It's Alive! The Case for Resurrected Brands

If you brand it, it will sell.

That’s hyperbole of course, but it’s also the Cliff’s Notes version of modern marketing theory: Find a unique and irresistible offering that you can hang a price tag on, build around it a memorable and endearing story (a brand, by any other name), and let the buying public’s sentiment become your partner in unbridled sales.

Of course, “Cliff’s Notes” is another way of saying “oversimplification,” and all of our treatises unto you, up to and including this one, are other ways of saying “there are no shortcuts in brand-building.”

Except, you know, sometimes there are.

So picture with us a scenario where the brand-building is done for you...maybe even long before you were born. You still offer that unique and irresistible thing; you still deliver quality and exemplify customer service. But the indelible sentiment that makes your brand a familiar friend? That work’s all been done.

It's alive! Brands find power beyond the grave!

Lacking an industry buzzword, we’ll go ahead and coin one: resurrected brands. You’re probably familiar with the concept, maybe without even realizing it. Indian Motorcycles is a fine old American company, famous for manufacturing sought-after motor-scooters between 1901 and 1953. The brand was idle for over half a century, but one quick visit to a vintage-bike swap meet would have told you all you needed to know about its enduring popularity. It was resurrected to great fanfare in 2006, and has been in production ever since. Currently a division of Polaris Industries, Indian has been restored to its well-deserved spot as a premier American sport-bike brand.

And here’s an example closer to home (and close to our heart)—Norka (it’s Akron spelled backwards!) was Summit County’s very own soda brand, a local favorite from the 1920s to the early ‘60s. And now it’s back! A team of plucky Akronites have rescued it from the beverage-brand boneyard, with both original and updated recipes. It’s already on your grocer’s shelves.

There are plenty of other case studies, but you get the point. The point is, there are brands so beloved they can transcend a business’s natural life cycle. Bankruptcy or the passing on of the principals are irrelevant to the brand’s legion of fans. If it’s gone, they pine for it. When it comes back, they flock to it.

What’s even more interesting is what a diverse opportunity this is. You could be motivated by nostalgia, or you might simply be looking for an unexploited angle. Either way, the potential upsides are almost unlimited. The marketplace head-start, in terms of re-releasing a brand that’s already known and appreciated, cannot be overstated.

But of course, this alone isn’t a recipe for success. Creating a brand is just the first step; maintaining it is the never-ending second. Resurrect a brand and you’ve taken on the responsibility for maintaining its perceived value...in perpetuity. Let quality slip, even a little, and your customers will notice, will be offended, and they will be gone.


The C4:
1. Marketing 101: In retail business, you build success by building a brand. Enter the marketplace with a unique product or service, then position it in people’s consciousness with an appealing and memorable personality.

2. DO NOT deviate from Marketing 101! (Unless, ahem, you can.)

3. The rare opportunity might present itself in which you won’t need to build a brand, but only defibrillate one. Nostalgia is a growth industry. Find yourself a dormant (yet available) brand name, one that the people remember fondly, and you just might find yourself a goldmine.

4. But heed the cardinal warning of shortcuts: they never get you all the way home. To resurrect a brand is to assume a legacy. Betray that legacy at your peril. Whatever your business, whatever your brand, your success is dependent on quality and customer service. This is even more true with a resurrected brand, because your customers are comparing you to an idealized memory. Measure up to that, or the brand shall die a second death.

Is Premium Brand Development A Double-Edged Sword?

One must remain sharp to fend off the pirates — and the vikings.

First, you build your brand (you’ve heard us say this before).

But your work’s not done. You must then protect your brand. You must be on guard not just against your competitors, but also actual counterfeiters, and brand knockoffs.

That’s not a huge surprise, especially if you’ve ever been offered an eye-widening bargain for a new “Gucchi” handbag or “Rollects” timepiece. It might shock you to learn, though, that this is hardly a new phenomenon. Premium brands were being harried by knock-offs much earlier than most of us realize.

How early? At least as early as the Viking age — over 1,000 years ago.

The well-equipped Viking, as he set out from Scandinavia on his dark errands, might wear at his hip the finest sword he could afford. We know from the archeological evidence that the most sought-after sword in those days was the Ulfberht.

No one today is sure exactly what the word Ulfberht means. It might have been a family name, but since the swords were in production for well over a century, it probably wasn’t the name of a single craftsman. It was clearly a brand, though, in the most literal sense. The word was proudly and intricately inlaid into the steel of the blade.

A few dozen Ulfberhts have been recovered and are in museums around the world. Not long ago, researchers noticed something odd about them. About a third of them bear their “trademark” in this format: +ULFBERH+T. Tested metallurgically, the steel of these blades were found to be remarkable: extremely high-quality carbon steel forged in a process that wouldn’t be recreated in Europe for centuries.

