With Olympic campaigns, even B-to-B marketers go for gold

We all expect the big consumer companies to roll out great new campaigns during the Olympics. And these Games have certainly delivered.

• GE introduced 3 new commercials with its “ecomagination” platform. They use imagery and fanciful situations, such as a crane morphing into an airplane, to demonstrate GE products like fuel-efficient jet engines and wind turbines. Spots were developed by BBDO New York,

• AT&T debuted “We,” promoting the three screens on which viewers can watch the Olympics—TVs, PCs and mobile phones. Spots are created by BBDO New York and BBDO Atlanta.

• Visa is running a campaign called “Go World,” developed by TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles.

What stands out are the business-to-business marketers also debuting new ad campaigns as the 2008 Beijing Olympics got under way. The Beijing Olympics telecasts by NBC (and its several network channels) are expected to reach a global audience of more than 4 billion.

PC maker Lenovo, based in Beijing with U.S. headquarters in Raleigh, NC, introduced an extensive Olympic effort, with a total of 176 ad placements during the games.

Lenovo features the tagline “Exceptionally engineered PCs,” promoting features of its ThinkPad notebooks, as well as the North American launch of its IdeaPad consumer PC. The ads are from Ogilvy Worldwide offices in the US, Australia, and India.

One 60-second spot, called “Sumo,” features flying wrestlers to show how Lenovo’s x300 PC is heavy on features but light in weight.

Watch the Lenovo Olympic Spots at
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1716442424/bclid1716440828/bctid1725276244

Retro Snickers wrapper

Have you seen this nostaligic packaging – harking back to the original 1930’s Snickers wrapper?




Read more at http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2008/07/snickers.html

“Monday Morning Memo” on Customer Profiles

In the column to the right, I list some other blogs that may be of interest to you, as well.

Recently, Dave Young’s BRANDING BLOG had this provocative quote:

“I’ve never seen a business fail due to reaching the wrong people. But if you listen to advertising sales reps, “reaching the right people” will solve all your problems.

And guess who has exactly the right people for you?”

Read the answer and a lot more by clicking to his blog at
http://www.brandingblog.com/2008/05/monday-morning.html

Right place – at an early time.

I did a 16-mile long trail hike from Highland Park to Kenilworth and back today. How lucky to have such great weather.

But even better was the timing to pass Ravinia just as Sheryl Crow was doing a sound check for tonight’s show. Heard a wonderful acoustic test of “Are You Strong Enough?”

Having seen her twice before, I’m sure it will be a great night for her under the stars.

Nine Things More Important than Capital

A colleague of mine, David Riklan who founded www.SelfGrowth.com sent me this wonderful article from Jim Rohn, America's foremost business philosopher.

As an independent, small, family businessman, this means a lot to me.



Nine Things More Important than Capital

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.

Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time.

Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to invest in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.

2. Desperation.

I have a friend, Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money, and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.

My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor; it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful, and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.

3. Determination.

Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?

4. Courage.

Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.

5. Ambition.

"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.

6. Faith.

Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.

7. Ingenuity.

Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.

8. Heart and Soul.

What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.

9. Personality.

You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective no matter who you talk to -- whether it is a child or whether it is a business person -- whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend, or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, D.C. as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.

And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire, whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.



About the Author:

Jim Rohn is hailed as one of the most influential thinkers of our time and has helped motivate and train an entire generation of personal development trainers as well as hundreds of executives from America's top corporations. He is one of today's most sought-after success counselors and has addressed over 6,000 audiences and four million people over the past 39 years. Rohn is the author of over 30 best-selling audios, videos, and books and is the 1985 recipient of the National Speakers Association coveted CPAE Award. For more information on Jim Rohn, visit http://www.jimrohn.com

Today is my birthday and it marks the beginning of my 50th year!

It was an ideal occasion to review one of the books that has had the most impact on my life – Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World.

Here’s an excerpt of a passage I’ve been thinking about lately:

“Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find ''tomorrow'' on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday's defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, '’If I had my life to live over again.’ Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day! Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”

The anticipation of “Big Bertha”

I’m catching up on some personal marathon training blogs. On Saturday July 26 Jenny and I took on the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10. And what an xperience!

The Xtreme 10 course went cross-country adjacent to the Argonne National Laboratory in Waterfall Glen. The course was mostly crushed limestone. The highlight (as advertised) was just before mile 3 – Big Bertha – offering a 125-foot climb in a half mile. I love “lactic acid.” Interesting though, that with all the build up I was actually expecting much worse. Funny how the mind works.

I send out a big thank you to the volunteers who called out split times and manned the water stations out on the rugged course. I know it’s not an easy job out there.

We also enjoyed the post-race party catered by all the Sam’s Club vendors and sponsors.

Could direct mail re-emerge as a medium of choice to reach physicians?

I had a fun lunch and compelling conversation with one of our collaborators the other day. As we were musing about the news of pharma promotion guidelines and new CME restrictions, he proposed that ol’ fashioned direct mail might re-emerge as the best way to get in a doctor’s office.

Coincidently, this report from SK&A landed in my in-box the same day.

“Completing its groundbreaking U.S. Physician Access study, SK&A has found a quarter of all office-based physicians require pharmaceutical or medical device sales representatives to make an appointment in order to see a physician to deliver sales and marketing promotion and other healthcare related services.

“The study also reveals the larger the size of the practice, the more likely an appointment is required. These findings are based on a comprehensive telephone survey of 230,000 medical practices representing 640,000 doctors.

“Most notably, the survey found physician access and appointment policies are largely influenced by the ownership, size and location of the physician’s practice. Physicians working in group practices that are owned by health systems or hospitals are less likely to see sales reps and more likely to require appointments than those who are working in independently owned practices. Physicians working in offices with 10 or more practicing physicians are more likely to restrict access than physicians working in smaller office sizes of 1 to 2 doctors.

Among the many insights from the six-month long study:
• 17% of physicians refuse to see sales reps at any time. Specialty physicians such as pathologists are much more likely to restrict access than general practitioners.
• 4% of physicians will visit with reps only on specific days of the week and 3% have restricted their access to specific times of the day.
• On the positive side, 76 % of physicians surveyed will take visits from reps at any time of day or any day of the week.
• 14% of group practices have a general policy to restrict access to physicians at all their office locations.”

Thoughtful stuff in these changing times.

I answered one of those survey calls tonight.

They wanted to know my opinion of ComEd, the electric utility. “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst…” I said I’d rate them a -5.

Then I remembered the only reason that ComEd is my least favorite brand is because Ameritech was bought out. They were the absolute worst in service reliability and experience.

Working on N-of-8® story development again...feels good

Two clients have engaged us to apply our N-of-8 story development tool in the second half of this year.

I love this kind of work.

What’s more, it may be the most valuable creative exercise I’ve ever used in my entire career.

We’ll be documenting the whole process (except the confidential stuff, of course) and sharing it over time. Plus, I’ve just started working on a book about N-of-8.

Summer event for Employee Well Being

Last Friday, we had a “personalized” company summer event.

Instead of the usual group outing or picnic, I offered employees a half day off to enjoy a summer outing of THEIR choice. Maybe a ball game, the zoo, sitting at a sidewalk cafe, getting an early start to a weekend trip, whatever.

One of our newest team members, Melissa, publishes a weekly internal newsletter, and I wanted to share her article on the day:


Judging by all the positive responses received, it sounds like the first ever Stinson Summer Event ended up being very much appreciated by everyone! Wayne summed it up with, “What a great way to help recharge the batteries in the middle of the year!”

Stinson employees took full advantage of the beautiful day.

“Last Friday, my wife joined me by taking a half day off work and we wanted to enjoy the nice weather. We packed a cooler, took the dog to the lake shore where we enjoyed a picnic and played with our dog at the Montrose dog beach.” -Greg

“Personally, I went home and took a nap. Felt great!” - Chris

Several people also took the opportunity to see the new Batman flick, The Dark Knight.

