Management is making sure things run smoothly.  Leading, on the other hand, is lifting up your head, looking around, and doing something about what you see.  Many companies are run by managers, versus leaders.  Which is great if nothing changes.

But we’re in a time of great change, with the rate of change growing ever faster.  Leaders are what’s needed now, no matter what size company or type of industry you’re in.   Mobile, cloud, outsourcing/insourcing, self-serve, social media, disintermediation, user generated content…unless you run a hot dog stand, there’s practically no industry left unscarred by the vast of amount of change in the last 15 years. Even if you do run a hot dog stand, you’ll need to keep up with trends in localvore habits, mobile food truck regulations, the use of social media to drive new customers, supply chain traceability, changes in health concerns…

Lead and they will follow.  But just manage, and you will quickly be swept aside by the waves of change.

- Lynn Parker

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For those of you as behind in your movie watching as I am, here’s the synopsis: Nelson Mandela, during South Africa’s tough transition to democracy, leverages the nation’s love of rugby to cross racial lines and bring people together (a bit more). He does this by supporting, even promoting, the Springbok team and its name even though it’s associated with white rule. In exchange for his support, the team engages in outreach efforts all over the country, bringing rugby matches and lessons to poor black children. By supporting rather than alienating the team and its white followers he builds trust. And by modeling forgiveness he captures the hearts of blacks. By inspiring the team to their victory at the Rugby World Cup in 1995, he demonstrates to his fellow countrymen that they do have something in common after all.

What does this have to do with brand leadership? Any company working to define and strengthen its brand is embarking on a substantial change process. You’re asking people to change the way they work, what they say, who they work with, maybe even what they do. This is the kind of change that requires people to either get on board, or not.

I have seen many companies try to embark on this process by reasoning with employees, by explaining why this is important to the company’s future and to their jobs. In some cases that works, and in others it does not. When it doesn’t, the brand initiative lies dead in the water—an expensive experiment in what the company could be.

The problem is that people’s loyalty to a brand isn’t 100% logical. It might not even be 50% logical. So why should your internal effort to align people around the brand be any different? Effective brand leadership taps into people’s emotions. It inspires. It’s fun. It’s a little audacious. That’s often what gets people motivated to change.

This movie was a nice reminder that inspiration can often outweigh perspiration.

What will you do to inspire staff in your effort to build your brand?

–Briana Marrah

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What’s the secret to getting through to your target audience?

It’s simple: just listen.

They’re not “consumers,” they’re real people with real emotions, triumphs, problems and goals. Listening helps you see the world through their eyes to truly understand where they’re coming from.

And when you truly “get” them, you see not just what matters to them, but how to connect.

I loved NPR’s coverage on Makeba Riddick, a songwriter for Rhianna, Beyonce, Toni Braxton and more. Whenever she’s writing a song, she keeps the teenage girl from Iowa (and mom) in her head the entire time. And her songs continue to top the charts.

Check it out here: How To Write A Hit- Think Like A Teenager (But Keep Parents In Mind)

- Bianca Abate

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Just caught wind of kulula.co via this snopes.com article. What a hoot! This regional airline out of South Africa makes a bold promise and a big splash with their visual brand. From airplanes with engaging designs to their on-time performance website page (5 years worth of stats) to their coordinated travel options that get you from your door to your destination spot and back again, this company sets clear expectations for its customers (known as “jetsetters,” if you join their loyalty program).

Kulula’s mission is around “safety first,” ease of planning and travelling at “the easiest price,” “no bullshit” (their own term – really!) and having fun. They seem to be pulling all of this off nicely. Their challenge will be to keep it up and not let the brand slip into boring. Can they create new designs when they buy new planes? Will they meet their on-schedule goals? Will employees continue to provide a fun experience even as people get accustomed to their approach?

What does it for me is that this company has tapped into the way we consumers want to be treated and engaged, with honesty and a sense of humor—and as long as they stay on top of that, they’ll be in great shape.

Any other examples out there of companies taking a more down-to-earth approach to meet customers where they are? Please share!

Beth Woolley

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I was catching up with some industry blogs and found one on user experience design for the entire customer experience–not just the ones that happen on a website or on the phone, but all experiences a customer WANTS to have with you no matter what form they take. This caught my eye because this is something we’ve been talking about for years–the concept of integrated branding. The only difference is, today we are dealing with more devices and more ways for people to experience an organization (their people, their products, their stores, etc).

By looking at customers’ experiences through the lens of a device-less world that is technology agnostic, then, and only then, will we see the world through our customers’ eyes. People don’t shop at Target because they have a mobile app, they shop at Target because they want something they have and will use whatever device or mode is most convenient for them at the time to get it. We, as brands, just need to make sure we allow them to get it they way they want to.

This requires you dive into your customers’ shoes and figure out all the ways you can help them achieve their goals (which first assumes you know your customers and their goals). So, rather than first jumping on a specific device or platform’s bandwagon (iPad, iPhone, Facebook, Twitter…), start by asking yourself, “what is my customer trying to achieve and what are all the ways I can help them achieve it?”. It is both an eye opening and liberating exercise that helps you get beyond the technology of the moment to the technology solutions yet to come.

