Author:Marshall Strategy

August 27, 2012 In Blog By Marshall Strategy

Brand Leadership: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Silicon Valley

Marissa Mayer
[photo credit: jdlasica via photo pin cc]

Last month, two Silicon Valley stalwarts saw leadership changes, reinforcing the reality that in times of change, those at the top must inspire excitement for the brands they lead. Marissa Mayer, a longtime public figure at Google and responsible for some of the company’s most recognizable products, took on a new role as CEO at rival Yahoo!, while Paul Maritz, the CEO of VMware, who led a small virtualization startup to become a $5B leader in data center transformation and IT-as-a-Service, will move on to take a broader role at parent company EMC. In both cases, people are watching closely to see how effectively these new leaders can establish a clear brand vision for their companies.

Mayer has her work cut out for her. As the fifth CEO in the last five years at Yahoo!’s helm, she must define a vision and set a clear path for the company to follow – a feat that her predecessors failed to accomplish. Yahoo! has not evolved with technological changes in advertising and the rising influence of social media, and continues to struggle to define itself. Until Mayer can steer the Yahoo! brand in a clear direction, the company will not attract and retain the talent, advertisers, and investors it needs to return to its former powerhouse status. Not surprisingly, this week several top Yahoo! executives left the company.

In contrast, Maritz is leaving VMware well-positioned to expand its role as an industry leader (full disclosure: VMware is a client of ours). The brand vision and direction he instilled at VMware over the last four years set a foundation the company should be able to build from in the coming years.

Change is a constant in the dynamic business environment of Silicon Valley. As top leaders swap companies and titles, however, they must be able to build, sustain and enhance the brands they lead. The success of any company depends heavily on leadership’s ability to instill confidence in what lies ahead, by clearly articulating their brand vision, generating enthusiasm internally and externally, and navigating the company forward in single direction.

August 15, 2012 In Corporate, Positioning, Positioning Strategy, Video By Marshall Strategy

Establishing Your Vision, Mission, and Strategy

How do you establish a strong and distinctive mission, and why should it matter?

Vision, Mission and Strategy are critical to a company’s uniqueness and vital to success. We have a very simple way to think about Vision, Mission and Strategy that can help you develop a unique, compelling, and clear way to differentiate your company, inspire your employees, and guide your company forward.

In this video, we define these elements and use the example of IBM to illustrate each one.

June 26, 2012 In Blog By Marshall Strategy

IBM Adds Dimension to its Brand Promise through Social Responsibility Initiatives

Building a Smarter Planet is at the core of IBM’s brand promise. Yes, the brand platform is smart and the campaigns it inspires are compelling, but at IBM the promise runs deeper than that. A brand promise should drive how an organization behaves, and IBM shows its commitment to “Smarter Planet” through socially responsible initiatives and partnerships.

Take one of the IBM’s latest programs, Smarter Education Solution, which is part of the company’s broader Smarter Cities initiative. This is a partnership with Desire2Learn, a learning solutions company, to provide improved learning and teaching experiences in school systems. IBM provides advanced analytics software for use in conjunction with Desire2Learn’s educational platform to improve the learning environment for students. “Today, technology is redefining learning,” said Michael D. King, Vice President of IBM Global Education. “Curriculum can be delivered on a mobile device to follow the student home after school, and intervention strategies can help identify potential problems before they occur. By applying IBM’s advanced analytics technology to the cause of improving education, we hope to help every child succeed.”*

Partnerships like this show that IBM is delivering on its Smarter Planet brand promise. It goes beyond corporate objectives, advertising, and business strategies to actions that are real and meaningful. Social responsibility initiatives, when tied to a corporate brand strategy, can be a powerful differentiator in the marketplace. Corporations with a compelling brand promise can affect the behaviors not only of their employees, but of the people and communities they touch as well. By partnering with Desire2Learn and other organizations and government agencies to highlight and address the shortcomings of the educational system, IBM shows how a company’s brand promise can make a meaningful difference in the world.

*Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ibm-desire2learn-introduce-services-software-132000401.html

May 21, 2012 In Non-Profit By Marshall Strategy

The American Red Cross Unveils a New Brand Identity

The American Red Cross recently unveiled its new logo and launched a new brand identity campaign. The changes are subtle, but the message is obvious: The Red Cross is no longer just a disaster relief organization; it’s a group of local volunteers ready to make the world a better place.

Why did the American Red Cross feel compelled to update its image and brand identity? The organization’s leadership wants to reach a new generation of donors and volunteers. The goal is regain a stronger sense of relevance and approachability, and to share its message and mission with a broader audience by inviting them to take a look inside ‘The New Red Cross.’

“We want to show more people how they can be part of a Red Cross that intersects with their lives in many ways,” said Red Cross CMO Peggy Dyer. “The new brand identity is an important part of that process.”

The revamped logo maintains the important aspects of the Red Cross’s heritage while updating it to symbolize a sense of participation, belonging, and engagement. By refreshing its identity, the American Red Cross positions itself as a grassroots organization of greater breadth. It can tell its stories of the past to a new generation eager that is eager to listen and become actively involved.

This new brand identity initiative shows how the use of audience-specific messaging, and even the contextual use of a logo, can uphold the grander, more unifying ideal that the Red Cross isn’t just about disasters; it’s about reaching out to help neighbors, locally and globally, in times of need. Modernizing its image invites a whole new generation to get involved and take ownership of the organization to keep it viable and significant in the future.

Making only subtle changes to the logo was wise. If the Red Cross had drastically altered its identity, it would have risked alienating current stakeholders and scaring off potential donors. Even if it had managed to avoid that catastrophe, it would still have been an immeasurable waste of brand equity.

An organization’s brand is an expression of why it matters. The Red Cross’s new brand identity illustrates just how comprehensive a role the organization plays. It’s more than a provider of essential emergency relief—it’s a community of people mobilizing to enhance the world with its presence

April 27, 2012 In Consumer, Technology By Marshall Strategy

When Corporate Brand Strategy & Company Culture Collide, Culture Wins

Hal King of King Brown Partners has said of corporate brand strategy, “When strategy and culture collide, culture always wins.”

Those words ring true in today’s marketplace. Having a corporate brand strategy is essential for a business, but it is not enough if the enterprise is unwilling to embrace change and modify behaviors to align with customers’ needs, to keep the brand relevant.

Two stalwarts of the consumer products industry have recently suffered the fallout of the strategy/culture collision, and yet another appears to be facing a similar fate. Kodak recently filed bankruptcy, Sony posted its worst annual operating loss in company history, and now Best Buy is on the ropes with a huge first-quarter loss.

Neither Kodak nor Sony was ambivalent about changing times. Both companies made strong statements about where they needed to go, yet neither appeared prepared to steer their corporate cultures in that direction. On the other hand, Best Buy continues to cling to the culture that earned the retail giant its reputation of a big-box powerhouse in the 1990s, ignoring major changes in consumer buying habits in the process.

Kodak’s downfall was blamed on its inability to make the leap to digital media. But Kodak has been positioning itself as a digital imaging company for more than a decade. Why was it unsuccessful? Because at its core, Kodak is a chemical company whose culture embraced film coatings and processing. When digital media came along, Kodak rebranded itself as a digital imaging company, but the move took it further away from its chemistry-based roots, and company culture could not adapt.

The Sony brand faces similar challenges. Sony has spent billions of dollars marketing itself as an entertainment company, yet has not been able to make the transition in the eyes of the consumer or its employees, who still see it as a manufacturer of premium hardware.

Best Buy may be next. The culture of the company is deeply rooted in consumer choice and selection at its retail stores, but it is exactly this choice that dooms the company; consumers now choose to buy their movies, music, and electronic equipment online. They no longer comparison shop in stores, they comparison shop on the internet, and Best Buy is not a value leader in online sales.