“I checked out the Dark Knight at the IMAX theatre with a friend - which I never get to do! I was also able to pick up my son early. It was the perfect way to get ready for a BBQ that evening.” -Michelle

Others got to enjoy time with friends. Melanie and Brandy had lunch at the new neighborhood bar, The Pony.

Not only did the 1/2-day off give all of us here at Stinson a time to catch up with friends and family, errands and sleep, but also it contributed to our overall wellbeing – which makes for happier employees and more productive work! As Brian Blank said, “The half day was very beneficial to my being a well-rounded, relaxed employee.”

Everyone enjoyed their day off in several different ways, but we all did agree on one thing: that we should do it again!



Of course, we’ll continue our other team-building and group occasions, but this was a customized experience that folks appreciated.

Cubs – a brand still trying to move Forward. Fast.

We went to the Cubs games at Wrigley this afternoon. Great day. Great game. Great malt cup. And great anticipation that this is the “next year” we’ve been waiting for since 1908. Plus, I’d really like to win it all before Mark Cuban buys the team and claims all the credit.

Just finalized a collaboration for a great upcoming program.

We’re developing a webinar that Medical Marketing & Media will host, sponsored by our client ReachMD XM Channel 157.

The title of the webinar is “Overcoming The 6 Challenges of CME:
How To Use Innovative Media in Today’s Healthcare Education Environment.”

It promises to be a lively interactive panel discussion during which we’ll weigh the relevant issues confronting CME planners and sponsors. Our panel of experts will help participants understand how they can apply best practice learning principles, as well as new media options, to achieve measurable results.

One exciting component – we’ll offer registrants subscriptions to ReachMD and we’ll select 5 winners to receive a Plug N Play XM Radio.

If you’d like to learn how to maximize the value of education grants, engage busy medical professionals, and meet your med-ed objectives, drop me an email and I’ll make sure you get an invitation to participate.

The Mellencamp “Brand” Experience

Midwest rocker John Mellencamp rolled into Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island Tuesday night. He songs emoted what the Sun-Times described as “redemption, reflection and the open wounds of love.”

Here’s my review of the evening with the Mellencamp brand on full display. I’m applying the ForwardFast model to frame my thoughts:

• Likeability – He came right out with “Pink Houses,” “Paper on Fire” and an intense rendering of “I’m Not Running Anymore.” The audience connected because we could relate to old favorites, heard again in a new time and context.

• Logo – the black jeans, the t-shirt, the sepia rural back curtain, and of course, the hair (a little grayer, but I can relate).

• Quality Product – The new album, “Life, Death, Love and Freedom,” debuted on Billboard Album Chart at #7. Its roots-like sound is from album producer T-Bone Burnett (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and the year’s best album from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss). The album follows up last year's “Freedom's Road” which sold an equal amount of copies in the first week and also debuted in the top 10. This is Mellencamp's second consecutive album, and 9th total, to go Top 10. His career includes 19 albums that have charted!

• Associations – Before performing “The Authority Song,” he spoke to his controversial activities. Politics, smoking, cussing, and “that truck TV commercial”. Add FarmAid to the list, and you’ve got some pretty strong brand associations.

• Attitude – the rebel is still there, but now a bit wiser and tempered by time. He dusted off “Minutes to Memories” from 1985, telling the crowd he was 34 when he wrote the song. “I thought I was getting older at the time,” he said. “It now has a whole different meaning to me.”

One reviewer noted that, with a measured nuance, he sang about how life sweeps away the dreams we have planned. Such is the beauty of rock evolution, the review says, you can stare at an old song like a relic on a shelf (Mick Jagger and “Satisfaction”) or you can view the song as a prism of varied reflection (the way Bob Dylan rearranges his hits).

• Quality Experience – Everyone clapped, danced, and sang every word of “Crumblin’ Down” and “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” The band has its own standout in violinist Miriam Sturm. Then during the middle of a driving “Jack and Diane,” Mellencamp asked the crowd to take out their cell phones and call a friend to listen in. He even took a phone to say hello to an unsuspecting friend at home. Nice twist on the old lighter-flame-in-the-air.

Overall, this was one of the best brands of concert I’ve seen – and my friends know I see a lot of shows. Check it out below.

The Health Implications of Stock Market Fears

What goes on inside your head when your portfolio implodes?

That’s the provocative opening question asked by writer Jason Zweig in his Wall Street Journal article this weekend entitled “How to Control Your Fears -- In a Fearsome Market.”

As a brand communicator in the health and science field, I was intrigued by the connection Mr. Zwieg makes between how your cells react in the amygdale (brain’s “fear center”) when an attack dog snarls at you, a spider drops down your shirt or the Dow Jones Industrial Average takes a dive.

Imagine that merely reading the words "market crash" in this sentence can instantaneously jack up your pulse and your blood pressure, the output of your sweat glands and the tension in your muscles. Stress hormones will flood your bloodstream. Your eyes will widen and your nostrils flare, making you hypersensitive to any further danger. All this occurs automatically, involuntarily and unconsciously. You can't be an intelligent investor if, without even knowing it, you are thinking with the panic button in your brain.

The article offers four ways you can control your fears.

1. Reappraise.

2. Step outside yourself.

3. Control your cues.

4. Track your feelings..

Read more specifics at
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/control-your-fears-fearsome-market/story.aspx?guid=%7B33531980-37CD-417D-BDC5-1E83EFD7A04F%7D&dist=sp_nlMarketing&sguid=oUGpqB_tPUm4p30fFFpKXA

N-of-8 marathon

Jenny and I will be spending Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in Victoria, BC – to run the Royal Victoria Marathon on Sunday October 12.

It’s appropriate as I’m working on my new book N-of-8 that this will be my 8th marathon.

Runner’s World magazine says the Royal Victoria Marathon is one of the top 10 destination marathons in North America with about 10,000 runners taking part in the marathon, half-marathon, 8K road race, and kids fun run.

I’m looking forward to the scenic features along the route: BC legislative buildings, Royal London Wax Museum, Ogden Point, Olympic Mountain Range, statue of Terry Fox at Mile ‘O’, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria Golf Course, and Oak Bay Village.

Health science business travelers to hear Sky Radio interview on moving brands forward fast.

I was recently interviewed again by Sky Radio Network for an in-flight radio segment to be broadcast on US Airways during September and October.

The broadcast with Dennis Michael of Sky Radio will showcase ForwardFast, my first book (and one of the first books of its kind), which presents the principles of brand innovation for health, science, and technology products.

If you’re driven to accelerate the adoption of new medical treatments, then this book will show you how to move with urgency to learn fast. track fast, think fast, respond fast, and create fast, then ForwardFast will help you become more creatively prepared and focused to reach the scientists, medical researchers, physicians, nurses, clinics, and the millions of patients who use your brands.

Other topics covered include:
• putting brand innovation to work with the 6 steps of the ForwardFast model;
• defining both a quality offering and a quality experience; and
• understanding what positive brand associations you can create

The ForwardFast audio program will reach an estimated in-flight audience of 3.34 million travelers on 20,000 worldwide flights during September and October. US Airways flies to 241 destinations in 30 countries.

US Airways was chosen because it is the dominant carrier in the Eastern pharma corridor from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and Delaware stretching down to North Carolina. We’re excited about reaching health science marketing, communications, public relations, and clinical development executives who use SkyRadio to stay up-to-date even while traveling.

To also hear the interview on the web, visit "Branding Interview Powered by Sky Radio" on the STINSON home page at www.StinsonBrandInnovation.com

Living by the Golden Dozen: Insights from Tom Hopkins

Here's the best way I've ever found to pull the best performance out of myself. It's an extremely simple method. I didn’t say easy – I said simple.

