Activate

Building a Purposeful & Profitable Brand in a Tribe-Based Digital Culture

Rainah Davis

• Publisher: GC Simmons Publishing
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781649455048
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Negocios y empresa
• Subtopic: Emprendimiento

We all have dreams. We all have that idea that we know could be life-changing- not just for us, but for others. You know- the thing that keeps you up at night, the thing that your mind drifts to when you think about what you want to be doing. Yup. That thing that you desire to bring to fruition, but you don't know how to start.

ACTIVATE is for you.

This book will help you transition the dream and idea phase by providing you with tangible steps and resources to get you from ideation to activation. With over 15 years of experience, Rainah Davis compiles her experience, conventional wisdom, and academic knowledge into this handbook so that you can move from your now to your next.

CHAPTER 1

BRANDING DEFINED

UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF BRANDING

The initial, most significant challenge entrepreneurs face is not truly understanding what branding is. During my coursework I was introduced to several authors and practitioners that changed my entire understanding of branding and digital marketing. One of those authors is Denise Yohn. She provides a profound, yet simple definition of branding: “simply put, your brand is what your company does and how you do it. Your brand is not what you say you are—it’s what you do.” The ability to develop a profitable and robust brand is not only about advertising and identity marks, such as logos as carefully chosen color palettes.

The items above are commonly mistaken as your brand when in reality those items are a part of the brand identity. Identity marks, logos, and promotional items are still a very critical part of your brand. As a matter of fact, David Airey (2015) explains that there are seven elements needed to create what he defines as an “iconic brand identity.” Those seven components, are what he describes affectionately as “the seven ingredients of your signature dish.” Those ingredients are:

• Keep it simple
• Make it relevant
• Incorporate tradition
• Aim for distinction
• Make it memorable
• Think small (it should be able to be minimized without losing detail)
• Focus on one thing (one feature is better than two, three or more to make it stand out)

The key is to know the rules first. Pablo Picasso said, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” Lastly, Airey does suggest there are cases to break the rules, but those times should be the exception and not the rule.

The main point is that no matter how iconic your brand identity may appear, the brand’s success will primarily depend upon the company’s ability to provide consistent positive customer experiences. Because a brand is not what you say it is, it is what your audience says that it is. It is how they “feel” about what you are offering and ultimately it is about the trust they give you and the experiences that you give them. Branding is ultimately the great trust/experience exchange.

BRANDING THROUGH EXPERIENCES

In Brand Like a Rock Star, Steve Jones explains, “Rock star brands don’t sell products or services they sell experiences.” Jones illustrates his point by using the brand Harley Davidson as an example: “Harley Davidson doesn’t sell motorcycles…[it] sells the opportunity for an accountant to be cool, dress in leather, and be even a little scary.”

“Experiences” will be one the most important business factors in the digital age, and Brian Solis describes the impact masterfully in his book WTF: What’s the Future of Business. Now, in addition to be assigned this book for one of my graduate classes, I also got the opportunity to hear a keynote from him at the same Social Media and Marketing World conference that I heard Pat Flynn give the “Super Fans” presentation (which I share more about in Chapter 2). Solis spoke passionately about the creation of the Internet, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. He explains that society looks at their screens about 1500 times per week and how technology is creating a society of digital introverts. These facts are important because how people communicate with each other, also impacts how they communicate with businesses and brands. In the book, Solis introduced a concept called Generation-C.

BRANDING FOR EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN GENERATION-C

Solis starts the Generation-C conversation by explaining to readers that technology is now an extension of humanity but pivots into introducing a “plot twist” on the melodrama that is constantly be spun regarding the multi-generational chaotic tailspin that companies are in trying to appeal to five generations (traditionalists, baby boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (millennials) and now Gen Z). Solis drops the label Generation C to describe a new group of “connected consumers who have crossed over and embraced the digital lifestyle.” Generation C is defined as a connected society who shares similar interests and behavior. Solis explains that Generation C is growing as a market share and rely on the experiences of others in their buying decisions. This group uses reviews to determine purchases, they look up places that their friends “check into” online, they look for coupons online before making a purchase, and they rely on the experiences of “like-minded strangers” to determine their actions and decisions about a brand. This viewpoint is a consumer segment to consider when designing online experiences.

BRANDING FOR THE DIGITAL COMMUNITY

For entrepreneurs to create purposeful and impactful brands that lend to profitability sooner rather than later, it is crucial to understand the importance of marketing communications in today’s digital business landscape. Rowley (2004) explains that the digital marketing community needs three aspects for success:

1. Creating a presence (awareness building)
2. Creating relationships (establishing experiences)
3. Creating mutual value (discovering and utilizing collaboration)

Rowley also suggests that online marketing is critical to all businesses because of its 24-hour availability, global access, multimedia capabilities, interactivity and engagement, integration features, and one-on-one or micromarketing opportunities. Often, the first step for many entrepreneurs to connect with their digital community will be to establish a personal brand first.

YOUR PERSONAL BRAND

According to Gary Vaynerchuk in his book Crush It (2009), one of the most foundational building blocks to an entrepreneur’s success is “learning to navigate the digital waters of social marketing by promoting a personal brand around what you love the most.”

