The BIG Kahuna

Burn Notice is one of the best shows on TV. It’s funny, smart and sophisticated. Sort of like Bond meets The Equalizer, meets?MacGyver. Part of their new pre-Emmy promo piece?branding includes invisible ink and a quest for information:

The kit is mailed to voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, includes 12 episodes of the show on four DVDs, a UV flashlight and a lot of white space. Small print reads: “Steps: 1. Use this flashlight to reveal hidden text. 2. Deny you ever used this flashlight.”

Hat tip to http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/?for the image and info.

If you haven’t seen the show rent season 1 and catch up on season 2. My wife Nicci?and I?Iove it!

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Is it me or have I have just agreed again with Seth Godin? His latest blog “You Get What You Pay For” is right on point. Here’s a snippet:

If you don’t like bait and switch marketing, where promises don’t match the product, don’t buy it.

If you don’t like snarky, angry blogs, don’t read them.

If you deplore the lousy service at big chains or certain airlines, don’t shop there, even if it’s cheaper.

In other words, stop whining about it. You don’t like the way you’re treated on American Airlines don’t freakin buy another ticket with them! If enough people actually follow through guess what happens?

Change!

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Obama is about change, right? McCain is about experience, right?

So instead of moving their brand identities forward they both drop the ball big time and react to the market. Reacting is not good.

Obama should have selected Hilary Clinton. She would have helped move Obama’s message forward, that of change. Instead Obama selects an old stodgy democrat that is the OPPOSITE of change.

So McCain has a big chance now. All he has to do is pick Romney, Mr. Business. That seals the deal, right? But McCain reacts and clearly decides to capture the woman vote. Palin is the OPPOSITE of experience.

So we have Obama choosing an over experienced running mate that’s change adverse and McCain who selects an under experienced woman that seems to stand for change.

Think of it this way:

If either Obama or McCain god forbid die in office who do you want to be the next President?

Biden: Change averse with experience (sounds like McCain)?or Palin: For Change no experience (sounds like Obama).

Go figure, what say you Kahuna’s? Did Obama and McCain make good branding decisions?

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Sometimes I just can’t wait for the daily comics. Today I got a BIG chuckle when I read that Baskin Robbins?(a childhood favorite of mine) will be selling chocolate fondue, cheesecake on a stick, caramel ginger apple crisp, and ice cream cake by the slice. Read the full story here.

Wow, I bet the kids can’t wait to dig into that fondue huh? This is in-line with Dunkin Donuts (who owns Baskin) and their recent food strategy that my friend Jonathan Salem Baskin wrote about a few weeks ago. For a very funny read on that click here.

Here’s what the “guru’s” at Baskin had to say:

“It’s part ice cream experience, dessert theater, and test kitchen all rolled into one,” said Ken Kimmel, Baskin-Robbins’ vice president of the Cafe 31 concept. The Cafe 31 launch is the latest effort by executives at the country’s second-largest frozen dessert chain to revitalize the brand.

“The mix-in concept of chains like MaggieMoo’s and Cold Stone really changed the ice cream business, giving customers customization, interaction, and theater,” said Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of food service strategies at WD Partners in Ohio. “Baskin-Robbins is finally introducing theater to its brand. Baskin has needed to create more of an experience in the store, and by offering cake by the slice and sundae stations, it is attempting to leap frog the mix-in shops.”

Wow, dessert theatre, how nice

Look here’s what’s screwy about this. These Baskin people have lost serious focus on their brand. I don’t and will never go to Baskin Robbins for a slice of cheesecake. By offering more products they just water down their brand. What’s next, fat free cheesecake? Focus, focus, focus.

Cold Stone offers and engaging experience based on seriously remarkable product.?Baskin’s Ice Cream is NO where as good as Cold Stone’s. They sell to different targets (Baskin is more family friendly?and Cold Stone is premium). Here’s what Cold Stone had to say:

Cold Stone spokeswoman Anne Christenson said: “We’re flattered that others recognize that these attributes enhance the ice cream experience; however, we feel it is a combination of our interactive and entertaining environment paired with our fresh, made-to-order creations that set us apart.”

So what do you Kahuna’s think? What’s the scoop?