Here’s an excerpt from the best-selling book, "How to Master the Art of Selling," by Tom Hopkins.

Tom is an authority on the subject of selling. He is the author of 12 books and he firmly believes that everyone can benefit from utilizing his techniques, concepts, and ideas

“First, hang copies of these twelve words where you'll see them at work, in your car, and at your home base:

I Must Do The Most Productive Thing Possible At Every Given Moment.

Now comes the important part:

Dedicate yourself to living that declaration.

It doesn't change anything to look at those words once in a while and think, "That's what I'm going to start doing just as soon as I can get myself together." If you really want to achieve, start living by those dozen words now.

Doing so requires only four steps. Imagine, only four steps to all the success you want; nothing could be simpler, could it? But let's get one thing clear at this point: Doing the most productive thing possible means just that -- the most productive thing. Not "make work." Not "look busy." Not "get by." Not "put off." But doing the most productive thing possible at that given moment, no matter how distasteful, hard, or worrisome the thing might be.

This often means tying into a knotty problem, facing up to an unpleasant task, or heading into a likely rejection. It means shooting for the top when you know you should, but are afraid to. It means preparing when you need to prepare and doing when you need to do. That's why I say it isn't easy, and why so few people follow it. It is simple, though. Anyone can do it -- you just have to want to. Here's how.

Consciously repeat these four steps minute by minute until they become second nature:

1. Tell yourself, "I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment."
2. Decide what the most productive thing is.
3. Do it.
4. When you've pushed as far forward as you can right now, go back to Step 1 and start over.

But don't become a fanatic. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do at a given moment is to sit down with your favorite person and spend an hour watching the sun go down.

Sometimes the most productive thing possible will be exercising, sleeping, or taking a well-deserved vacation. And, very often, the most productive thing you can do this minute will be the last thing you want to do right now. The edge between winners and losers cuts sharpest at this precise point.

We live moment by moment, not year by year. Do the most productive thing you can think of with each and every moment as you live it, and your future is assured. Do that all day every working day, and your progress will soon astound everyone who knows you. More importantly, you'll be astounded, delighted -- and justifiably proud of yourself.

Within minutes after you dedicate yourself to this plan and put it to work, you'll notice a difference. Within hours after you make this plan yours and start doing the most productive thing possible with every given moment, you'll project a new aura of confidence and capability.

Within days, people near you will sense the difference and start upgrading their opinions about your abilities and prospects. Within weeks, you'll be reaping substantial rewards from your new willingness to pay the price of success. Within months, you'll be living on a higher level than you now believe you can achieve in so short a time.

Once you've tasted what living by this credo can do for your life, you'll find yourself quickly shaking off every temporary lapse of determination. After every slip, you'll immediately review your reasons for wanting success. You'll re-affirm your dedication to doing what you know you must do to achieve that success. Then you'll push your engines back up to maximum thrust again by putting that moment, that hour, and the rest of that day to the most productive use possible.

No secret, no skill, and no method can be as valuable to you as the firm and constant application of The Golden Twelve. No lucky break, no inherited advantage, and no found opportunity can for very long balance your failure to consistently do the most productive thing possible with every given moment.

Since it creates a dramatic effect after only a few days, imagine what the total cumulative result will be after you have lived by this credo for several years. I know what will happen.

The Golden Twelve can revolutionize your life. It can send your accomplishments, happiness, and career soaring. It will do all these things if you'll apply it moment after moment, hour after hour, and day after day. How do I know it will?

Because that's what The Golden Twelve did -- and is doing -- for me.”

Read more at http://www.tomhopkins.com/

Align®

Hello readers:

We’re working on a really fun and exciting brand initiative for P&G and ReachMD XM157.

It’s a medical radio show that focuses on a new probiotic called Align® – and it’s based on a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

I’m writing to share it with you because you can help us make this a successful campaign. In the next week, you can listen to the show on satellite radio XM Channel 157 or online at www.reachmd.com/aligngi. You might even tell your physicians and friends to listen.

At the end of the show, you can call 888-55-ALIGN to receive free samples of the Align® brand.

If you are a healthcare professional, you will receive your free samples directly.
If you are a consumer-patient, you will receive a $10 coupon for product and instructions on how to receive samples.

We're looking forward to great response to this program and your support would be greatly appreciated.

Wal-Mart to Revamp Logo at its US Stores

Current Wal-Mart Logo:



Revamped Logo:

My mom got a dog!?!?!?!?!

She said it would never happen.
So maybe there’s still a chance she’ll vote for Obama.

New Orlando Sentinel redesign to be rolled out; can a new Chicago Tribune be far behind?

Last year I wrote a blog entry on the re-branding of Xerox.

In the June 9th issue of Ad Age, there is an article (see below) about the Chief Marketing Officer of Xerox,Anne Mulcahy. She talks about marketing engagement being her metric -- not just the quantity of time spent with the brand, but the quality of time.

It’s serves as an excellent follow-up to the re-branding because it really documents a lot of the successes that Xerox has had over the past couple of years.

Enjoy.



Build Your Brand by Thinking Like a Fighter

Agility, Speed, Strength and Tenacity Are Just as Important as Engagement When You're Looking for Lasting Impact

By Marsha Lindsay Published: June 09, 2008 - Ad Age


In a May 2008 survey of leading national marketers conducted by Lindsay Stone & Briggs, 59% of respondents report experiencing a sales decline so far this year, 56% report reduced profit and dividend projections for 2008, and 54% report an increased emphasis on short-term performance.

There's no question the economy of the last several years has proved to be an especially formidable opponent. But the real fight we marketers are in is actually not against the economy. It's a battle with much bigger stakes: how to create an enduring brand that packs a competitive punch.

It's not a new battle. For decades marketers have decried that having to drive short-term sales and profit always seems to come at the expense of building a long-term brand. But never has the pressure to deliver on the short term been so great.

Anne Mulcahy's refusal to concede defeat helped her lead Xerox to profitability.

Some pundits even say building a brand for the long term is a thing of the past; an absurd, out-of-date 20th-century American ideal no longer possible given volatile markets and technology. You have to wonder if they're right when, in order to survive, major players such as Northwest Airlines, Maytag and Bear Stearns get acquired; when GM continues to bleed billions; when lowered consumer spending has knocked down many popular brands.

Yet despite the stats and pundits, some brands seem to find a way to endure. For example, between 1999 and 2001, Xerox saw its stock plummet 92%. Believing the company was doomed, no one wanted the CEO job except Anne Mulcahy, who refused to acknowledge defeat was inevitable. Her six-year turnaround is heralded by many as one of the greatest success stories in American corporate history. And from losses of more than $300 million in 2000, Ms. Mulcahy produced more than $1 billion in profits by 2007.

Ms. Mulcahy's example gives us our first insight on what it takes to win today despite the odds. Deep down you must see yourself as a fighter.

Given that experts say the marketplace is likely to remain volatile for years, is it still possible or even important to try to build a long-term brand? There seems to be little doubt: 97% of respondents to our May survey said yes. Ninety-seven percent said it's still a priority, and 80% predict that in five years building a brand's value will be seen as an even bigger priority than today. The rationale respondents cited is that branding is the only way a marketer can increase the odds of sustainable profitable growth, because branding is the only means to create something a customer will crave and trust all the more when the world around him is chaotic.

The brutal truth underlying the fight marketers are in today is this: The decision over who wins or loses at brand building no longer goes on and on for 15 to 20 years or more. The world has gotten very impatient. Consumers, dealers, distributors, analysts, professional investors, boards and bosses demand faster performance. Of those marketers we surveyed, 87% said the expectation for building brand equity was now 10 years or fewer, and 46% said it was now fewer than five years.

In fact, our whole culture is now demanding optimized value creation in about three to five years. And to whom does commerce turn to make this happen? Marketers, of course. Marketers must find a way to win regardless of the situation. So, we have no choice but to get our heads around the mentality it takes to fight and win.

