Photo by Jus' fi on Flickr

Should startups worry about brands?

This is the question that a venture capitalist from Silicon Valley, Larry Kubal, asks in his thought-provoking article.¹

Kubal’s short answer is YES. According to him, venture capitalists should make sure that brand is taken care of by web startups before any investments are made, “For VCs currently paying far more attention to consumer facing Internet businesses than they have in quite some time, ‘word of mouth’ has taken on a whole new meaning.”

ELEMENTS OF BRANDING

The elements of branding that Kubal gives as important to consider by startups (and venture capitalists who assess them) boil down to:

• viral marketing

• intuitive messaging

• word of mouth branding

But are these the only elements of brand that startups should worry about? In my experience of working with companies seeking market entry, the notion of brand goes much deeper than this.

DIG DEEPER!

Venture capitalists should dig much deeper into brand strategy when they do their due diligence on startups.

Especially when it comes to web startups, my experience is that techies may well think about going “viral”, but what they are often not well equipped to think about is the consumer, as well as product design suited for the consumer! They often assume that consumers are as “geeky” as they are themselves!

So, it is not only a detailed plan of how a startup plans to be viral that venture capitalists should look for when they do their due diligence about brand.

They should dig much deeper than that. Good branding is not only about promotions and word of mouth. The key is to assess whether a startup thinks in terms of brand strategy or not.

WHAT IS BRAND STRATEGY?

A brand strategy begins with product design and consumer intelligence, and continues through the design and delivery of promotional materials, promotional strategy, customer dialogue, distribution…. All of which is important if you want to build a funky brand.

Importantly, a good brand strategy should be embedded within the company’s DNA. If you don’t get the DNA right from the start, it will be very hard to fix later – you simply can’t afford your company DNA, and with this, your brand strategy to be an afterthought!

WHY STARTUPS RARELY THINK ABOUT BRAND STRATEGY

Unfortunately, thinking in terms of brand strategy is very rare among web startups, for various reasons. I’ve touched upon some of them on several occasions. For instance, see SCHMOOZY FOX’s thoughts about web and mobile startups here or check our tips on how to craft a smart marketing strategy if you are a web startup.

Of course, VCs might themselves be more attentive to these aspects than the average techie. One would certainly hope so. Nonetheless, the fact remains that huge amounts of time and money – including VC money – are poured into web enterprises that have no chance of taking off because they have not thought through consumer needs, product design and communication.

SCHMOOZY FOX works with web startups to help them incorporate brand strategy early on into their recipe for future success.

1. The article was published by The Venture Capital Journal in November 2005. You can download the full text from this page , scroll down to “November 2005”, it’s there!

First, there’s a group called FUNKY BRANDS.

Here is a direct link to this new LinkedIn group and I invite you to join it!

Another LinkedIn group recently created by SCHMOOZY FOX  is called Affordable Luxury.  It is also very relevant to all those who are in the business of building innovative, striking (aka “funky”) brands. Here is the direct link to this LinkedIn Group.

In one of my previous articles called How Funky Brands Can Be Profitable, I discussed how a consumer product or service could succeed if positioned in the affordable luxury segment.  This segment can also referred to as mass luxury or new luxury.

From SCHMOOZY FOX’s perspective, there’s a close link between two groups.

In fact:

The Affordable Luxury group falls nicely with the concept of funky brands.

There are several ways of looking at it.

In fact, most of SCHMOOZY FOX’s clients are consumer goods or services seeking to craft a brand strategy that will aim at their positioning as affordable luxury brands. And in our experience, most funky brands are exactly affordable luxury products or services!

Just have a look at our Funky Brand Interviews with all those brilliant businesses that have been built based around such elements as creativity, design, affordable luxury and fun!

SCHMOOZY FOX invites you to become members of one of both groups on LinkedIn!

Schmoozing and fun are guaranteed!

Miquel Fluxa from Camper

Camper shoes was one of the first funky brands featured on this blog back in 2008.  When Camper opened its shop in Brussels, I thought that a Funky Brand Interview would be spot on for SCHMOOZY FOX’s blog.

And here it is! I had a chance to talk to Miquel Fluxà from Camper.  A son of Lorenzo Fluxà who founded Camper in 1975, he is responsible for business development and brand extensions at Camper. Educated at ESADE and Stern Business School in New York, where he studied business administration, Miquel thinks that one of his professional strengths is the ability to understand and work with creative people such as designers.

The Mamba shoe

“I am not sure if I can call myself creative, at least in the sense of expressing myself through visual arts. But creativity is a very important element at Camper, and I very much enjoy working with highly creative designers who develop shoe designs, as well as those who have collaborated with us on our Casa Camper hotel chain project.”

Casa Camper in Berlin

SCHMOOZY FOX welcomes Miquel Fluxà to the blog about funky brands! All images in this interview were provided to SCHMOOZY FOX courtesy of Camper.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Miquel, first of all, what makes Camper shoes a funky brand?

Miquel Fluxà: Camper is without any doubt a FUNKY BRAND according to SCHMOOZY FOX’s definition!

