While I was watching the game on television I would swear I was watching a Broncos road game, not a home game. The gold towels waving seemed to outshine the orange and blue home team colors. For a number of years I used to go to all of the Broncos home games. I was always amazed how I felt like a fan in a visiting stadium when the Steelers came to town.

I could never figure out how the Steelers fans were able to get so many Broncos fans to sell their tickets. Steelers fans truly understand what it means to be a brand champion. Who won last night? Just kidding!

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

On Mondays and Fridays I feature people and organizations who understand what it means to be a brand champion. Those organizations who realize that a sustainable brand is based on mission and core values. Those people who are passionate about their brand and connect to the mission and core values of the organizations that they advocate. I can not think of a better example of the connection between brand and its champions than YouTube.

Like most emerging media and social networking sites, YouTube started out connecting people by mostly personal ways. Soon businesses realized there are opportunities to recruit and retain brand champions by utilizing videos shared and discovered on YouTube. Like other search sites including Google, Bing and Yahoo, YouTube is quickly becoming a go to place to gather information about people and companies.

I find myself using YouTube more and more to do research and share information with others. I also realize that it needs to be more a part of my brand strategy. I know some of you have seen this video, but I think it is a great example of how to use YouTube to share thoughts about brand and social media. How do you use YouTube as a strategic communications tool to recruit and retain champions for your brand? 

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

That is the title of the next gathering for attendees to discuss, debate and share answers at the Brand Cafe in Denver, Colorado. yesterday I posted some thoughts about managing a brand being a lifetime of work. One of the reasons is because brand, communications and marketing professionals need to constantly help stakeholders understand the value of brand and gain their buy-in at every step of the way.

At every stage of the brand development process, getting buy-in is necessary for a brand strategy to be sustainable. Even before brand projects begin there are skeptics, and at every stage there are more. So, how do we create value for our brand building efforts to satisfy all of our stakeholder groups?

People often associate brand with a silly tagline or a bad advertising campaign. How do we help others understand that brand building is about developing a sustainable strategy based on mission, core values and stakeholder engagement? How do we get the finance department to support funding a major initiative? How do we counsel our clients so they can get funding for their brand building efforts?

Come share your experiences and challenges for getting buy-in to brand development projects you have been involved with, or ask the experts for advice on how to accomplish this critical phase of brand building. Come understand what it means to be a brand champion. 

I look forward to seeing locals at the next Brand Cafe.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

That is a quote that I often use and cite from the source, Howard Schultz, Chairman, Starbucks. I thought about that appropriate comment yesterday as I was reading about Starbucks' performance this year vs. last year. Starbucks reportedly earned $150 million during the quarter that ended in September. Last year it earned $5.4 million.

Starbucks is a great example of an international brand that is in it for the long haul. yes, they have their peaks and valleys just like any other brand. But, unlike most, they understand that a brand is only as important as how you engage your employees in the brand building process and how well you bring to life your mission and core values.

Well, I am off for a meeting at my local Starbucks for an on-brand experience. What am I meeting about? Talking to an associate about the fact that managing a brand is a lifetime of work. What a great world. 

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

After reading the compelling story about the class of 2009 and the author's own experiences, I thought it would be appropriate to reach out to her and ask her to share some additional views about what she thinks it means to be a brand champion during these challenging times. Here is what Stephanie Johnson says about being a brand champion.

"Since I became a college graduate last May, the recession has taught me a number of things, most of them not so pleasant. But one lesson I'm glad I learned is this: sometimes the place you want to leave is exactly the place you need to be.
    "I started a reporting job after graduation with a 30,000-circulation agricultural newspaper called Tri-State Neighbor in Sioux Falls, S.D. Though I grew up on a cattle ranch in West River, S.D., I had big dreams of writing hard-hitting news in Miami, Chicago or New York.
What I ended up doing ­ interviews at local dairies and stories about tractors ­ left me unsatisfied.
    "Unsatisfied, that is, until a few months ago. I wrote about my job-hunting experience and had the wonderful opportunity to publish my essay in The Chronicle of Higher Education. I had an amazing response from readers, most of whom reminded me that life isn't hinged on one's job and that opportunities never cease to appear. Even though I want to take my writing to the highest level possible, I'm content these days promoting an industry that I love deeply: agriculture.
    "This is where branding comes in. Agriculture as a whole needs to brand itself in a way that Americans, namely ³city-folk,² can understand. Now that people are two or three generations away from the farm, they've forgotten what agriculture means and how it works. Sometimes being a brand champion isn't about sending new messages, but reminding people about messages they already know.
    "Take livestock production, for example. Treating animals humanely, whether it's on a family ranch or a large-scale feedlot, is a producer's number one priority. Treating them poorly neither makes economic sense nor satisfies a producer's moral responsibility as a caretaker (and most do feel moral duty in their hearts). Livestock producers need to remind people of our innate love and respect for our animals because, if the growing support for extremist animal rights groups is any evidence, people don't see us as we are.
    "Agriculture has nothing to hide. We don't need some fancy message or a windy PR campaign to brand our daily work. All we need to do is emphasize the truths of our industry ­ and tell them over and over. I'm tired to hearing lies about how America's ethanol industry is causing deforestation in South America and how eating meat is equal to promoting animal slavery.
Can our industry improve itself? Of course. By working to brand people in agriculture as stewards of the land and its livestock animals, we can also better our practices to include more sustainable energy, less fossil fuels and additional protection of the environment.
    "It feels awesome to help the farmers and ranchers in my state by delivering the ag message every day. And if I can inspire others to promote this industry, then I know I've done my job as a brand champion."

