Branding Strategy
Branding refers to the strategy of creating an experience, in the eyes of both customers and prospective customers, which differentiates your organization's products and services from those of your competitors. For the brand which can generate a strong desire for ownership among the buying public, the sky is the limit to their success. Ideally, after this strong desire has caused the purchase of a company's products and services, a level of "stickiness" will exist that keeps customers coming back for more—preferably by a subscription model—and keeps competitors at bay.
(25 Aug 16) It’s happened twice within the last month. Someone whose product or service I have purchased (or are still purchasing) decided to execute the nuclear option by shoving their political beliefs down my throat. Not content with espousing their own convictions, they added a thinly-veiled insinuation that if you didn’t agree with them, something was wrong with you. In each case, my first reaction was anger, followed by a sense of betrayal, and capped off with a massive loss of respect. But why would someone who makes a living off of selling a product or service be so willing to insult half of their potential customer base? It made no sense.
Life in a bubble
Nearly 45 years ago, following Richard Nixon’s landslide win in the race for the presidency (he won 49 states), New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael expressed her incredulity at the outcome: “I live in a rather special world. I don’t know one person who voted for him.” In the insulated world of Manhattan, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, or the university faculty lounge, there exists a scholarly, highbrow mentality that saturates the air. Anyone daring to voice an opposing viewpoint is impugned, shunned, and castigated.
This sense of “sameness” fosters arrogance and a feeling of superiority. The conversations that are so prevalent in the faculty lounge ooze out into the public eye when these individuals become brainwashed into believing that their way is the only way, and that anyone holding an opposing view must be an inferior specimen. As history has proven time and again, this insular behavior, in the hands of those with power, can lead to tragic ends.
Let’s take a look at a specific example—my most recent encounter with a delusional individual. Guy Kawasaki is a marketer, author, and self-proclaimed “chief evangelist” for a graphics design company called Canva. He once held the same-named position at Apple. I had not only purchased books written by Kawasaki, I also happened to use Canva’s products. That is why I took notice when I saw him being interviewed on CNBC regarding Apple CEO Tim Cook’s political fundraising efforts.
When asked if it was right for business leaders to wade into political waters, Kawasaki’s answer was very telling—about both the man and the insulated world in which he lives. “Of course” it was fine, he opined. He then went on to explain all of the wonderful things he (Kawasaki) was for. His next sentence began with the words, “The other side wants....” Immediate tune out. Was this arrogant little marketer really prepared to paint half of the country with such a wide brush stroke? Was he changing hearts and minds, or was he simply fomenting anger. Why not discuss specific policies instead of impugning others?
I was so taken aback by his comments that I Tweeted him directly, asking him (quite politely) to dial-back his political rhetoric. To my surprise, he actually Tweeted a short response: “That is not going to happen.” Fully his right. But why? He had created an image in his mind of those who hold an opposing viewpoint to his own, and that image was not a pretty one. Does he need my business (or does Canva, for that matter, whose services I found a replacement for)? Nope. But is that really how he wants to travel through life? Is his a spiritual journey (he does claim to be an “evangelist,” after all), or a base existence with actions dictated by emotions?
Nobody has a monopoly on virtue. It becomes easy for those surrounded by sycophants to lose their perspective on reality, but business professionals at all levels would be well-advised to check their political opinions at the door. Arrogance does not equal confidence, and humility is a sign of moral strength, not weakness. Divisiveness ceases when we make the conscious decision to respect opinions outside of our own. Discuss policies, not people. Ignore this advice at your own brand’s peril.
(Reprinted from an upcoming issue of the Penn Wealth Report.)
(OK, got it. Take me back to the Penn Wealth Hub!)
Life in a bubble
Nearly 45 years ago, following Richard Nixon’s landslide win in the race for the presidency (he won 49 states), New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael expressed her incredulity at the outcome: “I live in a rather special world. I don’t know one person who voted for him.” In the insulated world of Manhattan, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, or the university faculty lounge, there exists a scholarly, highbrow mentality that saturates the air. Anyone daring to voice an opposing viewpoint is impugned, shunned, and castigated.
This sense of “sameness” fosters arrogance and a feeling of superiority. The conversations that are so prevalent in the faculty lounge ooze out into the public eye when these individuals become brainwashed into believing that their way is the only way, and that anyone holding an opposing view must be an inferior specimen. As history has proven time and again, this insular behavior, in the hands of those with power, can lead to tragic ends.
Let’s take a look at a specific example—my most recent encounter with a delusional individual. Guy Kawasaki is a marketer, author, and self-proclaimed “chief evangelist” for a graphics design company called Canva. He once held the same-named position at Apple. I had not only purchased books written by Kawasaki, I also happened to use Canva’s products. That is why I took notice when I saw him being interviewed on CNBC regarding Apple CEO Tim Cook’s political fundraising efforts.
When asked if it was right for business leaders to wade into political waters, Kawasaki’s answer was very telling—about both the man and the insulated world in which he lives. “Of course” it was fine, he opined. He then went on to explain all of the wonderful things he (Kawasaki) was for. His next sentence began with the words, “The other side wants....” Immediate tune out. Was this arrogant little marketer really prepared to paint half of the country with such a wide brush stroke? Was he changing hearts and minds, or was he simply fomenting anger. Why not discuss specific policies instead of impugning others?
I was so taken aback by his comments that I Tweeted him directly, asking him (quite politely) to dial-back his political rhetoric. To my surprise, he actually Tweeted a short response: “That is not going to happen.” Fully his right. But why? He had created an image in his mind of those who hold an opposing viewpoint to his own, and that image was not a pretty one. Does he need my business (or does Canva, for that matter, whose services I found a replacement for)? Nope. But is that really how he wants to travel through life? Is his a spiritual journey (he does claim to be an “evangelist,” after all), or a base existence with actions dictated by emotions?
Nobody has a monopoly on virtue. It becomes easy for those surrounded by sycophants to lose their perspective on reality, but business professionals at all levels would be well-advised to check their political opinions at the door. Arrogance does not equal confidence, and humility is a sign of moral strength, not weakness. Divisiveness ceases when we make the conscious decision to respect opinions outside of our own. Discuss policies, not people. Ignore this advice at your own brand’s peril.
(Reprinted from an upcoming issue of the Penn Wealth Report.)
(OK, got it. Take me back to the Penn Wealth Hub!)