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BrandingM a g a z i n e
Premium Issue 02 brandIngmagazIne.com
Content marketing issueContent Marketing: Trend or Turning PoinT?Marketing has always been an industry in love with the latest, mesmerized by trends and the
buzzwords that describe them.
Where is Content Marketing headed?Six ConTenT and SoCial Media leaderS SPeak ouTOne of the best ways to find out where a movement is headed is by talking to the people leading it.
soCial Media: The new newSSTand While content may remain king, the king still necessitates distribution. And in contemporary
digital times, distribution is often equated with—or at least dependent upon—social media.
June 2013
Flavia Barbateditor in Chief
Chuck kenteditor
Dorian Ciobaneditor
katrina radiceditor
Cheda Yovanovitchart director
tomo Lucicdesigner
advertising / media kit [email protected]
general [email protected]
Webwww.brandingmagazine.com
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/brandingmag
twitterhttps://twitter.com/brandingmag
disClaiMer
© 2013 Branding magazine. some rights reserved
no part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publish-er, except in the context of reviews.
Branding Magazine accepts no liability for any unsolicited material whatsoever.
opinions contained in the editorial content are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publish-er of Branding Magazine.
despite careful control Branding Magazine accepts no li-ability for the content of external links.
as an independent online daily brand journal, Branding Magazine represents an insightful source of news and opinions from the industry.
a dedicated team of writers strives to keep its readers up-to-date with the biggest and freshest news about global brands, while concentrating on successful brand strategies, corporate and brand identity work, brand de-velopment and brand evolution
BrandingM a g a z i n e
Index_
04_editor’s note
06_trend or turning Point? 10_the Content Beast vs. Brand truth
12_2013: the Year Branding Marries Content?
15_social Media: the new newsstand
19_Where is Content Marketing headed?
25_Brain training for Brand Practitioners & scholars
31_identify Your key Brand Components with the Brand Matrix
34_the good (Pr) client
36_looking ahead in the digital realm
38_the green Branding of the Future
Brand PraCTiCe
Content MarkeTing
4 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Depending on who you follow and choose to believe, con-
tent is either an irresistible, rising tide or just another
drop in the ever changing sea that is the current world of
marketing. Whatever your opinion, it is at this moment
a topic too big to ignore – $44 billion U.S. dollars big,
according to one recent survey.
Our intent with this special issue is not to provide either
a primer to nor an overview of this unwieldy arena. Rath-
er, we hope to stoke enough interest, and raise enough
questions, that you will be prompted to truly engage in
the content conversation, not only in the pages of Brand-
ing Magazine but also throughout your self-curated net-
work of information and influencers.
The Branding Magazine Editorial Staff welcome your
feedback, insights and additions, and invite you to email
your thoughts to us! Our emails are listed on the second
page of the current issue!
Chuck Kent
editor’s noTe
ConTenT MarkeTing
06_Trend or TurnIng PoInT?10_The conTenT beasT vs. brand TruTh
12_2013: The Year brandIng marrIes conTenT?
15_socIal medIa: The new newssTand
19_where Is conTenT markeTIng headed?
markeTIng trends
6 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
The Real Question Isn’t “What Is Content Marketing?” but “Why?”
Marketing has always been an industry in love with the latest, mesmerized by trends and
the buzzwords that describe them. Chief among these of late is “content marketing,”a cur-
rent flowing with increasing force through both B2C and B2B marketing.
The Content Marketing Institute defines its namesake practice as
…a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant
and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly de-
fined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving
profitable customer action.” An Altimeter Group report, “Content,
The New Marketing Equation” definescontent marketing as “the
creation and sharing of content formarketing purposes. In digital
channels, it refers to content that resides on properties the brand or
marketer owns (e.g., a website) or largely controls from a content
perspective (social media channels, syndication). Content market-
ing differs from advertising in that, unlike advertising, a media buy
is never part of the equation.
Others simply refer to it as pull, versus push, marketing.
Given the increasingly rapid pace of change, any definition is going to need constant
updating.
“
”
markeTIng trends
7 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
The former,long the target of public relations, has been
around since the publishing began, expanding from get-
ting brand announcements covered in traditional me-
dia to getting content shared over social media. Owned
media, originally epitomized by custom-publishing of
customer magazines and newsletters, has expanded dra-
matically along with all things digital, as brands indeed
become publishers and producers. Two prime examples
are Coca-Cola, which, as part of it’s 2020 Content Strat-
egy turned its corporate website into an online maga-
zine, Coca-Cola Journey, and Red Bull, which Mashable
calls “…a publishing empire that also happens to sell a
beverage.”
4_The ascent of the culture of search
The industry of search engine optimization dominated
digital marketing for years, with tips, tricks and black-
hat magic, all geared to equip marketers to better play
the SEO game. Google, seeing a threat to the quality,
and therefore utility and profitability of its core product,
dramatically changed its search algorithms, first with
the Panda series of updates and more recently with the
ones dubbed Penguin (Microsoft’s Bing has also made
similar efforts). The net effect was to punish those gam-
ing the SEO system, as with low-quality content farms,
and reward those providing meaningful, quality content
highly relevant to search queries. Suddenly, content was
not to be created for the search engines, but for the needs
of people. Now if brands want to be found on the Internet,
the quality of their content, rather than the quantity, will
be the most important determining factor.
It is not, however, merely the algorithmic changes that
marketers seek to address in shifting from traditional,
paid marketing messages to content-driven programs. It
is also the new “culture of search,” that is, the prevail-
ing tendency of consumers totontinually execute their
own due-diligence on all purchase decisions, whether
by “showrooming” with their smart phones in one of the
few remaining electronics retail stores or, or seeking out
Four Reasons Many Consider Content Market-
ing Not an Option, but a Must
Unlike marketing trends born of fashion or creative op-
portunism, however, the resurgence of content is driven
by inescapable new realities, including:
1_The rise of the empowered, self-directed
media consumer.
Today’s multitasking, multi-screen consumer decides
on, schedules and often helps create her or his own media
environment, repeatedly refusing to have that environ-
ment invaded and interrupted by paid marketing mono-
logues. This requires marketers to serve – and create –
new media vehicles and communication environments, a
situation referred to in the oft-repeated exhortation that
brands must become publishers and producers.
2_The death of consumer trust in traditional
marketing.
As noted previously in Branding Magazine, reports
such as the Edleman Trust Barometer and the Neilsen
Global Trust in Advertising and Brand Survey make it
clear that consumers simply do not trust, believe or re-
spond to advertising and other paid media as they once
did. Conversely, trust-building is one of the primary
benefits of providing useful content that consumers need
and want.