We are constantly working on delivering new ideas to the market and we do it with passion and creativity. We think differently and we want to be seen different, although not in a loud, showy way, but with austerity and discretion.

We are serious about what we do, but do not take ourselves too seriously, so we like to add a twist of understated imagination and irony to everything we do. We have a strong core belief that we try to transmit to consumers through product, retail and communication so that they can feel the Camper experience.

SCHMOOZY FOX: And now, could you characterize the Camper brand by only 3 words? What would they be?

Miquel Fluxà: Authentic, thoughtful and imaginative. We are authentic because we have been shoe-makers for over 130 years and we are committed to the long term.

Camper on Madison Avenue in NYC

Quality and craftsmanship remain at the heart of what we do and what we are. We are thoughtful and caring with the people, culture and environment where we work. Camper means “peasant” in Catalan and we have always been connected to the Mediterranean rural world.

And imagination and creativity have always been in the core of the company, applied into every process from the pre-production phase until the recycling, always trying to do things in a different way.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Could one say that these are also the reasons why customers like Camper?

Camper store in London

Miquel Fluxà: Yes, we think so!

We believe that our consumers know Camper values and share them. Our products reflect what we are: our know-how and creativity have always been the common thread of our collections, and we have now taken this to an upper level: Extraordinary Crafts, Creative Quality and Quality Execution, under which we combine our passion and experience with new ideas to create shoes that are useful, innovative and full of personality.

We think that this is something that our consumers take deeply into consideration when they decide to purchase a pair of Camper shoes.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Camper was founded by your father. What made you decide to join forces with your father and continue building Camper as a family business?

Miquel Fluxà: Although Camper as a brand was founded by my father in 1975, the origins of the company go back to 1877, when my great-grandfather founded the first shoe factory in Spain and later  my grandfather continued with the factory. That makes us the fourth generation.

Although there was nothing planned and we had no obligation to continue building Camper, there is an important sentiment of responsibility of continuing the family business.

It also a great luck to work in company like Camper, which is an international company with fantastic people working all over the world, an interesting company with great projects, and based in a fantastic place like Mallorca!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Camper has a worldwide presence. What do you think are the countries where Camper is loved most?

Miquel Fluxà: Considering that the Spanish and European and some Asian countries like Japan and Taiwan consolidations took place in the 80s and 90s respectively, the presence of Camper in these mature markets is broader than in the new ones. However, the last decade has represented the introduction and development of the brand in the United States, Asia, Australia and more recently Russia.

We are confident that Camper lovers can be everywhere in the world. New technologies such as the social media have allowed us to collect information about unexplored markets and we are surprised of the quantity of fans that Camper has in countries where we do not even have a selling structure.

SCHMOOZY FOX: What are the main distribution channels Camper uses?

Miquel Fluxà: Camper is distributed through its own stores that we operate directly, and through multi-brand stores and department stores. The wholesale activity is currently the most important one.

The company was born in 1975 and during the first years the products were marketed only through multi-brand stores. However, we realized that the best way to create a whole Camper experience for our customers was by setting spaces that would allow them to interact with the shoes and the brand.

As a consequence of this reflection, in 1981 we opened our first store in Barcelona, and in 1992 we opened our first store outside Spain in Saint Germain in Paris.

SCHMOOZY FOX: As regards your online shop, what are the challenges and advantages for the consumer to buy a pair of shoes online ? What do you do in order to bring the in-store buying experience to the online world?

Miquel Fluxà: Probably the biggest challenge for us is to enhance consumers’ online purchase experience when they decide to buy shoes through our online shop and, therefore, we focus on three different factors.

First, we provide customers with as much information as possible about the shoes: detailed description, high quality pictures from different angles, quick search menu. Then, we seek excellence in our pre-sale and after sale customer service. Finally, we want the online purchase to be a total Camper experience as it would be to buy in a physical store.

For us the online store is another Camper store, only with a different format and approach to the customer, and we consecrate our efforts to ensure that the customers feel that they are at a Camper store, providing them with the same quality, service and warranties.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Finally, how does Camper plan to continue being a funky brand in the future?

Miquel Fluxà: We will keep on trying to make creative shoes, executed with quality and comfort and maintaining our commitment to sustainability. We will continue increasing our creative network with consolidated and future talents. But above all, we will remain faithful to our origins and values!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Thanks for this interview, and I wish you a lot of success with Camper!

Photo by Theresa Thompson on Flickr

Today, SCHMOOZY FOX’s  Funky Brand Interviews are turning one!

Since last June, we’ve interviewed founders and top managers of some of the funkiest brands out there. In each of these interviews SCHMOOZY FOX has tried to uncover personalities and interests of real people behind brands, as well as learn insights into these innovative companies from a personal perspective of people who work there.

From the Dutch lingerie queen, to a talented photographer who helps people build funky personal brands, to a funky T-shirt brand and a top luxury fashion designer -- all of our interviewees could identify with SCHMOOZY FOX’s concept of funky brands. And this is definitely something to celebrate!

