We seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to put ourselves in buckets and boxes. “X” seems to have become a required answer for organisations and individuals alike: “X” being a single word label or pithy statement that captures the area, breadth and nuance of what you do. Which is...
I’m going to share something with you that can help transform how you think about aligning your actions and decisions as an organisation. And if you can do that, you can start to make some serious headway in achieving a strong, lasting brand result. It’s called the ‘Ripple Effect’ because it’s a...
In the ongoing stoush about consumers buying “home brand” or “private label” products an article this week caught my eye – well, mostly, the title caught my eye. The title of the article was “Where the brands have no name” and seemed to suggest that consumers are swapping established “brands” for...
There’s a change in the wind. Several articles in the past couple of weeks have called outright that there needs to be a brand rethink. I couldn’t agree more! Both were in Fast Company magazine. I’ve been highly critical of the way the “marketing approach” to brand is applied in many organisations – even...
It’s hard to get someone to care about what you are doing, understand what you are doing or even know what promises you are making when you have been struck down with “jargon speak”. It’s a terrible affliction and we all know people and organisations that either have it or have...
I love organisations. I think the vast majority of them have good intent. They don’t set out at the beginning of the day thinking, “How can we screw our customers today?” And that’s not to ignore that some still do, but I see that as the exception not the rule. I’ve...
I was speaking at an event a few years ago and one of the other speakers talking about “brand” mentioned how they start with what the marketplace needs, what the gaps are and then works to fit the company to that. If anyone has ever tried to put a square peg...
A new bank advertising campaign is manna from heaven for bloggers. I tried to resist joining the fray, but then a friend asked me last week what I thought of the new Commonwealth Bank campaign and I realised it would be seriously remiss of me to look such a generous...
I’m starting to feel like a broken record. But I spend a lot of time talking to people about promises and their role in building organisations, [Bob] and “brand” and while I do see more people becoming conscious of their promises, there’s a piece of the puzzle that doesn’t seem...
There is nothing more important to your organisation and the relationship you have with your customers than the promises you make and keep. A customer charter should be the culmination of your promises. It should clearly state what you will and won’t do, set expectations and state how you will be...