Tim Russert — a lesson in branding

June 14, 2008

Russert The world, but especially here in the United States, is still stunned by Tim Russert’s sudden death yesterday.  The accolades and eulogizing has begun as people grapple with his passing and I have no doubt much will be written about the native New Yorker and political junkie.

I must admit, this is not an entirely objective commentary.  I liked Tim Russert a lot.  I respected him for his knowledge and ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.  I trusted him.

I trusted him.  There’s the key sentence.

Tim Russert earned the country’s trust.  Which is the sign of a brilliant journalist but it is also the foundation of a brilliant brand.  How’d he do it?

He was passionate:  Tim Russert loved the political process.  He loved asking tough questions.  The crazier it got, the happier he got.  His passion was contagious.  His reporting took us past the hype and the circus and got us interested in the real deal.

He was authentic:  He never tried to be anything other than what he was — a kid who grew up in Buffalo, NY.  The son of a sanitation worker.  A working class Irish Catholic.  He brought his life’s experiences to his work.  It made him tangible to us.  He wasn’t all that different from us.  Even though he hung out with Presidents.

He was likable:  He was affable.  He talked like a normal person.  He used stories to explain complex topics.  He wasn’t over-polished or perfect.  His hair was always a little mussed.  He reminded me a a big, friendly dog.  There was nothing scary or intimidating about him.  He was a guy that you knew would be cool to just hang out with.

He wore his emotions on his sleeve:  While his reporting stayed objective, his enthusiasm for the whole thing was apparent.  He loved what he was doing, he loved talking politics.  He loved the battle and the debate.  That was a big part of how we knew he was authentic.  He didn’t try to keep us at arm’s length.  He invited us in to share in what he loved.

He was consistent:  Tim Russert was grounded.  He had a code of ethics and morals that created his course of action.  He defined his own professional (and I suspect personal) right/wrong meter and he used it to guide him.  He understood his own brand and the beliefs that the brand was built upon.  That allowed him to deliver a consistent product every time.

There will be much talk about Russert’s impact on politics and journalism over the next few days.  And rightly so.  He was brilliant at his craft. 

But I suspect many will mourn his passing for the same reason that I do — I liked and trusted him.  That’s rare in today’s over-spun media world.  And it’s equally rare among brands.

The sign of an extraordinary brand is that we can’t imagine what we’d replace it with.  The next few months are going to be very heated as the United State’s next president is elected.  I can’t imagine who could possibly take Tim Russert’s place.

He will be sorely missed by me and by many.

Update:  Jim Kukral used this post as a launching pad for his own thoughts on Russert in his daily video series, The Daily Flip.

Jann Freed adds her thoughts to the discussion, calling Russert a sage.

Steve Cranford shouts out to this post over at Whisper Brand.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
More

Seth Godin’s TED talk

June 10, 2008

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

Here’s Seth Godin’s shot at it.  Yes, it’s 18 minutes long…but you’ll be glad you watched.  He’s a master storyteller.  Which as you know, is what marketing and branding is all about.

What did you think?  Takeaways?

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
More

Are your actions drowning out your words?

May 19, 2008

Picture_1 We’ve all been pretty impressed with LifeLock’s marketing.  The CEO publicly shares his social security number to prove his confidence in LifeLock’s ability to guarantee protection from identity theft.

It’s very bold and attention-getting.  So I decided I wanted some more information.  After all, I don’t want anyone stealing my identity.  (Although a teen-aged daughter makes you wonder if some bad guy could really do more damage than a trip to the local DSW store!)

I went to their website and found the member services e-mail address (easily accessible under Contact Us) and fired off my relatively simple questions. 

No reply. 

So, I repeated the steps and re-sent my questions.

No reply.

Because I am a stubborn cuss — I actually did it for a third time.  Guess what happened.

No reply.  No automated — "thanks for your e-mail, we’ll get right back to you."  No canned "have you tried our FAQ section."  Nothing.