Below is the list of all SCHMOOZY FOX’s Funky Brand Interviews to date, and there will be more funky ones coming soon!

And don’t forget, we’ll continue to celebrate throughout the summer! If you are a funky (or funky-to-be) startup, you can learn how you can benefit from some top-notch brand strategy coaching that we’ve arranged for you FREE of charge! Learn more here.

OUR FUNKY BRAND INTERVIEWS TO DATE

Interview with Rowan Gormley, CEO of Naked Wines

Interview with Marlies Dekkers, the Dutch “lingerie queen”

Interview with artist Thaneeya McArdle

Interview with Kyan Foroughi, CEO of Boticca,com, an online jewellery market place

Interview with James Payne from Baileys Irish Cream

Interview with Tekin Tatar from BeFunky.com

Interview with Wim Somers from Theo

Interview with founders of Lotty Dotty

Interview with Michael Chia, a photographer who helps build funky personal brands

Interview with Martin Bachmann, CEO of Maurice Lacroix watches

Interview with Anders Wall, CEO of Biomega bikes

Interview with fashion designer Tim Van Steenbergen

And here is another baboushka story for you!

I’ve just come across this post about a recently redesigned bottle for an Australian-produced vodka called Baboushka. While purely from the design point of view I find the bottle design quite okay, there are some details that struck me in the text of the article, namely:

1) According to the article, the agency that redesigned the bottle, “built an emotional brand story around the existing ‘Baboushka’ name avoiding Russian vodka inspired clichés.” I wonder  how  can such a truly Russian name allow one to avoid Russian cliches, and why would one even want to avoid them?  Baboushka is just a common noun in Russian, there are no real stories attributed to it, at least in the context of its common use.

Image of Baboushka vodka. Incorrect Russian text is underlined in red

2) The Russian text on the bottle does not really mean anything.  I guess that «Премия водка» was an attempt to translate “premium vodka”, quite unsuccessfully.  I suggest to brands that try to seek inspiration from foreign languages and cultures to always check with qualified people who speak those languages first! 

To conclude, the use of “baboushka” in brand discourse never stops to surprise me.  I think there’s even some additional meaning that’s been developing around this word outside of Russia, and some Russian-speaking linguists should definitely look into it.

As far as brand strategy goes, my advice is to check the spelling and meaning of foreign words you put on your packaging.  This will surely help you avoid some surprises!

Today I have some important news for you!

At the end of June, SCHMOOZY FOX will be celebrating one year of its Funky Brand Interviews.  And in this respect, we have some great gifts to offer to those who want to build a funky brand!

If you know talented and passionate entrepreneurs setting up an innovative brand, please spread the news to them!

Our prize

It’s a great way to start building your brand awareness online through SCHMOOZY FOX’s social media channels.  It’s also a fantastic opportunity for ideas-rich and cash-poor start-ups to get smart advice on how to get on the right brand & marketing track right from the start!

Please note that SCHMOOZY FOX’s past and present clients, as well as interviewees, are not eligible for participation!

Please spread the news, and happy schmoozing!

One article describes a hotel in NYC which has set up an online forum for its guests. The Pod Hotel offers budget accommodation for young travelers, and the forum is a brilliant solution to help them connect to each other in real life, and have fun together in NYC. It clearly addresses the pain particularly of those who travel alone and don’t know anybody in New York City.

Snapshot of Pod's online forum for registered guests

This is a brilliant idea, and The Pod Hotel is surely on the good track of creating some valuable loyalty with this simple online solution.  My advice is that it should definitely do a bit more to make this feature known on its website. As it stands now, the site fails to communicate it. I don’t know if it’s a planned move or not. If yes, I suppose that the reason might be that the hotel works at capacity most of the time, in which case the forum is only there to trigger repeat visits rather than recruit first-time customers.

Another idea featured on the same site is an online social network launched by the airline KLM. The online network is not targeted at all KLM’s customers, but only frequent flyers.

For the moment, KLM has set up two online communities — one for China, and another one for Africa. Essentially, the main target is entrepreneurs who all share the same challenges working in emerging markets.  They can discuss issues of common interest and network online, which triggers encounters offline.

KLM even organizes offline networking events for the online community members both in China and throughout Africa.  KLM says that its online social community is “exclusive” and by invitation only.  My guess is that this exclusivity is tied to KLM’s reward program which actually makes sense.

Think of it: the more you fly, the more chances you get to meet like-minded entrepreneurs. And the better you should get rewarded by an airline company for your loyalty.  So, this kind of “exclusivity” achieves both goals — it rewards frequent flyers whilst giving them a possibility to socialize.

A snapshot of KLM's online community for frequent flyers

I also want to address another kind of “exclusivity” which rarely does anything good if a brand seeks positioning in the luxury or affordable luxury segments.

I’ve come across many brands, especially various online shops, which try to create an aura of exclusivity out of …. well, pretty much nothing.  I find it amusing when some freshly launched site writes  me to become their member “by invitation only”and start shopping there.