3_The new media triumvirate of paid, earned
and owned.
Paid media has been around at least since someone
paid to have campaign posters painted in Pompeii, and
despite all rumors to the contrary, this advertising-led
sector is still going strong. It is classic “push market-
ing,” and the more you pay the more you can push. “Pull
marketing,” is the realm of earned and owned media.
markeTIng trends
8 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
the counsel (and recommendations) of friends real and
virtual on social sharing platforms. Creating marketing
programs that provide useful content that answersthe
questions consumers are asking allows brands to be-
come a valuable part of the culture of search, rather than
its victims.
Content is the Newest Old Form of Marketing
Content marketing is not new, although it has gone
under other names. Most practitioners trace its begin-
nings to custom-publishing and its first big success, The
Furrow. Created in 1895 by The John Deere Company,
a U.S-based leader in agricultural equipment, this maga-
zine didn’t try to sell tractors – itaimed to help farmers
be more successful. The magazine has itself become such
a success that it is still published, in print and online edi-
tions, with a worldwide circulation of ver a million spread
over 40 countries. (For current examples of custom pub-
lishing, visit the Content Marketing Association, a trade
group based in the UK, where printed custom magazines
seem to thrive.)
Other marketers quickly learned that by publishing
useful information and even entertainment – original
or curated – that they could create a unique consumer
connection, enhancing loyalty and the lifetime customer
value it impacts.
Content Marketing Today:Brand Storytelling
“Content” hascome to mean anything from email news-
letters – still near the top of most content effectiveness
lists – to a glossy magazine to viral videos to branded
entertainment (see these minal BMW webisode series
“The Hire” from over a decade ago, or the more recent
“In Gayle We Trust” web-com from American Family
Insurance, in partnership with NBC Digital). It also-
celebrates, bigger than ever,what used to be called PR
stunts – such as the recent Red Bull Stratos skydive from
the edge of space – but which are now part of on-going,
strategic programs rather than opportunistic one-shots.
Possibly the most popular current descriptions of con-
tent marketing are “brand storytelling” and “brand jour-
nalism.” Both acknowledge the consumer distaste for
old-fashioned selling messages and seek to soften the
communicator-consumer relationship to one of story-
teller and interested listener, or even reporter and read-
er. Where traditional advertising asserts claims, brand
storytelling tries to present the inherent facts and per-
sonality of a brand and lets that engage the consumer’s
imagination and decision- making process. Story tell-
ing can be take place in text, as with blogs, visuals, as
on Pinterest, sound (think podcasts) and video, such as
the classic Blendtec “Will it blend?” series. Of course,
the real power of story is that it creates the kind of high-
quality content that that attracts both humans and search
engines.
Content Marketing Tomorrow: Brands as Utilities
Storytelling, however, isn’t the whole story of content
marketing. For one thing, there is already concern about
“content overload,” which is to say too many websites,
too many blogs, too many stories… but not enough eye-
balls to read them (and those that are reading may be
getting worn out by the never-ending stream of increas-
ingly similar content).
There is also what some see as the “content contamina-
tion” of native advertising, the practice of brands paying
to have media outlets seamlessly weave their messaging
into what appear to be unbiased features, news or enter-
tainment, and sponsored content, where brands pay to
have their content featured, sometimes with less notice-
markeTIng trends
9 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
able attribution of the source than in what
have traditionally been clearly labeled
as advertorials. Google, for one, is
sufficiently concerned that they
recently issued a recommenda-
tion that such content be host-
ed on separate servers, or risk
exclusion from Google News.
The Shift from Storytelling to Helping
One emerging response to these concerns updates Mar-
shall McLuhan’s classic dictum “The medium is the mes-
sage” byencouraging brands to shift from messaging to
helping as their primary marketing activity. In oth-
er words, rather than simply invest in advertising
that seeks to persuade, or content that aims to at-
tract, brands should spend their marketing dollars
developing and promoting programs that actively
help consumers, thereby creating a relationship of
goodwill and trust pre-disposing those prospective
customers toward purchase.
Two prominent social media/content marketing
consultants and authors have new books address-
ing this shift: Jay Baer, with Youtility: “Why Smart
Marketing is About Help Not Hype,” and Mitch Joel
with CTRL ALT Delete. Baer describes this ap-
proach as “massively useful information, pro-
vided for free, that creates long-term trust
and kinship between your company and
your customers.” Joel refers to it as “utili-
tarianism marketing.”
However it is phrased, this represents a shift
from approaching content marketing merely as
a methodology to embracing it as a marketer’s overall
mindset. It puts the emphasis not on the character of a
brand’s content but the content of a brand’s character.
is your brand ready for the big shift?
markeTIng trends
10 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
ism,” too, and brands are wise to take pre-emptive note.
Carr’s article points to “the Web’s ferocious appetite
for content” as the devil that tempted Lehrer to “feed the
beast with retreads and half-baked work,” noting that
“he plagiarized himself [versus Zakaria purloining text
from others], rerunning parts of his books and previ-
ous writings for different publications.” It’s an interest-
ing notion, plagiarizing oneself – in content marketing
that’s known as repurposing: you take a white paper,
for instance, and make a blog post, video, slideshow and
more out of it. And while Carr labels Lehrer’s self-du-
plicative actions “an offense against his employers, not
his readers,” overly iterative content marketers may well
offend their readers/prospects, and so need to be more
demanding of their content creation process.
New media titans are declaring – and awestruck traditional media outlets are echo-
ing the cry – that brands must now not simply pay publishers but also become publishers
themselves. One of said titans, John Battle of Federated Media, went so far in an Advertis-
ing Age column as to offer “All brands are publishers” as a Golden Rule for success in the
new Age of Content (or conversational media, as his coinage would have it it). The mar-
keting world seems to agree, as evidenced by major content initiatives such as General
Electric’s ecomagination and Intel’s iQ, or conferences such as the International Content
Marketing Summit, and Content Marketing World (please note: this author has no current
association with any of the above).
The Content Beast vs.
Brand Truth
The Insatiable Content Beast Could Eat Up All of Your Brand Credibility
but two recent incidents, ruminated upon in The
New York Times by media commentator David
Carr, raise the thorny issue of just where old-
fashioned truth fits in the content-crazed new media mix.