Laura Ries (branding expert)?has changed her?blog name to Ries’ Pieces. Ah, huh?

This is the first thought that came to my mind when I saw the new name:

Here’s a snippet of why she made the name change:

Last week it occurred to me what the perfect name would be. Ries? Pieces. Pieces is a great triple entendre that describes my blog posts, TV appearances as well as the correct pronunciation of my name.

Now I must say that I’m a big fan of Laura but this name change is weird to me. What’s her brand identity or positioning? Certainly not the fact that she’s a triple threat. And doesn’t it seem juvenile? Help me out here, am I off?

Read about it here

One of my very loyal readers (there’s him, my wife and loving mother) asked me to post his experience with HP.

Here’s David Howse’s wonderful adventure and opinions with HP:

Yesterday I bought a HP 3600N color laser printer which comes with a full 4-color toner set. It cost me $380 (in Canada). I ran a job that day of 1900 copies. This morning I ran out of black. To buy a toner set will cost $520us or over $600 in Canada.

So, who’s good at math? Should I buy the toner set or a new printer? I called HP Canada to help me with the math and they confirmed that $380 was less than $520 and that buying a new printer was cheaper than buying more toner.

With those facts confirmed, I called HP headquarters in Palo Alto to get a response from someone in PR about conflicting messages between Sales and Marketing.http://www.hp.com/sbso/busproducts_printing.html (be resourceful and help save the environment)

Marketing Message:

Sales Message: Chuck that thing in the garbage and get a new one (the printer is one-day old!) I am only inferring that this is the message.

As I navigated my way around the phone system I found the Marketing Support Center. I tried every option and the best was Special Events. Here’s the message,”We are only interested in special events that occur in the year 2005.”

Now I know that this is a marketing discussion, but does this mean that HP has time travel technology? (yeah, I know).

Marketing 2.0: If this is the customer experience at HP, how far is HP from Marketing 2.0? I felt somewhat embarrassed for them. I spent most of my time with tech support because the phone system pushes you in that direction (“let tech support handle it”). The manager truly understood my reasoning but said that she wasn’t allowed to comment on these sorts of things, nor did she have the authority to transfer me out of the department.

I’m more bothered because HP makes great products, it’s a great technology company. Who’s running the marketing?

There you have it. Thank you David for sharing your story on the branding?blog. And anyone else that has a good article send it on over.

I mean BIG! Here’s your chance to show some love for the BIG Kahuna (s). Just click and vote for us.

As you know we’ve been a virtual business since 2002 and we all love the fact that we have no formal office. We get more done and can enjoy the things in life we love most. For me it’s the beach and sun and for April it’s taking her son to ball games. We all have our unique reasons for working from home but we all share one thing in common…we’re all very happy.

So vote for us today!

As Yoda would say “hmmm, ruining brand I am”. I’m a HUGE JetBlue fan but lately they’re screwing up…bad. I’ve been reading My JetBlue Lawsuitfrom afar and it’s starting to really get some traction. JetBlue screwed with Bill Baker a witty, funny, smart blogger. Read his saga here.

Anyway, Bill has been really turning the screws to JetBlue so they invited him to a dress rehearsal of their new terminal at JFK airport on August 23. Here’s what one gets by taking part in JetBlue’s gig:

Click to enlarge

Here’s what JetBlue is “giving” you for attending (check out the RSVP date and the party date for a great chuckle):

1. A test Itinerary (to nowhere)

2. Check In at the counter (lines included)

3. Pass through security (lines and possible full body cavity search)

4. Wait (they actual write the word wait) at the assigned gate and board your “flight”

Special note: “Flight” means there is no real flight. You never get to board the plane. You just get to drive to the airport, pay for parking, and then do all the things we most hate when arriving at an airport.

Doesn’t this just sound like a grand time?

JetBlue, what are you thinking?

I wrote several blog articles on Magellan GPS. None of them were flattering based on my personal experience with them.

In?this article (written in September 2007):

Nelson Chan – Magellan GPS Navigation – Not A CEO Concerned With Branding we had 836 visits to the page and counting and 39 comments. Just do a search in Google for “Nelson Chan – Magellan GPS Navigation”.