In this respect, the example mentioned on springwise is Claseo, a recently launched “luxury” label. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to have any idea about how luxurious its designs are because you can’t enter their site. The reason is that the site is “exclusive” and by invitation only.

Snapshot of the invitation-only site of Claseo

I think it’s counterproductive to seek positioning as a luxury brand through such self-limiting “exclusivity”.  Whereas this might be feasible in instances when brand equity is already at its peak, this move is rarely a good solution for a start-up.  This is particularly true for web start-ups.  Building a user base is of ultimate importance for them, and certainly a key to creating a strong brand.  I have written and spoken about this on several occasions.

Looking at three examples above, the “inclusivity” of the budget hotel in New York in fact makes it truly exclusive. By solving the real need of its customers — a simple human desire to socialize — the hotel succeeds in occupying a very lucrative segment of affordable luxury.  The same refers to KLM’s online social network for frequent flyers, which helps entrepreneurs connect and socialize in real life.

Funky brands are smart because they understand what true luxury is, and although it may sound counter-intuitive, in many cases being inclusive and democratic, rather than “exclusive”, is what really helps build a great brand!

It was at the very end of that interview that Wim mentioned Theo’s collaboration with a talented young Antwerp designer, Tim Van Steenbergen, who worked on Theo’s sunglasses collection.

I noted down Tim’s name with the intention of finding out more details about him later. While I was waiting for my train to Brussels at the Antwerp Central Station, I was browsing through magazines at a press kiosk, and the first article I randomly opened was… an interview with Tim Van Steenbergen!

I don’t quite remember which magazine it was, but here’s my very own interview with Tim.

Tim’s professional credentials are outstanding — the prêt-a-porter collection that bears his name is on the radar screen of many Hollywood celebrities, he’s Creative Director of the successful upmarket fashion label Chine, and he creates costumes for performances at La Scala. Given the wide range of projects Tim Van Steenbergen is involved in, I thought that an interesting topic to talk about would be his personal brand.

Olga from SCHMOOZY FOX and Tim. Image courtesy of Tim Van Steenbergen

SCHMOOZY FOX: Tim, how do you present yourself to someone who has not heard about you and your work?

Tim Van Steenbergen: (smiling) It’s actually a difficult question since I do so many different things! A good way to present myself is to say that I create a universe of style, a way of dressing, based on classic traditions of craftsmanship. Fabrics and their texture play a very important role in this universe. Sometimes I feel that I use fabrics in the same way as a sculptor would use marble, clay or metal to create something from scratch. I remember being fascinated by fabrics when I was only 4 years old!

SCHMOOZY FOX: What makes you passionate about your work?

Tim Van Steenbergen: Emotions! I love the fact that my designs are able to provoke very strong emotions in people who wear them. And it actually doesn’t matter if these emotions are negative or positive — it’s often the controversy that matters. When my designs shake people up, bring exuberance in their lives, and don’t leave them indifferent, I feel like I’ve achieved something very important.

Rihanna in Tim Van Steenbergen. Image provided by Tim Van Steenbergen

I also like to get to know the people who will end up wearing the clothes I make. In this sense, working with the actors at La Scala has been very satisfying as I was making each costume for a particular person. In the theatre environment, I want to understand actors as people, making costumes that fit their personalities, and the roles they play.

Costumes by Tim Van Steenbergen for La Scala

SCHMOOZY FOX: I can see that this can work well in the theater, but in fashion?

Tim Van Steenbergen: In fashion, it is of course rarely possible to create prêt-a-porter collections with every individual customer in mind. I often come across my clothes worn by people on the streets worldwide. It’s rather easy to spot them on celebrities, but what’s more exciting is when “ordinary” people wear them. It makes me want to know more about these people, and their feelings when they wear my designs.

Jennifer Lopez, Misha Barton and Princess Claire of Belgium alike have been spotted wearing Tim Van Steenbergen

SCHMOOZY FOX: I guess that all of the above refers to your label, Tim Van Steenbergen. How does the work at Chine fit into your overall personal brand?

Tim Van Steenbergen: I think it benefits my personal brand. I think it’s important for any designer to demonstrate that he or she can come into another company, with its specific corporate culture and ways of doing things, jump in and deliver good results. This shows that I can successfully collaborate and inspire another brand, and it’s a valuable skill for any designer. The designs I create for Chine are different from the ones I create for my own label. The style of my clothes is architectural, structural, if you will. Chine’s style is fluid, poetic, inspired by the 19th century.

Fluidity of Chine and architecture of Tim Van Steenbergen, created by the same designer

SCHMOOZY FOX: It sounds like you appreciate getting into different roles — maybe that’s why you like your project at La Scala? Perhaps you have the talent for acting too?

Tim Van Steenbergen: (laughing) I’ve never thought of it this way, but yes, I guess you are right! I like having all these different roles and exploring them.

SCHMOOZY FOX: By the way, how do you manage to stay creative when you do so many different things?

