand / Brand Identity -- the name, logo, sign, slogan and/or design that relates the key differentiating components of a product or service

Brand Personality -- the differentiating factors as related through relevance, esteem, value and humanization of the brand (often highly debated term)

Brand Message -- the communication of the brand via creative and consistent messaging across all media channels

Brand Promise -- the proposition of what the brand intends to deliver to the target audience

Brand Recognition -- the awareness of the brand in the marketplace

Brand Perception -- how the target audience understands and relates to the brand, whether positive or negative; it defines the brand's reputation in the marketplace

Brand Loyalty -- the target's allegiance or commitment to the brand as demonstrated by willingness to repurchase and advocate for the brand

Brand Equity -- the value added to a product or service via association with a well-known brand

The Brand Charter

There are a variety of subtleties in the terms I've outlined above. This is where things get muddy and confusing and complicated. But what you should be taking away from this is that these components must work together and feed the same purpose.

They encompass the Brand Charter which is, in essence, the overarching strategy, purpose and objective of the brand. It is why it exists, what it exists to achieve and how it communicates that to the target audience.

It is vital to note that a brand is not just a logo or a slogan or a name (these embody the visualization of the brand) -- a well thought-out brand is clear, relevant, consistent, and engaging across all points of contact.

What the Brand Charter is for me is the ideal place to start. It is where a brand can germinate and be born. You start at the base, build the strategy, and then give the brand a voice, an image and a message.

You put it down in writing. Those words will breathe life into the brand and, like any charter, constitute the founding principles and function of the entity being defined. The Brand Charter is meant for definition, future reference and ongoing brand evolution.

Don't shy away, embrace the brand. And make the branding process a core part of your marketing.

June 12, 2011
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Business, News, Strategy

‘Marketing’ Magazine Rebrand Baffling

If you had to guess which of the following logos was the predecessor and the successor, which would you choose?

If you're like me, maybe you screwed up your face a bit, tilted your head to the right and said, "well, obviously the top one is older." Oh boy, how wrong we both are!

In truth, the former is actually the redesigned logo launched this month from Marketing, in tandem with a revamped print magazine, website and mobile-friendly site.

I have to admit, I don't get it. The June issue touts a discussion of the process and inspiration behind the redesign to go up "this month" online by editor-in-chief Tom Gierasimczuk and art director Peter Zaver. When this month, I know not, but I spent more than a few minutes searching and came up empty-handed.

The look and feel certainly hearkens back to a previous era, evoking older, more traditional brand values -- ultimately, heavily juxtaposing, in my opinion, the modern style of the former logo (seen in black above). Does anyone else feel like we're moving in reverse?

But, as with any brand, I'm willing to hear the case, the reason, the motivation. I eagerly await Tom and Peter's "discussion" regarding this redesign. It definitely warrants an explanation, but the sheer fact that it does leaves me a little disappointed. If the logo has changed so dramatically, then so must have the brand as a whole -- this is why I'm calling it a rebrand, while Marketing has positioned it as a redesign instead, semantics = power!

I feel left hostage at this point. Both wanting and needing an explanation, for them to justify the shift. So, I wait patiently -- having not yet received that explanation in either the print version that launched the new logo or online. But if you're a half-decent marketer at all, you should not only be asking "Why?" but also "Why not?".

October 18, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Business, Design

The Gap Surrenders: Should Failing Mean Giving In?

Ok, I know The Gap logo fiasco has been written about to no end, but let's stop talking about the ill-designed logo and its succeeding ill-advised PR debacle and focus on the principle behind it all.

The Gap surrendered, simply put. They met resistance -- though admittedly in the form of a strong front of marketing and graphic design experts -- and they folded. But was it the right call? Many others are now questioning if the consumer (the purchaser of Gap's merchandise) would have cared at all. If, in fact, the logo would have made any impact on the purchase decision-making process.

Despite this, the logo was indeed a failure. "The iconic blue box logo," as president Marka Hansen called it after its reinstatement, would by no means be easy to successfully replace or replicate. And what I love most is that Hansen is quoted as calling the logo "iconic" -- the state of being iconical should not be taken lightly, marketers! Nor should it be quickly dumped for a clunky clone of much lesser value.