Carr’s concerns circle around “real” journalism, and the
recent plagiarism charges leveled against (and admitted
to by) multi-journalists Fareed Zakaria (of CNN, Time
magazine and The Washington Post) and Jonah Lehrer
(of Wired magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston
Globe and others). But the concerns apply to the bur-
geoning fields of content marketing and “brand journal-
by Chuck Kent
markeTIng trends
11 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Brand Journalism Needs to Meet a Higher Standard
In fact, brands that wish to transcend the cynicism that
the over expansion of content marketing will inevitably
bring now must serve a higher standard of truthfulness
than does “professional” journalism (media overall is
trusted by barely more than half of people worldwide,
according to the leading global trust survey). To estab-
lish and maintain the level of trust that builds consum-
er-brand relationships, it is no longer enough to merely
avoid fabricating or stealing content, as in the Zakaria
example. Brands need to be able to answer “Yes!” to
each of the following questions.
Three Key Questions About Content
1_Is your content true in the largest sense?
Traditional advertising, which pays to “push” mes-
sages in front of audiences, tends to be selectively truth-
ful. Content and social media marketing, which seeks to
“pull” consumers toward brands needs to be holistically
truthful, observing not just the brand’s most appealing
benefits but the actuality of the overall consumer context
that the brand seeks to serve. In other words, brands
need to acknowledge the good and the bad, the needs
they can and cannot meet, and look to build credibility
through transparency and openness, over time.
2_Is your content original?
Original means much more than “not plagiarized.” The
question is really, Does your content offer original think-
ing, fresh perspectives, and a new synthesis of ideas?
Does it produce an “Aha!” moment, if just to the extent of
“Aha! So THAT’S how the damn little widget works!” A
quick run through Copyscape will help determine if con-
tent is plagiarized; it takes a much larger investment to
ensure that it is original in the best sense.
3_Is your brand’s content of the highest
quality?
Quality conveys credibility. Is an article well researched
and more than just competently written? Is a video well
lit, with good audio, legible title work and decent resolu-
tion? In short, does it appear that someone has invested
enough in the content for the intended audience to feel
it is true and therefore worth their time? Style will not
substitute for substance, but the lack of it can quickly un-
dermine an otherwise well-done bit of communication.
Truth As A Core Service for Every Brand
The need for copious quantities of content at a reason-
able cost will forever challenge marketers on the mea-
sures of quality, originality and truthfulness. However,
if one subscribes to the definition of “a brand is a prom-
ise,” as many do, it is easy to see the bottom line impor-
tance of all three, especially truth. A brand must be built,
day in and day out, as a promise to be trusted and relied
upon. As Jonathan Baskin observes in his book Tell the
Truth: Honesty Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool,
“Truth is an on-going service…”
12 Branding Magazine
ThE YEAR BRANDING MARRIEs CONTENT?
Three Experts Speak Out on the
Intersection of Branding and
Content Marketing
MMxIII
by Chuck Kent
markeTIng trends
13 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
content marketing has been around for over 100
years, ever since The John Deere company intro-
duced The Furrow, a custom-published magazine
designed to help farmers (and John Deere) be more suc-
cessful. For most of that century-plus, many of the deni-
zens of “sexier,” higher-profile brand marketing firms
have looked down at content marketing as one of the
lesser “below the line services.’ However, a confluence of
powerful factors suggests that all marketers – and their
agencies – will be wise to consider how to best marry
traditional brand messaging with the informational,
educational, entertaining charms of content marketing,
online and off. Those factors include, but certainly aren’t
limited to:
• The rise of consumer control, particularly via social
media, and the unprecedented ability of consumers to
choose, or reject, messages
• The shift toward search algorithms that favor quality
content over SEO manipulation
• The growing consumer distrust of traditional, paid ad-
vertising and marketing communications
• The opportunity to shift from a forced “push” market-
ing model to a natural “pull” model, a shift beyond the
short-term value of transaction to create the long-term
value of trust
“We Are Just At the Beginning of Thinking Differently”
Sensing a sea change at hand, we asked three content
leaders and practitioners to give their forecast as to what
extent content would finally penetrate brand marketing
programs in 2013.
Joe Pulizzi is one of the foremost figures in content
marketing, author of Get Content, Get Customers, and
founder of The Content Marketing Institute and Con-
tent Marketing World, the industry’s largest tradeshow.
We asked him about his recent prediction that more
and more companies will hire a “chief storyteller,” and
whether that portends more companies going all-in for
content in the coming year, as Coca-Cola has with its
Content 2020 Strategy, or whether content will remain
a separate tool in the marketing kit.
Piluzzi replied, “I think it’s somewhere in between.
There will be many brands that start to take their con-
tent marketing seriously (like Coca-Cola and Red Bull
have). They will begin to build out their marketing de-
partment from a publishing and storytelling mentality,
and use relevant information as the “in” to conversations
on the web. That said, if content marketing were a base-
ball game, we are just getting out of the dugout for the
first inning. We are just at the beginning of thinking dif-
ferently about how we market. Many industries are still
years behind. There is much education that needs to be
done. The good news is that we are heading in the right
direction.”
The Need for a Chief Content Officer
Pulizzi noted the structural difficulty organizations face
in making the shift from traditional to content market-
ing, saying, “Almost all organizations are silo-ed (mar-
keting, PR, corporate, social, email, etc.). If an organiza-
tion doesn’t hire a chief content officer to integrate all the
content that’s being created, they at least need to make
sure that the content leads within each group begin to
meet. If every department is telling a different story, it’s
almost impossible to have a consistent customer experi-
ence.
Moving Content Beyond the Client-Centric
We also asked Michael Brenner, Senior Director, Glob-
al Marketing at SAP and President & Co-Founder of
Business 2 Community, to give us his content forecast.
“I think 2013 will see content become a much more sig-
markeTIng trends
14 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
“
”
nificant part of brand communications, as well as tactic used by many more marketers. We’ll see many more branded
“content hubs” where brands will publish content that is often not 100% related to their products but more in line with
the solution areas customers are interested in exploring.” Brenner went on to say that,”2013 will likely be the year that
the promise of ‘brands as publishers’ comes closer to being fulfilled.”
Aligning all Marketing with Content for Competitive Advantage
Lastly, we contacted London-based Nick Allen, Global Head of New Media Strategy at Towers Watson, who offered
this view of whether or not branding and content could consummate their relationship in the coming year:
Content marketing has come of age. Brands are looking for ways to
differentiate themselves and content marketing is the pivot. We need
to be wary that we’re addressing clients needs, creating leads through
our content, segmenting and addressing customer’s positions within
the sales cycle. Our content needs to be special, where possible, not just
filler. Brochureware, specifications sheets, and sales decks will slowly
be overtaken by good content marketing and storytelling.