Tim Van Steenbergen: I think I am creative BECAUSE I do so much. I manage to separate all the different projects I am working on. Each of them requires different approaches and results in different “end products” . I am pretty good at organizing myself: whenever I need to tap into my creativity and work for Chine, I can do it, and when I am building a new collection for my own label — I can jump into it easily as well!

What breeds my creativity is also doing sports and reading novels. The latter is like entering another universe, and exploring it can be a very special journey that inspires my work.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Could you tell our readers about your plans for the near future? What professional universe would you like to explore?

Tim Van Steenbergen: As already mentioned, I would like to find ways of creating clothes with concrete people in mind. All of my collections are sold through high-end boutiques worldwide. I am thinking of offering them very exclusive limited collections in due course. Boutiques know their clients very well, and there’s certainly scope to make limited collections tailored to these customers, their personalities and lifestyles. And this is certainly a very funky and exciting universe to explore!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Thank you Tim, enjoy this funky journey of creativity!

Photo by PinkMoose on Flickr

I’ve already written before about tag lines, or brand slogans. To put it briefly, a successful tag line is similar to a chat up (or pick up) line: it triggers interest and the “chattee’s” wish to explore the “chatter” further, without giving away too much information about the “chatter”. You can also think of it as your tiny elevator pitch: it gives enough clues for what the product or service is about, triggering further interest to discover more.

Giving your tired brand a catchy tag line can sometimes revitalize your business, and spark the love of more fans.

I’ve already shared my list of criteria for a successful tag line, check out the blog post What’s your brand’s slogan?.

But what is actually the process, or technique, of coming up with a juicy brand slogan? True, sometimes you’d come up with an amazing tag line (or even a company name) in your dream, or while jogging in the park, but it’s of course difficult to rely on these strikes of genius. There is, however, a bit of a nerdy nerdy way forward:

1) If you are a brand and marketing nerd, do a proper brand audit of whatever brand you are working on. Shake up the old stuff, and see what has been done to the brand in question in the past. Ask questions. Challenge.

2) If you not a marketing nerd, then you gotta find one to help you with this task.

3) The brand audit will be a good preparation before you start crafting a new brand concept, based on some concrete data about your consumers, and/or making assumptions where necessary.

4) Identify the main brand values of your freshly baked brand concept. Some companies come up with as many brand values as possible, but my advice is to keep a number of brand values to maximum 3 (this number can of course change depending on a concrete brand in question!).

5) Brainstorm a catchy brand slogan based on the identified brand values. You don’t have to be direct and declare to the world that your car brand is “all about cars”. This is something that your potential customers will find out anyway. Instead, flirt with your customers and communicate in a fun and intriguing way — after all, you want to build a funky brand, right? Maybe your cars are all about giving the sense of being ultra-funky, and contemporary in an urban environment. Or, they can give us a sense of freedom each time we drive across the fields. In this way, the word “car” might not even show up in your brand slogan at all!¹

There aren’t actually any exact rules of how to organize a brainstorming session. It’s really not exact science, and each brand consultant will have her own set of creative boxes to tick to come up with a brand slogan.

In the case of SCHMOOZY FOX, we combine the necessary knowledge of business and brand strategy with creativity and the knowledge of linguistics.  The latter helps us to make sure that your brand name and brand slogan don’t sound strange in the countries where you operate, and that the subtle associations with the desired brand values are evoked by carefully selected words.

1. After all, Just Do It doesn’t have the slightest mention of “sneakers”!

Italians are famous for their sense of style, and innovating through design.¹ This is why almost all of the brands you’ll see here have incorporated superior design as core of their brand strategies.

As in the case of two previous blog posts related to country-specific brands, Spain and Germany, the Italian list is far from being exhaustive.  It’s just a beginning, and if you have some more funky brands to add to the Italian list, feel free to do so.

To get a better idea for what criteria to look for, check out what makes a brand funky, and based on that, continue adding more brands in your comments on this blog or SCHMOOZY FOX’s Facebook page. Have fun discovering funky brands from Italy!

1) ALESSI

I’ve already written a post about this funky brand, Keeping brands alive through product innovation: Alessi. Alessi specializes in design objects for home interiors.

2) KARTELL

This brand makes and sells contemporary furniture made of plastic.

3) GAGGIA

Also featured previously on this blog, Gaggia is a brand of espresso coffee machines. Read more about it on Funky brand pick of the week: Gaggia coffee machines.

4) SMEG

Here comes the brand of kitchen appliances, especially funky retro-looking iconic fridges.

5) Vespa a totally funky brand of scooters  manufactured by Piaggio.

1. Roberto Verganti, Innovating Through Design, Harvard Business Review, Dec 01, 2006

The MN bike by Biomega

Having talked about square wheels in the previous interview featuring a Swiss watch brand Maurice Lacroix, today our focus is on round wheels — a Danish brand of bikes called Biomega. Launched in 1998 by an industrial designer Jens Martin Skibsted, Biomega is a company that has been building its brand through a rigorous strategy of brand partnerships. Through co-operation with PUMA and such world-famous designers as Marc Newson, Ross Lovegrove and Karim Rachid, as well with its bikes featuring in permanent collections of art museums, the brand of Biomega has occupied a very interesting niche on the bike market: a stylish, funky and functional luxury item for use in the city. Today I am happy to host Anders Wall, CEO of Biomega who shares his views on city bikes and funky brands.

