Ryan Lochte and The One Stupid Thing You Won’t Do

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Coin - Leave a comment

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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Last night was the first this summer that I couldn’t sit in shorts on my balcony.  Because it was too cold.

In the heat of July and August, it is possible to fantasize it is impossible the cold will return.  Even during yesterday’s daytime, there was no hint of a chill in the air.

But in the end it was here today, gone tonight.  Makes me think of Ryan Lochte’s brand – which I avoided commenting on when his story broke, much to the surprise of some readers.  I didn’t think I could possibly add anything of value to a story that had no nuances or conflicting points of view.  Lochte did something unequivocally stupid, and his brand value sank like a stone.  The end.

But the suddenness of the night chill manifested the following angle. 

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There are certain things, over which you have no control, which may cause the value of your brand to diminish.  Like the weather or the economy or Donald Trump getting elected, you can wear a sweater or hoard cash or build a bomb shelter, but you ultimately cannot control them.

ryan lochte jimmy fallon

Then, in contrast, are the things most definitely inside your ability to control.  Chief among these things are stupid things.  It’s like the so-called Obama Doctrine: “Don’t do stupid sh*t.”

It should be noted that even this seemingly obvious statement could be controversial.  Obama, angered by Hillary Clinton’s argument that “’Don’t do stupid sh*t’ is not an organizing principle,” was said to wonder “Who exactly is in the stupid sh*t caucus?  Who is pro-stupid sh*t?”

Ryan Lochte, apparently.

Fortunately, we don’t have to join him in the pool.  We simply have to contemplate our own weaknesses and draft a list of stupid things – things that would seriously damage our brands – we won’t do.

For simplicity, and because pride and time pressure compels me not to share my complete list of foibles with you, let’s just think of one.  Mine:  Be anything less than fully prepared for a meeting.  Have any of my potential and actual clients ever realized I was in this state?  Probably.  But I may never know, and neither may you.

What’s yours?

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On The National Tonight

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Coin - Leave a comment

I had an enjoyable interview at CBC studios today with Deana Sumanac on the resignation of Q host Shad and his replacement by CBC Radio Two host Tom Power.

Click here to watch the video.

andris pone on the national re shad, q and ghomeshi

What does this say about the strength – or lack thereof – of the Q brand?  Were Ghomeshi’s shoes simply too big to fill?

Watch Deana’s report on The National tonight at:
-10 on the CBC main network
-9 on CBC News Network
-9 on www.cbc.ca

Andris.

 

Andris with Deana Sumanac CBC

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I Give Trump the Gold Medal

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Coin - Leave a comment

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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What’s the biggest brand in the world?  It’s not Apple.  Or Google.  Or Microsoft or Coca-Cola or Facebook or McDonald’s.

Not for me, anyway. 

The above are the brands defined by Forbes as the top five Most Valuable in 2016, calculated through a formula involving EBIT and price-to-earnings multiples.

I think it’s a lot more interesting to work from the definition of brand, being what people think of you.  It’s a definition that begs the question:  which brands stoke within you the most powerful thoughts and feelings, good and bad?  Which are the richest with meaning?

Microsoft?  Give me a break. 

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Sure, they have among the highest awareness in the world.  And true, there are many millions of people who love to hate them.  But this is not a brand abundant with meaning.  Ditto for IBM, GE, AT&T, Cisco or Oracle – some of the other brands in Forbes’ tech-heavy top 20.

So let’s broaden our focus in two ways.  First, by assessing brands on what you think/feel about them: what they mean to you.  And second, by throwing off Forbes’ limited interpretation of what qualifies as a brand in the first place.

It is not only companies and products that can be brands.  A brand is anyone or anything that anyone has ever thought about.  These things and people can, depending on your point of view, be good or bad or even evil things.  Most prominently, this list includes any human being, your pet, political parties and organizations, countries and regions, educational and religious institutions, terrorist groups, musicians and entertainers and that coffee shop or dry cleaner you love or hate down the street.

Based upon these criteria, and given that the Olympics are on, which brands in your world get the gold, silver and bronze – and why?

In reverse order, my personal podium looks like this:

Bronze: ISIS.  Does this mean I like these clowns?  Negative.  But they provoke profound fear and loathing and constant headlines around the world.  Related, note that I used the ISIS acronym as opposed to the other names this organization is known by, such as Daesh or IS or Islamic State.  Proving that some names have more power than others, ISIS as a moniker has the highest ranking in the public consciousness because it is the easiest to say.