To win in a world where even the long term is now short, fighters need agile, non-bureaucratic business models with people empowered to respond almost immediately to changing market conditions and opportunities.

Fighters will plan and strategize less on a yearly basis and more on a quarterly, monthly, weekly basis, tracking results and adjusting media and creative to reflect real time metrics -- which technology now makes possible.

One look at the classic marketing life cycle with its four stages (early growth, accelerated development, maturation and decline) and it's clear that in today's world we should be fighting to speed up the first two stages so they happen as quickly as possible.

Now the goal is to quickly boost the size of the customer base, and first-mover advantage will be critical to this. To steal share and penetrate new markets, fighters will launch more new products more quickly and prototype early, vetting ideas wherever feedback can be gathered almost instantaneously.

A brand's strength comes from a lot of loyal customers. But size and loyalty of a customer base are actually not a marketer's ultimate strength today. It's the creation of a loyal customer base that is very vocal on a brand's behalf.

A brand's most valuable customer is no longer the loyal one who purchases a lot and often; it's the one who may buy little but whose blog postings, online product reviews and favorable word of mouth influences others.

This means the old marketing funnel, in which the goal was to achieve widespread awareness with the hopes of converting a few into customers, has been turned on its head. In today's world of clutter and choice, potential customers are either engaged or not. So marketers need to focus not just on increased agility, speed and strength but also engagement, which, as Forrester Research points out, is made up of four behavioral elements: involvement, interaction, intimacy and influence.

Engagement measures not just the quantity of time spent with your brand, but the quality of time spent. Quality, as in what are the most productive things a marketer can do that ultimately affects what a customer does at the moment of truth: buy or recommend a brand to others.

What this means is that engagement is the mentality needed to drive short-term marketing performance. And its metrics are also leading indicators of value creation for the long-term.

What's the best way to achieve engagement? Adopt the marketing mind-set of a retailer. I mean retailing in its broadest sense: a unique shopping situation selling goods directly to the individual or business that'll actually be using them.

Success only comes from thinking like a marketer -- developing a strategy to differentiate you from competitors in a way that is relevant to your target -- but then applying it with the speed of a retailer, launching with partial data and improving things based on real-world results.

All marketing is becoming more retail in nature because all marketers are on a stopwatch to quickly scale a consumer franchise. They can no longer afford being at the mercy of other channel partners who don't share their sense of marketing sophistication or urgency. So marketers are taking timing into their own hands, adopting retail strategies in an effort to gain some control over whatever it takes to engage end users and deliver to plan.

In the mania of today's volatile economy, the match you're in is to drive short-term performance while concurrently building brand value faster than ever before -- in as little as three to five years. The mentality this calls for is the mind-set of a retailer. So it should be no surprise that the moves that can help you increase the odds of being everlasting are those used by successful retailers in the real and virtual worlds to engage and scale a loyal customer base ASAP.

Research shows that your chances of winning are increased if your self-concept is that of a fighter. A belief deep down inside that with hard work and persistence you will find some way to endure. If this sounds like the storyline of every legendary boxing movie, you'll also recognize it as the story of Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Anne Mulcahy and others.

Given the fight we're in today, we have to follow the advice of Rocky Balboa's trainer, Mickey: Learn how to "eat lightning and crap thunder" by adopting a retail mind-set.

SC3AN is branded! And goes live July 1st.

Album review: “Real Close Ones” by The M’s

Many blog and music rag reviewers say this band has “swagger.” If that term means the M’s can strut their stuff – melody, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, and mood – then they are right. If on the other hand, the writers mean The M’s are boastful, then I say they’re even more right. This Chicago-based band deserves to be proud of their release. I can’t wait to see them live at the CD release concert at Schuba’s Sunday night. Our friend, Glenn, will be sitting in with the band on percussion.

We Recently Subscribed to a Cool New Service: SendOut Cards.

You can send a printed greeting card with your message in less than 60 seconds.

• Choose your card
• Write your message
• Click send

SendOutCards prints it, stuffs it and mails it, all for less than a greeting card at the store.

My new friend and SendOut Cards consultant, Ines Kinchen, turned me on to it. Check them out at www.SendOutCards.com

12 Touchpoints to Move Your Convention Branding Forward...Fast

With the ever-increasing competition – and expense – of convention marketing, all brand teams are looking for new and different ways to maximize their efforts.

Nearly five years ago, I developed a strategic media approach to conventions designed to help brand communication managers stimluate interest, create a meaningful experience, and the extend the brand message after the meeting.

Here are the 12 touchpoints of my CONVENTION CATALYST approach:

1. Pre-Meeting mail
2. e-media
- event registration
- booth visit appointment
3. Onboard Airplane
- In-flight magazine ad
- In-flight TV commercial
- SkyRadio interview
4. Airport
- airport terminal billboards
- limo driver welcome signage
- baggage claim easels
5. Transportation
- airport to hotel shuttles
- hotel to convention buses
- bus head rest covers
- bus wrap
- shuttle schedule signage
6. Hotel Lobby
- entry display
- coasters in lobby
- signage in elevators
7. Hotel Room
- TV channel menu
- room key
- newspaper wrap
- door drop
8. Convention Center
- outdoor banners
- indoor banners
- registration bag
- segway promotions
- live marketing outside
9. Booth
- uniform shirts with logo
- branded name tag lanyards
- paper cup
10. Corporate Event
- Presenters from outside experts
11. Social Event
- CD release
- co-sponsored by entertainment or related brand
12. Follow-up
- post-meeting mailer
- letter from specific booth contact
- e-media appointment

If you would be interested in learning more about how apply this and other INNOVATION tools to your efforts, I'd love to hear from you. Sign up for our complimentary “Accelerate” e-newsletter by visiting www.StinsonBrandInnovation.com

Blood Donation Hall of Fame

For the past 10 years, our client Fenwal has partnered with blood centers to honor individuals for their outstanding dedication and commitment to helping ensure that the life-saving gift of blood is available to patients in need.

We support the inductees to the Donation Hall of Fame – thanks to these people from all over the country for their unwavering commitment and passion for blood donation.

To read their stories, go to http://www.fenwalinc.com/En/Pages/Recognition-And-Awards-Donation-Hall-Of-Fame.aspx

Trying really hard to live with authentic leadership

I met with our staff today to have a very open discussion on the state of the business world – and the challenges we face in it.

Some of the thoughts are worth sharing with everyone who might read my blog.

1. Speaking the truth-- clear, honest, consistent assessment

2. Leading from the heart-- our business, our people, our clients; my feelings, my vulnerabilities, my purpose

3. Demonstrating character-- trust, listen, respect

4. Showing courage-- do what is right, not just what is easy

5. Building teams and community-- a positive workplace experience

6. Deepening ourselves --understand weaknesses, but overcome fear and play to strengths

7. Dreaming bigger-- knowledge & experience + imagination

8. Caring for ourselves-- physically well to operate at world-class levels of performance

9. Committing to excellence -- What would life look like if we raised the standards well beyond what anyone could ever imagine of us?

10. Leaving a mark-- to achieve our mission of "accelerating the adoption of new medical technologies"

Can one page of a book change everything?

Here’s what the book description says – “Wall Street Journal Business Best-Seller Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Selling includes 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness and strategies and answers from a lifetime of selling that will teach you how to make sales forever. In this book, you will have the opportunity to understand why sales happen. And by mastering the elements that Jeffrey Gitomer gives you, you'll make sales happen for yourself forever.”

Here’s my one line review – page 28 changed my whole year.

A Peaceful Warrior's Way to Wellness

Today, there is a flood of information and misinformation about health in popular books and magazines. Modern medicine breaks new ground even as holistic professionals rediscover ancient wisdom. What remains is for us to integrate this information into our own lives and turn what we know into what we do.