In contrast with these companies is Amazon. Amazon has grown from the world’s largest bookstore into the world’s largest retailer, and is now extending its brand to hardware (the Kindle e-Reader) and cloud computing and storage. Since it began, Amazon’s brand strategy and organizational culture have always been aligned with customer satisfaction, scale, and delivery. This enables them to remain a global player, even in changing economic conditions.

We believe strongly in brand-driven business strategy. What that means is, a solid corporate brand strategy should inspire a company to be have in a certain way. This requires cultural resonance. If those new behaviors aren’t imbued or embraced, the strategy will likely fail. The longevity of a brand relies on a culture within the corporation that thrives on meeting customers’ needs at every level, while at the same time retaining core values.

April 16, 2012 In Cultural By Marshall Strategy

Caine’s Arcade: Great Brands are Great Storytellers

This week’s viral sensation was Caine’s Arcade, the story of 9 year-old boy who built a cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store. It’s the kind of story great writers conjure – except it’s true, and it provides great lessons for storytelling and branding.

Caines Arcade

1. For a story to connect, it needs to be real.

9 year-old kid, summer vacation, nothing to do, so he builds an elaborate arcade out of cardboard in his dad’s store.

He doesn’t mope about. When Caine wants a claw game, his dad says, “why don’t you build one”? So Caine builds a claw game. No helicopter parents. No carefully crafted messages. No Disney production value.

Just a real kid, with a great big imagination and incredible focus. And when the arcade becomes real to a bigger community it’s much more than a flash mob event, it’s a story of vision, perseverance, and imagination. If there’d been any question of Caine’s authenticity – if it looked like dad did the work, or that the video had been overtly staged, the story would fall flat.

2. For a story to connect, it needs to be told.

What are the odds that a filmmaker would be Cain’s first customer? Pretty small. He was lucky. And, to be honest, the filmmaker was pretty lucky too. You don’t find authentic, simple stories everyday. That’s why they’re so powerful when you do find them.

For a story to connect with a bigger audience, it needs legs. While the subject is one boy and his homemade project, it’s bigger than just that. It’s about believing in a dream despite all obstacles.

Brands are rarely lucky enough to have their story “discovered,” and overt attempts to capture attention often ring hollow. The greatest brands figure out how to connect with authenticity, telling their stories in a way that resonates and enables others to embrace them.

3. For a story to have impact, it needs to engage.

Great stories engage their audience and ask something from them in return. The genius of Caine’s Arcade is that it asks for you to believe in small miracles and the simple genius of a 9 year-old. It has worked, and quickly – people have donated over $140,000 to Caine’s college fund. He didn’t ask for it. It wasn’t what he set out to do. But his story inspired people to action. Brand stories are about more than selling or promoting a product or service – they inspire and engage their audience to believe in something.

Caine’s Arcade is a great story. It gives us hope that imagination and perseverance will prevail in an often cynical and manufactured world. It also is a great lesson that the best stories are real, easy to tell, and inspiring.

April 16, 2012 In Video By Marshall Strategy

Brand Positioning: How Many Brands Are Too Many?

For companies looking to successfully achieve positive brand positioning, a good rule of thumb is “the fewer brands a company has, the better.”

Without discipline, brands tend to proliferate because as new products or services are developed, it is natural to want a unique name, logo and story to rally behind. In some cases, this leads to confusion, with too many brands for customers to distinguish.

The more brands you have, the more expensive it is to keep those promises distinct and relevant in your audiences’ mind.

Do you want to improve your branding and corporate identity efforts? Marshall Strategy has a proven track record of making a difference for our clients. Make a business inquiry today to find out how Marshall Strategy can do for you. Find out what we’re doing in the social world by “Liking” us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and subscribing to our YouTube channel. Also, find us on LinkedIn and follow our blog for more useful industry information.

