Individual Branding – “It’s Personal”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Personal Branding”? Do you think it is revealed in your dress style, your job position, the car you drive or even the company you keep? What I love most about Personal Branding is just that — it is personal. No two personal brands are alike. There are many people with similarities in style and personality but there are distinct differences in one person to the next.

The person that is “You” is shaped by countless influences throughout your life, past and present, such as: parents, siblings, best friends, arch enemies, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, first crush, classmates, children, bosses. Moments like first steps, first day in school, first kiss, first dates, graduations, touchdowns, college, weddings, births, deaths and all the tragedies and triumphs in between. 

Some people are very in touch with these influences and their impact on their success and happiness. Taking into account your own personal influences in life can help you appreciate the “unique” you and understand the make up of your brand. Think of them as an ever-increasing foundation to draw confidence from and support your strong sense of self.

With years of experiences to draw on, this may prove meaningful to you as an adult, but how can this also apply to young children? Even at a tender age, the children in our lives are experiencing, you might say, “assembling,” the elements that influence their self-esteem and ultimately define their unique persona.

Without positive influence, many become teens without knowing who they are, or what makes them interesting, unique or even important? They lack direction. They don’t know how to dream or begin to embrace the great possibilities in front of them. It seems, a growing number are glued to electronic devices— communicating through keyboard conversations ontheir cell phones and through social media. And unfortunately, many get their sense of self from television programs, rather than through real person-to-person exchange. 

You can guide them and influence them positively. The everyday connections you share with them (a smile, a wink, a giggle, etc.) are valuable. Your time and attention to them is precious. The freedom you extend to them to explore and express themselves can be revealing.  And, positive feedback is empowering. 

I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts or experiences with personal branding. Leave a comment! And, as always, for more information about other types of branding, please visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

—Tom McManimon

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Truth in Branding — the beginning of a lasting relationship

There’s a saying that you can’t make someone else happy unless you are first happy with yourself.

Likewise, you can’t get others to understand your brand until you understand it yourself.

As important as it is to understand our personal “influencers,” as discussed in our last blog, it’s equally important to understand the TRUTH of our brands. Then, the challenge lies in helping people see and feel and react to that truth.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy. In fact, it can be quite hard. It takes questioning, studying, pondering and listening. It takes imagination and creativity but in the context of your truth. With each new client, StimulusBrand Communications takes the time to dig deep – so we can understand them, their history, their products, their services, their competition, and consider points of difference and where opportunity presents itself. Consistently, the time spent up front has been well worth it, leading us in honest, creative directions that result in well-defined messaging that rings true… and gets results.

In advertising, in business, and, heck, in life — knowing who and what you are can be the critical difference between success and failure. Your audience can spot a fake in a heartbeat. There is much to be gained when you start with the truth; and, likewise, much to lose when you mislead. Tap into the substance of you or your business first. You will discover where improvements can make a positive difference and just what makes you relevant and worthwhile.

We’ve seen companies that are so anxious to cloak themselves with a  really snappy or cool presence… because it’s what they hope to be when they grow up – or worse what they imagine they already are. Too often, they set themselves up for failure, disappointing customers – and wasting money. Many dot com companies launching back in the ‘90s were notorious for this; creating excitement without much follow-through. Not many survived.

A few well-known “truthful” brands that we continue to be drawn to year after year, product extension after product extension: Apple, McDonald’s, BMW, FedEx, The Home Depot, VW.

So, our advice is: To fully benefit from your advertising and branding efforts, take the time to understand the truth of who and what you are. When you are real, consistent and true to your core, you usually find that you don’t have to sell yourself too hard. Success will find you!

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To read about how we’ve helped clients better understand and define their brands, visit  www.stimulusbrand.com/raves.shtml.

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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The Influences that Influence

“If you know from whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.”  — James Arthur Baldwin

Deep spiritual thinkers as well as quantum physicists claim that every single thing influences every other thing. In chaos theory, the so-called “butterfly effect” is based on how a seemingly small change at one place in time (such as the flap of a butterfly’s wings) can result in large differences (such as the formation of a hurricane) to a later state.