The real crux of the matter lies with those behind the scenes, making the decisions. Such as deciding to redesign the logo in the first place -- was it really an attempt to reinvent The Gap as a more contemporary clothing powerhouse and thereby miraculously boost sales? Or how about deciding to approve and launch the new logo despite its quite evidently poor design. Or -- and here's the rub -- deciding to revert after some backlash and a few choice debasing words regarding the otherwise "iconic" brand.

What all these malnourished decisions summate to is perhaps an underlying chaos in the ranks of The Gap. A set of poor choices that has coloured The Gap perhaps a little less blue and a whole lot more yellow.

Failing is only ideal for an organization like The Gap when it never happens. Especially when it comes to something so simple, so minor as a logo, it shouldn't be difficult at all, right? But then again, we marketers know that logos are never minor, never simple, are they?

So, what do you think, should failing mean giving in?

October 3, 2010
By Simren Deogun
2 Comments
in Business, News, Technology

Why RIM’s ‘PlayBook’ Should’ve Been Called ‘BlackBook’

Seven days now since the announcement of RIM's work-in-progress tablet computer, BlackBerry PlayBook. The specs, impressive. The design, in line with RIM's BlackBerry smartphones. The name, clearly a joke.

But it isn't. Unless, RIM is planning a whole charade of odd branding and marketing decisions surrounding this iPad-killer hopeful. Will Balsillie emerge from the caverns of Waterloo laughing uncontrollably in a public statement announcing that 'the PlayBook was only a hoax, imagine us calling our cutting-edge tablet the PlayBook...'? And the conspiracy theorists are already chirping.

But I have to say that the likelihood of Jim making any such pronouncement is simply my fiction getting the better of my fact.

And affixing "BlackBerry" to the front of the name does not improve the situation. Is that supposed to make it more viable, more defined, more "enterprise"? And aren't the two identities clashing already -- Business versus Pleasure -- BlackBerry versus PlayBook is more like it.

So let's strip away the "BlackBerry" for a moment and look at the device in its most naked form. Why 'PlayBook', when RIM clearly positioned the device as an "enterprise ready professional tablet" in its fancy introductory video. Is RIM telling us that Suits just aren't playing enough or that RIM itself is perhaps losing at the Apple-predominant playing field of rocking consumer devices (pun intended).

It really is simply RIM, you should've chose BlackBook (not Blackberry PlayBook):

First off, 'BlackPad', as many tech and blog sites were contending as a frontrunner for the name of the new RIM tablet, is simply not doable, at least RIM wasn't so nearsighted to actually share names with an Apple product ... iPad anyone?

Second, 'BlackBook' is cool. Quite simple actually, just watch The Social Network movie to understand where I'm coming from. B2B or B2C, cool does matter. The name itself denotes status and marketability.

Third, 'BlackBook' is not only sleek and enterprise-minded but also fashionable and commercial. It appeals to the sensibilities of both the enterprise and consumer sectors with little effort.

Fourth, instead of marrying BlackBerry and PlayBook in some type of incestuous RIM relationship why not create some brotherly -- or sisterly -- love by mirroring the incredibly strong brand identity of the BlackBerry with a new product entitled 'BlackBook'. The smartphone and tablet will be undeniably related with 'device-pairing' as a key selling point. Apple chose the "i", so is it really foolish to think that RIM could not do the same by finding some type of niche for identification that its target can recognize and relate to.

Most importantly, RIM is trying too hard with the 'PlayBook'. A device whose main focus is in fact not play but business, so the video says. There must be a balance between functionality and branding. There must be unity across all lines. Simply put, there must be 'BlackBook'.

I can't say I yet understand RIM's decision to opt for PlayBook. Who knows what other names floated around during that brainstorming session, but it seems RIM has their strategy and target market confused.

August 15, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Business, Campaigns, Uncategorized

I Won A BlackBerry Bold 9700 From Wind Mobile!

No, honestly, I did.