The others, which comprise the majority, are branded +ULFBERHT+ and are made of cheap, inferior metal. Our hypothetical Viking would have no way of knowing this without access to a scanning electron microscope…or until his prized sword shattered during battle.

The battle metaphor is pretty common in business, marketing, and yes, branding. Some wonder if it might be hyperbole. Our 1,000-year-old case study insists it isn’t. Consumers buy brands they trust because they’re expecting consistency in quality and service. Knock-offs dilute that quality and erode that trust.

And even today, long after the last Viking ship has sailed, this can still be a matter of life and death.

The C4

1. Brand counterfeiting isn’t just about cheap handbags that look vaguely like the original. Everything from auto parts to smoke detectors are being counterfeited. Cheap knock-offs can and do hurt people.
2. A thousand years ago, some unlucky Vikings learned this the hard way. The expensive+ULFBERH+T and the affordable +ULFBERHT+ looked equally shiny and nice just off the showroom floor. It was only when its owner needed it most that the metal’s mettle was truly tested.
3. Consumers and brand-owners are both in similar peril today. Every product, every brand is subject to counterfeiting. Only an informed public and a proactive business community can fight that.
4. First you build your brand, then you protect it. Branding is a process that never stops. Yes, we’ve said it before, and we’re sure to say it again.

Making The Mark

It could have happened to any of us.

Any among us could react to a short-term emergency with a long-term mistake. Monday-morning quarterbacking aside, it's easy to make the wrong call when you're in that position. It's easy to grasp for the simplest solution while taking your eye off the long ball.

In the case of Maker's Mark, it was a problem of supply and demand — too little of the former and too much of the latter. The way MM handled that problem shows they forgot, somehow, that the "demand" part of that equation was a complement of the highest order, and an admonition to "don't ever, please" mess with the recipe.

The reduction of Maker's Mark from 90 to 84 proof was an attempt to stretch supply and meet demand. It was not intended to deliver a body blow to an elegant, successful brand. But that's what it did.

Any among us could make that kind of mistake, but not all could recover like Maker's Mark has. They did so by falling back on the most basic tenet of business: listen to your customer. After a week of uproar the company announced their reversal with this tweet:

You spoke. We listened. ow.ly/hN3kC
— Maker's Mark (@MakersMark) February 17, 2013

Did they really save their brand that easily? Listen — they're still Maker's Mark. They're still 90 proof of bourbon perfection. Dipped in wax to seal the magnificence inside.

And that brief run of 84 proof bottles? Collector's items now. Maker's Mark lovers who were just last week cursing the brand now can't buy that stuff fast enough.

The C4:

1. Maker's Mark Manhattan: shake together a shot and a half of MM, a half shot sweet vermouth, and a dash of bitters. Chilled glass, cherry garnish, and good, good times.
    
2. Maker's Mark Old Fashioned: mix a part and a half MM with a half part club soda and a teaspoon of sugar. Serve over ice, sip it slow.
    
3. Maker's Mark on the rocks: just like it sounds, but somehow so much better.
    
4. The Maker's Mark takeaway: When the customer speaks, listen.

A New Icon Is Already Up In The Air

American takes off. Again.

Before & After

There’s much more to the art of branding than symbolism and iconography. But then, without the symbols and icons, there is no brand.

That’s why changing those elements brings such risks. There’s risk in staying stagnant, of course. There’s risk in living in the past. But in updating, in revamping, there’s danger of the noble past being erased.

There might be no more noble brand than American Airlines, and not just because their name co-opts the vision of a society and the ideals of a people. This company, aloft since 1934, helped create our global dominance in aviation. They’re a legacy of Charles Lindbergh and Howard Hughes. They’ve survived the most momentous age not just of flight, not just of travel, but of human experience.

They’ve also been in bankruptcy for more than a year, and have been held up as an example of the decline of airline customer service. If ever a company might benefit from rebranding, that company would be American Airlines.

Yet somehow, we can give only the most hesitant endorsement of American’s recently unveiled image, in the form of a new logo, company colors, and airplane livery. The look is bold, modern, and very striking. The aircraft livery is gorgeous. There’s little to quibble with here.

But there was little to quibble with in American’s old look, which dates from 1968 and was created by the venerable, honorable design house of Massimo Vignelli. For a brand image that’s pushing a half-century in age, Massimo’s design remains powerfully contemporary. It’s also one of the most recognizable trademarks on earth.

For all that, we won’t say that American’s rebranding was a mistake. For a company as stricken as American Airlines, maybe a rebranding was necessary to break with the past, and to start writing a newer, better narrative.