Political and corporate leaders and, of course, celebrities are often considered  to be “influencers.” Yet, the fact is that, every second of every day, each one of us is affected by random events, people and things that — in some way, shape or form — influence our journeys.

Visualize, if you will, a wooden bridge with each plank constructed out of either a person or event in your life that made some type of lasting impression.

Your parents, siblings, best friends, arch enemies, the nuns you had as teachers (yes, I went to Catholic school), your first coach, boy scout leader, first crush, classmates, children, bosses – all your influences, good or bad…

First steps, first day of school, first kiss, first dates, graduations, touchdowns, first day of college, weddings, births, deaths — and all the tragedies and triumphs in between…

Each and every plank of your ever-expanding bridge influences who and what you are. Each plank has led you to exactly where you are. And, perhaps most importantly, your personal bridge makes you uniquely different from anyone else on this planet. The bridge is You!

Now visualize an Impressionist Painting—such as the ”The Four Trees” by Claude Monet, displaying a row of poplar trees at attention along the Epte River bank. Many of you might like it for its color, its calmness, or its scenic simplicity. Yet, on closer examination, you see thousands of tiny strokes of color, dabs of paint that bring life and form to the canvas. No two paintings are alike and each is special.

So what does your canvas look like? Consider the top 10 most defining moments (dabs of color or influence) in your life. Jot them down. They can be big or small. But know that each has been significant. Then, name the next 10 moments. Think of each moment as the raw materials (a palette of paint colors) that come together to display your personal portrait. Examine it! Cherish it! Allow yourself to marvel at how the pieces have somehow all fit together.

These are all influencers that have created the Unique You.

The more you take stock in your influencers, you get closer to more fully appreciating yourself.

You see, it’s not about the influences that bring you influence as much as it is about the influences that influence who and what you are today. There are the positive ones you’ve embraced, as well as the negative ones you’ve learned from.

Look at them. Leverage them. Let them help you define your personal brand and where you wish to go, both personally and professionally.

Share the unique influences of the brand called You with us!

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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Shaken … or Stirred?

Puppies and kids… They tug at our heartstrings, stir our souls, make us want to pinch their cheeks and cuddle, and convey such innocence and playfulness.

It’s obvious why we so often see Fido and Bobby — as well as beach scenes, warm smiles and embraces — in so many advertisements, promotions and appeals. They work. As we all rush about “doing our thing” in this crazy, pressured world, it’s nice to be reminded of nice, simple things. Nice is … well, nice.

There is another camp of advertising appealing to a polar opposite feeling. Fear… A far different approach, but, at times, equally effective. Think “This is your brain on drugs” or any number of recent ads imploring people to quit smoking.

Does advertising that purposely causes us discomfort have its place? Surely. The shock factor can powerfully and successfully get an audience to snap to attention and remember something. Have you seen the UK public service announcement that went vital on YouTube featuring teenagers texting while driving? Seconds into the video, a graphic and terrible crash occurs.

Personally, I prefer advertising that makes me smile, laugh or feel good inside. A public service ad produced by Stimulus Brand Communications on behalf of The Partnership for Drug Free NJ advocated a positive, visual and memorable approach to a serious message. Drugs are scary things. They kill, bankrupt and ruin childhoods and lives. But, our firm chose to not go to those dark, scary, places. Instead, we focused on taste appeal, touting the healthy benefits families can derive by simply spending regular time with their teens over meals.

 

It can be quite fun to develop ads that tap into audiences emotional, humorous and playful sides. Who doesn’t enjoy the series for E-Trade with the super savvy babies?

Maybe if more ad firms put out creative work that uplifts, our world would be a more positive place. Or… perhaps, like good martinis, we all need to be shaken once in a while. Share your thoughts — and your favorite positive v. negative ads!

— Tom McManimon

— Diane Blaszka

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Is Mocking the Holi-daze the New Ad Craze?

Before the Thanksgiving turkey is even purchased — much less digested — the holiday television commercial season has begun.