Vaynerchuk believes that personal branding is just as important as business branding (especially in the beginning of a side hustle or start-up business) because the individual is seen before anyone ever knows what his or her business does. He encourages his readers to “embrace your DNA, be yourself, put out awesome content, and people will be interested in what you have to say.”

Another reason your personal brand matters is because you can establish what Seth Godin (2012) describes in the Icarus Deception, as the assets that matter:

• Trust
• Permission
• Remarkability
• Leadership
• Humanity: Connection/Compassion/Humility
• Stories that spread

Godin explains that trust and permission are important because in a loud, competitive world the person who will obtain our attention is someone who we trust and who has earned it. He describes remarkability as, “it is almost always new and untested, fresh and risky.” I see remarkability like “sandwich thins” versus regular bread or bagels. So often, when someone expresses a fear about a market being oversaturated; someone else points out how many types of bread are on the bread aisle. I have made a similar comparison myself with types of water, alkaline water, to be exact. However, Godin is saying that it is not just enough to offer what everyone else is offering, you still have to own it and make it your own, make it special. You have to take the risk to present the old in a new way or with your unique new voice. While leadership in itself is not a new concept, Godin’s approach to it has a twist. Leadership in the modern world is about ushering in bold new revolutions and inviting others to risk the change on the other side of the status-quo; not only at work, but in life. Humanity is in the presentation of vulnerability and transparency that can be hard to create or achieve in world that lacks empathy and emotional intelligence. However, you can achieve both within your personal brands. One way to do this is by using stories that spread. This last concept is about sharing stories that resonate with the hearer the way beauty resonates in the eye of the beholder and is achieved most effectively through storybranding.

STORYBRANDING

Another vital element for online communication is the ability to utilize the power of the “storybranding” to create stand-out brands. Author Jim Signorelli (2014) describes storybranding as a technique to ensure that the true story is told in his book Story Branding 2.0. He further expands the definition as “a strategic process based on the belief that story structure, or how stories are formed, will enhance a brand’s appeal.”

It is critical for entrepreneurs to understand that in addition to running the components of their business such as administrative and operational tasks, they are also in charge of making sure their message is visible and the correct storybrand is being achieved in the online world.

Storybranding can be a great tool for rebranding what Jones (2012) refers to as a “comeback brand.” A comeback brand is a brand that gets a lifeline, almost like a do-over. A brand that pulled this off was Old Spice. The company created comical advertisements that resonated with the young millennial crowd. For example one commercial said, “If your grandfather had worn it, you wouldn’t exist.” This commercial instantly taps into the viewer’s imagination. The brand was sold to Proctor and Gamble in 1990, who rebranded Old Spice by expanding the product line and creating the memorable and laughable commercials featuring Terry Crews. Forbes refers to this type of branding as a partial rebrand: is for the business that is well established, yet needs to refresh or update its services, marketplace or identity. This version tweaks parts of the brand to reflect a new focal point, be it new product offerings or a more contemporary look. Regardless of what you call it, if you have a brand that needs to be breathed back to life your storybranding will be critical, crucial, and key.

CHAPTER 2

GREAT BRAND CHARACTERISTICS

APPLYING YOHN’S PRINCIPLES FOR GREAT BRANDS

Now, let’s dig into significant factors for creating and maintaining great brands. There are many practitioners and scholars who are passionate and knowledgeable about brands. During my studies, I found Denise Yohn’s book What Great Brands Do to be one of the most significant for foundational branding information. We are going to discuss the seven key characteristics that she shares, but I want to stress one of the most critical points that she makes in the book and give you examples from my personal experiences. This point is the emotional connection factor.

THE POWER OF EMOTIONAL CONNECTION IN BRANDING

In her book, Yohn (2014) discusses the importance of connecting with customers by sharing the story of Proctor & Gamble’s Pampers brand. In 1997, the brand was losing a significant component of its profit share to Huggies. During a focus group, the company learned that while they did have the driest diaper; that was not the most profound issue for mothers. The most critical concern for mothers was the babies having diapers that helped them sleep better which was essential for their overall health and development.

One modification that was made because of this revelation was changing the names of the diapers to show concern and acknowledgment of the children’s development stages. As a mother, I remember this period very well. Huggies launched an advertising campaign for Pull-Ups, the potty-training pampers for toddlers. The campaign resonated with the toddlers as well as the moms. Twenty years later, I can still recall the jingle: “Mommy, wow! I’m a big kid now.” Even though I purchased Pampers previously, I never bought the Pampers training pants called Easy Ups. When my grandson started potty-training six months ago, I still purchased Pull-Ups. Over two decades later, and the emotional connection that I made to Pull-Ups still holds true.

Similarly, in our household, I am partial to Method products. During one of our classes, I learned the story of how Method products were created, and I instantly loved them. If you are not familiar with the story two childhood friends Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan started Method, an eco-friendly cleaning supply company with aesthetic appeal. Before this duo, cleaning products smelled toxic and were tucked away in cabinets and under sinks. In a Slate article, Ryan says his idea was to bring a spa aesthetic into a formerly drab, industrial market. While some customers were certainly attracted by the idea of nontoxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products, most people just wanted soaps and sprays that didn’t stink and that looked nice on the countertop.

As someone whose allergies were always ignited by harsh cleaners, and as a creative Method products were a win/win. Needless to say, I have been purchasing them ever since, and also introduced my oldest daughter and mother to them as well. However, my husband has an emotional connectio...