N.B. I don’t own the rights to the images on my blogs and website. Howerver, due to the Fair Use act, I have taken these from the Bing online images on Google.
How Customer Values Are Transforming Brands Today
Brands are under attack today from many sources, most often triggered by activists on social media. They are demanding brands take a stand on controversial socioeconomic and political issues that are getting more attention with our divisive politics today. Most brands can no longer ignore these trends and remain apolitical. There are always risks of offending some customers and employees so the challenge is to determine what issues to address, and how. The answer should depend on the core values that define the brand equity and image,...
read moreThe Rise of “Morality-via-Branding” to Add Empathy and Connect Emotionally
If you are like me, you are probably sick of all the acrimony, blatant lies, nasty accusations, partisan rancor and exaggerated rhetoric in politics today. Have we all lost our moral compass? Can we trust and believe anyone anymore? Can’t individual politicians simply do what’s right, and not just what their party demands? Well, in response to this increase in anger and negativity, there is a refreshing “morality-via-branding” trend emerging, where brand advertising is becoming more empathetic, providing a new port in this storm. In his...
read moreHow Social Media Is Changing What Brands Stand For
Our world has never been so divided by politics, with social media as a major catalyst for extreme opinions and reactions. Brands are being pulled into battles on what they stand for, willingly and unwillingly, on both social and traditional media. The driving force behind this disconcerting trend of brand politicization is the increasing vocalization of customer values, which have become so intensely defined and polarized recently, even demanding a particular stance by some corporate brands. When social media arose 15 years ago, marketers...
read moreThe Crisis of Message Credibility and Impact on Brands
Our world is more passionately polarized than ever. Current politics have over sensitized even the most rational, knowledgeable people, creating a new level of acrimony and distrust among family and friends. A major contributor to this divisiveness is the growth of “falsehoods” communicated in politics and the news, especially on social media. The incidence of these “untruths” has reached epidemic proportions, and is seriously undermining the most important values for strong brands: credibility, authenticity and trust. The entire...
read moreHow a Brand Audit Could Revitalize the Democratic Party
Since the Presidential election, Trump has dominated the news with his twitter comments, controversial cabinet appointments and extraordinary views on major issues for 2017. What we don’t hear much about is the Democratic Party, and whether their current values still resonate with enough voters to be successful in the future. Maybe it should re-brand itself? This situation is similar to the challenges many brands face during their lifecycle when their appeal becomes stale or irrelevant. Because consumers, competition and new trends are...
read moreHow Storytelling Can Shape The Corporate Brand And Culture
Technology has transformed our world into a data obsessive circus where information is unbelievably accessible, connectivity is constant, and unpredictable events always surprise and engulf us. Call this extreme clutter and volatility. With so much information and multi-tasking surrounding us, it has become a challenge to restore simplicity, clarity and focus in our communications. These excessive conditions provide the main impetus for the re-emergence of storytelling for inspiring, engaging and connecting to others. Storytelling is...
read moreHow Trump’s Brand Positioned Itself For Victory
Without doubt, Trump’s election victory was a shock to most people, especially pollsters, the news media and those living in urban centers across the country. In some ways, it was a contest of character between the two most unfavorably perceived presidential candidates in history. However, from a branding perspective, the compelling reasons behind each vote was more about what each candidate stood for. And this is what branding is all about – making promises that resonate with people’s intense emotional desires, to connect with them. To...
read moreThe EU Brand, Brexit And Millennials – A Lost Opportunity For All
In many ways, the EU (European Union) was the ideal brand because its core promise to all Europeans involved sharing and connecting across all borders. But the tumultuous impact of Brexit on the future viability of the EU brand is a good example of what happens when an outside event undermines its basic brand positioning. And Millennials in the UK played a big role for causing this possible disaster. It was the sense of community and connectivity that defined this Generation Y, known as the first digital generation. The EU brand meant...
read moreWhy Branding Is Even More Important For Start-ups – 10 Tips
True branding can be a bewildering challenge for many managers, especially entrepreneurs. Either they don’t completely understand the strategic benefits of authentic branding, and/or they assume that branding simply consists of a new name, logo and proprietary graphics. And most certainly they don’t know how to apply relevant branding principles to improve their marketing and communications, especially when faced with new competition, changing customer preferences or other market based trends. Entrepreneurs are understandably obsessed...
read moreHow Putin’s Brand Inspires Trump
Donald Trump recently praised President Putin of Russia with full admiration as “a leader far more than our leader” and that he “has very strong control” over Russia. As a forceful, deal-making businessman, Trump can relate to Putin’s leadership style. Both are authoritative kindred spirits. But will Putin’s authoritative brand image have any impact on Trump’s political behavior? And if so, what could we expect from a Trump presidency? In any case, this comparison also provides a case study of how similar leadership brands may not...
read more
