A great brand experience

I had a first appointment this morning with a new dentist. I sort of knew what to expect since I was referred to Shelby Pines Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, but what I experienced was more than I could have imagined.

I witnessed branding at its best. The atmosphere was more of a country club with not one single grim poster of advanced tooth decay hanging on the walls. There were extremely comfortable chairs that would actually look great in my living room. There was a magazine rack with, get this, current magazines.

Along with magazines was fresh coffee. I felt more like a member than a patient. I could have hung out there all morning. Unfortunately, I didn't wait at all. I no sooner sat down with this month's Men's Journal and a hot cup of coffee, when the nurse called me in.

Everyone was so nice. Everyone was smiling--which is a good brand attribute for a dentist office, by the way. If these people weren't happy to be there, they truly fooled me.

Then Dr. Gadioli came in. He was extremely nice and laid back. He explained the terms he used and helped me understand the importance of this initial consultation. We talked about my teeth. He asked that damn question about how often I flossed and I sheepishly said 'not enough' and he said 'that's ok, I don't do it everyday either.'

Did I mention that I never heard a drill?

After the appointment I had to schedule my cleaning. There weren't any openings in the foreseeable future for the time slots I wanted, but the receptionist said she would call if something became available.

Sure enough, I got a call this afternoon saying that a few appointments had canceled, would I be able to make one of those times later this week.

I have to honestly say that if you don't treat your business and your customers like this, you should seriously consider not being in business. This was the greatest experience I've had in a long time. Just think of the power you hold when you take your brand seriously? There were at least a dozen brand touch-points that hit me this morning. That's amazing.

If you decide you want to become a member, er patient, at Shelby Pines, just let them know I referred you. I'll get a significant discount on my teeth whitening trays--oh yeah, brand touch-point #13!

Whatever happened to the rock band logo?

Maybe this is why I don't like much of the music that's out there today. Band's don't have cool, memorable logos anymore.

Whether you're a fan of any of these bands or not, surely these "corporate identities" are recognizable to just about everyone. Britney Spears doesn't have a logo. Justin Timberlake? Kanye West? 50 Cent? Nickelback? Heck no! And if they do, they don't flash in my mind's eye when I think of these entertainers.

Perhaps it's because the album/cassette/CD cover is almost entirely a thing of the past.

These are some of my favorites...are there any big ones I'm missing?

Minor tweaks

I like taking a look at companies that choose the path of making subtle adjustments to a logo or icon rather than a complete overhaul.

It takes a lot more understanding of corporate identity to recognize the need to make a minor change than it does to say let's scrap the whole thing and start over.

Unfortunately, too many companies start all over even when it's not necessary. Sports teams are famous for this approach. These are the same organizations that eventually go back to a modernized version of the old logo. Wow...a ton of money was wasted in between!

I have to believe the biggest reason for this is that someone wants to leave their mark on the organization. Whether it's a new CEO or marketing manager, sometimes ego and change for the sake of change gets in the way.

I'm all for constantly analyzing your branding position and how your corporate identity effectively supports that direction. However, when it comes to re-designing a logo, we like to make sure it's the right thing to do, not just the thing to do.

The NFL is an excellent example of making strategic cosmetic adjustments to their logo. The NFL shield is everywhere. Changing it dramatically would have been ridiculous, but I give the NFL a lot of credit for what they're preparing to introduce for the 2008 season.

Nine out of 10 people probably won't even recognize the changes in the logo. But the minor changes all have a purpose. Most prominently is the fact that when the original logo was created it wasn't embedded in video games or on very small TV and web graphics. It also wasn't embroidered into every single piece of NFL apparel.

Over the past 20 years things have changed, but the NFL logo never did. All those stars became a blurry mush in that field of blue at the top of the shield. The football was jokingly referred to as a hamburger because of its one-dimensional placement.

The new logo addresses all of those concerns and provides added meaning. The eight stars represent the eight divisions within the league. The football resembles the Lombardi Trophy and the NFL type is modernized just enough to reproduce a bit better in smaller applications.

Kudos to the NFL and the team that made these revisions. It's an outstanding example of making an improvement that nobody will recognize, but will surely notice on a deeper level.

NOTE: No, I haven't taken a job with the NFL, it just looks like it with all these football related posts here and here. Sorry, but it is football season!

A new blog

I'd like to point you to a new blog created by my SOZO | Pivotal business partner, Kimberly Leclercq. Go and check it out here.

For the past eight months I've been bugging her to write something in this space. So, what does she do? She creates her own blog!

Here's an excerpt of what it's all about...

I'm on a journey to fulfill my life mission...to educate and inspire others—especially children—to have a global awareness and to achieve their desired, true brand.