Here is the quick Google result: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-18,GGLG:en&q=Nelson+Chan+%2d+Magellan+GPS+Navigation

As you can see if you put the CEOs name and company name our article comes up #1 and #2 in Google (even ahead of Magellan). That’s pretty powerful word of mouth-NEGATIVE.

So you would think that someone at Magellan would be concerned with this and reach out. Nothing. Not even a whisper. They stay silent hoping it will go away. But it won’t go away, ever.

When will companies learn that blogs are here to stay and people now have a voice. A voice that will never go away because of search engines. This article is still ranked #1 and it’s been almost a year.

Blogs can be a brand killer to a company that does not live up to their brand promise, like Magellan. Instead of remaining quite why not reach out and try to communicate with customers? If they had emailed me and asked what they could do to resolve the problem maybe I wouldn’t have continued writing on them.

If you find someone is writing about you in?a negative way reach out to them and try to resolve the issues. Comment on their blog and see what you can do to resolve the concerns.

Look at a negative review or blog post as an opportunity to win over a new friend. Don’t let your silence become deafening.

WASHINGTON – Comcast Corp. plans to slow Internet service to its heaviest users during periods of congestion, after regulators ordered the company to devise a new method for managing its Web traffic. The top Internet speeds for targeted customers will be reduced for periods lasting 10 to 20 minutes, keeping service to other users flowing, Mitch Bowling, Comcast’s senior vice president and general manager of online services, said yesterday. Read more here.

What? But Comcast is all about super fast?speed right? That’s what their advertising says:

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Other people (like customers) see Comcast like this:

Will Comcast keep making TV commercials touting their speed when they will be SLOWING customers down?

What? Stop and Shop has changed its logo. Apparently the red “stop” icon was no longer up-to-date. Here’s the old (strong) logo to the?new (WTF)?logo:

Let’s just start with what’s wrong with the new logo:

1. What does it represent? Sure the agency that designed it knows but how will Mrs. Smith know?

2. It’s a 4 PMS logo. 4…4…4. I wonder how much additional cost that will be based on the size of the organization.

3. How does the name “Stop & Shop” now work with the new logo? The old logo was easy and dare I say “memorable”. The red dot meant, ah, er… stop and the green dot meant, you got it…. shop. What do the new slivers of pie mean? Or is that a plant? What the F is it?

Here’s what Bowl of Fruit had to say:

?Customers talked and we listened,? Andrea Astrachan, consumer advisor at Stop & Shop, said in a news release. ?The new look shows customers that we?re making changes and committed to providing great food and meal solutions at low prices everyday.? Gone are the red and green traffic lights that served as the company’s symbol since it opened in 1914 In their place: a yellow bowl with three colorful halves that can be interpreted as bowls of fruit, bread or ingredients, the company’s spokesperson said.

See the full article here. In the article they talk about making things easier but how does this much more complicated and forgetful logo do that?

Here’s another big company just reacting to changing times the wrong way. The logo was not the issue. BIG branding blunder by grocery store giant Stop & Shop. Or should I say Fruit and Bread?

There are some pretty great brands out in brandsland today. What is your absolute favorite? The one you talk to your friends and family about. Or on your blog. The brand you’re in love with. The one brand you would never give up??

My?wife’s favorite?is Oil of Olay.

My absolute must have and favorite brand?is Diet Coke.?

C’mon my fellow branders, what’s your favorite?

So a few years back Krispy Kreme made some big branding mistakes and came up north. Trying to capitalize on their huge success down south it was assumed that us Yankees like to eat big, fat, sugar donuts. But not?so much and a majority of these new stores are now closed.

So can Dunkin’ Donuts do it? Can a big time Yankee brand go south to compete against Krispy Kreme? The short answer is…

Yes

Here’s why I think Dunkin’ will be king of the south. To quote my friend Jonathan Salem Baskin, branding and behavior go hand and hand. And Dunkin’ Donuts is the world champion of establishing morning coffee time behaviors. Their coffee is reasonable priced and tastes good (of course that’s subjective).