This weekend Jenny and I had the fortune to hear “The Peaceful Warrior's Way” presented by Dan Millman in Sun Valley, Idaho. He brings a refreshing balance to the arena of wellness that embraces east and west, science and mysticism, faith and reason.

His topics included:
• keys to health and vitality
• overcoming stress and tension
• healing power of the subconscious
• turning knowledge to action

Dan offers sensible reminders and realistic strategies for sustainable wellness; living at the peak of our genetic potential for physical, emotional and spiritual health -- living with a peaceful heart and warrior spirit.

By way of background, Dan Millman is a former world-champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor. His 14 books have inspired millions of readers in 29 languages. The peaceful warrior's way evolved from the world of sport to worldwide research and guidance by brilliant mentors to his calling as author and teacher. Dan shares perspectives, principles and practices easily integrated into everyday life, reminding us about "what we all know at deeper levels but tend to forget." His keynotes and seminars have influenced leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, sports, and the arts. Dan's first book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was written in 1980 and recently adapted to a major motion picture starring Nick Nolte. Learn more at www.peacefulwarrior.com

Notes on Re-branding

I recently replied to a question from Nastasya Savina, a public relations and branding consultant from London, UK.

Nastasya posted the question: “Does it make sense to do re-branding/re-styling properly?”

She added, “Textbooks teach that re-branding should start with a meticulous analysis of company's strategic focus and the current brand perceptions of major segments of current and future target audiences. But in reality, in many rebranding cases, there was no study at all. Top management decided that the brand attributes need to be refreshed, then hired an expensive agency, and then chose the most attractive design proposal. So, I am wondering if the initial research and analysis is really a prerequisite for an effective rebranding.”

In my experience, there are indeed best practices for rebranding – in order to build a more sustainable market position and greater market penetration through stronger demand.

First, consider the main reasons for “rebranding.”
-rediscover the potential of underpromoted brands
-reinvigorate and grow products
-rethink in-licensed products
-retool for new indications/uses
-reorganize product marketing post-merger
-reconsider approach to new channels

Many practices are the same as launch, but obviously you can’t erase previous exposure. The rocket can’t simply be put back on the launch pad. One must reanalyze what worked and what must be improved.

One method is the “Forward.Fast.®” branding model. You look at six main areas of the brand to determine the rebranding improvements:

1. Likeability – what elements of the product and branding are attracting customers?
2. Logo – does the symbol, font, design appealing?
3. Quality Offering – are the main attributes of the brand simple and easy to understand?
4. Associations – what is the brand connected with, and if it’s right, could it be strengthened?
5. Attitude – consider the tone of the design, copy, packaging
6. Quality Experience – this is the newest and strongest area that many marketers are learning needs attention; does the experience of buying, using, and servicing the product match your brand – and can it be elevated?

Finally, remember to look at more than just the “brand look”. Consider all the other Marketing Ps:
-Place (distribution)
-Price (contracts, incentives)
-Promotion (unique channels)
-Packaging (novel, convenient)
-Put-ups (sizes, kits, bundles)
-Personal support (services offerings)
-Professional development (education, training, certification)

Creating Personal Brands

Many people ask me about how to create their “personal brands.” If you already have a passion for what you’re doing -- a passion for knowledge and experience – then you’re on the way.

In my journey of personal branding, here's what I've learned that might help you define the CHEMistry of your brand:

C = Connect by making what you do relevant to others You might be a "knowledge engineer" that can help take what people need/want to know and structure it into action. Who couldn't relate to that?

H = Honesty is being true to yourself and not trying to make your "brand" something that you really aren't.

E = Easy is memorable. Keep it simple, but don't try to water it down.

M = Motivate your audience to action. Knowledge and attitude are only the beginning. Remember the "call to action". What do you want to happen?

Best of luck with your personal brand. I'm sure with your energy you'll "fast-forward" your brand and your life in powerful ways.

Business-like Thinking is Everywhere… and Especially in Boise

I’ve built my business model around the concept of speed and access, and the Groups, Events, and Media office I have in Boise is no different. StinsonGEM is just one way we can help our clients take advantage of the ever-accelerating pace of change in medicine, life sciences, lifestyle, wellness, and related research and technology.

With that in mind, enjoy this article from The Idaho Statesman…

Quest for longevity: Boise's minor league teams use a business approach to stay alive
Mar. 30--Idaho Stampede coach Bryan Gates has had two pressing issues on his mind in recent weeks.

How to hold off Los Angeles to win the West Division in the NBA Development League.
And when he's going to get an $800 credit from an airline for a pricing mistake on a team road trip.

Managing investor Bill Ilett is tracking both issues closely -- the former from his courtside seat at Qwest Arena, the latter through weekly reminder e-mails to his coach/travel agent.

"It's $800 that we can use," Ilett said.

The Idaho Steelheads have a choice when they buy hockey sticks.

They can buy a one-piece stick for $120. Or they can buy a $90 shaft and $40 blade separately.

They have opted for the two-piece sticks.

"With a one-piece stick, we don't see the stick being broken," coach Derek Laxdal said, "we see $120 being thrown onto the ice."

Those might seem like nickel-and-dime issues, but in the world of minor league sports it is that attention to financial details that can make the difference between longevity and insolvency for the three teams that will play games at Qwest Arena in Downtown Boise next month -- the Stampede, Steelheads and Boise Burn indoor football team.

Still, these teams aren't get-rich ventures.

"None of us have ever made a penny on this thing," Ilett said of his ownership group. " We get paid in dunks, great assists and 3-pointers."

"It's a challenge to break even," said Ray Kaufman, the chairman of the board of Block 22, the Steelheads' ownership group.

Reminders of that challenge -- and what happens if they fail to meet it -- are everywhere.
The Steelheads began play in 1997-98 in the now-defunct West Coast Hockey League. Their rivals, the Tacoma Sabercats and San Diego Gulls, also are defunct.

The Stampede began play in 1997-98 in the Continental Basketball Association, which folded during the 2000-01 season and, despite a rebirth, has lost its place as the development league for the NBA.

Yet 10 years after they burst onto the Treasure Valley sports scene, the Steelheads and Stampede have emerged as integral parts of their community and turned Qwest Arena into a sports haven.
The Steelheads, who have won two ECHL championships in the past four seasons, have stopped what was a steady decline in attendance until a few years ago.

And the Stampede, who joined the Steelheads at Qwest Arena in 2005-06 and won 18 straight games this season, report increases in attendance, sponsorships and walk-up ticket sales.

"We've been through six coaches, three (arena) moves, three general managers, a league change -- and I think it's stronger than ever right now," Gates said.

The key, both franchises say: Treat your sports team like a business.

BUSINESSLIKE OWNERS

Steelheads forward Lance Galbraith helped the team win the Kelly Cup in 2004 and 2007. In between, he spent one year with Fort Wayne of the United Hockey League.

"One of the things that brought me back here was when you do leave, you miss how professional they are here," Galbraith said. "How they treat their players."

Said captain Marty Flichel, who has spent five seasons with the Steelheads: "We get treated like gold."

Horror stories are easy to find among minor league athletes and coaches.

Flichel moved to Tacoma in 2001, signed a two-year contract and bought a house. Less than a year later, the Sabercats shut down.

The owner of a United States Basketball League team that Gates coached walked out six days into the season.

And Stampede guard Randy Livingston was playing for Gary in the CBA when players weren't getting paid and was playing for Idaho when the Isiah Thomas-owned CBA folded in 2001. Some of his teammates had to stay in Boise for a couple of weeks working odd jobs to earn enough money to get home, he said.

"Isiah came from the inner city," Livingston said. "I thought he would be the last person to take away from a lot of guys trying to live the same dream he had when he was younger. It was disappointing. It was shocking, too."

