Where Does Your Brand Exist?

Google made some news last week when they updated the design of their favicon for the second time in a year. The old one, which replaced the former capital 'G' less than a year ago, is on the left while the new, technicolor favicon is on the right. (For those of you who don't know what a favicon is - it's the 16 x 16-pixel icon associated with your website or webpage that appears to the left of your URL in most browsers' windows and bookmark pages.) 

This got me thinking - like my recent Pepsi post - not so much about the change itself but rather about what this means on a larger scale. (For the record ... while it may not be as readable as either of its predecessors, I'm OK with the new favicon mostly because the coloring adds a bit of the playfulness back into their at-times sparse brand as they look to scaling it across new media  platforms.) The new favicon reminded me of an article I read about the Pepsi brand update – specifically about the hard costs tied to the update. The new Pepsi logo design alone cost millions with additional millions anticipated to execute the revision across all brand touchpoints. Think of it for just a sec and imagine the costs: point-of-purchase displays, distributor signage, huge ballpark ads ... Oof.

My point is that when you consider this compared to updating the Google favicon – which in the end costs next to nothing – it reminds you that we are moving into/have already arrived in a very different era of branding. You have to ask yourself, where does your brand exist? In the case of Google, they exist almost exclusively online (as an AdWords advertiser I actually got a flyer from Google last fall - I keep it locked in a vault). Their portal accented by their favicon is their brand so of course the ramifications of any seemingly minor update are under intense scrutiny. To summarize:

Brand Touchpoints 

Old world -- store signage, yellow page ads, billboards, point-of-purchase, collateral, etc.

New world -- website w/favicon, online ads, search, iPhone app icons, Facebook fan pages, etc.

To be sure, this transition is not complete and the old world touchpoints won't go away entirely but the process has most certainly begun as we see an online-only Google take its place next to tried-and-true brands like Pepsi in consumers' hearts and minds. 

Where does your brand exist? Are your new world touchpoints as strong as your old world touchpoints?

P.S. Props to Brand New for the side-by-side favicons above. They are a great blog by Under Consideration about corporate brand and identity work.

To Assume Makes ...

... Well, you know the rest. Just a quick post via Tom Peters regarding a USA Today story citing a recent study by Forrester Research revealing that "Older folks like Wii, PCs, and cellphones too." Definitely worth your time to read. One highlight that jumps out is that those over 55 are more active in online finance, shopping, and entertainment than those under 55.

Now how many times have you thought recently that the older generation isn't consuming tech tools like their younger counterparts? And these assumptions definitely work both ways. I've heard many peers of a more ... er, more advanced age ... state that online "mostly targets younger people." Remember this study and try not to make as many assumptions on media consumption in the New Year.

Plotting a New Course

Recently Advertising Age reported that the Boy Scouts of America are undertaking a relaunch and update of their venerable 100-year old brand to bring them into the 21st Century and help boost sagging numbers. As an Eagle Scout and devoted parent of a Cub Scout, I am committed to this organization and that is also why, as an advertising professional, I couldn't agree more with this move more. Now they haven't let leak what they are doing as far as execution goes but we we have some ideas of our own.

It all comes down to the technology that has come to define us. Are the Boy Scouts going to embrace technology and reposition their brand around it – essentially becoming the "Tech Scouts of America"? Or do they embody the other piece that you need to add to help shape a truly well-rounded child – running, hiking, exploring, civic responsibility. My Spidey sense tells me someone might try to pitch the former to produce quick results but I think the real opportunity for long-term brand traction is in the latter. All of the things that Scouting stands for are more relevant than ever now. In reality – as we so often find — the raw material for a great brand is already there. It just needs to be packaged more effectively.

The Boy Scouts are a great example of a brand that has let some weeds grow over it but more importantly they are addressing the issue. What are other examples of brands in need of a makeover? Is yours ...? 

The Role of Positioning in an Economic Downturn

If you were Harley Davidson in this economy you might think that you'd have a problem, right? You make high-end bikes that are expensive and could be seen by some as an expendable purchase given the current climate. Well, Harley has headed this off at the pass with their new TV/online campaign (above) that you've no doubt seen this past week.