–Jen Travis

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What sparks your curiosity or motivates you to take action? Interests obviously vary from person to person, but there’s one consistent factor that significantly impacts our ability to draw others in: simplicity.

People gravitate toward concepts that are easy to understand in a few words yet still poke at the imagination.  The goal of a message should be: when people hear about it, they ask questions.

Spanx is a great example. If I told you that Spanx are “body shapers” would you be interested in finding out more? How would your impression change if I called them Power Panties? A girdle?

Body shaper is a gender-neutral description that’s easy to understand—it’s obviously slimming. And their sub-brand Power Panties works really well in targeting women while fighting the stigma of control-top undergarments.  Most importantly, upon hearing it you probably have questions. What do they look like? How do they work? Who wears them? And so on. It’s clear yet thought provoking.

Capturing that special element to compel people to action is less about wordsmithing and more about figuring out the key concepts you want to focus on. And those drilled-down concepts form your brand’s foundation. Examples:

1. Home Depot- Home improvement center for the do-it-yourselfer
2. The Simpsons- Dysfunctional family cartoon sitcom
3. Staples- Office supply ordering made easy
4. Levi’s- Classic American jeans

Ultimately, it’s this over-arching concept that helps you answer the fundamental “why?” question for your customers. Leverage your first impression by giving an easy-to-digest tidbit that hints at that “why,” and their curiosity will bring them to you with an appetite for more.

- Bianca Abate

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The Best Business Show will interview Lynn Parker about our naming process this Sunday (4/4) at 7pm PST. Just go to www.kvor.com and click the “listen live” icon on the top right-hand corner.

And to read about our naming process, check out Lynn’s article on WomenEntrepreneur.com, “Accomplish the Impossible: Choose a Name.”

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Trader Joe’s has carved out a strong niche in the market with their quirky, socially and nutritionally responsible brand that is best described by a fan who said:

“There’s this kind of feeling when you go there that you’re partaking in a sort of secret club.  Like you and the folks that run the store are kind of winking at each other, showing off little treasures found off the beaten path.”

Trader Joe’s delivers on this promise in almost every aspect, creating an atmosphere completely counter to that found in any super-chain grocery store.  Their easy-going spirit paired with their organic products offers an inexpensive choice that their target audiences—the health food segment, environmentally concerned, and the weekend gourmet chef— have been craving.  The perfect formula for creating die-hard brand loyalists.

My beef: Although they’ve mastered nutrition and fair trade, I’m disappointed by their excessive use of plastic and paper packaging.  What’s the purpose of wrapping three zucchinis on a small polystyrene tray and sealing it in plastic? To prevent a veggie coup d’état?

If your brand is based on a commitment to social responsibility, this sort of disconnect will only tarnish what you’ve worked so hard to create.

My New Year’s resolution for Trader Joe’s, and other brands alike, is to create a new standard of packaging that is:

1. Reusable
2. Recyclable
3. Made from recycled materials
4. Biodegradable

Or, just avoid unnecessary packaging altogether.  Happy 2010!

-Bianca Abate

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The brand that’s made me the happiest this year is Wolfgang’s Vault. I go there on a regular basis, often on Friday afternoons when I’m finishing up administrative tasks and need some ear candy. The more I listen, the more often I return. I’ve heard concerts by artists I wish I’d gone to and concerts from the same tours I saw “back in the day” by artists that hadn’t made it big yet. I started going to the site a couple of years ago to relive some great musical moments in my life—but now I’m getting much more.

I love that the Vault has branched out to newer artists and more recent concerts. Their A to Z list of performers is huge and inclusive, so I can experiment. There are artist interviews as well as concerts. There are lots of free downloads as well as ones you have to pay for. Plus concert listings in my area.

The website has improved steadily. It’s become increasingly easy to use and what Wolfgang’s Vault is adding, I’m enjoying. I must be in their target demographic—they’re hitting me in my soft spot and I love it!

What’s the brand lesson? Do one thing really well and build from there. Innovate around what you know and give your customers and fans an easy path to follow as you lead the way. If the substance is there and you demonstrate that you’re listening, you’ll keep your die-hards and win new ones.

Have a great 2010!

Beth Woolley

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A recent client of ours has almost twenty loosely related sub-brands, making their website difficult to navigate and leading to confusion in the marketplace.  The company was pushing the master brand, but consumers were left clueless as to what the master brand actually did and how it all fit together.

Purchasing decisions are complicated enough without making it hard for people to understand who you are and why you do it. If you can zero in on the specific role you play, you make the decision making process one step easier.  A defined brand strategy and brand architecture can enhance focus and clarity. As an added bonus, you can internally focus your budgets and energy more strategically.

So, how to get focused?

1. Ask yourself the fundamental questions of brand architecture:  is the right strategy to create a strong corporate brand or is it to create a portfolio of strong sub-brands—or a combo of both?  Always look at your brand architecture from the point of view of the customer, not how you are internally organized.
2. Clarify (for both employees and consumers) the roles that the various brands play and how they interplay.
3. Lastly, use your website’s navigation as a visual guide to communicate this road map.

-Bianca Abate

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