Hmm.  These are the people who promise me diligence in watching over my identity?  These are the people who I am going to try to contact if there’s a problem?

I had bought the promise — hook, line and sinker.  I was ready to buy.  I practically had my credit card out of my wallet.  But now, I’m not so sure.  Now, their actions have contradicted their words.  And the actions are much louder.

How about your business?  You’re making a bold brand promise, right?  Are you sure that your actions match that promise?  Is there a weak spot? 

Could your actions, reactions or lack of action be drowning out your words?

UPDATE:  Several of you have shared the breaking news story that Lifelock’s CEO has just had his identity stolen.  No wonder they’re behind in answering their e-mail!

More

I don’t know much about that…

May 18, 2008

36823168 Marketing and marketing tactics are changing at the speed of light.  Have you caught yourself saying "I don’t know anything (or much) about XYZ?"

What happens next?  Do you accept that you just aren’t that familiar with it?  Or do you recognize you’d better fix that situation? 

I think how you answer that question says a great deal about you and how well suited you are for a marketing career.  You can’t afford not to know.  I don’t care how many years of experience you’ve got.  I promise you, you’ve got things to learn.

If you don’t have the curiosity or the drive to keep learning how to help your business or your client’s business grow and communicate — then dust off the resume, my friend.   Because you need to get out of marketing.

How can you learn?  Lots of ways.

  • Find someone who does know and ask them to teach you.  They’ll be flattered.
  • Take a class or pay someone to teach you.
  • Find a blog written by an expert in the field.  Do more than read it — participate.
  • Read a few books on the topic.
  • Wade in…and try it.  Most of us learn best from doing.

If you hesitated when asked the question, remember this.  Do you suppose your co-worker who is climbing up the same ladder you are hesitated?  How about your competition?

More

Do your employees think like owners?

May 13, 2008

10050408 It was Mother’s Day last week, so I, like millions of others, ordered flowers.    So I wasn’t all that surprised to get the phone call saying "The flowers are beautiful, thank you."

I was surprised however at the next sentence.  "Did you mean to order two identical bouquets?"

Uh no.

Two identical bouquets were delivered.  Identical cards.  Actually delivered by the same person at the same time.  And apparently no one along the way stopped to ask why. 

When I called the florist to see what was up — the customer service rep checked.  Their records showed only the one order.  She couldn’t explain the duplication.  Her response — "I have no idea how that happened.  Tell her to enjoy both bouquets."

Think of all the people who touched the order.  The person who created the bouquets.  The person who wrote out the cards (I ordered online).  The person who scheduled the deliveries.  The person who packed the truck.  The delivery person.

Not one of those employees stopped to think how odd it was that the same person would get two of the exact same bouquets, with identical cards, from the same person.

So the florist is out a $75 bouquet.  They look like their systems and delivery process needs some work and this story will be told and re-told.

All because an employee didn’t stop to wonder why.  Or pick up a phone to double check.

The most important audience your business will ever have are your own employees.  If they don’t get it — no one will.  They deliver the brand every day.  Or not.

10050408_2 Do a spot check today.  Create a "what if" customer problem scenario and ask around.  How would your employees handle it?  Is it true to the way you want your customers to experience your brand?

How often, without you even knowing, are you creating a talkable moment by delivering two bouquets?

More

Be consistent. Be consistent. Be consistent.

May 9, 2008

Same_2Add to that, be predictable.

Why?  It feels safe, trustworthy and comfortable.  And, it creates an expectation in a customer or prospect that you can successfully fulfill.

Always remember…you get tired of your message much quicker than your audience does. You may not even get noticed the first few times someone hears from you. You just have too much competition for their attention. After six or seven times, there might be recognition, but perhaps they don’t need you yet. Typically it takes 8-13 interactions for your audience to really register that you are talking to them.

But what would happen if you stopped talking to them after attempt #7?  Or if you speak to them differently each time?