Anders Wall

SCHMOOZY FOX: Anders, the name Biomega sounds a bit like it could be a brand of healthy food or vitamins. Could you tell me the story behind the brand name?

Anders Wall: Indeed, some people also think that there is something “bio” about it. But in reality, the name was conceived as “bi omega” which visually would look like this ΩΩ. Two letters “omega” put together do look like a bike.  Later on the name took a life of its own, and there’s no such association in customers’ minds.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Did Biomega follow a strategy of brand partnerships and co-operation with famous designers right from the beginning?

Anders Wall: Jens Martin Skibsted, the founder of Biomega, has designed most of the bike models. But indeed, Biomega was set to build its brand through partnerships with such famous designers as Marc Newson early on.

SCHMOOZY FOX: What’s the brand philosophy of Biomega? How are you reinventing the wheel?

The Boston bike

Anders Wall: We think that a bicycle is often portrayed as a product consisting of many spare parts, rather than a complete whole. The “spare part” brand discourse is very typical to most bike brands, and it’s very rare that they address the values and needs of consumers other than technical performance. For Biomega, a bike is based on the concepts of integration, drivability, durability and visibility. By integration, we mean that a bike is one whole that can bring a lot of aesthetic value to the owner. By drivability, we mean that a bike should be easy to drive, fast in acceleration and quick in braking. Durability refers to the fact that our bikes will last. All of these qualities are important to keep in mind when a new model of Biomega bike is conceived and designed. And finally, visibility means that our bikes must make both the product and the user noticeable. Our products stand out in the crowd, and so does the person who’s using the bike!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Why do you refer to Biomega bikes as New Luxury?

Anders Wall: Bikes and biking as a process in general is hardly ever associated with luxury. Biomega does add luxury to bikes, primarily through superior design. What’s important is that Biomega bikes are meant to be used only in the city. Through their ease of use and funky design they in fact compete with cars! In this sense, owning an astonishing bike with luxurious design as opposed to having to sit in traffic jams becomes a true luxury.

SCHMOOZY FOX: How much does it cost to own such an object of new luxury?

Anders Wall: The majority of our bikes cost around 1.200-1.500 Euro. Our special models like the MN is more expensive (prices start at around 3.500 Euro). Our most exclusive bike, a carbon version of the MN with special components, is sold at the price at 6.500 Euro. Our bikes are distributed through design stores,  as well as selected bicycle stores.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Besides co-operation with famous designers, Biomega also went into brand partnerships. Could you speak about Biomega’s partnership with Puma?

Anders Wall: We have worked on a brand partnership with Puma for five years now. The brand partnership was based on the Biomega model Boston, which was created in special versions for the Puma brand stores around the world. These Puma versions carried both the Puma and the Biomega logo, and were unique in colors. Last year, our partnership was taken further and we are now a licensee of Puma. In the coming months we will introduce a new range of Puma bicycles – 5 models in total – which have been designed and produced by Biomega. Where the previous bikes were only sold in Puma brand stores, the new range will be sold through bike stores all over the world and online. This is a very exiting new business for both Puma and Biomega.

SCHMOOZY FOX: To what extent do you think Biomega can be called a Funky Brand?

Anders Wall, CEO of Biomega

Anders Wall (smiling): I think that SCHMOOZY FOX’s definition of funky brands is very much in line with Biomega’s philosophy. We are small (there are only 6 employees at Biomega!) but a very agile company. We think we have created a great company culture and built the business through a very rigorous brand strategy right from the start. The funky aspects are certainly seen by the final customer, but only few people realize that behind this there’s a lot of very meticulous business and brand strategy work done within the company! We’re also outward rather than inward-looking, and through our brand partnerships we have achieved a global reach.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Do you bike to the office?

Anders Wall: I live outside of Copenhagen, and actually take a train every day. But once I am in the city, I of course bike! I own several models of Biomega, including the MN model. After all, apart from being a CEO, I am also Biomega’s brand ambassador, and I very much enjoy it!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Thank you, Anders!

An interesting read in this respect is an academic paper (I read a lot of those — funky branding is often quite a nerdy activity!) Towards a Narratology of Brands? ((Towards a Narratology of Brands? Marius K. Luedicke, University of Ititisbruck, Austria Markus Giesler, York University, Canada, published in European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, 2008)). The most interesting observations, in my opinion, are:

• People cognitively process and communicate their lives as narratives
• They also organize their brand-related experiences in the forms of narratives. The resulting “consumer brand narratives” are “influential threads in people’s life stories that explicitly involve brands”¹. This is why those funky brands that are able to change and/or improve our lifestyles have a better chance of becoming part of these narratives.
• Finally, consumers not only refer to brands in the context of narratives, but they also evaluate and share their brand-related experiences as stories.

