What is the Renewable Energy Brand?

What is the purpose of Renewable Energy? To save the planet? To become energy independent? To make a profit? To provide jobs? National security?

What is the Renewable Energy brand? Is it simple? Is it mainstream? Is it expensive? Is it patriotic? Is it friendly? Is it treehuggers? Is it Midwestern? Is it alternative? Is it cool? Is it caring? It is wise? Is it conservative? Is it green?

The “green” movement is about being environmentally-friendly. Is that what Renewable Energy is about? “Green” has meant saving or reducing, in addition to recycling. What image do these words have in your mind: save, reduce, recycle? For most, they mean inexpensive or less money.

Does that apply to Renewable Energy? Should it? Should we as Americans expect to pay less – or more – for the Renewable Energy brand? Isn’t Renewable Energy in fact a premium product? Shouldn’t we be willing to pay more for a product that will help save our planet and by the way, make us more secure as a nation?

Most people still think it's all about "green." Why? Because if you don’t manage your message, someone else will. We haven’t given the American public the right message (if any) about Renewable Energy, so they (we) interpret as best we can with little or no information. In addition, those that use “green” to talk about renewable energy are only harming the Renewable Energy brand, because they are confusing two different movements.

People hear about the green movement, renewable energy, environmental friendliness, alternative energy, energy security and conservation. Who really knows what they all mean? We must define the Renewable Energy brand. We cannot expect Americans to understand – much less, trust – Renewable Energy if it is not clearly defined and communicated.

It's Time to Get Started

Our nation is at a crossroads and we must confront the brutal facts of our current energy reality. The average American is just now waking up to this revolution. We are just beginning to understand crises like global warming and energy dependence, issues that are sure to define the next fifty years or more of our lives. We as consumers want to do our part, but we don’t know yet how.

There are many messages being conveyed in today’s media, each organization or association offering a slightly different angle on the issues and the solutions. Industries that should share the same purpose instead dilute the marketplace with conflicting messages. It is a very noisy marketplace and while awareness is increasing, consumers don’t yet know what to do - because no one has offered a comprehensive plan.

Renewable Energy (and all its various components) is not a known or trusted “brand.” In the public’s eyes, Renewable Energy is virtually unproven, if not thoroughly confusing. The Renewable Energy proposition seems too good to be true. Without a solid, clear brand, people have no reason to trust it. Without trust, we cannot expect people to embrace it. In order to garner the public’s trust, Renewable Energy, as a comprehensive brand, must stand out in logical and emotional dimensions. Appealing to the public with statistics and facts won’t inspire the average American to take action.

Many of us have the talent and the resources – and the responsibility – to help Americans make sense of it all. It's time to get started.

Thank you to Tim Kubista for contributing to this post.

Kerouac's Brand Gap.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road being published. I think about poor old Jack from time to time. Not the super cool, burning to live, image of him, but the sad, lonely alcoholic who died at 47 while still living with his mother. After Road was published; the fame that it brought became a monster that devoured him. Why? Maybe he just couldn’t manage his brand. He is credited for being the avatar of the beat generation, but I would argue that he didn’t create that persona.

A section of US culture felt a great void that 50’s Americana simply could not fill. America’s subconscious created the figure without a name or face. Jack brought both and filled the need along with his rude, whiplash tenderness, prose. He played a part he didn’t create. He coined the term beatnik, but it was Allen Ginsberg who put the name out there. I contend that without Allen, the beats would have never been seen as a literary movement. The thing with Allen though, is he was far too counter-culture to fill the icon role that Jack did. I think it could be said that a communist, Jewish, homosexual, pothead may even be too counter-culture for today’s mass consumption.

The brand gap? The role he filled was the archetypical cool, rugged indifference. When you actually read his work however, what you see is a deeply sensitive, perhaps frightened, wildly excitable man. In the end, I think it may have been that difference that came with his fame that wounded him the most. At the time, the world wanted one so badly that they refused to see the other.