The Steelheads and Stampede try to prevent those kinds of crises with a businesslike approach.
Ilett, for example, meets once a month with Gates and team president Steve Brandes to go over the budget and expenses line by line.

The Stampede's local ownership group has lost money just once, Ilett said (the team was owned by Thomas from 1999 to 2001). The season in the red was 2002-03, when the team restarted and made reparations to the season-ticket holders who lost money when the team folded in 2001.
The franchise never has paid its owners, Ilett said, but the Stampede did purchase a $100,000 floor for this season by saving their modest profits.

"We are very, very disciplined in how we operate business-wise," Ilett said. "The majority of teams in our league do not make money."

The Steelheads have always been profitable, team president Eric Trapp said.

"It's a sport, but it's got to be run like a business," ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna said. "You need to make sure that you've got year-round focus on the business, you need to make sure you look after your customers and you need to keep the product fresh and new and entertaining. The folks there in Boise do all those things."

The Steelheads, for the most part, let the hockey do their talking. It's a relatively new sport to Boise and the arena's open concourse creates a social atmosphere.

"They've done a good job of putting a quality product on the ice, but also making it a fun place for people to go as an event," said Steelheads fan Marty Reid, who has had season tickets since 1997.

The Stampede, on the other hand, spend more than $35,000 a year on halftime performers to augment the entertainment value of their games.

"That's just part of the business," said Gates, who has been with the team for eight years, including some time in the front office. "Is it cool that we've got someone from the Blazers down (playing for the Stampede)? Absolutely. Is it cool that we've got Quick Change (dancers) coming? Absolutely."

NEW, MORE STABLE LEAGUES

The Steelheads and Stampede have changed leagues this decade -- moves that have placed the franchises in more stable environments.

The Steelheads joined the ECHL in 2003-04. The ECHL is in its 20th season -- the WCHL only lasted eight -- and is well-established as a Double-A developmental league. The league has shrunk from 31 to 25 teams since the Steelheads joined, but is solid in the West.

The Stampede joined the D-League in 2006-07 -- a league that has the powerful backing of the NBA and helps develop some young players who have NBA contracts but wouldn't get sufficient playing time there. The league has grown from eight teams in 2005-06 to 14 teams this season and could have up to 16 teams next season.

Dan Reed, the D-League president, said franchise values have quadrupled in the last three years to more than $1 million. Attendance is up 15 percent from last season.

"Business is booming," Reed said. "People are realizing that this is, in fact, a different and better minor league than they've seen in basketball before."

People like Stampede fan Tim Garland, a project manager at Hewlett-Packard who has been going to games since the franchise started.

"I think if you look around the Valley, it's one of the best values," Garland said of Stampede games. "You're going to see guys who are playing in the NBA right now or are going to go up to the NBA in the future. I don't think you're going to see that anywhere else."

That direct tie to the NBA -- and the credibility it brings -- is the D-League's greatest value to franchises like the Stampede, whose fans still remember the mess the CBA became.

"The biggest challenge (for the D-League) is continuing to overcome the history of minor league basketball in many of our markets," Reed said. " It's a real credit to the Stampede that they've been able to operate as long as they have given some of the challenges in minor league basketball in the past."

Count Livingston among the believers. He doesn't expect any more payroll snafus or midseason collapses.

"Once they have that NBA logo and stamp on the team, I don't think that it will ever happen with this league just because they've invested so much," Livingston said.

The ECHL has strengthened in the West in recent years. While the overall league membership has dropped, the number of teams in the West has increased from seven to nine since the Steelheads joined, with Ontario, Calif., set to join next season.

"We've reached a certain level of stability," McKenna said.

ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST MARKETS

So has Boise, which seems well-suited to its current collection of minor league teams -- the three Qwest Arena tenants and the Boise Hawks Class A short-season baseball team.

Boise, in fact, was named the seventh-best minor league market in the country last year by Sports Business Journal. The publication looked at the city's economy, market characteristics (good population with no major league teams nearby) and attendance numbers.

Another key ingredient: Qwest Arena, which was a bit ahead of its time with its downtown location when the building opened in 1997. Downtown arenas have become the norm.

"That generally tends to succeed and is almost a necessary piece of it anymore," said Bill King, a senior writer for Sports Business Journal.

A team's facility, King said, is more important than its record in determining franchise success.
Another biggie, King said: "Where that team fits into the fiber of the community."
And that's where the Steelheads and Stampede have really helped themselves.

The Steelheads raised or contributed $201,453 for charities last season, communications director Bonnie Way Snider said. The Pink in the Rink jersey auction raised a team-record $27,641 earlier this month.

The Stampede have a community foundation that generates about $100,000 per year for charity, Ilett said. The ownership group donated money to help the Boys and Girls Club build its gym in Garden City, and the National Guard presented Ilett with the Idaho Distinguished Service Medal for the work he and the Stampede have done to help local soldiers.

And none of those good deeds account for the youth clinics, reading programs and other public appearances by the players.

The charitable and outreach efforts create visibility and a connection with the community that can pay off at the box office.

"If you give back to the community," Trapp said, "they're going to want to be a part of your team."

Said Ilett: "What we have finally done is we have branded this thing. Everybody knows who we are. They may not know if we won or lost last night, but they know who we are. We've become a part of the Valley."

CHALLENGES PERSIST

While the Steelheads and Stampede certainly look like community mainstays, there are some reasons for concern.

The Stampede owners average about 60 years of age, Ilett said. He has tried to lure some younger investors, but he also says selling part of the franchise to an NBA team is a possibility.
"We have to self-perpetuate this with people who are younger," said Ilett, 63.

And while the Stampede have increased attendance by 18.6 percent since joining the D-League, they rank sixth in the league with 2,844 tickets sold per game. That includes about 1,000 season tickets.

"The attendance could be a lot better," Livingston said. "This year, we've had a good product. People need to support the sport of basketball a little more."

For the Steelheads, their greatest strength is one of their greatest challenges -- consistency.
The product is fairly predictable. The franchise produces a solid, winning team every year with a mixture of familiar veterans and up-and-coming young players. The action on the ice has changed little in 11 seasons.

Attendance has slipped 12.4 percent since the novelty of the inaugural season. The economy is slumping, and the Steelheads are slashing season-ticket prices for next season for the first time in franchise history.

"It's harder and harder to figure out marketing," Trapp said, "to find new ways to get our message out that are effective."

But McKenna's experience as the ECHL commissioner tells him a franchise that lasts a decade usually has staying power.

The Steelheads are wrapping up their 11th season, the Stampede their 10th.

"It doesn't necessarily get any easier," McKenna said, "but the recognition and the brand is there and you're more accepted in the community.”

Commit - experience quitting

Changing habits and beating addictions is one of the most difficult things we do. Whether it is losing weight or quitting smoking, a drug alone is not enough - there has to be a support system.

The branding for Commit Lozenges is about associations. First, the ad communication dials into what associations commonly trigger a smoker's cravings. "I only smoke when I drink." "I like a cigarette after a meal." "I smoke when I'm out with friends."

Then, the website creates positive associations of quitting.

Commit offers not only a relief to cravings but includes on their website "My Quit Place" which provides a dosing calculator, a trigger detector, and a cravings pacifier, all of which are designed to help smokers break their habit.

"Quitting is a process, not an event," the website tells us. Great advice like this is all throughout the site. But my favorite is the Savings Calculator. This features lets you input the cost per pack of cigarettes and how many cigarettes you smoke each day. It then spits back how much money that is costing you each day, week, month, and year. For a society that is very financially driven, this is a great addition to the raft of reasons to quit.

Zomig – Redefining Speed

In the modern landscape of cable television, high-speed internet, technologically advanced business, and instant information, customers expect instant results. Everything is about speed. We want faster travel, faster acting drugs, faster lines, faster computers, faster growth, faster returns.