April 16, 2012 In Branding, Video By Marshall Strategy

Branding vs. Advertising: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between branding vs. advertising campaigns? And, is it smart to have both a brand agency and an advertising agency for your business?

March 21, 2012 In Blog By Marshall Strategy

Brand Identity Personality Should be Behavior-Based

Brand Identity Personality
Last year’s loss of Steve Jobs was a real-world test of the effect an iconic personality can have on a brand’s identity. Many people wondered if the Apple brand would be as valuable without him. There is already strong evidence that Apple’s strong organizational culture and focus on insanely great products will continue after Steve. If Apple can stay true to its promises, it remains a valuable brand, vs. a brand dependent on one man’s personality.

It’s not unusual for an emerging company’s brand identity to be connected to a charismatic or visionary leader. Tony Hsieh with Zappos, Jeff Bezos with Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg with Facebook, and Richard Branson with Virgin are all great examples of such brands. The real challenge for a brand, however, is to be recognizable, relevant and meaningful over time regardless of who is in charge. Corporate identity should be built through shared organizational philosophy, not solely on a leader’s personality.

For a brand to survive in the long term, its leaders must embody the values of the company, not the other way around. Any company whose identity is linked solely to an individual should move away from being a personality-driven brand and move toward being a behavior-driven brand. Behavior-driven brands reflect how the company, its product, and its people, fulfill their promises. These behaviors can be inspired, or introduced by a strong leader, but must also be deeply embedded within the culture of the company to be sustainable over time.

Many companies have proven that they are fully capable of maintaining a strong brand without always having high-visibility leadership. Richard Branson is instilling sustainable differentiation for the Virgin Brand—building the “Virgin Experience” into a variety of existing products and services. Nike adopted 11 core principles based on the vision and leadership of Bill Bowerman, but not dependent on his personal stewardship. As a result, both brands are associated with delivery of a clear promise, and not solely with the constant public presence of their founders.

Brands achieve greatness when people—customers, employees, and investors alike—feel an affinity to the product and want to be associated with it – not just with its founder or leader. Companies with highly-visible leaders need to clearly show that the company as a whole embraces a singular vision, and doesn’t just rely on the cult of one personality.

Marshall Strategy

February 24, 2012 In Blog By Marshall Strategy

Political Campaigns – A Lesson in Brand Management

The Republican presidential primaries and debates have been fascinating, if not whiplash-inducing, to follow. The candidates continue to float on the winds of public opinion rather than their own personal convictions and vision. On any topic, they appear more interested in setting themselves apart from the competition than in having firm positions that constituents can rally behind. Focus groups form politicians’ positions on issues, instead of politicians working to help constituents understand and value what they really stand for. The absence of a clear frontrunner so far is evidence that candidates are failing to define what they stand for and that they lack resonance with the American electorate.

The word “politician” has taken on negative connotations; it is more and more likely to define a person who will say or do anything to get elected. There are plenty of politicians in the world, and it seems few are irreplaceable. Brands should not fall into the same trap. To be effective in the marketplace, a brand must clearly communicate what it represents and what it aspires to become, and then deliver on that promise to its customers. The opposite approach – building a brand based exclusively on customer opinion or desired image – is a recipe for failure, as the brand in the end will lack identity, and will likely be forgotten when the next new product comes along. The more effectively a brand communicates and delivers on its promise, the more likely customer experience and feedback will reinforce the brand’s position.

The Walt Disney Corporation stands as a perfect example of brand conviction and purpose. Despite the ups and downs of the entertainment industry and economy, the brand has never strayed from its promise to deliver high-quality, family-oriented entertainment in a variety of formats. As a result, consumers know what to expect from a Walt Disney product when it is released without questioning its authenticity, quality, or content.

To be considered a true political leader, a candidate must have and communicate a vision; an authentic theme that voters can focus on and associate with that person. The same is true of a brand. Without clear vision and promise, a candidate becomes a politician, and a brand becomes a commodity. Both will recede from relevance when the next new “thing” comes along.

Author:Marshall Strategy

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