It’s interesting to think that most of the commercials we are seeing all over television now were planned and created way back in the heat of summer. Holiday advertising is huge (sometimes make-or-break) business for advertisers and agencies alike. Come Super Bowl and holiday time, consumers’ attention, as well as expectations, rise — and commercials can prove most memorable. Think Budweiser Clydesdales; Lexus cars wrapped in bows; and Folger’s Coffee’s  “Peter Comes Home for Christmas.” Companies seem harshly aware that people’s gift buying budgets are smaller this year — and they want to claim their piece. Perhaps because they are also aware of the stresses many folks are under, a recent advertising approach gaining in popularity is to mock the excesses and craziness of the gift-giving season.

Two examples featuring characters with very different demeanors are Honda and Target.

Perhaps best known as Puddy on Seinfeld, Patrick Warburton serves as Honda’s laid back, almost catatonic, but humorous spokesman in the “Happy Honda Days” series. The ads feature great comedic writing and are quietly dismissive of all the holiday hoopla — while still making an effective holiday pitch. As Tim Nudd writes in Adweek Magazine, Warburton “can get away with this, partly because he acknowledges the hypocrisy and partly because he’s so likable. In one ad, he opens by suggesting that ‘Elves are shoddy craftsmen,’ then points out that Hondas are made by ‘real human beings.’ In another, he ridicules holiday ads from luxury automakers that show cars wrapped in bows. ‘Are you a millionaire? No? Well, then you probably don’t give cars to people as presents,’ he says, as he rips the bow off a Civic. (Again, though, this is disingenuous—as another spot urges you to give the gift of a Honda, just to watch the person’s joyful reaction.)”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjwULyeyzkc&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OThgvHPQkc&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz8zcjoUlvU&feature=relmfu

With its “crazy Christmas lady” that people seem to either love or hate, Target also mocks seasonal pressures, but by depicting the opposite of Honda — a stressed out, Type A shopper whom some of you may have bumped into on Black Friday! With wild eyes and chanting “You will win this,” she plans and trains like Rocky for the big door buster sales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqXsLHXX_pE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqG6WYJAM2I&feature=related

Two different approaches. Which do you prefer?

Although outside the mix of actual holiday ads, I am also reminded of the 1996 commercials for Staples a few years back promoting the back-to-school shopping craze featuring the often heard music, “It‘s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.” This surely produced a smile or a laugh from giddy parents who were more than ready to unload the “kids of summer.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIyKG6WkYa8

Do you have a commercial you love or hate this holiday season? What are some of the commercials you remember most fondly from your childhood? Share your thoughts by e-mailing tom@stimulusbrand.com. To see a handful of our ads, visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

–Diane Blaszka

–Tom McManimon

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The American Brand?

For centuries, one of the most famous brands in the world has been “The American Dream.” People have endured much risk and hardship to come to America in search of freedom and opportunity.  With “Occupy Wall Street” protests spreading across the county and the world, one has to wonder if the dream — or brand — is dying. Or… perhaps, such protests are proof of its very strength.

I am reminded of an impassioned phrase spoken in the movie Network: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take anymore of it.”

Emphasizing the importance of a well-honed mission statement, the main criticism of the “Occupy” movement has been that protestors are sending unfocused, mixed messages, with some not even knowing what they are protesting. A consequence is that many do take them seriously and feel that it will soon die off. It’s
almost as though the protestors do not know exactly who to protest toward, so they “vent” in hopes that someone who can make a difference hears
them.

One unifying message, however, seems clear — unless corporate political influence decreases, America will no longer be a land of opportunity and equality. Protestors point to the corporate bail outs and fact that 25 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed as proof that Washington’s policies cannot continue to favor the most privileged 1 percent among us. The ongoing division in Washington and lack of respect for leadership seems to feed this protest. They’re simply not helping the situation.

As one middle-aged white woman’s hand-made protest sign read: “You know things are bad when middle-aged white suburbanites come out.”

No matter what “side” you’re on, it is alarming that the typical working-age family’s earnings are no higher today than they were almost two decades ago. And, according to a study by a Federal Reserve economist, a poor family now needs nearly 10 generations (more than 200 years) to achieve middle-class income.