I believe that if people are truly aware of this world on a global level then they will want to make a difference for themselves and for others. I also believe that you can be whoever you want to be, but first you have to understand your life's mission.

I'm not sure how one person can really make a change...but, I'm willing to give it a go.

Kimberly is the busiest and most active person I know. In addition to making this company a success, she is also in the process of adopting a baby from Guatemala and writing and illustrating a children's book. Keep your eye on her blog as she tracks her adoption process and the publishing of her first book!

AT&T sticking to its plan

I was somewhat surprised to read an article this morning in BusinessWeek titled AT&T Rebrands, Again. At first I thought they were announcing the elimination of the Death Star icon.

Not quite. The focus was on the orange color carried over from the old Cingular palette.

So, what's the story? From the moment AT&T announced they were getting rid of the Cingular brand they also indicated that they would keep the orange theme for its wireless division.

Way back in January, I thought it was a horrible maneuver to abandon the Cingular brand. It was fresh and I thought it differentiated itself from the bland competitors.

I still feel it was a mistake as I look at the remnants of Cingular etched on the back of my cell phone. But what's not a mistake is AT&T's handling of the rebranding efforts. Whether you agree with the direction or not and contrary to what branding experts say in this BusinessWeek article, the company has been consistent with its message and has systematically and successfully transformed from Cingular to "Cingular is now the new AT&T" to simply AT&T.

I found the strategy to be clear throughout every touch point--in its stores as well as in its print and broadcast advertising. In fact, this press release dated back to January 12 supports the argument that AT&T has stayed focus and on a consistent path.

A rebranding effort takes several months to implement. During that time there are moments of second-guessing and thoughts of is this the right direction?

If the branding strategy is well planned, companies can anticipate the challenges and pains that occur in a rebranding effort. Sales may temporarily swoon. Employees may experience a period of confusion. Stockholders may question the benefits. But there's one thing to keep in mind, it's a transformation rather than a quick flip of a switch. It's more like extensive plastic surgery than overnight teeth whitening. There are definitely times you may not exactly like what you see. Sticking to the right plan is the only way to successfully roll out a new branding and identity effort. Clearly identifying that right plan is likely the most difficult part of the entire program.

The NFL goes long on first down

Does the NFL really have an image problem as a result of some of the recent poor behavior of a few players? I really don't think so.

There are roughly 1400 players who make up the 32-team National Football League. Two of those players stand out as 2007's biggest misfits--Pacman Jones and Michael Vick. I'm sure there are many, many more miscreants, but for now those are the only two who come to mind.

According to the NFL, that's too many. They are embarking on a branding campaign emphasizing that those felons make up only a very small minority.

I actually think this is an unnecessary action. Sure, the Cincinnati Bengals could cut and paste together a team photo of mug shots, but is this all really a league-wide problem? It's only going to indirectly call more attention to the Vicks and Pacmans of the league. Let it be. Let the courts handle the bad guys.

It's great to see that the league is concerned about its image, but I wonder how they concluded that they needed to go so far as to craft a campaign to right a ship that isn't all that far off course.

Whether it's those United Way commercials you see each Sunday on an NFL telecast or the other community-focused activities the league and its teams participate in, I think the NFL has the best reputation of the four major sports leagues. Perhaps they have that reputation because they take such great care in protecting it.

Apple's PR machine kicks into gear

Yesterday Apple unveils a whole new line of iPod products and announces it's knocking $200 off its two-month-old iPhone.

Today, Steve Jobs posts an open letter on the Apple website justifying the price change and offering early-adopter iPhone owners a $100 Apple credit.

The Edsel celebrates its 50th anniversary

I was far from born when Ford introduced the Edsel way back in 1957, but I know exactly what one looks like--at least from the front. I also know it was a tremendous failure, but I was never quite sure why.

The car looked fairly sharp and there really weren't any other cars that looked a whole lot like the Edsel. However, as poorly as it was produced the branding was equally as pathetic.

If you were a marketing or advertising student back in the mid-60s surely you studied the failures of the Edsel like I learned about what not to do from the likes of Tylenol and NASA in the 80s.

The Edsel goes to show you can't underestimate your audience. There was much hype. The advertising provided only sneak peaks at the car and a television show was produced to launch the Edsel on September 4, 1957. If you don't have a product that can stand on its own, over hype is going to make it look much worse than it probably really is.

Apparently there are only approximately 6,000 Edsels still on the road today. An Edsel is also worth around $100,000.

It really makes you wonder, what is the Edsel of today? Could it be the iPhone? Lots of hype. Successful company trying to carve a new niche. Some frustrating bugs in its new release. A $200 price drop two months after its release.

I'm sure the iPhone will outlast the three year lifespan of the Edsel, but you never know what disaster looms around the corner.