Most large brands in the coming years will adopt some form of content
marketing. Their websites will benefit from dedicated editors, content
planners and curators who can segment larger content, find angles and
curate content across social media. Call us early adopters, but I think
those starting now with aligning their content marketing teams will
have significant competitive advantage in the coming years.
markeTIng trends
15 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
company culture. If done right, of course. Brands should
refrain from allowing only a few employees to contribute
to the blog; rather, the blog’s participants should include
as many employees as possible, each giving their own
opinions. This way, the blog develops credibility and, in
turn, the brand does, as well.
The great thing about branded blogs is that readers are
well aware of the brands behind them, so they are more
open to the branded content. There is no shame in post-
ing company-specific information, as readers are clearly
ones that value what the employees have to say—wheth-
er it is about their employer or their industry as a whole.
As a bonus, the inclusion of various employees in your
writer pool translates into greater exposure. Once you al-
low new people to write on the company blog, the brand
itself has gained access to the social circles of each con-
tributor. On that note, a great tip to consider: Allow for
guest bloggers. As was previously mentioned, this gives
the blog expansive reach as it taps into the social potency
of influential and well-known industry contributors.
Tumblr
Tumblr poses various benefits for brands; not only
does it cater to youthful, tech-savvy audiences, but it
also creates niche communities of members. You can fol-
low everything and anything from blogs focusing on re-
imagining Pokémon characters through cereal to those
showcasing graffiti on fire hydrants. For branded con-
Social Media
THE NEW NEWSSTAND
While content may remain king, the king
still necessitates distribution. And in con-
temporary digital times, distribution is of-
ten equated with—or at least dependent
upon—social media. Whether it be blogs,
sharing platforms (such as Facebook, Twit-
ter, LinkedIn and Pinterest) or platforms
for content creation and sharing combined
(such as Vine), each social media platform
puts its own spin on branded content mar-
keting. So how does a brand know which one
to implement? Here we attempt to explain a
little bit about each, enumerating some of
their benefits and disadvantages in regards
to content marketing strategy.
Blogs
It seems that the only long-form (written) branded
content that has maintained its online value is blogging,
so we might as well start with the odd-one-out. Branded
blogs, contrary to the contemporary worship of fleeting
content, are extremely valuable for several reasons. First
of all, they are the eyes and mouths of corporations; not
only do they give brands a voice, but they also depict
by Flavia Barbat
markeTIng trends
16 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Just think about it: 96% of users will not return to
a brand’s Facebook page after the initial “Like” (as re-
searched by Post Rocket). This means that branded con-
tent must follow the rules of EdgeRank if it has any shot
of reaching its target audience; content must be posted
often, in a timely manner and must be replete with pho-
tos, videos and links if it wants to sit at the top. More so,
it must be short and engaging (a trend which is valid for
various online mediums). Twitter sharing presents some
difficulties, as well, because it occurs amidst great noise.
The amount of tweets that are sent a day (over 400 mil-
lion) make it rather difficult for brands to get their mes-
sages to the right audience.
This is where promoted content comes in. Although
Facebook claims that it is still perfecting its EdgeRank
algorithm, one thing is for certain: Promotion gives
posts a definite boost. And what else should be expected?
The platform has the information necessary to target the
News Feeds of very specific audience members, making
sponsored content an obvious feature. At the moment, it
seems that these promoted posts are more of an annoy-
ance than a convenience for users; however, there may
be hope yet. With the introduction of the new News Feed,
Facebook has the potential to distribute promoted con-
tent in a more aesthetically-pleasing manner. Through
the News Feed’s predominant focus on big pictures and
videos, there may be hope yet for the integration of at-
tractive and, therefore, less-noticeable sponsored posts.
The biggest problem that Facebook faces in its pro-
moted content strategy is that, many times, the spon-
sored brands are not ones that users are interested in.
If the promoted posts came solely from “Liked” brands,
then this debate would not exist; instead, posts can come
from any and all brands—an occurrence also witnessed
on Twitter. When brands sponsor posts on Twitter, those
tweets appear in the feeds of users who do not actually
follow those particular industry players. This is an obvi-
ous cause of users’ frustrations, since they have not re-
quested these brands’ updates. For example, it was only
tent, this fact presents an alluring targeting opportunity;
while the engagement may be smaller in numbers, it is
more valuable in quality. The audience that will follow
the branded blog is guaranteed to be distinctly interested
in the topic at hand—and, subsequently, will end up as-
sociating that interest with the brand itself.
Even better, Tumblr allows for full customization of its
pages. Unlike the concept of guest-blogging or a Face-
book page, there is less conflict between the brand’s im-
age and that of the platform. In fact, some blogs do not
look like Tumblr pages at all; Kate Spade’s Tumblr, for
example, is overflowing with Pinterest-like photo tiles
and would not be recognized as a Tumblr if it was not
for the “Follow” and “Dashboard” icons in the top-right
corner.
When it comes to branded content, however, Tumblr
is tricky. Many a user have complained that promot-
ing posts on Tumblr should be reserved for important
causes and never wasted on a good laugh or trivial mat-
ters (where fashion and entertainment seem to go). It
appears that the Tumblr community takes itself very se-
riously in this regard, treating the platform as a space
for sharing valid information. Therefore, Kate Spade’s
Tumblr is great because it gives content access to those
who wish to follow it or are in that line of business; a
Kate Spade promoted post regarding the introduction of
a new line, however, seems to be a different story.
Sharing Platforms
Sharing platforms are the opposite of blogs. Users visit
Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest because they enjoy the
platforms, the way they are structured and the utilities
they offer. In online locations such as these, it is more
complicated for a company to create a strong bond be-
tween its branded page and a user. There is the obvious
benefit that users must make the first move in deciding
to follow and engage with a specific brand, but this has
not proven to be enough.
markeTIng trends
17 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
a few months ago that TBG Digital released information
regarding the successes (and failures) of its paid adver-
tising on Twitter. Through the statistics, it was obvious
to see that promoted tweets appearing in search (and,
therefore, directly related to current user demands) were
much more effective than those promoted in timeline.
LinkedIn, another sharing platform, should be spoken
of separately because it recently redesigned its entire im-
age. Once a boring resume shop, the network is revamp-
ing itself as the go-to news source for business profes-
sionals—a platform resting at the intersection of valuable
news, business connections and recruitment. And with
its recent acquisitions of SlideShare and Pulse, the com-
pany will likely reach its goal. Therefore, this social net-
work is about to become much more valuable for those
B2B businesses that wish to have a more serious and
thought-provoking voice in their industry (while simul-
taneously connecting with and hiring the right people).