Silver:  Harvard.  Harvard has always been fascinating to me because I can imagine no single word in any language that commands such deep respect – instantaneously ­– year after year, decade after decade.  All you have to do is say “so and so went to Harvard” and the conversation is over – except for the one other word very likely to be uttered in response:  “wow.”­

And obviously you can tell I didn’t go to Yale.

donald trump

Gold:  Donald Trump.  Does this mean I like this clown?  Personally, no.  But there is presently no match for the level of apoplexy he provokes.

One of the beauties of this exercise is that you cannot possibly be wrong.  Because there is no “wrong.”  Your thoughts are yours, so whatever you think is 100% correct.  Even better, you can change your mind:  because of the fleeting nature of what occupies our thoughts, the way your list looks next month or next year could be very different than today.

So:  what does your podium look like?

Posted in brand awareness, brand equity, brand names, positioning, what is a brand? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Will Ferrell’s Joke About Life (Insurance)

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Coin - 2 Comments

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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Summer is the time of fun and laughter, and in that vein I found myself this week watching a 2011 YouTube video of Will Ferrell’s acceptance speech for the most esteemed honour in American humour, the Mark Twain Prize.

Insofar as an award for comedy can be a serious matter, to be bestowed the Twain Prize is as heavyweight as it gets: past winners include Carol Burnett, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, George Carlin and Tina Fey.

Ferrell’s speech was of course a comedy routine, delivered to the most discriminating audience conceivable: 2,000 of his comedic peers at the Kennedy Center in New York.

To gales of shocked laughter, Ferrell began by fumbling the physical manifestation of the award, a Twain bust, smashing it to smithereens on the stage.

But what really caught my attention was what happened at 4:50.
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That was the moment at which Ferrell confided what he had truly wanted to do with his life.

“You have to understand that as a kid growing up in Irvine, California, where I would sit in my room and listen to records of Steve Martin, and the original Saturday Night Live cast, or stay up late and watch Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show to see what comedians he would have on, I had one dream. One singular focus, even at the earliest age. I can remember wanting to do one thing, and one thing only. Sell insurance.”

Will Ferrell acceptance speech Mark Twain Prize

Imagine: one of the most brilliant comedic minds of his generation, when preparing his speech for the highest honour he may ever receive, pondered which career was diametrically opposed to fun, to happiness, to fulfillment and to a meaningful contribution to society. And he came up with insurance sales.

The audience in attendance found it very funny, but to me it is ultimately sad. Because I have helped many elite advisors in the life insurance business uncover why they do what they do. And what unique value they want to, and do, offer the world.

And without exception, their motivations are pure and their positive impact is real. In essence, they want to live a good life, one that is dependent upon helping others and their loved ones do the same.

Why, then, did Ferrell’s joke elicit such a belly laugh? Because, as with all great humour, there was an element of truth to it. Because a brand is what people think of you, and the life insurance industry has a very serious brand problem: there is a pervasive belief that someone selling life insurance is unprofessional, self-serving and pushy, that the insurance companies don’t pay out, and that the product itself is unnecessary.

Oh yeah, and it forces people to think about their own death.

Because of these perceptions – which again have kernels of truth but are not the main story – the public’s rate of life insurance literacy is low. As is adoption: only 70% of Canadians and 62% of Americans have life insurance.

Care to guess what percentage of these people is going to die?

The life insurance industry is in profound need of a rebrand. This categorically does not mean running some persuasive TV ads and leaving it at that. A brand, along with being defined as what people think of you, is culture. Thus the only way to change the outward perception of the industry is to first change that culture.

That can only begin with a brutally honest assessment and acknowledgement of the aforementioned kernels of truth, followed by programs and expectations that bring all advisors, not just the elite, up to the highest standards of professionalism. Then these advisors, led by the firms they work for, must do the painstaking work of changing clients’ perceptions, one at a time.

It’s going to be a long haul.  But it’s the only way the industry can get past being a punch line.

Posted in brand culture, rebranding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

You Deserve Better

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Coin - Leave a comment

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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In the season of the summer read, perhaps the most important story you could consider is your own.  What is it, exactly?  And how well or poorly are you telling it?

If we are honest with ourselves, there is almost always a gap between what we want our brand story to be, and the way it’s actually being communicated.  The antidote to this brand gap, as straightforward as it is difficult, is superior talent and execution.

Just ask Ontario.  If you’ve seen the new video ads run by the province’s tourism commission, I don’t need to tell you how stunningly remarkable they are.

How so?

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The product hasn’t changed:  Ontario is still Ontario.   But wait:  these ads actually have the audacity to not show the CN Tower.  To not show Parliament.  To not show Niagara Falls or the Blue Jays.  These ads show none of that – at least not in a way that is instantly identifiable.   And so the campaign’s tagline:  Where am I?