Put another way, if you are poor today, then you may reasonably hope your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren will finally climb into the middle class.

Are we content to have that be the revised brand of the American Dream?

Let’s hear the thoughts that occupy you on this matter.

– Tom McManimon

– Diane Blaszka

Let us help you with your brand. www.stimulusbrand.com

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Multi-tasking — Productivity or Simultaneous Combustion?

Multi-tasking. It seems to be the term of our age. We live and work in an age of automatic this and automatic that. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. High expectations. Come on, I need you to over-perform! We seem to buy into the pressures and expectations. And the latest and greatest technologies feed right into it. And so, we try to accomplish lots of things at the same time. I call it “simultaneous combustion.”

It’s similar to those people you see on the road; they’re driving, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, maybe shaving or fixing their hair and even trying to read something— all at the same time. Come on! Aren’t they really just doing lots of things at maybe 25-50% or less, instead of one thing at 100%?

Here’s a sad excuse-for-multi-tasking story: I met a colleague for a scheduled meeting over coffee one morning. Once we sat down, the entire time they were
texting others and taking calls. So, to get their attention…I texted them back asking if we could have our meeting. They looked up and replied, “I’m listening!
I’m just multi-tasking.” We never really got the conversation started. I then got up and left and texted them suggesting. “When you have time for me, let’s
reschedule…”

My point: Respect the task (or person) in front of you. Then, take time to actually look, listen and participate in the moment with full focus.

— Tom McManimon

See how I multi-task with great clients and projects every day — but never, ever forget to LISTEN. www.stimulusbrand.com

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Vick Contract Lands Nike in the Doghouse and with an Asterisk!*

On July 1, Nike announced it renewed its contract with Michael Vick for “promotional services.” The amount of the contract is undisclosed. In less than five days, a Facebook page called “Boycott Nike for Signing Michael Vick” had garnered close to 6,000 “likes.” Several online petitions and letter-writing campaigns have begun.

CNBC reports that this marks the first time that a brand that broke ties with an athlete re-signed them. It makes me and, obviously scores of others, wonder what the heck Nike — typically a masterfully managed brand – is thinking.

Sure, Vick “served his time” (19 months in prison) for running a dog-fighting ring and is a tremendous athlete. In an impressive comeback, he rose above some passionate media and fan protests to win the starting quarterback job and lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC East Championship last season.

But, as they see him associated with Nike’s famed “Just do it” slogan, will people reflect on Vick’s comeback and prowess — or on his cocky, cavalier and violent demeanor as he “just did it” and subjected innocent dogs to torture and death?

Personally, I’m surprised and feel this is a backward-looking, ill-advised brand decision. Nike can have just about any spokesperson it chooses. By linking itself with Vick, it has placed itself in the proverbial doghouse with many current and potential consumers.

I’m all in favor of people vindicating, improving, and renewing themselves. It’s true Mike kept quiet and just did what he had to do to regain his life and career. It seems however, that his name will be forever mentioned with an asterisk by it, just like baseball players accused of using performance enhancing drugs — and those brands who endorse them.

The larger-than-life message and culture that Nike spawned many years ago seemed to tell us how life should be. The brand guided us. Nike aligned its brand not just with hard work and achievement, but also with goodness.

Vick’s re-signing will likely (but unfortunately) sit just fine with most true football fans. We are such an entertainment-driven society that fans don’t really care as long as he plays good ball. Vick is hot right now, so Nike stands to ride his tail and make lots of money. You can bet the moment Tiger Woods roars back to another Major tournament win, Nike will come-a-calling. With a contract and asterisk in hand!

– Tom McManimon

– Diane Blaszka

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What do Social Media and a Backyard BBQ have in Common?

With summer in full swing, many of us will be enjoying backyard BBQs. There is a certain unspoken etiquette to such functions that can also apply to social media.

