Brand Thinking
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ABA Is Clear On Calories
Posted on April 1, 2011 at 8:43 am
Clear on Calories “Journey” TV Ad from American Beverage Association on Vimeo.
The American Beverage Association enlisted Greenfield/Belser’s help for their “Clear on Calories” initiative. The result, a simple yet effective display of calorie counts on beverages across the country. Watch their new commercial above that showcases their new initiative and read the full story at AmeriBev.org.
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Getting Brands to Stick, Part Twah
Posted on February 3, 2011 at 9:00 am
For 25 years, I taught taiji ch’uan with a partner. We taught this as a martial art, not simply as an exercise for old people in the park. As with any sport, the goal of practice was to train your body and mind so that movements followed a precise, effortless path. Beginners would always end the class in a sweat. Advanced students hardly saw a rise in heart rate. Training with a weapon—in our case, a sword—simply extended the body’s learned movements to the tip of the sword. Your brand is your sword. But has your body learned to wield it?
I no longer believe branding is an event. It’s a training regimen. Without devoted practice, the brand will not move naturally in the direction you want, nor will it recover when faced with an unexpected attack. Brands fail because their practitioners no longer show up to class and no longer practice at work. Marketers, you are the masters. You teach the class every week. Your reputation grows when you pass on the brand one by one. As your students multiply, then your firm’s brand also grows.
Class dismissed.
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Services Branding Power Leads Its Clients By Example
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 6:00 am
gbltd.com Champions the Interactive Experience
Most B2B and, in particular, professional services firms follow a conventional, templated, prefab mold with their websites. The result? They suffer from a paralyzing sameness of both style and function and fail to impress or differentiate because they look, feel and sound the same. For years, Greenfield/Belser has advocated and helped its clients realize a more unique approach to B2B branding—online and off. With the launch of its new website, Greenfield/Belser has created an online blueprint for an interactive experience that leads by example and teaches clients how to make the most of their website investments.The keys to looking sharp online
gbltd.com reflects the lessons the brand strategy and design firm shares with its leading law, accounting, consulting and other relationship services clients. It features: • An interactive homepage with call outs showcasing its clients’ brands, relevant articles, timely research and instructive case studies;• A purposeful mix of substantive information delivered with a variety of media, from engaging videos, interactive games, and visual links;
• Eye-catching graphics and photos that illustrate Greenfield/Belser’s brand thinking and client accomplishments across a range of capabilities;
• Rich and regularly updated Brand Thinking resource center that offers thought leadership and practical advice through a blog, monthly Big Ideas section, Digital Cookbook recipes and more;
• A custom content management system (Point & Clique v6) built specifically for professional service providers.
A custom-built home
Greenfield/Belser’s President, Burkey Belser sums up the effort: “Our goal is to lead by example with innovative design and intuitive, easy-to-understand navigation. We believe we’ve built a custom home that inspires and informs.” Adds Principal and Creative Director Joe Walsh, “Our designers, writers, technologists and account executives partnered to create a site that teaches the fundamentals of web and brand leadership. Hopefully, our clients and prospects will gain from our perspective and have some fun along way.” -
Getting Brands to Stick, Part Deux
Posted on February 1, 2011 at 10:00 am
I read a recent article in the NY Science Times (every Tuesday!) titled “When Self Knowledge is Only the Beginning.” Why is it that everything reminds me of branding? An idée fixe? A simple mind? Here’s the sentence that leapt out at me:
“What therapy had given this young man was a coherent narrative of his life; it had demystified his feelings, but had done little to change them.”
And here’s the simple insight: Brands provide a firm wide narrative if they’re well done. They give individuals and organizations a coherent story to tell. If an individual is open to the brand idea, then the individual can build on it and integrate the story into business life. But if the individual chooses to “admire the solution” yet do nothing with it, guess what? Nothing changes.
Can organization can do it for you? Yes. The organization can get you to the table. But it you don’t live the brand, the organization alone cannot get you the business.
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Food Makers Devise Own Label Plan
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Did you notice anything different on your box of cereal this morning? Food makers and grocers recently began implementing a brand new label to help you make healthier decisions. In a country where 34% of adults and 17% of children are obese, the Obama administration continues to push Americans to re-evaluate what we consume. With Michelle Obama leading the pack, manufacturers were encouraged to help consumers make more healthful food choices. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) stepped up to the challenge by partnering with Greenfield/Belser to create a brand new package-front label that highlights the important nutrition information consumers need to know.
The new label design displays the calorie, fat and sugar contents of the package, emphasizing the things consumers should limit in their daily diets. A simple design keeps consumers eyes from wandering, honing in on the key nutrition facts. The versatile design will be applied to all packaged foods. According to the New York Times, the White House has already noted the new labeling initiative as “a significant first step” to fighting obesity.
Next time you are in the store, take a second to look at the packaging of what you are purchasing. Makes you think twice about buying that box of double stuffed Oreos, doesn’t it?
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Getting a Brand to Stick
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 11:54 am
Last year I had a conversation with a prospect that has stuck with me. We were chatting about one of the brands we were proud of. The prospect stated, “I know one of those guys at that firm and he couldn’t tell me what their brand is.” And so, he went away unconvinced about the very idea of branding.
You could argue that is so wrong on so many levels but his comments reflect a reality of the branding process. Did they hear you? Did they understand you? Did they agree with you? In our experience, only twenty percent of the professionals in an organization are fully engaged in the process; another twenty percent could care less and believe the exercise is hogwash. (You understand these figures are precise down to the decimal point.) Sixty percent are listening—many of whom become engaged while most others simply move on.
Bottom line (and persistent reminder to marketing teams everywhere): Brands require constant feeding, weeding and care. An old adage: “You can never over communicate.” People forget. People return to the familiar. Change is hard and, thus, often abandoned. Ask yourself, every single week, “What have we done to communicate and reinforce the brand?”