United We Brand Moser PDF

 

United We Brand B rand  How to Create a Cohesive Br and that’s Seen, Heard, and Remembered

By Mike Moser Harvard Business School Press, 2003, hardbound, 165 pages Reviewed by Todd Burud, 2/13 In the 1948 movie, Red River , Tom Dunson (John Wayne) created his brand, the Red River D, D, to mark the entrance to his land l and and every head of cattle he owned. The “D” stood for Dunson, Dunson, and two “s“s-shaped” lines represented the river. Later, he added (Montgomery Cliff) as an an equal partner. Their epic an “M”, acknowledging Matthew Garth (Montgomery struggle to drive the herd h erd along the Chisholm Trail to Abilene, Kansas, revealed both the good and the bad sides of human nature. But in total, it represented the ability to overcome adversity with strength, strength, toughness, and perseverance. The Red River D brand D brand identified itself with those attributes and with those men. Mess with my cattle, and you mess with me me..

The Red River D in business life In a similar way, a good company brand closely identifies itself with specific, human virtues and beliefs. beliefs. I prefer virtues and and beliefs  beliefs to  to the more contemporary co ntemporary but subjective subjective term, values.. Right and moral conduct, nobility, honesty, sincerity, values sincerity, dependability— dependability—they reach beyond mere image; they’re real and good, and good, just like the Red River D. Mike Moser, author of United We Brand: How to Create a Cohesive Brand that’ s that’ s Seen, Heard, and Remembered , is a celebrated advertising advertising guru. But he wrote in the form form of a simple, doit- yourself,  yourself, here’s-how  here’s-how  book.  book. This format is similar to other business business books written for the popular market: conversational (almost seminar-like), anecdotal, simple vocabulary, ample white space transitional sentences and paragraphs, worksheets, and short chapters. Inand fact,line the spacing, book is only 165 pages.

Four basic elements to your Brand Roadmap You could easily dismiss these books as fluff. But don’t. don’ t. The question isn’t whether this book contains any substance; it does. Instead, the question is whether the reader will put its substance substance to work. Moser’ Moser’s book culminates in a practical guide he calls, a Brand Roadmap.. He wrote a succinct summary of its four primary elements: Roadmap elements: 1.  Core values: values: The values our our brand is built on. Core values are are the founda foundation tion of our company and the pillars of every message we deliver.  2.  Brand message: The overall key message we’re trying to trying  to communicate. communicate. All other other messages should support and add credibility to this message.

 

 

  3.  Brand personality: The overall tone and attitude we use to deliver our message. Brand personality is the key emotional component that determines whether we’re a likeable brand. 4.  Brand icons: The executional tools tools we use to deliver our brand message and brand  personality:  personal ity: for example, colors, colors, typefaces, voice-over, logo, layouts, and music. Brand icons are the elements that make all our marketing materials uniquely us.

Two most important: Core Brand Values and Brand Personality Good branding requires time. Unfortunately, few few small business owners give proper reflection to do it right. Branding begins, not with with the graphic designer, but with the philosopher; not with a brain-storming brain- storming session, session, but with introspection. introspection. Moser says, “ Before  you can project project a unique unique external brand for your company, company, you must first understand the company’s internal character. character. This internal identity…is the source from which all ot other her aspects of your brand, ideally, will flow .”  .”  In fact, I believe believe that a brand grows out of our personal beliefs about God, country, capitalism, democracy, and family. undiluted core virtues also rings true. Conviction is Moser’s admonition to hold fast to undiluted Moser’s admonition value.” Why espouse a virtue (value) essential; “equivocation “equivocation has no role in a core brand value.” then lack conviction when its practice becomes difficult? Thomas Jefferson didn’t say, “Whenever it’s convenient, give me life, liberty, and the pursuit of ha ppiness.”  

Although it’s necessary to necessary to isolate specific organic virtues in a company’s branding company’s branding process, be careful not not to choose them be consensus. consensus. Don’ Don’t create a brand to reflect a mere image. It must be real, an accurate reflection of the good in your company and in its leaders. In my view, most corporations fall into the trap of espousing vague social values at the expense of the company’ company’s unique products and services. services. In their pursuit of political-correctn political-correctness, ess, they appear generic and and even anemic. Conversely, Moser might embrace a host of politicallycorrect social issues privately, but his first concern is practicality. Good branding is about what is true, real, unique, and effective. [Be [ Be careful not to brag. Read G.K. Chesterton’s Ugg Ugg   story in my white paper on Small Business Marketing Philosophy  P hilosophy .] .] Finally, Moser reinforces what we all experience, particularly in a small business: every company has a personality . The company does not create itself; it exists through the iideas deas and work of individual people, people, resonating in the brand. Could a brand become an impersonal, corporate image? Yes. But throughout, throughout, Moser pulls us back. Don’t “talk in corporate-speak …. …. [C]reate a personality that connects with people.” people.” Remember y your our roots; remember the Red River D. D. Recommended reading

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind , Trout; Building Strong Brands, Aaker