Like informal summer gatherings, online platforms, such as Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, etc., offer wonderful opportunities to hang out and engage with large groups of people. There are some people who are close friends, some you know vaguely, some you don’t know and some you hope to get to know. The best interactions are casual, not forceful.

For example, most of us would not aggressively approach a group engaged in conversation at a BBQ and spout off a top 10 list of successes or a rehearsed elevator speech about our company or services. It’s more likely that we’d politely wander over; linger long enough to listen and get a good grasp of the subject being discussed; and then insert ourselves into the conversation as appropriate. Our chatter would likely be on topic and not overly sale-sy.

Think: How ‘bout them Yankees? (or fill in favorite team); not how ‘bout that quarterly report? Or: Where are you heading for vacation?; not where’s your bottom line heading? Make a great pitch – on the ball field; not in the boardroom. This is the time for refreshing libation rather than professional ovation.

Smart, effective (and non-irritating) users of social media follow similar principles.

1)      Observe and listen first to get a full understanding of the topic of interest.

2)      Determine if you have anything, personally or professionally, to offer.

3)      If so, gently insert yourself into the discussion in a helpful and friendly tone.

4)      Give enough on-topic information to convey that you’re knowledgeable (and available if they’d like to hear more) but not so much information that you bore people or seem boastful.

Every day, more people are wisely jumping on the social media bandwagon — and then quickly realizing they don’t know the first thing about how to ride it. BBQ etiquette is easy enough to remember and can help guide us all.

Happy summer!

 

– Diane Blaszka

– Tom McManimon

 

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The Heart of the Matter

Any small business owner quickly realizes that there are a myriad of things that go into achieving professional success. Sure, being a good graphic designer, or accountant, or carpenter, or (fill in the blank) is crucial. But equally so, in my opinion, is being a good communicator.

And that doesn’t simply mean being a good talker, schmoozer or salesperson. It means being a good listener, a skill that appears increasingly hard to come by in this age of instant everything. It takes patience, focus and persistence to truly listen — to get to the heart and soul of what the customer is trying to say. What do they need to communicate? Why do they need to say it? To whom? What is most relevant in the message? Why should anyone care?

I consider the answers to these types of questions more important than the graphics, fonts or content when I create an advertising campaign or marketing collateral. Information feeds relevance. It’s the “why‘s, where’s and how’s” that ultimately lead me down the path to my finest creativity.

Have I ever developed creative work without them? Yes, certainly. But, I have always had an easier road to the creative solution, believed in it more and, ultimately, been more successful by asking, researching, challenging and digging.

Maybe that’s rare in a creative guy, especially an art director at heart. There is so much design around us, advertising in front of us and overwhelming media in our face that appears purely shallow. When I sense that kind of vapidness, I sometimes get depressed about the field of communications. I feel as if I’m engaged in a constant, lonely uphill battle to create meaningful communications that can make a difference.

Thankfully, though, all is takes is one really great marketing piece to lift my spirits. One really creative commercial on TV, one engaging print or radio ad, one crisp and memorable logo…. There is still greatness around us. And it often springs from simply taking the time and effort to get to the true heart of the matter.

Good luck and good listening,

Tom McManimon

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Logo Redesign: Seemingly simple but serious business. Proceed with caution!

A logo is not a brand, but it’s a vital component of it. People visually identify a company by its logo and may express surprisingly strong emotions when it’s altered. A logo not only reflects the company’s self-image but, often, the customers’ as well. Changes considered “off brand” may conflict with a customer’s experiences, associations and sense of self. For these reasons, a good logo redesign involves multi-dimensional research, professional advice and careful design and implementation. Done right, a redesign can be brilliant. Done poorly, disastrous.

For example, a recent redesign of the well-known Starbucks logo sparked a wave of social media chatter disliking the new identity. It appears to have become its own Café-no-a-lika-Grande.

Five of the most common logo mistakes you should be aware of include:

1)      Amateurish design – A professional business should look professional. A logo designed by a friend, relative or cheap online site will likely not. Using clip art or aspects resembling another company’s logo could lead to licensing and legal troubles. Your logo is your unique, memorable signature — and should be treated with respect.