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These ads, executed with a goosebumpingly-high level of expertise, make Ontario look like a place you’ve never been before.  Ontario’s slogan, Yours to Discover, has adorned its license plates since 1982.  But this is the first time in those 34 years that the province’s promotions have really knocked that core promise out of the park.

This is the first time the brand story has been masterfully well told.

Don’t wait that long.

Posted in brand advertising, brand positioning, brand promise, brand stories, country branding, key messaging, positioning, remark-able, taglines | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Brand Suicide of Black Lives Matter

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Coin - Leave a comment

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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The Canadian arm of Black Lives Matter has just declared Toronto mayor John Tory a non-person.  It is an absurdly ironic move for an organization that, in its American iteration at least, is doing the painstaking work of waking the white community up – from a slumber several hundred years long – to the fact that the lives of US blacks are indeed worth less than their Caucasian counterparts.

Tory’s crime was to write a letter supporting future participation by the Toronto Police in the Pride parade, against the backdrop of BLM’s demand that police floats be banned.  In response, BLM told Tory to “stay in his lane” and that “we are not interested in his sound bites…we are not interested in his vapid interests in the community.”

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And also:  “We want to make it very clear to Mayor Tory … that this is an issue between the LGBT community, the black community, Pride and the community at large.”

There is an obvious logical contradiction in a statement that the mayor of Toronto is the only person in Toronto without a right to speak on an issue that affects Toronto.  But that wasn’t the meaning intended by BLM anyway.  The intended meaning was that any prominent person who disagrees with BLM is a non-person.  One who should shut his or her mouth.  And that should concern us all.

A brand is what people think of you, and last week the Canadian arm of BLM proved itself highly effective at creating brand awareness, despite what one may think of its tactics.  This week, however, they have quite likely committed brand suicide by ridiculously denigrating the integrity of the first non-black recipient of a Harry Jerome award, the premier recognition bestowed by the African-Canadian community.

John Tory also happens to be universally recognized as one of the most decent, thoughtful, honest and caring civic leaders anywhere.  That’s his brand, and it’s solid as rock.  And it is transcendent:  it matters not whether a given Torontonian voted for him, because people everywhere in this city will speak out to defend not just his right but his obligation to speak on behalf of everyone who lives here.

How can the Canadian division of Black Lives Matter save itself?  By cashing in its brand awareness.  It has obviously got our attention.  Just as obviously, it cannot continue to alienate the key players from whom it seeks action and change.  Cashing in its awareness means compromising on its positions, as in withdrawing its demand for no future police floats – something that costs BLM nothing because there is absolutely no way that Pride and the city are going to abide by that demand anyway.  And it means a real apology to John Tory, not one of those weasel-worded “if you were offended” numbers.

Why should we care if BLM saves itself?  Because, especially set against the horrifying events in the United States, we should be very carefully examining the scope of racism, in our police forces and in the broader public, here.  BLM may have valid points to make.  If only it could let us see them, by getting out of its own way.

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Brexit Bloody Well On-Brand

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Coin - 2 Comments

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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What the Brits have done is simply live up to their brand:  scrappy and strong, fiercely independent, confident beyond compare and utterly unique.

And let’s face it:  they didn’t leave Europe, they never joined it.  Their national mindset has always been one of apartness and singularity, their separation from the continent just as much a state of mind as the very real and cold physicality of the English Channel.

It is not trite but true:  they are an island unto themselves.  Perhaps they are naifs in our fundamentally evermore connected world – as rollercoastering financial markets, all around the globe, proved overnight and continue to demonstrate today.

But perhaps not.

Either way – because they’re perhaps the clearest, most consistent country brand in the world – we bloody well should have known.

Posted in brand authenticity, brand character, brand differentiation, country branding, positioning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Happiest Place on Earth

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Coin - 1 Comment

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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Disney’s tagline, The Happiest Place on Earth, is the world’s biggest, boldest brand promise.  

People come from all around the planet to experience that promise.  Especially families.  And even more especially, children – for whom there cannot possibly be a parental announcement more exciting than of an upcoming Disney cruise or theme park visit. 

Three days ago, Disney failed on its promise in the most unimaginably horrible way.

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Two-year old Lane Graves of Nebraska was with his family, on the beach of a man-made lagoon inside Disney World in Orlando, watching the outdoor screening of a movie.  Lane was playing at the water’s edge.  An alligator appeared and dragged him to his death.  His father fought the animal to no avail.

I am not an alligator expert.  I look to reports from CNN and the Washington Post, which articulate that:

-Florida has more alligators, more than one million, than any other US state.

–Floridians know that gators are a constant threat, and that extreme caution must be exercised when near almost any body of water.  “The danger is so ingrained in the general public that many small bodies of water lack posted warnings.”