The opportunity here comes with the platform’s ability
to showcase valuable content to the right professionals,
while other platforms may not seem serious enough for
such content.
Now, when it comes to branded content, there is a fine
LinkedIn line that must be walked. While posting news
from within your own company is quite acceptable on
the platform, the space has become more of a discussion
arena than anything else. With a great focus on groups,
inquiries and curiosities are constantly being asked and
answered, which begs the question: Where does branded
content fit? Once again, if a LinkedIn member chooses to
follow your company page, then one would assume it ac-
ceptable for you to disseminate branded content to them
(because they have already shown interest). However,
LinkedIn will become a space for more industry-related
(rather than company-related) content as users begin to
employ it on a daily basis—because, let’s face it, nobody
wishes to see that much branded content.
To add to this, the network is already testing promoted
content adverts, which means that users’ patience with
branded content will most likely begin to wear thin. At
the moment, this development is being received posi-
tively due to the great influx of group spam that LinkedIn
has experienced, but one has to wonder how long this
will last before LinkedIn users begin to complain about
the promoted posts as they do with Facebook.
Vine
Vine is a hybrid platform boasting a hybrid product.
The platform itself is both creator and distributor, but
the :06 advertising unit that it introduced is definitely
worth noting. In this case, the content is the advertise-
ment, a characteristic which changes the game complete-
ly. The platform, through its novelty and length limits,
has pushed brands to create some of the most interesting
and compelling content. Branded content on Vine is both
more entertaining and a smaller pill for users to swallow
when it comes to annoyance. It presents vast opportuni-
ties for branded content to improve its popularity with
the public as it posts short-but-sweet tidbits of informa-
tion and creativity.
Trends and Opportunities
Finally, there are several trends worth mentioning that
apply to all of the aforementioned platforms. The first is
that social networks have become the newsstand of to-
day. They are the digital arenas that users enter to simul-
taneously gather and spread information. Therefore, it is
not only the platform that must be optimal for the con-
tent at hand, but also the formulation of the content it-
self. When it comes to branded content, it is all about the
voice and the voice will never be heard in such a crowd if
it does not present value—if it is not worth hearing.
Brands must learn when it is appropriate to deliver in-
ternal messages and when it is more fitting to speak of an
industry or community.
markeTIng trends
Brands must familiarize themselves with the informa-
tion types (images, videos, links, etc.) that are most suc-
cessful on each social platform and their recommended
lengths for optimal engagement. These are modern head-
lines. They are the titles that previously sold newspapers,
and they are the symbolic representations of brands’
voices and personalities.
“ The more users depend
upon social networks for
news updates, the more
newsworthy the branded
content must become.”
markeTIng trends
19 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Where is Content Marketing Headed?
5 Content and Social Media Leaders Speak Out
One of the best ways to find out where a move-
ment is headed is to talk to the people work-
ing on its leading edge. Branding Magazine
reached out to several authors, consultants,
agency leaders and big-brand social media
directors with four key questions:
1_Do you see content marketing becoming more or
less central to marketing a brand?
2_What are the main opportunities you see in
content?
3_What are the main challenges or obstacles?
4_What notable brands do you think are doing a
good job leveraging content?
Do you see content marketing becoming more
or less central to marketing a brand?
riCk wion, Director of Social Media at
McDonald’s:
“Content has always been essential for good brand mar-
keting but it is more important than ever because good
content will help for stronger bonds with your consum-
ers and in the best cases give them a ready-made and
highly sharable way to be brand ambassadors. As an
example of how content is becoming so central to brand-
ing and marketing, at creative reviews at McDonald’s
one of the measuring screens we use is sharability. We
ask ourselves, “Is this creative something that that I
would share with my friends?”
Mark SChaefer, CEO of Schaefer Marketing Solu-
tions, and author of The Tao of Twitter, ROI: Return on
Influence and You Were Born to Blog:
“I don’t think there is any question content has to play a
by Chuck Kent
markeTIng trends
20 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
day, regardless of product type, virtually every custom-
er’s due diligence involves searching the web. Building
a digital presence to attract prospects and other target
audiences starts with content.”
What are the main opportunities you see in
content?
MiChael BriTo, SVP of Social Business Strategy at
Edelman Digital and author of “Smart Business, Social
Business: A Playbook for Social Media in Your Organiza-
tion”
“The biggest opportunity is for organizations to think
of themselves as media companies and enable employ-
ees and customers to feed the content engine day in and
day out. This means that they must have the people
(contributors), the process (conent distribution work-
flows) and technology (content platforms like Kapost)
to manage this transformation. “
ann handley“The key opportunity is the ability to communicate di-
rectly with your customers by owning the media, versus
begging for attention or buying it. The key to success is
to not squander that opportunity with terrible corpo-
rate-centric content, but instead to solve problems for
your customers, or share resources with them.”
lou hoffMan “I think there are opportunities for non-media compa-
nies to differentiate through content, especially in the
B2B world where stiff content still rules. In spite of the
lip service paid to content marketing, many companies
are producing content that’s mediocre at best.
Given the amount of information that bombards us
24/7, I expect progressive companies to ratchet up vi-
sual storytelling in their content marketing efforts. Ob-
viously, visuals facilitate easier consumption, but don’t
bigger role in marketing if for no other reason than con-
sumers are spending less time with traditional forms of
media and advertising. People are sick of ads, sick of
being sold to. But they will spend time with a good sto-
ry from somebody who is trying to authentically help
them.”
ann handley, Chief Content Officer of Marketing-
Profs, and co-author of Content Rules:
“I see content as becoming increasingly central to
marketing a brand. The evolution of technology and so-
cial media -- along with Google -- are all driving the
evolution of business online. Content is truly the thing
that can differentiate your brand from another; it’s the
soul of your brand and the pulse of marketing. “
doug keSSler, Founder/CEO of UK-based B2B con-
tent marketing agency Velocity Partners:
“Without any doubt, content marketing is becoming
more and more central to every kind of brand. Market-
ers have discovered that engaging with prospects on the
issues they most care about is a far better way to start
a conversation or a relationship than old-style ‘me, me,
me’ marketing.
There will always be a place for the self-serving, prod-
uct-led stuff. But today, people educate themselves long
before they make themselves known to you. so you need
engaging content to get them moving towards you and
to get them on your radar. I know that content market-
ing is a bandwagon right now but I don’t think it’s going
to go away. Content marketing works because it puts
the customer first -- and customers don’t want it any
other way.”
lou hoffMan, CEO of the global Hoffman Agency,
which leverages PR, social media and owned media.
“No question. It used to be the more complex the prod-
uct, the greater the role of content marketing. But to-
markeTIng trends
21 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
forget visual information greatly increases the likeli-
hood of sharing through social channels as well.
For the brave, there’s an opportunity to experiment
and push the boundaries of content marketing. It’s still
early days. For example, at its best content market-
ing teaches. Why is a teacher from a university more
credible than a teacher from a company? It’s about the
perception of objectivity. Teachers help you. Companies
sell you. By aligning your company with other players
in your ecosystem or even competitors, there’s the
potential for educational halo.
Last, it seems only a matter of
time before a BuzzFeed or a
Demand Media makes its
platform (algorithm,
analytics, etc.) avail-
able to brands. While
we associate these
products with the
mass consumer,
the concept could
be applied to ver-
tical markets
so say, an IBM,
would know what
stories are resonat-
ing with engineers and
respond in real time.”
doug keSSler“There are always opportunities in each market to
spot the key trends and issues of the moment and pack-
age them up into great content. That’s the most impor-
tant opportunity. For the discipline as a whole, there
are always opportunities for innovators: people who
find new ways to tell stories. As a discipline, we’re all
finally moving away from the print paradigm (eBooks,
white papes, PDFs…) and learning about screen-based
experiences (Prezi, mobile, scrolling sites, slideshare –
when used properly).
riCk wion“There are so many opportunities I could fill up a
few pages on this one. Consumer Generated and simi-
lar forms of consumer driven content has barely been
tapped by most companies. Everyday folks are tweet-
ing fun and creative content to us through @McDon-
alds, which shows that the passion and love for our
brand is real. I think that
platforms to find and
elevate the most
skilled creative
(like Tongal.com
which McDonald’s
has used in the past)
can really help elevate the
quality of consumer generated
content.
Additionally, I think
that there is a great
opportunity for
brands to help fill
in the voids cre-
ated by the decline
of the newspaper
business—not by
pumping out more
corporate news but by
finding creative ways to support
the journalistic endeavors and the principles of journal-
ism across new platforms.”
Mark SChaefer“The big opportunity is providing content in a truly
helpful and non-obtrusive manner that still results in
some sort of engagement ... and hopefully a sale. how
do we do that? how do we integrate content and adver-
markeTIng trends
22 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
so the pressure to create extraordinary content will in-
crease too. Bring your checkbook. That won’t be cheap!”
lou hoffMan “I’ve always thought the dirty little secret about con-
tent marketing is the cost of scaling. It’s expensive to
develop content. That’s why we’ll continue see compa-
nies strive for the holy grail of content marketing: user-
generated content (UGC).” Contrary to the accepted
mantra, content is not king. Compelling content is king.
There’s a huge difference between the two.”
ann handley“Jumping into tactics before strategy [is the biggest
obstacle} -- so, launching a blog or a Facebook page or
a Twitter feed or any of it before understanding WhY
you are doing any of it. Answer the bigger questions
about your content -- the “who, what, why, when, how,
where” of your content. Who is this for? Why are we
creating it? What do we want them to do? What do we
want them to do after that? Where will this go? how
will we manage and produce it consistently? Train for
a marathon, not a sprint. You need staffing and systems
in place to support content as an ongoing effort, not a
one-and-done campaign.
Also, many companies don’t differentiate their content
enough, especially in the B2B space. Your voice is your
brand. You voice should be as distinctive as your visual
branding -- if you masked the visual elements of your
content, would your customers or prospects still recog-
nize it as being from you?”
What notable brands do you think are doing a
good job leveraging content?
MiChael BriTo“This one is easy. Red Bull and Pepsi. Go to their home
pages and see for yourself.”
lou hoffMan “I think the brands doing a good job tend to be the ones
tising, especially in mobile? There are some interesting
models emerging that help consumers directly within
the content. We also have to keep an eye on the emerg-
ing field of augmented reality. What will content even
look like?”
What are the main challenges or obstacles?
doug keSSler“The biggest challenge is that everybody is now gener-
ating lots and lots of content. so it’s harder and harder
to make yours stand out and grab an audience. We did a
slideshare on this called “Crap: Why the Biggest Threat
To Content Marketing Is Content Marketing” and I still
think that’s the biggest challenge for us all.”
MiChael BriTo“Content marketing can be done in a silo. Any mar-
keting manager can hire an agency to create an ad or
a video. This lack of collaboration is causing brand
to create disjointed content and engage in community
management without have a solid vision. “
riCk wion“Alignment across an organization and agencies will
always be a challenge. As content marketing matures
companies need to develop robust, yet nimble processes
to speedily take advantage of new opportunities. An-
other challenge will be measurement. While digital and
social tools offer a ton of great metrics, tying those met-
rics to strategic goals will be something that every com-
pany needs to figure out on its own.”
Mark SChaefer“I think the big challenge -- and this has always been
the big challenge -- is cutting through the noise to be-
come the signal. The consumer’s ability to recognize
and absorb content is limited and can’t increase. Our
brain is our brain. however the amount of available
content and the channels for that content is exploding.
markeTIng trends
23 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
willing to try new things. Even though it’s been around
for some time, I consider OPEN Forum from American
Express a trend setter. Very savvy to identify a void in
the market and target small biz with the platform. They
took the concept of corporate publishing to a new level.
I also like what Johnson and Johnson is doing, par-
ticularly the sponsorship of a channel on huffington
Post targeting moms. It blends paid, owned and earned
media. They’re proving that if you
deliver useful content, most
people don’t care where it
originates.”
doug keSSler“The marketing auto-
mation vendors -- Sil-
verpop, Marketo, Elo-
qua, hubspot – are really
good at it, as you’d expect.
IBM and Adobe always do a great
job. And GE Aviation has done some very
cool things -- like a video called Paths
of Flight that’s just beautiful.”
ann handley “There are some big
consumer brands that
are killing it; Nike is
one I especially admire
in the B2C space. I also like
Procter and Gamble, especial-
ly as they adopted a content-centric marketing mindset
early on. In B2B, I like American Express’s OPEN Fo-
rum platform, and Cisco (especially its video). But there
are some other innovative smaller brands I like, too:
Open View Partners (a small VC company where I live,
here in Boston); Citrix (especially its Workshifting site);
and I really like what my friend Joe Chernov is doing at
Kinvey, a mobile infrastructure company.”
riCk wion“The best companies are the ones that are adept at
both creating their own content and then leveraging
platforms and fans to help share that content. Red Bull
is great at this with its many “must-watch” sports and
entertainment events. Ford also does this really well
by aligning fans across traditional, digital and social
channels. I also admire the ways that GE and Boeing
make science and engineering content compelling for a
broad audience.”