If you’re a migraine sufferer, or even if you have ever had a really bad headache, the last thing you want to do is wait for a pain reliever to take effect. But you also don’t want that effect to wane after just a few hours.

Enter Zomig Nasal Spray.

What do you think migraine treatment is? What do you think is fast? Zomig throws both notions out the door – instead of a pill, it is a nasal spray for acute migraine treatment. And instead of taking 2 hours to take effect, Zomig claims it can bring relief in just 10 minutes.

This brand ties back strongly to the element of "likeability." The claim is faster than fast, which is certainly attractive. Then, add the cute and cleverly costumed bunny. It is a winner.

alli Branding: Product + Experience

Are you ready? That is the question that alli, the only FDA approved diet pill, asks prominently on their website, MyAlli.com. “Have you got what it takes to follow the alli™ program? Before you begin, be sure alli is right for you. You don't just try alli to see what happens. You have to commit to a plan that's realistic; one based on gradual weight loss.”

Honesty. What a concept. But this is a perfect example of branding – a quality offering combined with a quality experience. GlaxoSmithKline knows that there is no wonder pill that magically makes you skinny. And they know that consumers know that (even if they don’t want to admit it).

So they have designed the alli brand with honesty as the cornerstone. You have to work to get thin. The OTC drug can help, “but it’s more than just a pill. It’s an innovative weight loss program. The pill works by preventing your body from absorbing some of the fat you eat. And the program includes an individually tailored, online action plan to help you lose weight safely and gradually.”

By painting an honest picture, they are not creating false hopes. And by including the customer in the overall experience, they are tying that customer to the brand in a powerful way.

This is the kind of branding that could move more pharma products “Forward. Fast.”

The secret’s in the ink – the partnership of “E Ink” and Kindle

You may have heard of e-books, but the technology of reading them has not been able to make electronic books accessible. Critics of e-books have cited sensory connection problems as the culprit for the lack of adoption. Books have a certain feel, a certain smell, and there is just something about turning a page. But it was the visual element that caused the biggest problem. Reading a book on a computer screen was hard on the eyes.

Enter E Ink Corporation, who creates “electronic paper display (EPD) technologies. Products made with E Ink's revolutionary electronic ink possess a paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption and a thin, light form.” The applications of this product go far beyond e-book technology, from signs to marquis and beyond.

But the innovations don’t stop there. Kindle is a pretty simple collection of existing technologies. It is a portable computer – nothing new. It is a web browser – nothing new. And it uses a cellular modem – nothing new. What is new is the whole package – a portable dedicated web browser that connects you to the internet and allows you to download and read books, newspapers, and blogs on a screen that reads like ink on paper. What’s more, you can bookmark pages and even make notes in the text.

What a package!

Case Study: Reolysin, a Cancer-killing reovirus

Pharmaceutical branding is a delicate balance between creating likeability and communicating scientific viability. That’s why it is so important that the consultancy who develops your branding understands the scientific concept of your product.

The case of Reolysin, a virus that attacks and destroys cancer cells, is a perfect example of a product that achieved this balance. In essence, administering this drug involves infecting the patient with a virus, and when you are talking about infecting a person who is already sick with cancer, it is a tough pill to swallow.

Oncolytics Biotech, the company that makes Reolysin, understood the difficult position they were in. They conducted extra long clinical trials to prove more conclusively that the product not only worked, but also that it was safe.

One of the major differences that comes with pharmaceutical branding is the target audience. For the most part, the audience is scientifically savvy. But drugs also have a public persona. And with all of the recent “Big Pharma” scandals of late, controlling the brand identity of products, especially new products that utilize new science, is vitally important.

Read more at the PharmaExec website.

Branding clinical trials -- promise doesn't mean bravado

Amid the torrent of media attention to failed drugs, mislabeled drugs, and drugs that do not do what they say they do, there are increasingly calls for more clinical proof. Everyone from insurance companies to doctors, from medical journals to patients -- they all want to know they are getting what they are bargaining for.

So, the pharmaceutical industry is responding with more new trials that attempt to make the case for their products.

Two recent head-to-head trials are apropos for discussion: Bristol-Myers Squibb’s PROVE-IT trial in 2003 and Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceutical’s ENHANCE trial concluded earlier this year. Both are examples of drug-versus-drug comparisons, and both suffered from the same fatal flaw.

The financial danger of a comparison study, of course, is that your drug fails. That is not a position you want to find yourself in. Failure is one thing, but what this brings beyond the immediate consequences is a raft of attention – and not the kind of attention you want.

Both PROVE-IT and ENHANCE set themselves up in a bet-the-farm proposition. Their trial campaigns carried with them extreme overconfidence. While I'm not qualified to comment on the study design, I can critique the brand design. We would never recommend branding a trial, head-to-head or otherwise, with such bravado, arrogance, and potential over-promise.

Read more about both these cases: ENHANCE Trial; PROVE IT Trial

Case Study: Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development

The advances of the Pharma industry mean very little if the drugs don’t get to the sick people. And in third world countries, crushing poverty and rampant malfeasance often prevent proper distribution of drugs to the people who need it.



Recognizing a need, Novartis has created a foundation that focuses on providing “pioneering health projects in developing countries aimed at achieving specific goals in the fight against poverty and disease as well as at inspiring and improving development policy and practice.”

One of the ways Novartis achieves their goals is through educational events. They recognize that the efforts must be taken to the people, into the remote villages. It is not just about drug costs and drug supplies. Access is an important key, as is education.

Events are a powerful tool in energizing a group to action. By creating a compelling presentation -- using language that is meaningful to your audience -- you can achieve maximum message effect. The impact of groups can be felt through a powerful personal connection, and this method is often more meaningful than print materials or visual representations. Involvement is a key aspect to the power of group events.

Case Study: More than a logo

Xerox recently changed its logo, hoping its visual brand would help the public company identity catch up with the philosophical changes the modern Xerox represents.

The Xerox case illustrates a couple of points. First, forging a brand identity is a scientific process of learning what is meaningful to your customers. According to a January 8th article in PharmaLive, Xerox “spent more than 18 months interviewing some 5,000 people around the world about their associations with the Xerox name. Then they set about figuring how they could best retain the nice things it stands for (dependability and stability), jettison the not-so-nice (formal, somewhat stodgy) — and, most important, add attributes like modern, innovative and flexible.”

Also important to note with the Xerox case is that a brand identity is more than a change in philosophy and it is more than a logo. Xerox has not been a “copier company” for years, having grown beyond that and into networked printing solutions. Their philosophies had changed, but their identity stayed put.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that brands are about the entire package. As my Forward. Fast.® tool suggests, the brand links together the qualities of industry reputation (Likeability), visual impact (Logo), caliber of products (Quality Offering), connections to meaningful partners (Associations), brand personality (Attitude), and product interactions (Quality Experience). The way customers analyze all of these elements as a whole is what they perceive as your brand identity.

The Good, the bad, and the ugly: line extensions of 2007

According to BusinessDictionary.com, a line extension is a “Multiproduct branding strategy whereby a firm markets one or more new products under an already established and well known brand name. The objective is to serve different customer needs or market segments while taking advantage of the widespread name recognition of the original brand. For example, maker of a popular perfume may introduce shampoos, bath soaps, body powders, etc., under the perfume's name. Line extension is encouraged by some marketing experts and frowned upon by others. Also called brand extension.”

A recent web survey listed out some of the best and worst examples of line extensions gone awry:

“The brands that did it right found a way to create innovative, succesful extensions that are in harmony with the core brand.” Ranking according to survey results showed the top 4 line extension of 2007 as:

1. PetSmart PetsHotel
2. Huggies Little Swimmers sunscreen
3. Disney's Fairy Tale wedding gowns
4. American Idol camp

On the other hand, the worst had some commonalities. “Too often new products stray from their core values "to the point where there is no relation to the brand at all," said Ries.” The three worst extensions were:

1. Precious Moments coffins
2. Humane Society Do Lovers Wine Club
3. Girls Gone Wild apparel

Read more about it at Brandweek.