We’ve been sending out a weekly e-mail marketing tip since 1999. We get calls from people who want to hire or interview us – some who have been putting our weekly e-mails in a 3-ring binder for several months or even a couple years, but they just hadn’t needed us until that moment.

Thank goodness we didn’t take them off the list after the first five contacts didn’t elicit a response!

Whether the magic number of contacts is five or fifty-two, make sure you are consistent and repetitive in your efforts to reach out for new customers.

More

I want to speak like Steve Jobs

May 7, 2008

I  am invited to speak/share a nugget or two at 15-20 national conferences and conventions a year.  I get high marks and am invited back, so I must hold my own.

But I aspire to inspire like Steve Jobs.  He can bring a crowd to tears and cheers as he holds up the hottest new iPod, laptop or gadget.  I want to hold a crowd in my hand like that.

If you’re like me or you just want to improve your sales presentation skills, check out this video from BNET on how to present like Steve. 

What do you think?  How could you apply this to your day to day presenting opportunities?

More

Portable smarts — at your fingertips

May 6, 2008

Bilde I’ve always loved trade magazines.  I love their focus, I love how bite-sized the information is and, I love that it’s off-line and tangible.  Portable smarts.  Love that.

So when I was approached about offering my readers free magazines, I was skeptical.  What was the catch?  Turns out there isn’t one. 

You get free magazines on marketing, promotions, branding, creativity etc.  They get more readers for their advertisers.  You get smarter.

Hard to argue with that equation.   So click here and check out the 500+ magazines, white papers, podcasts etc that are all available to you.  (As I understand it, some of these titles are only available in the States, FYI.)

I’ll feature a new title now and then, just to keep you plugged in to what’s available.

A side note:  I get a commission on the complimentary subscriptions which I’ll be donating to charity.

So….you get smarter and Variety, the Children’s Charity gets a little green in their pockets.  Sweet.

More

Would we recognize your logo by its first letter alone?

May 5, 2008

How recognizable is your logo?  Have you created it in a way that over time, your clients might be able to ID it simply by seeing the first letter?

Try this test, put together by InthePictureDesign on flickr.  He grabbed some pretty well known logos and we only get to see the first letter.  Can you identify them?

Picture_18

 

Need help?  Answers are here.

So…how would your logo fare in a contest like this?  I know you don’t have a Coke or Disney budget, but within your sphere of influence — how iconic is your mark/name?

Hat tip to Susan at BrandCurve for sharing this.

More

Want to know someone? Look at who’s around them.

May 4, 2008

Myposse More than a month ago, Robyn McMaster tagged me, asking me to share a quote that I found to be inspirational and dedicate it to at least three other bloggers who, for me, embody the quote.  (Robyn was tagged by Joanna Young)

Robyn’s quote, which she dedicated to me, Liz Strauss, Chris Brown, Gavin Heaton and Ellen Weber was:

The brain is designed to grab what input it can and then
boil it up into a froth of understanding
.
 

John McCrone

First…lofty praise that I’ll do my best to live up to and second, that’s an impressive group to be sharing an attribution with.  Thank you.

I have given this quite a bit of thought. I’ve actually had my quote identified for several weeks but just wanted to let it simmer for a bit.  I used the quote on the program for Blogger Social’s Saturday night dinner program, knowing I’d write more about it here.

I think one of life’s most valuable skills is to see people clearly.  To know not only who they appear to be, but who they truly are and who they aspire to become.

My secret weapon for figuring that out is to observe who they surround themselves with.  I don’t believe there is anything more telling.  We choose to spend time with people that we connect with, that have similar hearts and values.  We surround ourselves with people who not only support us but inspire us to be even better than we are today.

So with that, I dedicate this quote to some of my amazing friends, who I am proud to be measured and judged by. 

Tell me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.

Assyrian Proverb

My thanks to you: Gavin Heaton, CK, Lori Magno, and Luc Debaisieux.  To be judged by your presence in my life is a good fortune I’m not sure I deserve but I will gladly accept.

 

More