We just hope the American executives realize that a fresh brand won’t write that narrative on its own. The challenges that American Airlines faces are systemic, not symbolic. A fresh brand might bring a reappraisal from consumers, but only a better way of doing business, and a new commitment to service, will bring those consumers on board.  

The C4:

1. American Airlines has just rolled out a new brand; with a thoroughly modern logo, eye-catching aircraft livery, and even new company colors. (Don’t worry, they’re still American, so they’re still red, white, and blue. They’re just a slightly different red, white, and blue.)
2. This is a company that’s been in bankruptcy since November, 2011. They’ve struggled to present a workable plan for re-emergence. They’ve gained a reputation for abysmal customer service. So yes, perhaps this is a company that could benefit from rebranding.
3. But we’ll miss the old brand, created 45 years ago by superstar designer Massimo Vignelli. Few corporate images that old can remain so appealing, so contemporary.
4. Nevertheless, the die is cast. We hope the redesign serves American well. We also hope the company realizes that now that the designers have done their jobs, it’s up to every employee of American, from baggage handlers to executive officers, to create a strong new airline, worthy of its bold new brand.

Dreamliner’s Nightmare

Did Boeing rush to market?

Can you imagine the pressure? You’re already two and a half years behind schedule, with your product hotly anticipated by your customers, your company’s shareholders, your global supply chain, and the world at large. Every problem you encounter with design, every hiccup in your production process, is an instant headline. Designing on the cutting edge is difficult enough. But doing so with the whole world watching? It must have been torture.

That’s what Boeing’s commercial aircraft division was faced with as they rolled out their first new jetliner in decades — the 787 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner was created to be the definitive twenty-first-century passenger jet — the first with a weight-saving all-composite design, the first to replace hydraulics with an electronic fly-by-wire system, the first to power its electrical systems with lithium-ion batteries.

And if you’ve been following the news lately, you know that last item might be a fatal (or at least fateful) Achilles’ heel.

The Dreamliner is now grounded worldwide as Boeing engineers try to figure out why those batteries are overheating. In at least one case, a Dreamliner battery sparked a fire on the tarmac at Boston’s Logan Airport, which took firefighters 40 minutes to extinguish. In a couple of other cases, pilots initiated emergency landings after smelling smoke or receiving automated warnings about electrical problems.

There have been no crashes as a result. No one has been hurt or killed on a Dreamliner. This is the good news.

The bad news is that Boeing’s reputation, and maybe even their ultimate destiny, is caught up with those forlorn grounded jets.

Was there a rush to market? We don’t want to rush to judge. But recognizing that intense pressure, in 2007, 2008, and 2009, as Boeing announced delay after delay, we have to wonder what shortcuts were taken. We’d like to think none. We hope that’s the case.

Boeing has been around since 1916. Their iconic Flying-Fortress and Stratofortress bombers helped save the world from fascism. Their commercial jetliners, from the early 707 to the ubiquitous wide-body 747, have defined the modern age of travel. Air Force One has always been a Boeing aircraft.

It’d be all the more tragic, then, if the Dreamliner failed and brought Boeing to ruin. And it would be tragedy multiplied if we learned it could all be traced to a rush to market.

The pressure to produce can be overwhelming. That pressure can lead to hurried work and imprecision. Depending on the nature of the product, the result can range from embarrassment and financial loss — to the truly horrific.

We honor Boeing and wish them the best. We hope for a perfected Dreamliner and prosperous days ahead for this great American company. Most of all, we hope they’re not fated to become just a cautionary warning, reminding us all to take our time and to get it right.

The C4:

1. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner rolled off the drawing boards in 2007 and flew for the first time in 2009. It entered commercial service in October 2011.
    
2. In the last half of 2012, Boeing started receiving reports of electrical problems with deployed Dreamliners. At least one caught fire. No injuries or deaths resulted, but in January, 2013, Dreamliners were grounded around the world. They remain so at the time of this writing.
    
3. As Boeing engineers focus on problems with the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries, the question is being asked: Did Boeing rush this product to market?
    
4. We don’t know. We hope not. We hope Boeing solves this issue and moves beyond it. Regardless, we’re reminded that rushing is rarely good business strategy. We know that pressure can be hard to resist, but that methodical problem-solving is how masterpieces are created. If Boeing’s designers didn’t realize that when they built the Dreamliner, they’re surely realizing it now.

Weighted Down In The New Year

New Weightwatchers logo puts on some pounds.

One of the biggest decisions people worldwide make around this time is what to do in the New Year. The biggest resolution is always weight loss, but it seems like Weight Watchers — a major player in that particular arena — has put on some pounds with its new identity. The justification for the change sounds nice, but we fail to see “modern, open and energetic.” If anything it’s flat, not to mention squat and chunky.