Customer Research and Insights Analysis

If you’re tired of those endless customer service phone trees, check out this article from the December 3 Brandweek:

People Uproot Customer Service Woes By 'Weeding'

If you've ever tried calling a customer service department to complain about a product or service, you know the drill: Dial the phone number of the customer service department, navigate an endless maze of automated voice prompts, reach a live human and, finally, begin to explain your situation. If you zapped an entire lunch hour doing this, you're far from alone.

But there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and it's not a train steaming in your direction. According to Yankelovich, Chapel Hill, N.C., more consumers are taking control by finding and mastering ways to circumvent such problems as customer service obstacle courses. And, perhaps more important to retailers, more consumers have taken to "weeding," meaning they have a willingness to drop trusted products to go with companies that are substantive, accountable and honest.

According to Yankelovich's Consumer Empowerment Ratchets Up Expectations:
• 82% of consumers think it's important to speak with a live company
representative when seeking customer service.
• 27% are willing to pay extra for this.
• With more people shopping via the Internet, and with so many companies based
overseas, 71% say having customer-service reps in the U.S. is important.
• 25% are willing to pay more for this.

Consumer Empowerment also offers tips for retailers:
• Give customer-facing employees the flexibility to craft customized solutions.
• Give employees the opportunity for more impromptu dialogue and creative
problem solving.
• Provide automatically updated status reports to consumers seeking information
on where their case stands.

Still frustrated? Go to GetHuman.com, a list of more than 500 companies, customer service numbers and details on the fastest way to reach live company reps.

McDonald’s is taking on Starbucks with their McCafe

They’ve been working out the kinks with this latest brand innovation overseas, and now the biggest change in McDonald’s product offerings in 30 years is coming to America!



According to the Wall Street Journal, “Starting this year, the company's nearly 14,000 U.S. locations will install coffee bars with "baristas" serving cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and the Frappe, similar to Starbucks' ice-blended Frappuccino.”

McDonald’s has apparently learned from Starbucks’ successes: “The program attempts to replicate the Starbucks experience in many ways -- starting with borrowing the barista moniker. Espresso machines will be displayed at the front counters, a big shift for a company that has always hidden its food assembly from customers. McDonald's says it wants customers to see the coffee beans being ground and baristas topping the mochas and Frappes with whipped cream.”

Do they smell blood in the water? “McDonald's is entering the sixth year of a successful turnaround, while Starbucks has begun struggling after years of strong earnings and stock growth.”

This is a risky move, though. “It could slow down operations and alienate customers who come to McDonald's for cheap, simple fare rather than theatrics. Franchisees say that many of their customers don't know what a latte is.”

From the horse's mouth...

Book Review: The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914, by David McCullough

I fully expected to enjoy reading McCullough’s historical overview because I liked his style in 1776 and other books.

What was unexpected was the story’s value as a business book, too.

McCullough uses frequent mentions of actual companies and brands to remind us of the important contributions of the private sector in this engineering innovation.

From Chapter 1
Stowed below on the “Guard” was the finest array of modern instruments yet assembled for such an undertaking--engineers' transits, spirit levels, gradienters, surveyors' compasses and chains, delicate pocket aneroid barometers, mercurial mountain barometers, current meters--all "for prosecuting the work vigorously and scientifically." (The Stackpole transits, made by the New York firm of Stackpole & Sons, had their telescope axis mounted in double cone bearings, for example, which gave the instrument greater rigidity than older models, and the introduction of a simplified horizontal graduation reading allowed for faster readings and less chance of error.)


In the midst of appreciating the construction highs and lows, he also sheds revealing light on the level of ineptitude, malfeasance, and amazingly blatant lies told to early investors. Clearly, the vision was large and the leaders charismatic in selling it. But the headline from THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 22, 1892 shows the collapse to be on a scale of Enron in its day:

A BIG FRENCH SCANDAL
AFFAIRS OF THE PANAMA CANAL COMPANY TO BE EXAMINED. –
-- TURBULENT SCENE IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES
-- DELAHAYE'S SWEEPING CHARGES OF BRIBERY
-- SENATORS, DEPUTIES, MINISTERS, FINANCIERS, AND EDITORS ACCUSED.

Not such a small world anymore

No, I’m not talking about The World is Flat. More like the world is fat.

The "It's A Small World" ride at Disneyland will shut down the ride this January for 10-months so they can make the water canals deeper and build stronger boats. People are fatter nowadays and are causing the boats to bottom out in the middle of the ride.

Waist-lines are getting wider - the Los Angeles Times reports that the average sized man weighed 166lbs in 1960. In 2002 the average man weighed 191lbs.

Where else are you seeing the “growth” of America? Post a comment.

Alvaro Fernandez: 10 Brain Fitness New Year Resolutions

See this post on an interesting blog...

You have survived the 2007 shopping and eating season. Congratulations! Now it's time to shift gears and focus on 2008...whether you write down some New Year resolutions or contemplate some things that you want to let go of from last year and set intentions and goals for this year - as is a friend's tradition on the winter solstice. To summarize the key findings of the last 20 years of neuroscience research on how to "exercise our brains", there are three things that we can strive for: novelty, variety and challenge. If we do these three things, we will build new connections in our brains, be mindful and pay attention to our environment, improve cognitive abilities such as pattern-recognition, and in general contribute to our lifelong brain health. With these three principles of brain health in mind - novelty, variety and challenge - let me suggest a few potential New Years resolutions, perhaps some unexpected, that will help you make 2008 a year of Brain Fitness: 1 ...

Read the rest at HuffingtonPost.com

Brand Innovation Graveyard

For every world-transforming innovation, history is littered with notions that promised much but delivered little. In this month’s GOOD MAGAZINE, we’re reminded of the cautionary lessons in our capacity for folly. Some ideas that never quite made it include:

The Segway: Few products could survive the hype of the Segway’s debut. And yet still the faithful persist, whizzing past with their “I’m-traveling-at-four-miles-an-hour” grins. And all along we wonder: Isn’t this what bikes are for?





Pan Am Moon Ticket: Here’s a ticket to the moon, said Pan Am. Come back to us in 50 years. Fifty years later, no flights to the moon and, more important, no more Pan Am.





Y2K: A boondoggle of the first order. Governments and companies burned $300 billion to correct a problem caused because computer geeks failed to remember that time, in fact, continues.

Dymaxion House: For all of Buckminster Fuller’s genius, he failed to account for taste. Definition of a tough sell: an aluminum house built in the manner of a grain silo, with a bathroom that shrink-wraps your waste.


Oxygen Bars: It’s hard to look cool when you’re spending a dollar a minute sucking down a tube of otherwise free air. Also, the oxygen bartender is secretly laughing at you.

Alex Rodriguez’s Contract: $175,370 per game. $47,528 per at bat. There is such a thing as too much money, but apparently this wasn’t it, since A-Rod opted out to search for an even larger windfall.

Jet Pack: In a crushing disappointment to successive generations of Popular Science–ogling boys, this one never really, er, took off. What’s so hard about thermodynamics and jet propulsion?

Bloggies

Time again for another installment of the Bloggies! We take aim at food branding (for what are the holidays without food?). So, here’s a summary of our opinions expressed in blogs over the last few weeks.

►► Marshmallows in hot cocoa (it was unanimous)

◄◄ Starbucks: New TV Ads

◄◄ McDonald’s: WiFi in the Restaurants

►► McDonald’s salads (and “fresh” green billboards)

◄◄ KFC: Getting on the Healthy Bandwagon

◄◄ Pizza Hut: Double Deep pizza

►► FoodShouldTasteGood chips

►► Mayte’s cooking on our Mexico trip