Build Your Brand on Leadership

Today I read Tom Peters' post "The Decent Thing to Do Is the Smart Thing to Do" and it occurs to me that while this is a no-brainer, we see so many people - and companies - out there that just don't get it. Tom's point is that leadership (which I loosely define as "demonstrating love for others") makes good business sense. (If you're one of those unfortunate non-leaders that thinks "love" and "business" shouldn't be in the same sentence, you should stop reading now.)

We were taught as small children to be kind to others. To share. To help a friend. To treat others with respect. To love others. We were taught the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." We were taught leadership from the beginning. (Thank you, Mom & Dad.)

Think about those people you gravitate to. Think about the best "managers" you've had in your life. Did you like them every day? Probably not. Did you respect them every day? Probably so. I used to love and hate going to jazz band practice. Mr. Warnke pushed us so hard - he expected so much of us. Oh I would get mad at him! But we didn't want to let him down - because we had such respect for him - so we did the best that we could and as it turned out, we exceeded our own expectations. I don't know that I could explain how my respect for Mr. Warnke came about, but I do remember him showing us his heart on many occasions, whether it was seeing him light up when a student blossomed or hearing his voice crack when he shared with our band that his son's puppy had died. Mr. Warnke led with his heart. And we were arguably one of the best bands in the state, winning contest after contest.

I'm sure everyone has a similar story and I would be willing to bet that many of those stories are about a manager (actually, leader) at work. Peters shares a quote from Boyd Clarke, "I have always believed that the purpose of the corporation is to be a blessing to its employees." (Download peters_ramble.pdf) This is, to me, the ultimate measure of a company. Do you feel blessed to work for your company? In today's world, a company that doesn't add value to its employees is certain to fail. The quickest way to add value? Employ leaders. Grow leaders. Get rid of those who aren't leaders.
 
Is the point then to have a joyful company full of employees who feel blessed? Kind of. The point is actually the bottom line. Leadership in an organization bears fruit: efficiency, loyalty, innovation, service, productivity...more customers, satisfied customers, loyal customers. To have a brand that embraces leadership at every level is to have a dominant brand.

By the way, I recently attended a celebration in our state's capital, where my hometown band marched in the parade. As I cheered with the rest of the crowd, here came the Miller Rustlers marching band, with Mr. Warnke marching with them, beside them. Though I hadn't seen him for over 12 years, I stood and waved and called out to him. Upon seeing me, he came over and gave me a hug. Mr. Warnke still leads with his heart.

Duh, It's Branding 101

Cornell University recently published a study that found switching the label on wine changed diners' opinions of the wine. What? Really? They've got to be kidding? Imagine, peoples' perceptions and expectations really affecting their opinions and behavior? Huh.

It's not exactly ground-breaking research by Cornell's Food & Brand Lab. We don't need a scientific study to prove branding theory. Check out this excerpt from an article by ScienceDaily.

Forty-one diners at the Spice Box restaurant in Urbana, Illinois were given a free glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany a $24 prix fixe French meal. Half the bottles claimed to be from Noah's Winery in California. The labels on the other half claimed to be from Noah's Winery in North Dakota. In both cases, the wine was an inexpensive Charles Shaw wine.

Those drinking what they thought was California wine, rated the wine and food as tasting better... (Read the full article here.)

Well, duh! While I'm sure North Dakota vitners make some nice wines, they aren't exactly known for cultivating the fruit of the vine (North Dakota has only four wineries). California on the otherhand has Napa Valley and Sonoma. The state is home to more than 1,000 wineries which produce nearly 450 millions gallon a year. They market the hell out of the wine industry which may be why nearly two-thirds of all wine sales in the United States are of California wine.

Think of it like this. Take two nearly exact diamond rings in terms of cut, clarity, color and carat. Put one in a Tiffany's box and the other in the largely anonymous green box from local jeweler Greenberg's. The bling in that trademark little blue box has greater intrinsic value simply because the Tiffany name (and the instantly recognizable packaging) is standing behind it.