In one fell swoop they re-galvanize their brand evangelists (click through to YouTube and you can see the user comments where someone posts that they'll have to "pry my current sportster keys from my cold dead hands") and fire up folks on the fence with their "Guarantee Made of Iron." They clearly acknowledge the current state of affairs but firmly position the Harley Davidson Sportster as one of the only sure things left in the economy and, moreover, a good investment. They even go so far as to position the brand and what it stands for as one of the building blocks of our freedom. Wow. Well done HD.

See how major brands like Harley and Walmart are talking about the economy without literally talking about the economy? More than overt crisis messaging, what's called for now is good, old-fashioned Ries & Trout positioning in a way that is relevant to the revised priorities of the day.

What are some other examples – good or bad - that you've seen of positioning for the current economy?

An Entrepreneur Looks at 60

Today Dean Westergaard turns 60. Over 27 years ago and with just a handful of clients, Dean started Westergaard Advertising in the home I grew up in. Several years back, he wrote some copy describing one of our clients as a business that was quietly doing things very well. I think you could say the same thing about the writer. Here's to Deano — small business-owner, entrepreneur, ad man, copywriter, media buyer, Nile Kinnick historian, Brewer/Packer/Hawkeye fan, card-carrying Leinie Lodge member, "old building and loan pal," grandpa, and dad — happy 60th, old man.

Top 5 Westerblog Posts: 2005-2009

Okay ... so most people do a "Top 10" but we had a pretty dry period there for a while so I feel that the best way to give a clear and accurate picture of our most popular posts (by traffic - thanks Google Analytics) is to start with a simple list of five. So in the spirit of looking forward to 2009 and looking back, here are our top five posts:

1. I'm Nick Westergaard and I Approve This Blog Post
2. Is That Crap Under My Windshield Wiper or Guerilla Marketing?
3. The Swing Marketing Advertised
4. The Monster That Ate the Trade Show
5. Sprinkles the Wonder Dog

Cheers to Chris Brogan for the idea. He observed when he put his list together – using "linked to" as a rating instrument for the posts – that numbered posts got a lot of attention. Hence I shrewdly chose to do a look back/best of list and number the blog title to test that out.

What do you think? What would you like to see more of in 2009? Cast your vote now using the quick poll in the sidebar to the right.

Brand New Year

It's a new year and now that the champagne bottles have been tossed out and the confetti has been cleaned up, we have a lot to do. The economy is in shambles, industries from Wall Street to Main Street are faltering — some with government assistance but most without. We need new strategies to right our course nationally and for our businesses because the old ones just won't work any more. 

At Westergaard Advertising, we have one prediction for the New Year — brands will be bigger than ever. This may sound like a simple overstatement of the obvious but think about it. In a troubled economy you can only lead on price for so long — someone can always go lower and you cannot compete with that, especially when we don't know where the basement is. Where you can establish an edge is in the intangible ...

At the end of the day, it comes back to who your business is. Who your brand is and what kind of equity you've built up. In times of crisis there are two paths for your brand to save the day. 

1. Your brand is impeccable, has always been impeccable, and most of your customers will stick with you through rough times. 
2. You have neglected your brand. Your name doesn't mean much or as much as it used to. 

If you are in the first group,  you don't necessarily have it made. If you are in the second group, all is not lost but you must immediately perform a branding course correction. You must take as many resources as you can muster and put them behind your brand. And I'm not merely talking about a new logo or website but rather taking every decision you make as an opportunity to build brand equity. Do customers come into your business to pick something up? How could you go that extra mile and generate buzz and a positive brand experience? Is there something you could do that would leave your customer obligated to tell all of their friends about your business? 

These are the kind of brand stories you need to cultivate. Even if you are in the first group with an impeccable brand, things are in flux now and you musn't loose site of your brand's state in the ever changing public sphere. Reach out to your customers and wrap them in your brand. Remind them why you are remarkable. 

In short, build your brand in the new year. Keep it at the center of your mission. Put as many dollars toward it as you can spare — think of it as an investment your business' most crucial asset. But there's also a lot you can do that won't cost a dime. Talk to your team. Get their ideas on how to build bulletproof brand loyalty in 2009.  And, most of all, Happy New Year.