Last Wednesday, yMedia had the privilege of having James Hurman speak at our first workshop for 2010: Brand Aid.
Planning director for Colenso BBDO, James has a huge amount of experience in the advertising industry and is a regular workshop presenter and guest speaker. Here are our favorite outtakes from his presentation. Thanks James!
Brand Aid with James Hurman
At first it seems that the branding strategies for organisations such as Air New Zealand may be too big and overwhelming. How could they relate to small community groups and not-for-profits? But the underlying fundamentals are the same. Be inspired, take that thinking, and use it in your world. Air New Zealand is one of the most well-managed brands in the country.
“They don’t have a mission statement, they keep it simple: “Who we are. What we do. How we do it”.
Its refreshing, and it helps their brand become more loved and more engaging.
What is a brand exactly?
We all know brands are critically important, but no-one can tell you what one is. You’ll find many definitions on Google, and you can get some very detailed descriptions. However, in the end a brand is “simply, clearly, why you exist”.
What is a brand good for anyway?
The capitalist view tells us that it adds financial value.”In 1988, Philip Morris purchased Kraft for six times what the company was worth on paper”. Effectively, he paid for the brand. The post-capitalist view sees people like David Packard (of HP) wanting ”to discuss why a company exists in the first place”.
The Harvard Business Review book ‘Built to Last’, contains studies of why some companies did better than others on the stock market. It becomes clear that those companies realised their purpose was more than making money.
Disney is not there to make cartoons, but “to make people happy”. 3M doesn’t just produce post-its, they’re there “to solve unsolved problems”. As Harvard Business professor Theodore Levitt states, “people don’t want a quarter inch drill bit, they want a quarter inch hole”. Forget about what you’re selling, and look at why you are there.
“To give guys the edge in the mating game” - Lynx
“Providing tools for creative minds” - Apple
“To make women feel more beautiful everyday” - Dove
Simply, clearly, why you exist.
If you can get to the heart of that you’ve got a really strong brand platform.
What role does your organisation play in the lives of consumers or your community?
If you disappeared tomorrow, what would the world be deprived of?
What outcome do you create? What’s your “quarter inch hole”?
Who are you and who are you for?
Advertising is losing its major influence. People build brands from all the little things that organisation does, all their experiences with that brand, all the hear’say. All these things have to align under the brand. Brand communications are becoming less and less about ‘saying’ and more and more about ‘doing’. St Francis of Assisi once said “preach the gospel at all times, use words when necessary”.
Recent examples of this include the dissonance between what Telecom New Zealand has been saying about their products and services, and how the company acts and the service performs. Their advertising makes certain promises which have not been kept, and Telecom’s brand has been badly damaged as a result.
On the other hand, Meridian Energy has the most eco-friendly building in New Zealand. This aligns with their brand philosophy, and creates trust and believability.
Getting Practical
The room were asked to group together around the not-for-profit attendees to discuss their “quarter inch hole”, why they exist, and how that might be embodied by a brand.
Through the practical application, everyone in the room solidified their understanding of what a brand encompasses, and came away with a new found appreciation of how these theories affect their own operations.
How do you show support for the blind?
James’ Top Tips
To create a great brand:
- Clearly understand why you exist.
- Make sure that everything you do advances that purpose.