New logo

Previous logo

We appreciate the attempt to illustrate a transformation by having the new logo gradate, but agree that isn’t necessarily the best way to do it. It’s a weight loss program — not an invisibility tonic. Weight Watchers offers a lifestyle change and an increase in health and vitality. By losing weight, you gain much more. We think that would’ve been more interesting — and valuable — to represent their brand image in their logo than what was used. Based on their primary audience (women) and how they try to make weight loss look fun and easy, the logo might also benefit from a more feminine, carefree look.

Color variations

It’s easy to get carried away with applying meaning when creating new organizational identities. But sometimes that’s the barrier you were trying to overcome all along — particularly when a company name itself has power. Jeff Halmos, a brand strategist in Toronto, may have summed it up best when referring to Microsoft’s recent brand changes:

“So the question, ‘What do you think of the new Microsoft logo’ is a futile one. You’re not supposed to notice, let alone ask. It’s not meant to be discerned. There is no story here. Nothing to talk about. That’s the point: ‘You have the word; it’s been around; everyone knows it; what’s the problem?’ Any implied or imparted meaning is now being defined by the tribe. Microsoft has no control over its brand anymore. The tribe owns it. The less Microsoft does to get in the way, the longer the tribe will feed.”

One of the main reasons we create identities is to make things easier. Clients shouldn’t have to spend time thinking about which iteration of their logo should be used in one application or another. Identity should simplify, not create more situations where people have to make decisions on color configuration, etc.

More colors mean more decisions, and more decisions mean more time spent not getting things done.

The Death of Brands?

Not if branders really get (and give) the value of their value.

A recent Time Magazine story entitled Brand Names Just Don't Mean As Much Anymore posited that belt-tightening in the wake of the Great Recession has brought on the slow, steady decline of brand-name goods. The story cites the no-name or generic items that sit next to the similar (sometimes identical) brand-name equivalents on grocery store and drugstore shelves.

Consumers have long known that generics compare well to the brands in quality, and purely outshine them in price. It seems that in this "new normal" of everyday cost-consciousness (where 93% of shoppers report changes in buying habits due to the economy), consumers are now choosing generics with increasing regularity.

So should the brand names be panicking? Well, not exactly — especially since many of the brand-name producers also supply the generic or store-brand goods. This trend might be cutting into profits, but it isn't yet erasing them.

But consumer goods suppliers, and indeed brand managers everywhere, should definitely be paying attention. What we're seeing here is a shift in the consumer mindset, and a forecast into their brand-loyalty — or the lack of it — for generations to come.

Because brand loyalty hasn't died, it's just stopped being blind. Consumers really do want to embrace familiar brands, instead of scrambling for bargains each week. Consumers are happy to support companies, products, and yes, brands they believe in...providing they see those things as worthy of their support.

And what makes them worthy? Is it price? Not exactly.

It's value.

Don't make the mistake of conflating price with value. Price is an element of value, but it's not the entirety. Value is a complicated algorithm that's computed unconsciously in the consumer's head. It integrates variables like quality, availability, and even brand equity, to arrive at a value-based buying decision. And clearly, if two side-by-side products are identical in every way except price, that lower price tips the scales of value.

So brand managers, what can you do if you can't compete on price? Compete on value — make a better product, market it better, service it better, and build a quality-centric brand to stand behind it.

The best part of this formula for success is that it doesn't just apply to the consumer goods that Time was speaking of. If you've got a brand, no matter your business, focus on value and you can't go wrong.

The C4:

1. Time Magazine just reported that due to shifts in buying habits, brand-name consumer goods are losing market share to their generic, no-name, or store-brand equivalents. We like Time's reporting, but this particular revelation surprised exactly no one. 
2. Economies can change rapidly, but buying habits, not so much. Consumers are now in the habit of seeking out the best values, brand loyalty be damned. This is the new normal, and marketers need to get used to it.
3. It's not (necessarily) a matter of price. It's value. It's bang for the buck. If a no-name brand compares well in quality but is 20% cheaper, most consumers won't agonize over the decision very long before putting that no-name in their shopping cart. 
4. Marketers take heed. No matter what you're selling, you'd better be selling it with value. If you can't compete on price then you have to be offering something else, something of value, that the cut-rate brands just can't provide. This is an axiom we all should have been living by all along, but now it's a matter of success or failure.

The Name of the Game

Pretend it's your baby.

Building your brand starts the moment you start building your company. The decisions you make as you plan, create and launch a new business will inevitably have long-lasting impact on your long-term success.

And perhaps the most consequential of those decisions is a deceptively simple one: just what are you going to call this new company?