On Saturday, August 14th -- a beautiful, sunny day in the GTA -- I got together the troops and we headed down to Yorkdale Mall where Wind Mobile was giving away free BlackBerry smartphones. Yes, free!

One of my sergeants and I had found out about this delicious opportunity via twitter. [Oh Twitter, you and I really do belong together after all!]

After trudging through some wretched traffic, we arrived at the Wind store just in time to enter the two o'clock draw. A female whose name began with 'S' won, hmm, possible coincidence here.

Next draw was at three o'clock and, this time, the contest master teased us with details: the winner was someone with a Gmail account and a '416' number, again, could it be just another coincidence? I fell into all his previous descriptors, but no luck yet. Though, I was tingling with positive expectation.

We came back yet again. Filled out the ballot form, dropped it in the box and sat down in the corner of the store. As the clock ticked closer to four, the store began to fill surrounding us with waves of body heat.

10 seconds to the draw and everyone started to count down. The ballot was pulled. Someone whose name begins with 'S'. A few of us put our hands up. Someone with a Gmail account. A couple hands still in the air, including mine. I could feel it now. The rest is a blur, he calls my name and I scream out in joy, high-fiving the two Wind Mobile employees at the front managing the contest.

It was a great sense of elation. Wind Mobile did an excellent job at coordinating the event and the employees were fantastic at making it exciting and personable. 10 minutes after my name was called, a brand new BlackBerry Bold 9700 was in my hands. She sure is a beauty, and I now I'm beside myself with both an iPhone and a BlackBerry to cater to my every whim. What's a tech-savvy marketer to do?

That's my story. There's a whole lot of marketing that went into the contest itself. And here I am carrying the marketing forward. Wind Mobile has made this brilliant gesture -- free high-end smartphone + free month of service -- both strategically and earnestly.

And I have no problem becoming an advocate. In fact, this post is my own gesture of word of mouth. I hope it helps you see that marketing is everywhere, from the subtlest forms to the most outrageous antics.

So, the marketing continues, both Wind's and mine. Perhaps, more accurately, it never ends. Pictures of winners will likely be spread across the web (via Twitter and Facebook), filtering news of the contest (and the gesture!) to many eyes and ears. Along with the possibility of future marketing campaigns and PR.

The whole process was a fun, pleasurable experience, which not only enhances my advocacy of Wind but, in turn, enhances their image and impact. Thanks Wind!

Now, my quest is to prove that the iPhone and BlackBerry can coexist in harmony. What do you think?

June 20, 2010
By Simren Deogun
2 Comments
in Business, Thoughts

When Did Green Become More Than Just A Colour?

Type "green" into Google, and you'll get a firm understanding of how deeply rooted the new "green" has become.

Not just a colour. But a politics. A party. A movement for the environmental world.

And to the right appear sponsored ads to protect the environment and safeguard your home. Green is no longer a hard-to-reach and even harder-to-understand abstract concept. It's in your living room, heating your house, lighting up your chandelier, and fuelling your car.

Also, Green is not just for the 21st century hippie, but for the well-rounded, health-minded, socially-conscious every-person. And industry leaders (alongside marketing mavens) are making it easier to fall into the latter category by making green ubiquitous.

Procter & Gamble's Future Friendly. Apple's "A Green Apple". UPS' right turns over left turns save fuel. And a host of dreamt-up green labels and "certifications". These are just a few examples of some of the big steps being taken by profit-driven conglomerates to spearhead greenism.

It's no surprise that there is a whole other side to this movement that centers on my world, the marketing world. Taking steps to be green as a company as well as offering green products and services is a strong, smart differentiating marketing strategy. As consumers become more knowledgeable about environmental threats and how being "green" can make a positive impact, their inherent inclination is to opt for goods and services which match that ideology.

But what's the tradeoff? Often, it's price. Green goods bear the heavier price burden over their value-marked but less green alternatives. So, green comes at a premium, no surprise. But in 2010, we are closing in on the precipice of the green movement, where green becomes mainstream and -- ideally -- drives down cost. Numerous reports and studies show that price is the biggest barrier to going green, so I ask, who is going to make a big splash and make green affordable?