To illustrate the final point, here’s an example of brand discourse related to Microsoft and Apple. Watch the PC and MAC dudes dancing and tell me if you’re a right clicka or an iPod flicka.

1. ibid.

A Maurice Lacroix watch with a square wheel

Have you ever thought that wheels can take different shapes than just a circle? According to Wikipedia, a wheel is “a circular device that is capable of rotating on an axle through its centre, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load (mass), or performing labour in machines.”

Well, here’s the big news: a Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix has recently revealed a new watch model, Masterpiece Regulateur Roue Carre, which contains a S Q U A R E  W H E E L to display the hours!

Being somewhat of a geek, I found this engineering and design innovation funky enough to trigger my interest in finding out more about the brand. In addition, having already written about Maurice Lacroix’s recent brand endorsement campaign featuring Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, I strongly felt that yet another Funky Brand Interview was about to materialize. And here you are, today I am happy to publish my interview with Martin Bachmann, CEO of Maurice Lacroix.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Martin, how would you characterize the brand of Maurice Lacroix in a couple of sentences?

Martin Bachmann: Maurice Lacroix stands for contemporary watchmaking, manufacture excellence and is oriented to authentic consumers with modern lifestyle.

SCHMOOZY FOX: And what do you mean by “authentic”?

Martin Bachmann: Authenticity is staying true to one’s values, not being afraid of standing out from the crowd, sometimes following a bit of a different direction from everybody else’s. It’s also about achievement and success.

SCHMOOZY FOX: And is authenticity something that unites the three brand ambassadors who have recently endorsed Maurice Lacroix — Jimmy Wales, Bob Geldof and Justin Rose?

Martin Bachmann: Yes, authenticity along with achievement and success are the qualities that unite these brand ambassadors who, as you point out, have recently participated in our brand endorsement campaign. We were happy to identify them because they pinpoint the qualities that are also inherent to the brand of Maurice Lacroix and, we are convinced, our consumers.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Were there any specific profiles of people you were looking for? Did they have to belong to a specific field of knowledge, or profession?

Martin Bachmann: The most important factor for us was to identify strong personalities, people with charisma and a track of achievement throughout their lives. As far as backgrounds go, we looked for achievers in science, business, sport or entertainment. An important criterion was to identify unique personalities. Even in entertainment, we considered some individuals, but the originality of character was more important to us than the mainstream celebrity status. In this sense, Bob Geldof, who has had an amazing career as a musician, and who is a speaker on various issues from politics to entertainment, sought by corporations, fit the bill very well!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Besides brand endorsements, you also talk about partnerships on your website? What are they all about?

Martin Bachmann: You must have seen a series of interviews published in cooperation with Monocle magazine. For instance, we have interviewed Leo Liu, a wine-grower from China. We’ve also collaborated with various designers outside of the company who have brought in a fresh perspective on contemporary design and created some very successful watches for Maurice Lacroix. In this sense, Maurice Lacroix is always on the lookout for fresh ideas, and co-operation with inspirational people. All of them are unique in the sense that they have chosen to follow a very original path in their lives, for example, Leo Liu.

SCHMOOZY FOX: In this respect, this willingness for co-operation, partnerships and openness for fresh ideas is an important element of all funky brands!

Martin Bachmann: Yes, indeed! We also believe that this openness is a way to keep our company innovative. It also builds our team spirit immensely!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Is Maurice Lacroix all about men’s watches? I have  seen a couple of beautiful models for women, but the majority of your watches are for men. Is this why your brand endorsement campaign focusing primarily on male brand ambassadors?

Martin Bachmann: Indeed, men’s watches are our core product, although eventually we plan to have about 25% of our turnover come from women’s watches. This explains why currently we seek mainly male brand ambassadors. But I surely don’t exclude an opportunity to have a female brand ambassador in due time!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Finally, Maurice Lacroix is all about tradition and excellence of watch-making. Besides, your company also communicates about being contemporary. How do you manage to combine the two — tradition and the spirit of modern times?

Martin Bachmann: Our watches are about tradition in the sense that they are all hand made according to industry standards in craftsmanship, some of which have not changed in centuries. But the design is where we want to show contemporary trends! Here we are far from the traditional. For instance, instead of  producing only traditional yellow and white gold watches, we often create watch cases with more modern materials, for instance titanium or steel that is treated with a ceramic coating or apply innovative decorations and color codes on our movements, like e.g. black gold.

SCHMOOZY FOX: Many thanks, Martin, for sharing the brand spirit of Maurice Lacroix on the SCHMOOZY FOX blog, and I wish you the best of success further on!

Martin Bachmann: Thank you!

Right before taking off on holidays, I presented SCHMOOZY FOX and its approach towards building funky brands to an audience of web start-ups at Beta Group in Brussels (to find out more about Beta Group, see this post).

My main message to the audience was this,

“Brands do not take care of themselves.”