Resist the urge to rush that decision. And resist the urge for self-indulgence. Naming the company after yourself, or your kids, or some meaningless word that sounds nice to your ears — there have been plenty of entrepreneurs who’ve managed to make this work. But there have been plenty more who’ve tried it and failed.

Your first consideration in naming your company is the one that should inform all your decision making: what does this mean for my customers? To answer that, you must know your customers, or at least know the type of customer you’ll be targeting. If you sell to a staid, conservative crowd, then one of those edgy, modern monikers — think Tumblr, Skype and Etsy — probably won’t win them over.

Speaking of pronunciation, how does it sound spoken aloud? How does it look on a letterhead? Will lazy tongues or unfamiliar typefaces change its meaning? There’s an unfortunately high possibility of brand damage here. You must anticipate and mitigate it.

Finally, can you trademark your name and buy a suitable Web domain? You might eventually retain a trademark attorney, but why not just start with a Google search? See what companies are out there with similar names, and try to anticipate consumer confusion that might result. And do a search for available domain names, but be warned: there are “domain squatters” out there who specialize in buying up dot-com names based on others’ searches, only to sell them back later at exorbitant costs.

Try to settle on a name that makes sense to your customers, that tells them in an instant who you are, what you offer and why you’re the best at it. Choose a name upon which you can hang the entirety of your marketing program — because that’s exactly what you’re about to do.

The C4:

1. Choosing a company name is the entrepreneur’s single most important marketing decision. Success depends upon treating that decision with that level of seriousness.
2. Don’t rush it and don’t take it as an opportunity to pat yourself on the back. Do look for names that speak directly to the kind of customer you want to attract.
3. Anticipate trademark and Web domain issues, as well as every nuance in how the name will sound aloud and appear on the page and screen.
4. Create a marketing program that starts with that carefully considered, ultimately perfect name…then build your dream from there.

Mondelez? Puh-leeze.

Has a crafty committee, once again, created a camel?

Mondelez: If you’re a Kraft shareholder you still have time to stop that word, Mahn-duh-leez, from becoming the new parent company name for fav brands like Nabisco, Cadbury and Oreo. Later this May, Kraft Foods will ask its owners’ permission to change its name to Mondelez International.

There are slews of consultants and observers already calling it a dunderheaded idea, and chattering about all the branding rules being broken: a name with no equity, no apparent meaning, difficult even to pronounce…

And then you hear how they actually picked it: through a global employees’ suggestion box. And not only that, they actually combined two entries to pick that winner: ‘Monde’ meaning the world, and ‘delez’ being a version of delish.

No, really.

But hey, who knows. Who knows whether chop-sawing the brand of Kraft (using plans drawn up by a committee) will work, rather than failing as spectacularly as expected. Stranger things have happened.

Branding rules are rules for good reason. But rules can be broken for good reason. And rule-breakers often create success stories.

Besides, as long as the Oreos taste the same, who really cares about the nonsense word on the corner of the package?

The C4:

1. Kraft Foods plans to ask its shareholders’ permission to rebrand the parent company of Oreo, Nabisco, Trident and Tang as “Mondelez International.”
2. That’s trading away a trademark that’s worth billions and known round the world. It’s replacing it with a word that no one has ever heard before, and that you need to be coached to pronounce correctly.
3. But who knows. If they’re smart with their marketing and they keep delivering top products maybe the Mondelezians will have the last laugh.
4. A company’s name is always the lynchpin of its branding. It pays to know what works and what doesn’t in naming a company, and when it’s OK to break the rules (next C4 Blast teaches just that!).

Never Send A Hamster To Do A Gecko's Job

Insider lingo is off-putting to everyone who isn't inside.

Healthcare, life insurance and reverse mortgages: if you’re over 65, it seems like advertisers think these are the only classes of purchases in which you’re interested.

Generational Marketing is a grand idea. But too many marketers and brand managers seem uninterested in all but a few of those younger generations. They’re seeking brand sustainability, early wrought loyalty and some of the purchasing power of the 20-somethings’ new money.

Understandable goals, all around.

But do they forget the established tendency toward loyalty — and the rock-solid purchasing power — of the generations they habitually ignore?

Gaps in communication only compound the gen-gap. Trying too hard to emulate the lingo of the youngest, they send incomprehensible lingo right over the heads of elders. That’s not just ignoring part of your audience — that's flirting with their annoyance.

Two possible solutions: Spend big like Geico does, on parallel marketing platforms aimed toward every possible age of buyer. Or spend cheap by sticking to the basics, by talking about value and benefits in plain English.