-There were signs on the beach that said “No Swimming,” but there were no signs warning about alligators.

–There has not been a fatal alligator attack at Disney World in the park’s 50 years of existence.

For me, the bottom line is this:  with the world’s biggest brand promise comes the world’s biggest responsibility to deliver on it.  Disney does not have an average, typical or normal level of responsibility to ensure the safety of its customers.  Instead, a higher standard applies, because it is a superlative proposition – happiest on earth – upon which the organization trades, to the point of building a behemoth valued at $160 billion and in the world’s top three media companies.

This higher standard would apply even if every one of their customers were from the state of Florida.  Which they are not.  Between 18% and 22% of the 52 million people who visit Disney World each year are from outside the United States.  That’s in the area of 10 million people – setting aside the surely even larger cohort that comes from other US states.  Put simply, Disney was built and thrives upon people who come from away.

These tourists, like Tyler and his family from the Midwest, cannot be expected to possess – to repeat, like every Floridian does – a hard-wired awareness that one must always beware of gators, especially near the water.  Their ignorance is even more understandable in the absence of explicit warning signs or messages on a man-made beach, on a man-made lagoon, on the grounds of the very organization – Disney – ­that has the world’s strongest reputation for delivering an unparalleled experience, one based on crossing every imaginable t and dotting every imaginable i.

Of doing everything imaginable to deliver happiness.

Posted in brand differentiation, brand experience, brand promise, positioning, taglines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Courage

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Coin - 4 Comments

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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For my money, it was one of the best newspaper headlines ever written.  Anyone passingly familiar with the songs of the Tragically Hip will instantly recognize it as one of the band’s biggest hits, and anyone who has ever heard of Gord Downie – which is pretty much every Canadian, now – will instantly feel its bittersweet and profound depth of meaning.



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Why is this headline so great?  Because it is so true.  And because it sums up an entire life, and the music of that life, and the joy that that music has brought into millions of other lives, in one word.

Continue reading →

Posted in brand authenticity, brand copywriting, brand messaging, key messaging, personal branding, positioning, taglines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sophie Scares Us

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Coin - Leave a comment

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By Andris Pone – President, Coin Branding

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Sophie’s crime?  Being popular.  And beautiful.  And articulate, stylish, pleasant, warm and giving.  

In sum, she has a strong personal brand, one that rubs some people the wrong way.  

Because she is Canadian, after all, in a country deeply conflicted about success.  

And she is merely a wife.

So here must be our new mission statement:  Keep Sophie down.  

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How many administrative staff does she have?  Imagine, for a moment, nothing.  Nothing.

Now, add one to it.

There.  Now you have the total number of admin staff that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has working for her.  Well, you may be saying, the increase from zero to one is in fact an infinite increase in staff, because zero is nothing.  And nobody, certainly not the unelected spouse of an elected, big-elbowed leader, deserves an infinite increase in staff (especially if I didn’t vote for him).  Do you think I can’t add or something?

Ditto for a 100% increase, from one body to two, which is what Sophie had the ridiculous temerity to ask for.

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These are the kinds of attitudes that keep a country small.  That keep its brand, being what people think of it, small.  And let’s not kid ourselves:  we don’t matter for nearly as much as we think we do.  Jeffrey Simpson has been the Globe and Mail’s top national affairs columnist since at least I was a teenager, and last week he wrote about an international “Best Countries” survey that placed Canada’s brand as #2 in the world.  As very strong on many dimensions including human rights, and as best in the world on quality of life.

But as Simpson reports, the survey also finds us to be “nowhere in having an international cultural impact [and] a terrible 3.1 out of 10 for being a world ‘leader.'”

And then Simpson says this:  “These and many other surveys of Canada’s small impact in the world, alas, will not change the citizens’ sense of Canada as a moral superpower.”

So true.  Canada’s high sense of self-regard is, on some dimensions, vastly disconnected from its brand as perceived by the rest of the world.  Could this be because we are not willing to do things that greatness requires?  Like nudging up spending on defence (in which we earned 0.5 points out of 10), an area in which Simpson points out we’re a well-known “free rider”?

Fine.  That is never going to happen. But how about spending somewhere, I would imagine, between fifteen and fifty thousand dollars a year on a second admin assistant for someone whose help the people of Canada are clamouring to acquire?  So she can say “yes” to as many as possible of the speaking requests that are pouring in, from charitable organizations hoping she will help raise money, so they can do their important work?

Or is she just too good for us?

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PS See this excerpt from “The Hacking of Tall Poppy Sophie Grégoire Trudeau,” by the CBC’s Neil Macdonald:

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Posted in brand character, country branding, personal branding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment