Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé Cotes de Provence. Ahhhhh. When I taste this, my summer officially begins. Made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault, this is an elegant rosé that allows you to let go of all the memories of any bad rosé experiences you may have had along the way. One sip of this and they will be gone for good. Thanks to my good friends at Windham Wines who introduced me to this wine and made it my official summer opener. Enjoy.
Why Does Branding Matter More Now?
Branding is not for bloated budgets. That's a myth propagated by people who have spent $1 million dollars and then decided to revert back to their logo from 1970. You may have been in one of those bitter branding meltdowns.
Instead, branding is even more important when budgets are slim. Here's why:
Information overload and info fatigue means getting messages through to people is tougher. With a weak brand, you're the white bread on the plate with your customers waiting for the oat bran or something more distinct.
People are visually more sophisticated and have high expectations when it comes to professionalism and experience. We live in an age when every one is a graphic designer in his or her mind and people make decisions and impressions quickly based on what they see.
People are looking for indicators re: reputation, distinction and image, craving authenticity and transparency. If your customer is looking at many web sites for a product or service, what is the one thing that breaks through to them? Usually, it is something about the way you "feel" to them. Think about how you express yourself. It matters to person behind the mouse -- no not Walt Disney, your customer.
Personal Brand Triggers:
There's the company brand, but then there is the personal brand. In large organizations, the company brand is often made up of many personal brands. But, personal brands are not just for gurus or rock stars. They are for everyone. How you develop yours, just depends on where you are in your career.
Are you in career transition and need to reinvent yourself?
Do you need a presence for networking and new business on the Internet and in social media?
Are you a successful small business owner or consultant who needs to reposition yourself or increase your profile within your industry?
Or maybe you are starting a business or launching a new venture or product?
Challenges present opportunities. So, look at whatever change you're facing and evaluate your brand for the new normal. It doesn't hurt. You may even have some fun.
Want to learn more?
We laughed a lot during this radio interview. So, if you need to hear some giggles mixed in with trends and also project management know how from Michelle LaBrosse of Cheetah Learning, this is worth a listen.
The Whoopie pie is making a comeback according to a New York Times article. Now, this is the type of news I'm craving to read right now. Enough dour talk of stimulus, pork, economic woes. Yes, let's talk Whoopie pies, their origins and why right now, we need them! Sinking your teeth into chocolate cake with a sweet filling, this is a worthy brand revival. Whoopie pies make me think of bake sales to raise money for our high school trip to France. There was always that Mom who was the killer baker and yes, her Whoopie pies, sold out quickly. I guess you could say we flew to France and back on the strength of Whoopie pies and Bingo, too, but I digress. I'm just here to cheer for Whoopie pies and toast the Times reporter, Micheline Maynard, who wrote about them. And I think I'm not the only one cheering, because the Whoopie pie article was one of the top five emailed, so no, we're not just a nation with debt and despair, we are people longing to believe in hope...and in the meantime find a whoopie pie or two to take us back to a simpler time.
Note the displayed image of the Whoppie Pie is cropped from a photo by Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times.
What I love about trends is that they are idea-starters. They are fuel for thinking about things in different ways. Here are ten trends that I'm thinking about and watching right now. I was on Cheetah Radio today talking about these trends with Project Management guru, Michelle LaBrosse. I'll post that link once it is up.
1.
Economic slim-fast. It’s a focus on frugal
living and gardening, as Americans rediscover budgeting and saving.
THINK: What can you do to save your team or your family money? The new super hero is going to have a
piggy bank on his or her chest.
2.
Whole life living and healing. Armed
with information and frustrated with the cost of healthcare, people are
exploring new ways of thinking about health and wellness – from what they eat
to how they live.
THINK: Taking care of your team and making wellness part of
your work environment is good for business. What are small changes you can make that make a difference
to the health of those around you?
3.
Entertainment as escapism. Just
like during the Great Depression, movie ticket sales are on the rise and sales
of gaming entertainment is still strong.
People are looking for ways to harmlessly escape.
THINK: Business doesn’t have to be boring in the world of
YouTube and interactive experiences, what can you do to make your product or
service more fun?
4.
Back to the basics. A return to the kitchen
and looking at food the way our ancestors did, organic is no longer for
“granolas,” it’s mainstream.
