Brandlore, Larry's newest book, is due out in 2009. Learn how to build a brand, sustain it, and elevate it to win the hearts and minds of key stakeholders. Stay tuned...
First published in 2002, Legendary Brands was Larry's first book and explores the narrative structure of some of the world's leading brands. Drawing upon cognitive psychology and the study of classic mythology, the book demonstrates that great brands succeed by tapping a universal story structure.
Mad Man's Creed is a collection of 33 poems about hope, loss and the curious promise of that which lies in the spaces in between. Written in a three-year span of life-changing experiences, this is a collection of random thoughts and narrative fun.More Than Voice Alone
I spend a fair amount of time coaching clients on how to apply their brand voice. Brand voice is most often associated with a brand’s personality. It guides the tone and style of verbal and visual identity. It’s easiest to understand brand voice when reviewing copy. Sometimes, the way the brand chooses to express itself in words just feels wrong. When that happens, we say the brand is not “in voice.”
Sometimes, the words a brand uses are out of voice but the brand experience still feels consistent. When that happens, it’s usually the visual system kicking in. Because our minds are wired to read more from pictures than words, we skip over the inconsistencies in the verbal expression and read the visual elements that are consistently in voice. Which leads me to the topic of this short post.
As more brands use digital media to connect with their customers, the compensatory yin and yang of verbal and visual identity are often separated. An email, SMS message, or chat room cannot always convey the visual crutches that bolster poorly chosen words. The simple solution is to pay more attention to the words, but then there’s the issue of context. When we speak to one another in person, we can read each other’s body language. That helps to provide cues about our intentions and our state of mind. On the telephone, you can hear vocal inflections that convey meaning. Try reading context from an SMS message. This very limitation is the origin of the dreaded smiley.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how a brand develops digital body language — mechanisms to compensate for the limitations of the medium. I’ve been impressed by W Hotels new SMS service for its most loyal customers. Somehow, they seem to achieve the right tone and style despite the fact that there is no hip imagery or house music to parlay the brand. The question is: how does a B2B brand achieve the same result? What do you think?
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