Your People Are Your Brand

As a graphic designer and marketing specialist, I'm often approached by clients who ask me to establish, revamp and expand their existing brand presence. To that end, there’s certainly a lot I can do for them. I can devise memorable advertising campaigns, create spiffy logos and visuals, write catchy copy, create social media buzz - and much more. For all that I can offer though, there’s one essential aspect of brand management to which I have little (if any) degree of influence.

I’m speaking of the people who work for you. People, more-so than your logo, the name of your company and scale of your advertising commitment, are the face of your company – your brand!

A client of mine, a restaurant owner, has been able to grow his business simply by investing in the people who work for him. He pays them more than the going rate, but it’s not just the money. From the cooks to the servers, everyone is made to feel part of a family. Staff are routinely consulted on a wide variety of subjects that frequently come to fruition in the form of new menu items and service improvements. Rick’s employees are made to feel as if they have a personal stake in the business’ success, and as a result work smarter and always have a smile on their face. Think his patrons don’t notice? Sure they do – many going so far as to post their experiences on Facebook and Twitter! I'd like to take credit for some of his success, but truthfully, he's doing more to help his own cause by just being a great boss.

From a consumer perspective, I’m a frequent shopper at Steve’s Music Store in Ottawa, Canada – have been for years in fact! What keeps me coming back? It’s not “Steve”, I can assure you of that. Heck, I don’t know who “Steve” is, or even if “Steve” really exists for that matter, but what I do know is that when I go to Steve’s Music Store, I have no trouble finding friendly familiar faces to serve me. They're knowledgeable, yet never pushy. Salespeople they may be, but I always feel like I’m among friends. To me, Steve’s sterling brand is a direct result of my always positive experiences with their staff. I'm not alone in this view.

For many consumers, perception of a brand isn’t defined by a company’s logo or name, but by its reputation. And a company’s reputation, is forged by the relationship consumers have, not just with products and services, but with the people who represent the face of the company.

Next time you find yourself needing to address a branding issue, look first to the people who work for you. They are the biggest brand asset any company can ever hope to have!

Mangled Guitars and Lessons Learned

Today I read an update on the plight of one Dave Schneider, the musician whose treasured 1965 ES-335 Gibson guitar was horribly mangled by Delta baggage handlers a few weeks back. Schneider's efforts to be compensated for his loss were initially met with indifference, forcing him to turn to social media. His story soon went viral.

Good news! All is now well as Mr. Schneider was recently presented with an apology and reimbursement from Delta closer to his $10,000 repair estimate. Even sweeter, Schneider became the recipient of a brand new 50th Anniversary Re-Issue ES-335 from Gibson Guitars - along with an additional offer of free repairs for his damaged original.

Wow! There are so many lessons learned here, it's hard to know where to begin.

For Delta (and all consumer-based businesses for that matter), this is a cautionary tale of what happens when you ignore your customers. In the age of social media, appearance is everything and public relations disasters lurk around every corner. After all, it's not like this type of thing hasn't happened before. 

They say those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

There's a positive angle to this story though. With media attention squarely focused on Mr. Schneider, Gibson Guitars were quick to exploit the situation to score an obvious marketing coup. Their decision to assist Mr. Schneider in his time of need cannot be seen as anything but a wonderful gesture of a caring company keen to acknowledge the loyalty of its customers. Of course, the media was quick to pick up on this aspect of the story as well. That my friends is Marketing Gold!

As quick as social and mainstream media is to report the ugly side of the story, they're often just as quick to publish a good news story. As a good corporate citizen, the best and most obvious marketing moves you can make are to treat your customers right from the outset, while looking for opportunities to right other's wrongs.

Mr. Dressup Inspired Me to Draw

Last week's Google Doodle celebrated the 85^th birthday and life of one of Canada's most beloved children's entertainers, Ernie Coombs - better known by generations north of the 49^th parallel as "Mr. Dressup".

Seeing Google's tribute got me thinking about my earliest artistic influences. No question, Mr. Dressup was one of the first.

From 1967 to 1996, Mr. Dressup was a fixture on Canadian television. The show was broadcast every weekday. Low-budget sets, forgettable songs (theme song excluded) and annoying hand puppets (Finnegan excepted) were a staple. To say the show was quaint would be putting it kindly, yet somehow the congenial Mr. Coombs was able to furnish the show with an air of dignity that made it a perennial favourite for nearly three decades.

As Mr. Dressup, Ernie Coombs was a brilliant communicator - not just as a television personality, but as someone who completely understood and respected his audience. Kids know when they're being given the business, but with Mr. Dressup, it was always real. We knew it and we loved him for it.

For me personally, the stories, songs, dress-up games and hand puppets were all pretty meh, but when it came time for Mr. Dressup to draw, I was mesmerized! Armed with little more than a marker and a drawing easel, Mr. Dressup could make concepts and ideas come alive! His cartoony style was simple, but affecting. So many artists need to sketch out an idea first before applying a finishing line (myself included), but not Mr. Dressup - No siree. He would get it right, first time - every time. His line-work and self-assurance with a pen was legendary. The very picture of efficiency.

In the wake of each show, I would sit down with a bunch of pens and a seemingly endless supply of Jumbo drawing pads (graciously provided by my mother in a futile attempt to discourage me from ruining her collection of paperback novels - to say nothing of the walls, fridge door, etc.), furiously attempting, as best my five year old hands could manage, to replicate the magic I had just witnessed. I don't have any of those early attempts at art to reflect on, but I'm fairly certain I can trace my earliest interests in drawing back to Mr. Dressup.

For that, I thank you Mr. Coombs and wish you a (slightly belated) Happy 85^th Birthday!

The "Twinkie Takers" Have Won

A world without Twinkies? It's difficult to imagine! Dismay and concern permeates social media circles today with news that Hostess plans to declare bankruptcy in the wake of a nationwide strike by company workers. Gastronomically speaking, the disappearance of Twinkies is no big loss, yet there's no denying the cultural significance of the brand. Ads for Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes were ever-present in the comics I grew up with as a kid (check out this Ross Andru drawn touchstone of the silver age):

Not all is lost however for afficianados of the artery clogging treat. Here in Canada, Twinkies are produced by Saputo and are thusly unaffected by the strike. My American friends are always welcome to come up and sample our northern cuisine, which will apparently now include Twinkies alongside Beaver Tails, Tim Horton's Donuts, Poutine and other delights.

(EDIT: I was wrong. Saputo hold the rights, but apparently don't make Twinkies here in Canada. Sorry about that USA. Looks like you're out of luck. You might want to try the Ah Caramels though - they're awesome!)

Quick Thought on the US Election

Still bleary eyed from staying up to watch the US election results, but it was worth it on so many levels. First of all, the guy I was pulling for won, so yay on that, but mainly I stayed up to watch the talking heads blithering back and forth - and also to watch CNN's John King work the magic board. Win on all fronts!

With regards to the acceptance speech, who the heck was that guy? O's speech was full of fire and passion sadly lacking during campaign 2012. He looked downright Presidential! Had that version shown up earlier on the trail, the beat-down would have been even more epic.

Hello

Welcome to my new blog.

Actually it's not that "new". In fact, it's kind of ancient. Only now am I giving thought as to what to do with it.

I'm inclined to write about what I do for a living (graphic design, marketing, etc.). But at the same time, I'm opinionated enough to offer views on a much broader array of subject matter.

What a conundrum.

In time, I expect the blog's raison d'être will come into sharper focus, or maybe it won't. Either way, I'm glad you're here and hope you'll stick around to see where it ends up.