M a r k SChaefer
“ Y o u
k n o w
the con-
s u m e r
b r a n d s
get all
the press,
but I
would like
to shine a
light on a
couple of B2B
companies that
are doing a good
job. I like what AT&T is
doing on the B2B side, offer-
ing a wealth of content in many
forms -- blogs, podcasts, webinars --
that simply surround the B2B buyer with
useful information. They are doing a great job leverag-
ing their internal knowledge workers to become content
creators.
The tech companies are also doing a great job. Cisco
has hundreds of blogs segmented by vertical, product
and country. I think that is smart -- segmenting your
content as granularly as possible.”
brand practice
24 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Brand PraCTiCe
31_IdenTIfY Your keY brand comPonenTs wITh The brand maTrIx
34_The good (Pr) clIenT
36_lookIng ahead In The dIgITal realm
38_The green brandIng of The fuTure
25_braIn TraInIng for brand PracTITIoners & scholars
brand practice
25 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Brain Training for Brand Practitioners
& Scholars
The field of branding is now awash with
books and articles impressing the impor-
tance of: humanized brands; the brand expe-
rience; employees that personify the brand;
personal branding; co-creation and reci-
procity – all of which in particular seek to
empower the consumer. The key concept un-
derpinning these lies in the ability to deliver
consistent and coordinated: compelling, co-
gent, relevant, timely, valuable and authen-
tic communication – across platforms and
from a range of sources. The in vogue term
for this approach is perfection of ‘the Art of
Storytelling’.
beyond these recommendations and the plethora
of cited success stories, I have often wondered
how we go about learning, relating, applying and
practicing such storytelling? It is worth reflecting upon
the fact that professional athletes and musicians sepa-
rate training, practice, rehearsal and performance—with
performance being the least frequent activity. However,
for practitioners and scholars, the pressures are often so
great to perform that the reverse happens. More time is
spent performing, often at the expense of all the other
previously-mentioned stages.
In light of this observation, the following series of fairly
straightforward activities may help to remedy this im-
balance. My suggestion is that these activities can be
used by academics, students and practitioners—alone
or in groups—as long as the tasks at hand are not too
onerous. The real value of these recommendations lies
in viewing them as necessary training activities linked to
by Dr Jonathan A.J. Wilson
brand practice
26 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
practice—as tasks that should be repeated regularly over
time. As with any form of valuable training, repetition
leads to improvements in skill, aptitude, speed and con-
fidence. Also, the documentation of thoughts and reflec-
tions is beneficial because style, patterns and the ability
to respond to change become easier to execute—in criti-
cal, measured and informed manners.
Preparation for the tasks
Stage One: Create a filing system and a slot
The type of system you select—blog, notebook, table
in a Word document or even a notepad on your smart-
phone—is of little importance. What is of more impor-
tance is discovering a system that works for you, that you
can keep up over time and that you can share. Now, de-
cide how regularly you will execute these tasks and when
(weekly, fortnightly, monthly), and ensure that you do so
at roughly the same time. Is it a task executed Monday
morning at your desk, during your commute to work or
on a Sunday evening in front of the television (a warm-
up for the imminent week)?
Stage Two: Create the fields
As a starting point, here are several suggested fields:
• Date
• Source/Author/Brand/Product/Service
• Key theme
• The reason it caught your eye
• Why it is so unique
• Why it is so familiar
• Score (out of 10)
• How you would do it better
• What would make it an impulse choice?
• What would make it go viral?
• What could you use (functional/conceptual)
and where?
Stage Three: Revisit what you have collected
Over time, it is highly likely that you will see distinct
things that lead to a transformation in your views. After
all, our environments are constantly altering and (hope-
fully) so are we. Do not erase or neglect what you have
previously collected; instead, build upon it in the same
place (file, page, etc.) or refer back to it under a new date.
Stage Four: Share
n+1 heads are better than one. Therefore, the more you
share, the better chance you have of receiving—either
from others’ feedback or simply from the process of pub-
lic articulation.
Now for the tasks
Task One: Your personal Brand Scorecard
Pick:
1_The brands that you like
2_The brands that you hate
3_The brands towards which you are indifferent (which,
despite its difficulty, is equally as important)
Rank them along the same scale. The argument here
is that even if you dislike a brand or feel indifferent to-
wards it, it has still caught your eye and that realization is
worth exploring. You never know, these brands may one
day have the potential to shift. Often, brand indexes list
successful brands according to revenue and case stud-
ies cite unsuccessful brands according to negative PR,
while consideration is seldom given to the in-between.
This viewpoint runs the risk of pushing brand building
towards the replication of a trend, a trend which is in fact
already on the decline.
brand practice
27 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Having mapped out your personal brand scorecard,
can you see any patterns? Are there any gaps or discon-
nects within the four categorized brand elements? For
example, did:
• BlackBerry foresee how pivotal BlackBerry Messen
ger (BBM), designed initially for businesses, would
be in the Arab Spring amongst urban activists?
• Burberry contemplate that it would embody ‘Chav
chic’ for some, or that its tartan would become a
popular Muslim headscarf?
• Timberland believe that it would end up appealing
Next, using the fields in Stage Two, assess the follow-
ing four elements by means of the same criteria:
1_Brand Anatomy: The overall brand image as it
links to its products/services and employees
2_Brand Physiology: The aesthetics and design
of the brand, along with its promotional activities
3_Brand Consumption: The brand’s consumers
or those who feel they embody the brand
4_Brand Messaging: The brand’s stories
to a Hip-hop youth that would spray their boots differ-
ent colours before the company even responded? The
beauty of this task is that it will give you a wealth of case
examples to draw from while creating new brands and
campaigns, pitching ideas, giving talks or writing papers.
Furthermore, the exercise’s benefit is that it adds an ex-
tra level of structure and criticality to your discussions,
allowing you to draw comparisons and highlight gaps. It
is often the case that you will only see one or two ex-
amples presented, which in many ways provides a weak
basis for analysis and justification.
brand practice
28 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Task Two: Your personal storytelling source
material
Using the same fields from Stage Two, document your
thoughts and feelings on the following topics, employing
the same criteria for each:
• Books
• Films/TV shows
• Albums/Songs/Sounds
• Food/Restaurants
• Personal objects
• Smells
• Places
• Real People (be careful if they are people that you
know personally!)