Yes, you should know your audience, and talk right to them. If your only possible buyers are too young to remember the sounds of dial-up, then by all means dazzle them with your hippity-blingy hamsters.

But stop and consider the couple billion older consumers to whom you’re not selling. Ask yourself if your hamsters aren’t gnawing into your bottom line. Ask yourself if you can afford to ignore any generation.

The C4:

1. Generational Marketing means fine-tuning your message for the benefit of your buying demographic. It doesn’t mean ignoring or annoying potential buyers.
2. Hip lingo and youthful swagger are cute. “Cute” is complementary for only so many brands.
3. Every age of consumer is interested in value, in features and in benefits. Talk about those and you’re talking to everyone.
4. Don’t send a hamster to do a caveman’s job.

Nothing Happens Without Awareness

Happy 70th birthday to the Ad Council.

The Ad Council is the advertising industry’s premier non-profit, founded in 1942 at the urging of President Franklin Roosevelt, to leverage the persuasive power of media for the sake of the common good. Those early years saw memorable campaigns on behalf of the war effort, including the introduction of an icon that remains moving and powerful to this day: Rosie the Riveter.

Since then, the Council has championed causes that benefit us all, while remaining decidedly non-partisan and uncontroversial. These include Smokey the Bear’s fight against forest fires, McGruff the Crime Dog’s exhortations to “take a bite out of crime,” and the familiar, effective message: “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”

The Ad Council’s mission is made possible through the donated time and talents of the industry’s top creative minds, and more than $1 billion in free media space per year. We see the results every day on TV, online, in our magazines and in our newspapers. More importantly, we see the results in the positive social changes the Ad Council helps to bring.

The influence of modern advertising is a boon to business and commerce. We’re proud to be part of that. But we’re at least as proud of the role our industry plays in positive social messaging and change. So thank you, Ad Council, and here’s to your next 70 years of service.

The C4:

1. The Ad Council was founded in 1942 by advertising industry leaders, as part of the home-front war effort.
2. From 1942–1945 the Council helped sell war bonds, encouraged rationing, kept morale high and introduced Rosie the Riveter to the world.
3. Since the end of WWII, the Ad Council has leveraged top creative talent and billions of dollars in free media to promote some of the most important and most familiar social causes.
4. Nothing happens without awareness. Congrats to the Ad Council on its 70th anniversary.

Hostess With The Leastest

Who'll put the wonder in Wonder Bread?

Last week's bankruptcy hammer-blow: Hostess Brands, down for their second count of Chapter 11.

Hostess wobbled on a two-legged stool, supported by Twinkies and Wonder bread. Hostess rode that stool into an era where people don't eat white bread, and they make jokes about Twinkies.

Having said that, we remember that a few years ago TV chef Tony Bourdain brought his Travel Channel show No Reservations to Cleveland. His stops included an old Twinkie factory, abandoned since the 80s. Therein he found an abandoned supply of creamy filling confection. He opened a valve and drank some.

"Twinkie-licious," he said.

There you have it. Twinkies are forever. Hostess...not so much.

The C4:

1. Relying on signature products as company sustenance is a risky model. Too few organizations have the guts to update their signature products, which means their sustainers are stuck in time.
2. If you cater to tastes, watch and adjust to how tastes change.
3. Is bankruptcy still a process of last resort? Why can't some of these guys try harder to right their own ships before bailing on their creditors?
4. The thirty-first-century archeologists brave enough to bite an ancient Twinkie will find it Twinkie-licious.

Coda for Kodak

The market dun' took my Kodachrome® away-eh.

We're writing too often, these days, of proud old brands that are faltering, fading and failing.

With Kodak, the failure is all the more astonishing because their brand remains synonymous with photography. Indeed, that company is more responsible than any other for putting the tools of picture-taking into the hands of the masses — a goal specifically enumerated by founder George Eastman as early as 1880.

Despite that success, Eastman-Kodak is just days away from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, from the fire-sale liquidation of billions of dollars worth of patents, and from walking away from a mountain of debt, including company bonds and employee pensions.

What killed Kodak? Perhaps they're victims of their own success. Photography is indeed in all our hands now…and in our phones, our computers and all throughout our digital cloud. A company founded on film couldn't seem to manage the shift away from analog. And when they did, belatedly, they were ill-equipped to compete with companies that were digital to their core.

So is this the coda for Kodak? That remains to be seen. They still have the brand that means "camera" to millions. But sadly, it seems as though they have little else.

Hunting For Goodwill

You are far more valuable than your bottom line.

It's only natural, as we bid farewell to 2011 and ring in '12, to look back, take stock and evaluate a year's worth of performance. Were we lean and competitive? Did we beat expectations? Or was our balance sheet a precarious balancing act?