And let's not forget that Green is also money -- not just to the consumer but to the CEOs and CMOs. Slowly, as the market moves towards saturation where close to 100% of viable companies exercise green adoption, the differentiating impact of being green will diminish. But the strength of choosing an all-natural, good-for-the-environment product over one that contains trace amounts of death and destruction is marketing heaven.

Green is the perfect murder. Easy to sell to the top, highly profitable, proactive, healthy, and brand-building. You really going to let price stand in the way?

April 25, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Business, News

Google Is Number One in the PSFK Good Brands Report

PSFK has spoken, and what they have to say is mostly expected but not any less inspiring. Their annual Good Brands Report ranks Google as the number 1 reigning brand for a second year.

Apple takes the second spot with Nike at 7 and Twitter at 8, all presumably predictable outcomes given their perceived brand power. However, the list is not a Google / Apple promo session, it, in fact, throws in some welcome twists with Jamie Oliver (3), MIT (4), Ace Hotel (5), and Foursquare (9) gracing the list.

What is the Good Brands Report?

Being a genuinely good brand in 2010 takes more than a widely used product and an ubiquitous global presence. Though there is no precise formula, what the ten good brands on our list have in common is a penchant for imagination, innovation, environmental responsibility and social consciousness. -- Piers Fawkes, PSFK, Founder

Well, if that's all it takes! Each brand is ranked out of 10 in the above four categories by a panel of industry experts. This isn't just another list, if anything, it should grow to be a definitive source of insightful brand analysis for not only equity and awareness but also social and marketing impact.

Why Google?
Connectivity. Openness. Accessibility. Customization. And Free.

These five factors are what I extrapolated from the report as determinant of Google's success not only as a brand but as a global enterprise with an incalculable amount of clout.

Google's ability to remain true to its core product in search and yet simultaneously branch out into a mobile phone OS with Android, a Microsoft Office rival with Google Docs, along with Buzz, Wave, and a host of SEO apps has redefined the act of differentiation.

PSFK does a wonderful job at eloquently summarizing the highlights of what makes Google the number one pick. The report adopts a refreshing focus, instead of only dictating the facts of Google's success, it also effectively relates how you and I can apply the same in our own business and marketing practices.

Why Not Apple?
Apple isn't exactly a loser in this situation, only shy from the number one spot by 0.16 points, Apple is clearly catching up to Google in the brand category -- and, in some areas, has already far surpassed it.

Apple outranked Google in the categories of innovation and imagination, and, well, if it hadn't, I'd be rather alarmed. Outside of search and Google's everything-sharing application in Wave, Google isn't necessarily known for imagination, but more so slight reinvention.

Most of the score differences were admittedly slight, with Google really only stealing the thunder in the social responsibility category, which is somewhat expected given Apple's tepid past with suppliers.

PSFK deems Apple a true game-changer, no arguments here, driven by its product design, endless innovation and futuristic thinking all centred on user experience. What Apple does best is reinvention -- reinvention executed so well that it borders on real invention. From the CPU to the iMac. The mp3 to the iPod. The mobile phone to the iPhone. And now the tablet to the IPad. Apple's game is founded upon taking what the market currently offers and making it so incredibly irresistible to a consumer that it can transform any desire into an absolute necessity.

Even without the number one spot, Apple is a dangerously powerful and still-growing brand.

What You Need to Learn from PSFK
Ultimately, success is derivative of many things, but we should all listen to what PSFK (and its industry experts) have to say. The report is not just a simple-minded overview of today's brands but rather a teaching guide indicative of what marketing success means in 2010.

Out of PSFK's 10 Key Learnings, what we all need to understand and practice is "re-imagining the world". It's a beautiful thing that can foster change, encourage passion, and spawn innovation. So, start asking yourself, how could you see or do things differently?

Read the full PSFK Good Brands Report 2010.

April 19, 2010
By Simren Deogun
3 Comments
in Campaigns, Digital

Wind Mobile Hijacks Gizmodo.com

I cyber-strolled over to Gizmodo today after hearing some exciting news about a leaked preview for Apple's next iPhone.