Stephanie Johnson

Tri-State Neighbor

Stephanie, thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share with us your take on what it means to be a brand champion. You are a fantastic writer and someone who will go far in her career. I anticipate you are rapidly gaining champions for your brand. I know I am, and as a result, you are the Brand Champion of the Day!

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Tonight I will be engaged in a discussion on this topic as the next step in the brand development process for an organization that I have been working with for the past year. I look forward to conversations about how best to create standards that helps ensure consistence use of graphic standards and a guide for delivering the organization's brand promise, as well as developing a culture to support the mission and core values.

In the 20th century most companies approached this critical step by limiting their view and execution to a standards manual that contained ways to use or not use the company's visual identity. How best to implement a logo or tagline. While this is an important component, many stakeholders think this only applies to the graphics people, or that this becomes the "rule book." Most people don't like to think about rules.

Another approach, a 21st century approach is to design a brand book that captures the essence of the organization and helps develop a culture to support the organization's mission and core values. A great example is the Starbucks' Green Apron Book. Designed to look and feel like a company passport, this pocket-sized book includes the company's mission, core values and expected behavior for being a champion of the brand. There is usually a copy for sale on e-bay so take a look.

How does your organization approach brand standards to recruit and retain your brand champions?

That sounds cool to most people. Then I tell them that the process takes time. All of a sudden that does not sound so cool. So people, often marketers or agencies persuade the organizations they work for or with to do something really cool like change our logo, come up with a trendy tagline or spend a bunch of money on an advertising campaign that will blow away our customers! Those approaches may look and sound cool today, but a week month or year later,they are not so cool any more. Why, because they are not sustainable. In the end they dilute our brand and scare away our brand champions.

Get your ducks in a row by developing a brand strategy based on your mission, core values and getting your stakeholders engaged. That process will result in the ability to recruit and retain your brand champions, both internal and external.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

Now that we are at the one year anniversary of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States many are asking themselves and others, is Obama delivering on his brand promise?. As you know, many voted for him because he promised to deliver change and hope. That promise related to the war, the economy, international relations, health care, bi-partisan politics and more. So have things changed? Is there still hope? I think it too early to call.

When I work with organizations to help them develop a promise statement as part of their brand platform, I tell them that it will probably take a year or two to see measurable outcomes. Intangible outcomes can take a while too. For example, if an organization is looking to create a culture of collaboration, there should be some evidence of change early, but depending upon how much change is expected that could take years. In the case of Obama, I think he was talking about changing the culture of politics in Washington, D.C. While noble, that type of change could take two terms of office or beyond.

I think Obama was telling his constituents to hope for the United States to re-establish credibility internationally. I believe there is evidence of increased respect around the world. That said, I am convinced that his decision on what to do in Afghanistan and Iraq, and what to do now, will ultimately determine whether or not he delivers on his promise of hope and change.

Didn't most people become brand champions of the Obama brand because he promised to end the war(s)?

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog

The annual event which encourages men to grow a mustache during the month of November and for women to be supportive originated in Australia. As I have said before the Aussies get branding. At the end of the month there is a celebration at venues around the world to celebrate the cause and the money raised. Thus far Movember has generated approximately $47 million for education and research.

For all you do, Movember, you are the Brand Champion of the Day!

A couple of days ago I posted some thoughts about Chad Johnson changing his brand to Chad OchoCinco. As I mentioned then I am rarely an advocate of name changes because organizations and people have so much equity in the name. To discard that might prove harmful. In the case of AARP, I think that change was warranted. I also think the attempt to recruit and retain younger brand champions is a sound move. We need to help everyone be financially literate.

However, for the vast majority of organizations, changing their brand can be the final straw. Just because the world is changing at warp speed and the economy is still hindering much of the economies around the world, that is not the reason to change your brand. In fact, now it is more important than ever that we think about our brand in terms of our name and what that name stands for. Our mission and core values should be guiding what we do. Not the economy or what might appear to be the need too flexible with our brand. We need to retain our brand champions.

Rex Whisman

Brand Champions Blog