Wordle is a very cool web tool that helps you map text into clouds (the kind that transform a jumble of words into design patterns, not the kind that hover over the planet and sometimes rain). Pictured here is a wordle map of chapter 2 in my book, Legendary Brands. Word maps using tag clouds can be a very effective way to analyze the emphasis people place on brands and marketing campaigns.

One of the most fascinating ways to study brand equity is to study the deviants–the “dark side” of branding. For anyone who thinks that a brand doesn’t have power, look no further than the Mongols, an outlawed US motorcycle gang.

The Mongols took the extraordinary step of securing a trademark for their logo. The brandmark is synonymous with trouble, so much so that the US Department of Justice successfully petitioned for, and was granted, control of the trademarked logo. As a result, the government has the right to seize possession of any item bearing the gang’s logo. The landmark case is causing a first amendment fire storm, but I think branding is the really interesting part of the story. First, you have an example of a government taking control of trademark rights and using those rights to enforce the law. Second, you have a great case of a legendary brand — a mark that is associated with a belief system that drives a narrative and a culture. It is a great example of a brand as the centerpiece of a narrative and social conflict. The brand can literally get you arrested–or at least detained.

At their best, brands tell stories. Sometimes it is overt, such as when they advertise, and sometimes it is subtle, such as when they cue a story already in your head with a brand interaction. Because stories are fundamental to the richness of our experiences, it’s no wonder that brand managers talk a lot about brand stories, brand storytelling, brand narrative, and the like. Storytelling has been en vogue with brands for years now, even before I tackled the subject in my 2002 book, Legendary Brands. The trouble is, while brand managers want their brands to tell stories, they don’t know how to systematize an approach. (more…)

Too many brands and advertisers try to sell you on cultural norms — you should use our product because everyone else does. They try to pander to social paranoia. There’s nothing I love more than a brand that says, “maybe you’re not for us.” The new Miller High Life campaign achieves that goal. It takes a decidedly strong point of view with a comic twist. It’s tied to sports and manhood and common sense, and it delights in every way. I may actually be thirsty for a Miller.

I scoured the web to find some examples, but the campaign is still too new. Check out the new Cinemax rebranding. In the high stakes world of premium cable, Cinemax has finally stepped up to the plate. It’s too early to tell whether or not their programming and scheduling will measure up, but the new brand campaign is clever and distinct.
In case you were wondering, they have not abandoned their late night platform. I’m not sure it fits with their new positioning, but it’s there, nonetheless.

Yesterday, the folks at Baptie & Company invited me to speak on a webinar about branding for business to business companies and the use of web 2.0 technologies. I posted slides from the presentation here. You can also download a full webcast at Baptie & Company.

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. (more…)

Two questions I am most frequently asked about Legendary Brands are: (1) can brand cultures grow around B2B brands, and (2) how does social media play a role in brand culture development. The answer to the first question is yes. The answer to the second requires a bit more explanation. As digital media becomes an increasingly important touchpoint for many brands, social functionality provides the opportunity for these brands to engage and evangelize brand cultures. I am at work on an white paper that will soon be released that studies how to use social media in brand development. In the meantime, check out some of the work that BreakingPoint is doing. Breaking Point is a startup that specializes in network testing equipment and infrastructure. Despite its short history, it has developed an impressive community channel that makes full use of social media. In fact, one of the employees I met at a recent conference confided that he found his job at Breaking Point through a twitter post. The clues to making social media work as a brand builder are inside this effort.

Apple is the darling of brand managers. At least once a week I hear a client ask me how their brand can be more like Apple. I’ve written about the company’s brand narrative extensively. Indeed, Apple is linked to a compelling story that rests in the minds of its faithful consumers. It is a story of empowerment and creativity — of the iconoclast leading the masses to freedom through enablement. The landmark 1984 spot for the launch of Macintosh epitomized this narrative.

Sadly, Apple has begun to turn its back on the roots of its mythology. Consumers and business partners are starting to view the company as a control freak. From its rigid design aesthetic to its business practices, a different side of Apple’s character is emerging. And if the company is not careful, the brand can sink into Act III of the empowerment narrative — the part of the story where the revolutionary spirit turns on itself (a la Citizen Kane).

The latest example of this story development is detailed in this blog post about Apple’s latest patent application, in which is states a purpose of thwarting users from using contraband garments to activate their iPod pedometers.

The (maybe not so) latent nerd in me still gets fired up about NASA and the space program. These photos of a recent Discovery launch are a great insider’s look at how the orbiter is assembled, prepped and launched.

I’m fascinated by the NASA brand. It has such a rich narrative legacy, and yet in recent years, it seems to have lost some of its luster. The agency is still as vibrant and exciting as it was 20 years ago, but the brand system is falling apart. It’s time for some branding.