I'll admit that it took me a minute to notice that the site looked more-than-a-bit different but I'll chock that up to my glaring at the drool-worthy new iPhone (which, I think, looks very HTC-esque to me, but let's leave that for another post!).

After some quick examination, I noticed that Gizmodo's otherwise dark colour scheme had been consumed by Wind Mobile's characteristic orange and blue with a number of cute, cuddly clouds and bubbles floating about. Most notably, Gizmodo's header (seen above) now sported a very well-positioned "sponsored by Wind" tag.

The graphics bordering this post are the same that appeared on Gizmodo's temporary site redesign. I've discussed a similar type of third-party website rebranding/advertising before in my Ugly Betty and Next Level Banner Ads post. But what I love about Wind's take is that it, like much of what we've seen from Wind's marketing efforts thus far, pushes the boundaries just a hair of what we've seen before. Instead of just a banner ad or just a background change, Wind convinced Gizmodo that a complete website design overhaul was the way to go. And, it was.

The changes are temporary. However, the effect is exponential. Wind was smartly strategic with its choice of website, Gizmodo is a high-tech news king with millions of visitors every day. What better way to reach Wind's youthful, risk-taking target market then to strengthen their brand equity with a little bit of ingenious advertising.

Kudos to Wind for keeping true to their newly born Canadian identity, for strategically playing the online advertising field, and for showing the tech world that they are far removed from Rogers, Bell and those U.S. companies who shall remain unnamed!

April 13, 2010
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Business, Thoughts

Intention to Create, Sell And Buy

Intent -- the act of doing something with a specific purpose -- consolidates the marketer and the consumer. These predetermined roles become transferrable. The marketer leaves work, walks into a mall and is transformed into a consumer. The consumer leaves work, receives some communication or makes a purchase, and becomes a marketer outfitted with the power of voice and opinion.

Intention is action and direction with a desired outcome already perceived. Intent must be possessed by the marketer and created for the consumer.

These are my 3 tiers of intent:

Intent to Create
The organization's or marketer's decision to develop something new, something different and/or something revisited.

The intent to create does not need to be solely based in originality. But rather, what is original for the specific circumstance and situation of the organization in question. As simple an idea as a webinar, if never produced by an organization before, is a nugget of the intent to create.

How much easier it always is to say rather than do. But intent must demand action, so that action can demand result. A webinar is just a word, just an idea until someone owns the intent to create.

Intent to Sell
The organization's or marketer's decision to sell, for profit or not, a good or service with perceived value for the consumer.

The development, nurture and creation of an idea is not a prerequisite to the intent to sell. On the other hand, the intent to create need not be followed with an intent to sell. That is to say, the creation of a good or service will not always be saleable.

The intent to sell is to move beyond the concept of a single, valuable good or service and generate a 'product' equipped with identity, price, promotion, distribution and communication.

Intent to Buy
The consumer's journey to reach a purchase decision; at this stage, the paths of marketer and consumer have crossed at least once.

The intent to create only indirectly influences the intent to buy, since without creation, purchase is not possible. The intent to sell, however, must exist and be fully and wholly delivered to the consumer in order facilitate a purchase.

All aspects of the intent to sell mentioned above -- message, brand, value, etc. -- are channelled to the consumer as a complete and influential marketing effort. These many parts will create the consumer's intent to buy. And subsequently, with the intent to buy, the consumer officially assumes the role of marketer.

February 14, 2010
By Simren Deogun
1 Comment
in News

The Twitter Experiment | SimrenDeogun

It's no secret that I haven't been a fan of Twitter in the past, just read this if you want to know why I haven't been using it.

I've called it a fad, a distraction, and an unworthy investment of my time. But, I can admit that I have said all this without giving it a fair shot. This blog just celebrated its one year anniversary and this post is number 100! A couple of really great milestones and also a really great opportunity to try and prove myself wrong.

So, I've joined Twitter (again!). Though the first time was an indubitable failure!