This video also makes the point. Water from a hose can be branded with the right attention paid to emotional touchpoints. In this case, appealing to pretentious idiots who want to be seen as connoisseurs of "luxury" items.

The Brand of a Nation

Since before The Great Wall, China has always been a very closed off society. Economically, they are opening up, but I’m talking big picture here. I’m not sure if their brand is better for all their private nature or not. It seems like when we do hear something from or about them, it generally damages their image. Generations of Americans might recall China from their support of communist regimes during the Korean War and Vietnam conflict. I think that for many of my generation, when the word China is mentioned, in our heads, we see an image of a young protester standing in front of a column of tanks at Tianenmen square.

Lately, the word China invokes images of contaminated food, net censorship, military build-up, environmental havoc and most recently, toys with tiny magnets and lead paint. LEAD PAINT!! Now I understand that (though they don’t like to admit it) they are slowly becoming a capitalist society, and will have problems that come in early stages of freer markets. Such as diminishing accountability due to sub-sub-sub-sub contractors…but lead paint!

They need a re-brand in the worst possible way. And I think they know it. I also think that they realize the Beijing Olympics in 2008 are the golden opportunity they need to kick start this facelift. One thing they have in their favor is their seeming openness on certain subjects in relation to hosting the game. Like Beijing’s traffic and environment as well as the countries poor, needy and disabled. Even if the numbers they cite seem low for a country with a population of more than 1.3 billion. But one has to wonder just how open are they when they release a 273 page “Reporting Regulations” documents to foreign reporters that say things like “The Regulations on Reporting Activities by Foreign Journalists shall apply to the coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games and the preparation as well as political, economic, social and cultural matters of China by foreign journalists, in conformity with Chinese laws and regulations.” (page 23 of the PDF)

Sure, they understand brand on face value. But do they understand how organic and authentic it must be to hold long–term worth? You can’t craft and hold it with an iron hand. More over, brand  can’t be one event and then not be supported and nurtured. They may try to re-brand themselves with the Olympics. But, if they don’t follow through with stricter export standards/checks, human rights treatment, environmental protection and a loosening up on censorship, it will all be for naught.

But I still can't wait to see the games.

All Brands Are Not Created Equal

BusinessWeek/Interbrand recently released their annual rankings of the 100 best global brands.

Google, Zara, Apple, and Nintendo are among this year’s top gainers in BusinessWeek’s annual ranking of The Best Global Brands. For the seventh consecutive year, BusinessWeek has teamed up with Interbrand, a leading brand consultancy, to publish a ranking of the top 100 global brands by brand value.

Read the entire release here.

The top risers, and the big decliners, are really what makes reading the entire report worthwhile. Who's number one, two or three in the rankings isn't the most insightful part of the report. Coca-Cola still rules the world in brand value, $65 million - the cola juggernaut is everywhere for God's sake, but it still took a 3 percent hit.

But check out the double-digit growth from: Google = $17.8 million brand value (+44 percent), Apple = $11 million brand value (+21 percent), Nintendo = $7.7 million brand value (+18 percent) and Starbucks = $3.6 million brand value (+17 percent). These are the guys who are getting it right.

The biggest losers? Ford (-19 percent), GAP (-15 percent), Kodak (-12 percent), Pizza Hut (-9 percent) and Motorola (-9 percent).

What separates the good, the bad and the ugly? Brand management, touch point development, demand creation, modeling contingencies and planning efficiencies.

So what you ask.

Brand and its subsequent value is inextricably linked to solid business management and financial success. Even for the smallest businesses, company or product, brand is crucial. We preach it over and over, only the companies that stand out in logical and emotional dimensions will enjoy a strategic advantage over their competition.

Bat Boy, an obituary

Prophesize the ruin of the blessed Wall Street Journal under Rupert Murdoch, if you want. I write this obituary to mark the passing of a cult-rated standard of true brand-genius: Weekly World News, “The World's Only Reliable Newspaper,” will depart the sphere of dead-tree media with its 27 August issue. Saggy circulation (the tabloid’s, not mine) has killed my career-dream of writing truly ridiculous bullshit for its own sake.