2)      Too trendy – Following design trends is tempting, but is akin to putting a sell-by date on the image. Trends come and go. A strong logo is timeless.

3)      Poor reproduction – A properly designed logo can be reproduced in various sizes and mediums (t-shirts, billboards, automobile wraps, etc.) It should be designed as a vector graphic, using software such as Adobe Illustrator that creates mathematically precise points, not a raster graphic, which can result in poor pixelation. In this electronic age, a logo must reproduce online just as well as it does in print.

4)      Too complex – A well-designed logo will be simple. A complex design with photos, drop shadows, small text or special effects may be illegible and look like a smudge when printed in smaller sizes, such as on letterhead or business cards. A good logo incorporates no more than 2-4 complimentary, business-appropriate colors and 2 easy-to-read fonts. It will appear just as professional and attractive when printed in black as in full color.

5)      Not well studied – There are numerous (and comical) examples of costly logo designs that were approved and implemented, only to be retracted or scorned when others perceived unacceptable images or messages within them. A new logo should be studied up, down and sideways for anything that could even remotely be perceived as organizationally, sexually or culturally inappropriate!

 

StimulusBrand Communications has developed a significant business and reputation designing award-winning logos for major corporations, small businesses and nonprofits. “We take these assignments seriously and love it when launching or refining a brand requires new identity and positioning. What may seem like a simple design project is actually an exhaustive and critical step in properly defining the tone of a brand. Designed well, it should indeed appear to be simple, memorable and easy to consistently display,” states Tom McManimon, Principal of StimulusBrand Communications. See our logo sample sheet below. Or visit www.stimulusbrand.com.

Click here to see some logos designed by StimulusBrand Communications

— Diane Blaszka

— Tom McManimon

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All Aboard the Brand Bandwagon! Does your Company Need a Brand Training Campaign?

Company leaders are increasingly realizing the value of strong branding, but are they successfully communicating that downward? Are they championing its power and priority on a regular basis?

Everyone in an organization needs to understand the company brand. Everyone. With branding, the phrase “you are only as strong as your weakest link” resonates. Each employee needs to understand that a brand is not simply a consistent logo or color scheme. It is the company’s personality, tone and soul. It is the customer’s experience, feeling and memory. In their book The 22 Immutable Laws of BRANDING, brand management experts  Al Ries and Laura Ries write, “What’s a brand?  A singular idea or concept that you own inside the mind of the prospect.”

Before a consumer purchases a product, studies show they need to be exposed to a brand an average of 17 times. That’s a lot — and underscores the importance of consistency at every turn. And, although logos and Pantone colors may change, company attitudes and values should not.

A successful brand (think Nike or Apple) is woven through each customer contact point, communication, product and service; and is aligned with every organizational decision. Think emotion as well as emblem. Since Apple’s conception, its brand proposition was to supply advanced, quality, great looking, high performing computers. The company has expanded in ways its founders never dreamed, but its brand proposition has not — resulting in customer loyalty that makes others green with envy. The strength of its brand is so strong that, if Apple were to delve into the auto industry tomorrow, it would have an immediate group of rabid customers.

Demonstrating a true top-down commitment, company Brand Training Programs define the multiple aspects of a brand and help employees at all levels realize the important role they play in guarding its persona. Those of us who are branding experts can provide tools to get every employee (and prospective employee) aboard a company’s “brand bandwagon” and to increase their company pride and commitment. The result is often strengthened marketplace clarity and familiarity. With familiarity comes confidence and loyalty. And, with loyalty comes increased market shares, revenues and decreased price sensitivity. Customers will pay more for a brand they feel never disappoints!

The “father of branding” David Aaker aptly states, “Branding adds spirit and a soul to what would otherwise be a robotic, automated, generic price-value proposition. If branding is ultimately about the creation of human meaning, it follows logically that it is the humans who must ultimately provide it.”

Is your company (and personal) brand stimulating success?  See our brief on Branding for Success. “It’s Personal” at www.stimulusbrand.com and consider Brand Training for you and your team.

–Diane Blaszka

–Tom McManimon

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