Why I've Taken the Twitter Dive
When I first encountered Twitter, about a year and a half ago, its promise as a professional and marketing tool was as yet undiscovered. Even today, businesses are confused and distraught over how to use Twitter effectively, how to measure ROI, and how to engage in social networking as a whole.

Reality dictates though that businesses (and marketers like myself) can no longer ignore the growing prevalence of social media, including Twitter, despite how fleeting its impact.

Here enters The Twitter Experiment. Join. Start Tweeting. Integrate Twitter across my blog, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, and also a dash of Facebook. And let us see if I can validate Twitter as a tool for professional networking, knowledge sharing and brand building.

This blog has already received its necessary facelift to accommodate this exciting new foray into the twittering world and I hope you'll join in.

Measuring the Success of "SimrenDeogun"
Joining and tweeting is the easy part. But a large part of this experiment will be proving that measuring the success of my Twitter account is also easy.

The commonly shared perception is that Twitter (and other related social media outlets) are difficult to measure. We can't track progress. We don't know how to integrate it into the funnel. We don't understand how to measure key factors such as ROI and ROE.

I don't have the answers. YET. But I will. And to help, I've chosen the following (recommended) third-party applications to measure and analyze the perceived success of #SimrenDeogun:

Twinfluence
Twitalyzer
Trendistic
TweetEffect
HootSuite

With time, I also hope to write reviews that offer insight into these and other tools to assist you in your social media efforts.

The Timeline
I've set a preliminary timeline of cornerstone points of measurement beginning with the 1 month mark followed by 3 months and then 6 months. At each point, I will analyze, with the aid of the above tools and my own marketing knowledge, how Twitter has developed, grown, and proven either beneficial or detrimental.

As I learn more about Twitter and its usage patterns, these timelines will surely change. However, at the core of this experiment is to provide quantitative and qualitative data on how Twitter can be used as a part of marketing, to build my personal brand and to enhance the following of this blog.

Follow Me
So, are you following me yet?
Please do.
I won't take no for an answer!
But, I will return the favour.

December 25, 2009
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Best Practices

Everyone Is In A Rush

Head down to your local train station, mall, or highway and you'll encounter the same thing: everyone rushing, running, honking in a hectic frenzy. The same is true online, only difference is the average visitor can't physically see those around them.

In the midst of every person's journey from point A to point B, marketers are trying to talk to them. But how do we find the best way to communicate and cut through the clutter?

Multiple touch points. Building brand awareness, recognizability, consistency and engagement through a variety of media that exists where your market exists.

Think about how many times a day you encounter some of your favourite brands. Those brands are already on your radar by virtue of your affinity to them, but the most important part of that communication is that the brand continues to engage you so that you don't forget.

Again, multiple touch points. Advertisements, magazines, emails, search, display and all the rest, a successful consumer brand finds a way to be memorable without being annoying.

A successful enterprise brand can use the same methodology just with a different strategy -- think about trading traditional for interactive marketing and leveraging your internal knowledge bank.

Here's Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season to You and Yours!

December 2, 2009
By Simren Deogun
No comment
in Lessons Learned

Saying Goodbye to The Eye…

If you take a look around, you can see that I've made quite a significant change in the identity of my blog. No longer is it 'The Eye' but rather 'Simren Deogun's Marketing Blog'.

'The Eye' was symbolic of many things and on February 11 of this year I wrote the following in my first post:

In one aspect, “the eye” refers to my own, a physical entity able to perceive and appreciate design. From a different perspective, “the eye” also references my passion for marketing and the often sought-after yet difficult to achieve inner eye, as I like to refer to it. To me, the inner eye is not an all-seeing psychic-like ability but instead is the integration of marketing theory with the ability to detect successful campaigns, communication and design, both external and internal.

It was always a bit of an experiment. How would the branding of my blog unfold? What type of identity would I carve for it and what would it carve for itself?

I realized that though the previous title possessed intrinsic value in the metaphoric meaning it inferred, the real brand was me. This blog has always been marketing through my eyes and even though 'The Eye' no longer floats in that top-left corner, the perspective and the voice is still mine. I just know now the value of a name.

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