As we pore over the data, though, let us remember that not all is black and white. Certain aspects of our businesses defy definition, resist categorization and are oh so difficult to put a price on.

We're talking about intangible assets.

These include our intellectual property, our unique trade secrets and the marketing power of our brands. They include also the goodwill of our communities, which is a reward beyond value for our participation, our citizenship and our altruistic leadership.

Is this the kernel of a New Year's resolution? That's for each of us to decide for ourselves. Here at Caler&Company, we aim to embrace the intangible and value to the utmost that which has no price.

Here's to goodwill, good times and a happy and healthy 2012 for all.

Cheers!

The End of Longevity?

Why brands without a competitive edge will fail.

Citing poor holiday sales, Sears Holding Corporation this week announced plans to shutter about 115 Sears and Kmart stores nationwide.

Not wishing to pile on to an unfortunate situation, but we can’t help but wonder if we’re seeing a failure of brand here — or more specifically, the failure to keep two venerable brands updated and relevant.

After all, what’s Kmart? A discount store, certainly, but what differentiates it from the world’s largest discount seller? Walmart is not only the world’s largest retailer, they sell more TVs, groceries, toys, guns and diamonds than any other company in the world. What has Kmart done to compete with that? And if they can’t compete, how do they distinguish themselves?

And Sears, founded in 1886, is one of our oldest retailers. Their history is long, storied and honorable. But are they modern? Are they competitive? When was the last time you shopped at Sears?

Longevity is enviable, but it’s nothing without competitiveness and relevancy. Lacking those vital components, longevity can cease at any time.

The C4:

1. Longevity requires a strong brand.
2. A strong brand requires differentiation.
3. Differentiation requires competitiveness.
4. Competitiveness requires a desire for longevity.

Stand & Deliver

Are you ready to do what it takes?

These days, a company's continuing existence is testament to its adaptability. If you're still standing, that means you've rolled with every technological landslide and demographic shift that recent history has thrown at you.

Which is good, because all that has just been practice for your biggest challenge yet: The fundamental transformation of the American consumer's psyche.

The Great Recession of 2007–2009 left a more pessimistic consumer. One who's holding less debt, less purchasing power and who is far more thoughtful — maybe downright adverse — to all but the most basic purchases.

Consumers will continue to demand the utmost in service and value, while things like brand loyalty will mean less and less. Far fewer dollars will be spent, and there will be economic casualties. There will be winners too, though, consisting of those players willing to beat their competition in giving the consumer what he or she wants.

That's the line we plan on being in. Hope to see you there.

The C4:

1. If you're still standing, congrats — you're a testament to adaptability.
2. Now begins the process of changing consumers' mindsets — but it won't be easy.
3. Consumers' demands are high, but their attitudes are challenging.
4. Those who want to keep standing will give the consumer what they want.

What You Should Know About Measuring Social Influence

It’s no doubt that Klout created a niche market for measuring social influence. But constant criticism regarding privacy issues and calculation methods also set the stage for a host of new competitors to step into the limelight and steal the attention of Klout’s audience.

In the above image from AdWeek, the sudden availability of many new influence measurement tools presents quite a selection of options to choose from when seeking to determine the reach of your social media activities.

Klout. Kred. PeerIndex. PROskore. SocMetrics. Traackr. TweetLevel. Twitalyzer.

Wait — we’re not done yet.

Argyle Social. CrowdBooster. Empire Avenue. My Web Career. PostRank. Sprout Social. TweetGrader. TweetStats. Twenty Feet. Twitaholic. Twitter Counter. Twylah. Who Say.

OK. Now that we have a good — but still incomplete — list going, which one is right for you?

Most of these platforms give some sort of score or idea of your reach. Some just let you compare yourself against other industry users. But each takes different bits of information into account when calculating. Past job titles. Audience size. Tweets, retweets, favorites, likes, tags, etc.

The list of criteria goes on.

But as organizations spread out over all these platforms and begin using their services, the facts and figures that come from each start to lose their importance. Does a Klout score of 54.8 (rounded up to 55) stand up against a Kred score of 548? This presents some problems for organizations that sell social media services, or for social media specialists that are required to provide metrics regarding the impact of their endeavors.

So, which influence measurement tool should you choose?

Any of them, really. Sure, some will come under fire for how they calculate social influence. They always will. Whether it’s from competition or social watchdogs, these tools will continue to be scrutinized. And they’ll continue to defend themselves because they have a product to sell.

But your role in this mayhem is to keep moving forward. Using Klout? Aim to improve your score. Engage more and share more. Using Kred? It’s the same situation — just keep building up your organization’s social presence.

And if anyone shuns your Kred score with their Klout score, just ask them what their scores or metrics are for each of the 21 influence measurement tools mentioned above. All 21 of them — one by one.