For 28 years, this absurd little chronicle has delivered Nothing But the Truth on the world’s fattest alien babies, wicked deeds of dead celebrities, and Saddam Hussein’s secret heartbreak. But the discovery and continuing exploits of a particular animal-human amalgam gave this grocery store tabloid its most brilliant headlines and best-selling covers. And when WWN editor Dick Kulpa hit us with the chiropteran child named Bat Boy, a pop-idol of a different face entered our shared consciousness.

Bat Boy Bites Santa Claus! Bat Boy Leads Cops on Three State Chase! Bat Boy Endorses Gore! (And after graduating from a small liberal arts college in upstate New York,) Bat Boy Announces Run for California Governorship!

America’s Favorite Hybrid was everywhere. In an acclaimed off-Broadway musical. On stage in London’s West End. In a weekly cartoon detailing the life and times of the fanged grotesque after he resigned from the office of President of the United States (I’m not touching this one!). And, my fav-o, on the big screen in Terry Gilliam’s Twelve Monkeys.

“Elusive and reclusive, where he will pop up next is anybody's guess.” Don’t worry, American Media tells us, you can still read all about Bat Boy on-line! He Lives!

But those hours in the grocery store queue just won't be the same.

Brand Came Through for This Muggle

Last Friday's release of the final installment of the Harry Potter series rivaled the release of Apple's iphone in terms of hoopla and throngs of devoted fans waiting in line for hours to be one of the first to have it. JK Rowling and Scholastic scored big with 8.3 million copies sold in the first weekend in the U.S. alone.

Amazon made promises to the two million customers who pre-ordered the book to have it to them by 7 p.m. Saturday. The whole thing really was a gamble considering that Amazon was relying upon third parties to execute on the promise. An extraordinary event like the release of "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" can put a huge strain on a company's infrastructure. Quite thankfully Amazon came through with everything they promised me. My copy of the book was in my grubby little mitts by 10 a.m. Saturday morning (and I finished all 759 pages in 24 hours).

Others weren't so lucky. Read about Kottke's disillusionment. He's not alone. Click here and here to read other's frustration vented.

Regardless of who you want to blame - Amazon or UPS - the Amazon brand took a hit. In my case, I'm singing Amazon's praises (but then I received my book via U.S. Postal Service), but for those who are still waiting, there's no doubt their connection to the brand has been eroded. 

What a Brand!

Across the country, little leaguers with dreams of making it to "the show" have parents and grandparents descending on baseball complexes and sports fields in droves. I can't explain the connection, but there is some weird, symbiotic relationship between watching baseball and eating sunflower seeds. My family is no different. Before we head to the diamonds, we always make the requisite stop at the local c-store to load up on our fav ... GIANTS Dill Pickle Sunflower Seeds.

Last week we made our purchase and headed to the ball park only to find the seeds didn't have the Dill Pickle flavor. On the first mouthful, my husband discovered the bag was full of regular, plain ol' sunflower seeds. His consumer reponse was one of disappointment and irritation at the mislabeled bag. He reacted by placing a call to the company to let them know there was problem.

What has this got to do with marketing ideas that stick you ask? Branding, baby, and this company really gets it!

GIANTS took the opportunity to turn an un-happy customer into a brand loyalist. Just a couple of days after the call to the North Dakota based company, we received a box in the mail with not only a replacement bag of Dill Pickle seeds, but also free bags of GIANTS Salt & Pepper and KC Style BBQ varieties. Included was a letter of apology thanking my husband for alerting them to the problem.

GIANTS took what could have been a negative touch-point and turned it into a positive impression about that company. In this case, GIANTS took the point of contact as an opporunity to build - not erode - their pyschological capital with my family. And they succeeded big time. My husband's response was "I'll never buy another brand of seeds again."

This company rooted themselves in the sacred ground of my husband's heart and mind. Yes, their Dill Pickle product exists in the real world, but the impression the brand made exists in the mind. It's this mindshare that has significant intrinisic value to GIANTS' bottom line.