In practical terms, it means the following:

• many start-ups, both in the online world or otherwise, may have a brilliant technology and a great business idea to kick off.
• however, they rarely think about their business development in terms of B R A N D
• which is a pity, because intuitively, pretty much everybody knows that a strong brand means more customers, repeat visits to your web site, and importantly, a profitable business.

Great brands do not happen due to pure magic and serendipity.  Although it may sound paradoxical, funky brands are not only all about fun and creativity — there’s a lot of nerdy, I may say, and rigorous framework that supports their success.

Funky brands do not happen by themselves, they get the nerdy stuff such as a solid brand strategy, sorted out, and then follow the set course with dedication.

This is quite a simple message, but you’d be surprised to find out that only few companies actually think in these terms.

Here’s a video interview with me that was filmed by Freshup.tv after my talk. Enjoy!

Michael Chia

The importance of building one’s personal brand in social media cannot be underestimated. What you say about yourself on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other channels, and how you appear there, can either enhance or diminish your personal message.

The first thing people see when they visit your LinkedIn profile, or Twitter account, is your photo. That’s why you should not underestimate the role of the “right” photo which ideally has to communicate not only your appearance but also your personal value proposition.

I have recently participated in a very fun photo shoot during which Michael Chia, a Singapore-born, Brussels-based photographer, spent about two hours shooting images of me. I liked the results, some of which you can see in this blog post, and so I decided to chat with Michael about his work.

In this interview Michael talks about his profession, which is  essentially capturing people’s personalities through photo portraits.

Schmoozy fox: What is, in your opinion, a successful photo portrait?

Photo by Michael Chia: Foxy Olga

Michael Chia: A successful photo shoot for me means projecting a personality of my client through the use of images.  In this, I aim to ooze out  and exaggerate that personality during the shoot.  I use the word ‘exaggerate’ because it is an important element.  That personality could be a hidden trait that others do not get to see.

Sometimes that can be difficult for people who are more camera shy, and in this case, I chat them up and make up some personalities along the way.  The final image should be built based on the interaction between my client and myself.  Similar to finding a mix of chemistry with the ingredients we have to get that right shot.

SCHMOOZY FOX: How important is it to have a professional quality photo, that shows one’s personality, as part of one’s profile on LinkedIn or Twitter, for example?

Michael Chia: Many people underestimate the power of photography in their profiles.  They spend infinite time and resources creating websites to market the services they offer.  When it comes to photography, they stick to a snapshot of themselves!

Remember -  a picture paints a thousand words. That photo you use is your personality, a valuable visual business card. It tells your potential clients who and what you are.  In this era of the Internet, 90% of the time your potential client’s first contact with you is the website.  You want to have that single image to reach out to that potential client with the correct message.

SCHMOOZY FOX: When business people come to you to order a portrait, what do they usually want? Do they want to look serious and professional or appear more personable and authentic?

Michael Chia: Most of the corporate clients have a preference for the more serious and professional appearance.  And in certain cases, it is hard to break away from the normal convention due to the nature of their business and their clients’ fixed perception of what image should be related to that business.

Nonetheless, my role as a photographer also includes me acting as a consultant and injecting ideas into the process.  At times, I am able to convince my clients to move away from conventional photography. Alternatively, I’ll shoot according to the brief while still aiming to avoid the dry, boring and static shots. What I look for is dynamism in the shots.

On the other hand, many small or new business enterprises miss the perfect opportunity.  Instead of crafting out something unique through the effective use of personal portraits, they try to project themselves as a big company with the serious, static and boring shots.

Photo by Michael Chia: Funky Olga!

Let’s face the facts.  Nobody likes to work!  Given a choice we’d rather be on permanent vacation.  The truth is that we all have to work.  If we have to work, the preference is to work with people who can be personable, fun and approachable (not forgetting competent). Here photography can play a deciding factor.  The smaller the team is, the more important images are in projecting your visual business card.

And when I have clients who need shots for non-business use, moving away from the static and standard shoots is a big must.  Why should they stand or sit on chair, facing me at 45 degrees angle smiling into the camera?

No. No. No.  This is the perfect time to have funky portraits.  Move. Jump.  Dance.  Scream.  Pout. Be yourself or be who you want to be and capture that moment!

SCHMOOZY FOX: Your own style of photography is very personable and funky. Could you reveal some elements of our own photo session and how you managed to pinpoint my personality that you wanted to show through photos?

Michael Chia: I make it a point to meet all potential clients before I take on an assignment, that’s why I asked you to meet before the photo session.   To me, that first meeting gives me an idea of the client’s expectations, exchange ideas and finding a ’style’ for the shoot.

Both the client and me have to find that chemistry to work together.  As you mentioned, I pinpointed your personality.  What I actually did was this: I found your style, cooked up a chemistry, exaggerated that funky and foxy personality in you and made us both work together to achieve that. ‘Work’ is a bad word

Photo by Michael Chia: "Foxy & Funky"

Let’s replace that with playing funky music and me chatting you up with nonsensical, hypothetical questions.  When your guard is down, you are more relaxed, open to ideas and everyone has fun.

Having fun is a key ingredient in my funky photography shoot!