Dunkin’ used to be in the donut business but about 20 years ago they repositioned to be in the coffee business. They realized that big, fat, sugary donuts were more of a treat than an everyday occurrence. Do they sell lots of donuts? Better believe it. But coffee is everyday. And they sell their cup of Joe to the average Joe.

So it will be interesting to see if Dunkin’ will succeed where Krispy Kreme failed miserably.

I can’t stop watching the Olympics. Even though I DVR (I used to Tivo it, but that’s another article)?it I feel compelled to watch it live. Here are some cool things I’ve picked up from a branding standpoint.

1. Speedo has crushed everyone from a product branding?standpoint. They’ve invented a swimsuit that makes swimmers swim really, really fast. Kudos for technology in a swimsuit (who’d a thunk it). But will it translate into consumer sales? The jury is out.

2. Scoring in Gymnastics. What the hell happened here? Gymnastics used to give a perfect 10. Trillions and Gazillions?of people around the globe have accepted the PERFECT 10. Movies, TV shows and kids aged 4 and up have used the PERFECT 10. It’s gymnastics freakin brand image!!!!!! For the love of God why have they changed their scoring system? to?something only someone?in Mensa can understand?

Last night I watched Nastia Liukin tie in the Uneven Bars?for what I and everyone in America thought was a Gold Medal. Liukin and China’s He Kexin both posted scores of 16.725, but He?was awarded the gold medal over Liukin due to a tiebreaker based on deductions.

Why? The same thing happened in the men’s Vault. A tie. Why not award Gold Medal’s to both?? This has become so convoluted to the average Joe that it makes for frustrating times. What happened to simple and easy for fans to understand the sport?

Listen, I, like most people watch Women’s Gymnastics only at Olympic times. Does anyone really watch year round? No! The Olympics are the freakin Super Bowl on steroids. Make it easy for all us regular folk to understand.

Bring back the 10 I say!

3. NBC Broadcasting. Please someone kidnap these guys. I’m proud to be an American but for the love of God how much bias can one person take. When the Americans score high not a peep but as soon as they score low there’s a conspiracy. I’m so tired of hearing that Americans have been undeservingly scored too low. Shut it already. Is it possible to actually have announcers that are unbiased? If so, let’s use them.

What have you thought about the 2008 Olympic games?

1. It “sells itself.” I don’t need to market

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Okay, you might have a solid product or service. You might even routinely satisfy your customers. They might even send their friends and family to you. But wait. Is that your product or service selling itself? No (that is, unless your widgets have learned to speak). That’s one of your customers playing out-of-the-goodness-of-my-heart salesperson for you. Yeah, word-of-mouth is nice, and if it’s happening for you, congratulations! It’s a sign of a great product or service. But relying on it exclusively can hurt you. Yes, six degrees of separation and all that, but counting on those connecting conversations to consistently mention you, especially down the line, is a bad gamble. Word of mouth needs help. A kick in the butt: a reminder to your customers of their good experience with you and an enticing offer to potential new customers to give you a try.?

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2. “One of these things…looks just like the other”

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You might sell red cars, and Johnny Big Wheel down the street might sell a similar blue car. But what’s under the hood? Even better question: what’s under the hood that makes yours better than the blue car? This is the essence of differentiation in the marketplace, and if you’re not playing up the things about you that make you different-and better-than your competition, your marketing is driving nowhere.

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3. Liar, liar, your business is on fire and up and smoke

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If you think word-of-mouth is powerfully working for you, it’s just a fraction of the punch a bad buzz can pack. The best way to a bad buzz? Over promising and under delivering. It will kill you. That’s why it’s important to be truthful in your marketing. Say what you can do. Not what you wish you could do, or might be able to do. If you must err, do so on the side of under promising and over delivering.

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4. One-trick marketing is like a no-trick magician

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It won’t do anything, and people won’t pay to see your show. To get your message to resonate in?today’s market, you need to make your appeal in every corner the market looks. Print advertising, direct mail, online, telemarketing, public relations, and in person. In every place, a consistent brand image and message.

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5. Microsoft Word clipart is for junior high book reports, not corporate identities

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A logo is the face of your company, so it must be unique and memorable. Not available for millions to place into whatever bake sale flyer they’re working on at the moment. But a corporate identity is more than a logo. It’s your company’s unique value proposition and its products and service…all instantly recognizable on sight of your logo, name and tagline.