THINK: How about cooking as team building event? What are your new recipes for success? This is practical, fun and with no
scrutiny over tickets to the Caribbean! LOL.
5.
Novel perks. Frequent flyer miles are so last
century. People want more creative and novel perks such as securing a prime
parking spot when you drive a hybrid vehicle. (That’s happening now at the Seattle Airport.)
THINK: How can you reward your team or your customers in an unexpected and
novel way?
6.
DIY. The hobby and Do it Yourself kit crowds
are growing, as people get a pioneering spirit – however small – think scrap
booking.
THINK: Do you have a hobby that could be a business or
cottage industry?
7.
The Full Monty. Transparency
and honest have a whole new meaning. Technology brings us a whole new level of honesty
whether we like it or not, but underneath the technology is a new human desire
for trust and transparency like never before.
THINK: Is your documentation in good shape? Are you leaving a trail that you’re proud of? How can you be more transparent in your
business?
8. Generation G. The g is not for Greed. It’s for generosity. Trendwatching.com
coined this term, as they saw the growing importance of 'generosity' as a
leading societal and business mindset. With growing disgust over greed and its
current dire consequences for the economy, people want to see and be part of a
more generous world.
THINK: How can you be a part of sharing, giving, engaging, creating and collaborating in your own
community or in virtual communities?
Give people what they’re craving with some good old-fashioned
generosity, just like Grandma and Grandpa did.
9.
Redefining Community.
Communities
can now transcend geography in the social media world. And back in the real world, people are
buying local and using technology to choose where they live and work. This will
redefine our traditional ways of thinking about work place and home.
THINK: What is community to you?
What is community to your customer? How can communities be part of any solution?
10. ECO-Buzz. The image of the tree hugger is out. Now, being green in whatever way you can is hip and
cool. Even governments are
focusing on sustainability in a whole new way. This trend is here to stay because our survival depends on
it.
THINK: How can you, your business or your team be green? Engage your team and ask for ideas. Have a green storm and watch people’s eyes light up.
Some gifts stay with you longer than others. This was the case with the tea that I received as a birthday gift from Tay Tea. Artisanal, hand-crafted teas that transport you right out of your office or kitchen into a dreamscape. Just the names alone are enough to get you day dreaming: Marry Me Again, Better than Sex, Raj, A Day in Provence, Persian Rose, Muse and Dream. And, these names live up to their own fantasy with the taste. For tea lovers, there are black tea, oolong, green tea, rooibos tea and herbal tea blends...and for any one who just needs a little vacation sitting simply in a tea cup, sip up!
I think that depends on how you treat your brand. If your brand is an asset that you've cultivated like a Slow Food junkie, it probably is paying you back now. On the other hand, if your brand is lukewarm and maybe even what I would call a flat brand -- existing only on paper, but not in any one's heart or mind -- then, your brand does not matter more now. That doesn't mean that it can't. Brands are forgiving once you admit that you've been neglecting them. Think about the impact if your brand was completely unique and distinct in your market. It could be speaking when others are silently blending in.
When it comes to marketing, people want a silver bullet or a secret to success that is lurking somewhere out in the ether. When you look at marketing breakthroughs or anything that stands out in the information overload, many times it is about the unexpected. Thinking about Sunday night's Grammy Awards, a good example is Raising Sand, the Alison Krauss and Robert Plant CD that was masterfully produced by T-Bone Burnett. What did Burnett do: he combined two unexpected musicians together for a five Grammy night. The angelic voice of country/bluegrass crooner, Krauss with the edge of Robert Plant. Sheer musical magic that was purely unexpected. So, when you're looking at your marketing and your customers, ask yourself what would be pleasantly surprising and completely unexpected?
I was recently thinking about the 2.0 version of Andy Warhol's quote about everyone having their 15 minutes of fame. I think today it'd be about every one having a brand. We've been talking about personal branding for about a decade, but with the explosion of social media, personal branding takes on a whole new dimension. Now, your personal brand is also who you are in the digital world. So, the question to ask yourself is: do you show up in that world? And, if you do, do you like what you see? Is your Linkedin or Facebook page something that a prospective employer or prospect would be impressed by? (Yes, you might want to take down that picture of you with the beer bong.) Today, reputations take life and burn out as fast as you can say youtube video. So, when you're thinking about repositioning yourself, make sure you're thinking beyond your resume.