The C4:

• Many social influence measurement tools are available, and each offers scoring or measurement in either similar or vastly different ways.
• Choosing the right tool for you depends on how you're going to use it.
• You must determine the value of having a measurement tool — what does this information mean to you and what will it mean to those you serve?
• Comparing scores from different tools is pointless; instead, compare what you hear back from your audience. That will determine who's doing things right.

Image Source: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/million-little-klouts-137032

Physics, Cigars & Marketing

What happens when two brands attempt to occupy the same space? 

An elemental explosion, probably. We'll find out if the U.S. normalizes relations with Cuba. Will different groups of companies attempt to lay claim to the same brand identities?

Well-respected international cigar brands like Montecristo, Cohiba and Romeo y Julieta were established long before Castro came, then split them into separate entities after the fall of Batista.

Sixty years later, and all those sets of separated twins have grown their own way, on either side of the Caribbean Iron Curtain.

The forced separation could end at any time — at the stroke of a political pen.

Then somehow two organisms must vie for the right to sell you your Cohiba. Will this be the mother of all copyright battles, or will we witness some Berlin-style reunifications?

Aficionados of stogies and lovers of courtroom drama should stay tuned.

The C4:

1. Your unique position will help your brand occupy that space — alone.
2. If you're not assertively copyrighting and protecting your intellectual property, someone else will.
3. Politics and marketing are sometimes intrinsically and inextricably interwoven.
4. A brand is a brand, but a cigar's a smoke.

All About Process #1: Listen Intently

Certainly, you’ve been in a situation where your ability to articulate something important to you, to another person or group, has been put to the test. You want this expressed in such a way that it does justice to or captures the passion behind it, but wonder if those being presented to will “get it.”

Apprehension may then decide to take residence within you, as whatever you are trying to get across may be well laid out in your mind but when it comes time to transform those ideas into words, some of them get lost in translation.

As if the internal struggle of expressing something wasn’t enough, this inevitable question may arise: “Are they even listening to me?” Surely, your audience may be nodding in agreement or seem to be engaged, but a part of you most likely wonders if they really care about what is being said.

You’ve put a lot of time and effort into creating what you want to say, so it would only seem natural that the audience would be actively engaged in what was important to you. However, this assumption can prove to be false more often than not, and not because of malice or disregard for your time, but simply due to a lack of active listening.

This scenario is not solely reserved for an individual, as organizations can be subject to this when dealing with an agency. An organization may be passionate about their identity but enlists an agency’s help to better express it. While the agency likely has the organization’s best interest in mind, they might unknowingly don a set of ego-laced earmuffs that muffle what is being said, so they can present what they’ve already decided was best. They may be aware of the ideas the organization has, but remain steadfast in what their vision is, and instead of listening they only hear enough to seem engaged.

Fortunately, the Caler&Company team lends far more than just an ear — we provide the undivided attention a client deserves. It is not a coincidence that our process of delivering client service begins with the phrase Listen Intently, as this is where we distinguish ourselves by becoming an extension of our clients rather than a separate entity.

We listen first and then act accordingly, harnessing client’s passion as the driving force behind everything we do. Need someone to listen? Contact us today.

Be Epic

Traditionally, an “epic” was a long poem that narrated the deeds of heroes, the rise and fall of nations and the meddling of the gods. But in today’s vocabulary, “epic” is an — often intentionally exaggerated — adjective used to say that something is awesome.

When describing a person, you might say, “That guy was the most epic guitarist I’ve ever seen.” For an event or action, a simple “That was epic.”

You get the idea. But how does “epic” work for organizations? It definitely sounds weird when you talk about them like that:

Adobe is the most epic content authoring, customer experience management and online marketing software developer ever!

Yep, that definitely sounds weird — and a wee bit forced.

Making “epic” work for an organization isn’t easy. In the traditional epic, characters, groups and even entire nations went through a lot of hardship, self-discovery, lesson learning and perhaps even sacrifice to get to where they were going. Sound familiar? That’s probably because you experienced those same things at some point in your organization’s history. Any company that’s still operating in this world knows how hard it can be — and what it had to go through to get to where it is today.

That journey — coupled with your history and culture — makes up your unique story. It’s the tale of how you came to be and the adventures you’ve been on since the beginning. It’s the saga of your relationships with customers and the chronicle of your battles with competitors.

Unfortunately, most organizations aren’t on the same page when it comes to understanding and telling their unique story. Our role is to discover it, dust it off, polish it, package it and tell it in its most favorable light and most memorable way to those who will benefit from hearing it.

And with our team by your side every step of the way, you’ll discover how to make that story epic.