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6. Don’t be visually absent

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Talk can be cheap if it’s not paired with a strong visual presence. Well-conceived visuals connected with your market makes your message stick, no matter the medium.

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7. The typewriter and telegraph are cool machines, but not to use today

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A business owner by nature has to have a little bit of Evil Knievel in him, but when it comes to technology, he or she is often more of a cowardly lion. That’s understandable. You got into your business because you know it, like it and can put food on the table with it. Not because you like to tinker with every new business technological innovation that comes down the pike. However, cutting edge technology can be a powerful profit-generating tool for your business, especially when it comes to marketing.

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8. If an employee’s 14-year-old son designs your website, it will be painfully obvious

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A website must have a nice look, but that’s a small part of a good web presence. You have to give your prospect information they need and close the sale fast. Otherwise, they’ll surf on by to a competitor’s website. In today’s digital marketplace, your website must be an integral part of your overall sales strategy. Not just a token presence. More than ever, prospective customers are researching their buying decisions on the web. If your site doesn’t substantiate who you are and your offerings, educate, inspire and finally motivate your visitors to buy, your online presence isn’t strong enough.?

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9. You have a website, but don’t tell anybody

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Having a website is pointless if no one sees it. That’s why it’s just as important to drive traffic to your website as it is to have one. How do you do that? A great way is through traditional advertising like billboards, print ads, signage and printing the web address on all your marketing collateral. Online, there’s search engine optimization, banner ads, online advertorials, keyword purchases, links and cross-promotion strategies. A good mix of online and offline traffic strategies along with solid branding will drive traffic to your website.

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10. “I don’t need to be in the paper”

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On the contrary, editorial coverage carries more credibility than any kind of paid advertising you can do. Getting it, however, is difficult. Only a well-conceived public relations strategy that targets media outlets your prospective customers frequent will get the job done. But it’s not just about writing press releases. It’s about providing relevant information to the media outlets you’re trying to get into and cultivating relationships with key editors and journalists. If you’re successful, you’ll see your name in print and a bigger number on the bottom line.

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11. Branding done yourself is branding done badly

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Given the choice of doing branding yourself and not doing it at all, you may be better off not doing it all. There are few things worse for a business than an “amateurish” image, and that’s usually the result with DIY branding. Even if you know how to do some graphic design work or are a decent writer, good branding takes strategic know-how and the finesse and time to get it just right-things only a good branding agency can offer.

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12. If you think your employees aren’t part of your brand…

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You’re wrong. Your brand is the face of your company in every interaction with the outside world, and your employees interact with it quite a bit. On the phone, on sales calls, at schmoozing and networking events, or in informal settings, you must train your employees to represent your company in a way consistent with its brand image. Doing so can ensure you have an army well-groomed brand ambassadors out there.

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13. Failing to track your branding campaign’s success can lead to future failure

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If you don’t make your market’s reaction to your branding effort your business, your business will suffer mainly because you won’t know where to go next. Successful branding is a constantly evolving process, and if you don’t learn from your mistakes, you’ll continually repeat them-and make more! On the other hand, once you know what your most successful strategies are, you can build off of them. Any branding agency worth its salt will be able to effectively track the success of your campaign.

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14. Don’t forget the clients who got you here, keep good relations

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As businesses grow, they sometimes forget the little people who contributed to their success. Don’t. Those who got you here can be an invaluable resource to you even if their business isn’t as important as it was. Since they’ve known you for a long time, they can offer valuable counsel as to the future direction your company, such as offering their opinion on new products or services. They can also continue singing your praises as another satisfied customer. Plus, you never know when a little fish might eat a big lunch and become a big fish to you again.

Hmm, now it all becomes clear. Soon American will be charging you for?the ink from their printers. They don’t care about you as a customer or your general safety.

Read all about this story here.

This is a cool video that has a chance to go viral:

It’s certainly a fun way to get people to visit your site. Is it real? Who cares, it’s fun and I was immediately engaged. Will it result in sales? Good question.

The newest form of the Rickroll?is here, only it’s the Obamaroll:

Now I try not to be political on the blog but I’m not afraid to say I’m a Republican. It really doesn’t matter as I could say I was an Alien as Massachusetts ALWAYS votes for Democrats. So my vote really never counts, but I always vote. Click here if you’re not registered.

But, I’m finding this celebrity thing for Obama interesting. First off, a presidential candidate shouldn’t have any rhythm This concerns me. Secondly they shouldn’t look like they can really throw a left hook. What’s the world come to when you can’t make fun of the President when it comes to dancing and boxing?

On one hand I think it would be great for the country to finally get a black President but I don’t want to do so just for that reason. I’m terrified at Obama’s lack of experience and political seasoning. McCain is the real deal and he’s no George Bush (my Republican bias).

So who are you voting for? They both have their own unique brand identity. Here’s what it boils down to:

Obama = Change (whatever that means)

McCain = Experience (perceived to be tied to Bush)

Privnote lets you send an email to someone but when the receipient closes the email the note is forever gone. Or some old skoolers may call it “deleted”.

Sound interesting? Here’s their site for a looksie PRIVNOTE

Here’s where it goes astray. First it takes a long time to get the?email/note from privnote (like 30 minutes). Then in the note is says “If you want to save this note just copy it”. Doesn’t that defeat the entire purpose of the note?

I would make the note so you can’t copy it. That really makes it more interesting. The person is forced to really pay attention to the note because once it’s gone it’s gone.

Otherwise just send an email and tell the recipient to hit delete when done with it. What do you think?

Provincetown (P-Town)?in Cape Cod Massachusetts is known for its gay community. For over 30 years Gays have been celebrating their summers in Provincetown. Provincetown’s brand?identity is that it’s gay friendly, gay owned and run?and has been way?ahead of the curve for a very long time.

My wife and I love to spend a weekend in P-Town every summer. They have awesome restaurants, shows, eclectic art studios and shops and most of all the people are amazingly gay (and I mean happy). Happy people make for a happy, stress-free weekend. It’s kind of been a little secret that straight folks like to head to P-Town. And that was charming, but alas that’s been ruined.

Who ruined it? Of course The Provincetown Chamber of Commerce. Because focusing on a niche market wasn’t good enough for them. They want to be known for everything. And for everyone, like Disney World.

Here’s what they had to say:

“Provincetown needs every kind of visitor we can capture,” said Candy Collins-Boden, executive director of the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce. “The Internet has opened up the world wide, and we’re competing with everyone now.”

Every kind of visitor they can capture huh? What a great way to ruin a great brand! This is by far the biggest branding mistake any organization can make.

And this is what they’ve done:

In recent campaigns, Provincetown has depicted itself as anything but gay. Ads in regional media outlets tout Provincetown as being “one tank away” to draw New Englanders who feel strapped by the moribund economy and high gasoline prices. With the dollar weak, the town is marketing itself in Europe as a place where vacationers can get a great value. It has advertised itself in Audubon magazine as an ecotourism destination, and has promoted its galleries and art scene in arts magazines. It has solicited cruise ship lines to make Provincetown a port of call. A Boston-based public relations firm is steering travel writers to subjects such as the Pilgrims’ initial Provincetown landing (well before Plymouth), rare species of birds in the area, and the town’s green museum.

Read the full story here

Bummer, because in the long run this will eventually erode their core target audience and gay people will go somewhere else. Why? Because that’s their spot. That was part of the charm of P-Town. Many people didn’t go to P-Town because of that, which was cool with us because we got to share that little gem without haters.

Here’s a quote from one visitor:

“It’s changed drastically here and not for the good,” said Alan Robertson, a loyal Provincetown visitor since 1977. “It used to be that you could walk down the street holding hands with a man and you felt safe. Now you feel gawked at.”

We’re headed to P-Town for Carnival next week. Hopefully we won’t be over run by?sreaming kids in strollers!

If P-Town becomes the next Hyannis we’ll never go back (and we NEVER go to Hyannis). The last thing I want to do is hang out with 5 million kids looking to play mini golf.

Please P-Town, don’t ruin a good thing!