• Fictitious Characters
• Animals
• Tattoos (even if you would not get one)
• YouTube clips/online user generated content
• Stories
Again, you will be picking things that you like, dislike
and feel indifferent towards, and then ranking them. I
have placed stories at the end for a reason. It is likely that
the more you engage in this activity, the more immersed
you will become which, in turn, will lead to more cre-
ative, in-depth and detailed critical thinking. This is the
ultimate purpose of this task—we are trying to become
better brand storytellers.
Now, you also may be thinking, “why tattoos?” I am
going to argue that tattoos and emotive branding share
some similarities amongst the most engaged in a modern
cultural context. Each are modern phenomena in their
own right, and act as striking visual cues and modes of
tribal communication—something linked to multi-lay-
ered levels of culture to which people ascribe meaning.
Furthermore, they signal a desire for realism in response
to an increasingly sanitized world. Anecdotally, in her
book No Logo, Naomi Klein cites the Nike swoosh as be-
ing one of the most requested tattoos in the US.
I would also like to highlight the importance of all hu-
man senses (taste and smell are often overlooked outside
of food categories). Imagine, for example, an Islamic
bank that burned sweet-smelling musk incense from the
East in their branches, had smooth counters and writing
pens, and bowls of so-good-they-melt-in-your-mouth
sweets. This is where the storytelling begins, where the
cultural brand experience grows.
Task Three: Story spotting and spreading
Whilst you are with your family and friends—at a party,
reading books, watching TV, earwigging in a coffee shop
or on the subway—listen… Take a minute to discern what
makes the story you have just heard so good or so bad,
so enticing or so boring. Then (and here is the important
bit) note your conclusions somewhere. Now, continue to
think about the following:
• If it was you that had to tell the same story, could
you execute it in exactly the same way?
• What you would change, and why?
• With whom would that story resonate—where,
when and why?
If you are feeling really creative and adventurous, get
into Science Fiction. The significance of technology is
massive and if we are going to go beyond simply keeping
up and strive towards setting the agenda, then practicing
phenomena prediction is a must. Try dipping into books
like 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy (remember “babel fish”) or watching Inception,
Total Recall, The Matrix and Minority Report (remem-
ber that advertising scene). Look at them again with a
critical, marketing eye; in addition, seek out futurist
and Transhumanist (H+) forums. It is of no importance
whether art is influencing life or vice versa, but looking
deeply beyond the here and now is crucial.
brand practice
29 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Task Four: Get yourself a creative hobby
I, personally, have a very broad view as to what con-
stitutes being creative. However, the important thing is
that these activities are not part of your occupation and
require participation. Whether you enjoy cooking, doing
Sudoku, jamming to the blues, playing football, signing-
up for pottery classes or simply playing with your child’s
Legos—it does not matter. It is only necessary that the
brain refines its skills regarding problem solving, task
performance and escapism (meaning an escape away
from your daily tasks).
Afterwards, the challenge is to appropriate these cre-
ative goals into your working life. For example, they could
be a source of inspiration that you can then attempt to
integrate into the augmented elements of your brands,
a networking platform or a storytelling vehicle for your
personal brand. I remember going to the launch party
of Seiko’s Ananta timepiece, which is inspired by the
Japanese katana sword. Along with the usual party re-
freshments, they had Japanese swordsmen demonstrat-
ing katas in full samurai dress and a calligrapher writing
names in Japanese. It was an amazing experience, but
imagine how the story would have been enriched if the
swordsmen and calligrapher were actually employees of
Seiko.
Task Five: Travel and practice your storytelling
far and wide
This is the hard bit, but of predominant importance.
Just as musicians have warm-up gigs and tours, you
will become better at storytelling the by doing the same.
Travelling exposes you to different environments and au-
diences; furthermore, it allows you to practice telling the
same story. There is no point in telling the same story to
the same people (unless they ask, of course), but realisti-
cally you need to tell one story multiple times. This will
give you a chance to reflect on, improve upon and refine
it; the story will become increasingly rich, compelling,
authentic, cogent and succinct. Wherever you go, do not
forget to take photos of everything and anything, prefer-
ably with your smartphone because the pictures are then
date- and location-stamped.
Those pictures can serve as helpful memory jogger or
even further inspiration.
brand practice
30 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Now off to work!This take on brand storytelling hopefully gets you thinking, even in situa-
tions where you must brand dull paper clips and web server packages or quan-
tify consumer behavioural perspectives. I believe that a little more storytelling
brings the sacred, profane and mundane to the top of the mind, allowing for
greater resonance and potential gains. Furthermore, those behind the com-
munication (namely, us) must also be tuned as instruments and encoders. At
the very least, it might make you feel less guilty about surfing the net when you
should actually be working, or working and studying might feel a little more
like a facet of you (rather than something that controls you). My argument is
that it is difficult to switch your brain off, so if you wish to be creative, produc-
tive and critical, it is better to categorize these processes as holistic steps within
a wider journey of discovery.
Happy storytelling (^_~)
brand practice
31 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Identify Your Key Brand Components
with the Brand Matrix
Brands each present a different ap-
proach when identifying and pro-
moting themselves, but what compo-
nents architect a successful brand?
When I think about branding, I of-
ten view it as (what I like to call) the
brand matrix. The brand matrix is a
list that lays out all branding tools,
allowing companies to choose which
components they will utilize and
which they will skip.
by Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa
brand practice
32 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
for example, a company in the process of branding
itself would probably create a mobile app and web-
site featuring their logo and tagline. They may also
create print collateral or packaging. When customers
step into a store, it hopefully has the look and feel of the
marketing messages conveyed by the company; indeed,
a customer’s experience should ideally align with what-
ever image the brand exudes.
Do all brands have to use each branding component in
the matrix to succeed?
Not at all. In fact, taking all of the brand matrix’s tools
into consideration is a good start, but a company’s suc-
cess definitely does not rely on its employment of all the
available tools.
PieCeS of a BrandThe following groups represent some of the major branding components that I have identified:
message:• strategy
• visual identity /graphics
• verbal Identity (tone/voice)
Delivery:• mobile
• web• Television
• radio• billboards
• Print • Packaging
experience/service:• user experience
• customer service• usability
• Physical feel/location• emotion
• customer loyalty• Performance
Two brands, numerous options
Case in point: Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. Both
serve coffee, tea, various drinks and snacks, but they dif-
fer as far as the tools they use to brand themselves. Oc-
casionally, they use similar strategies, but not always.
Dunkin Donuts is all about their “America Runs on
Dunkin” message; they keep people going during busy
days with a fast-food concept. Starbucks is more of a “sit
down and relish that $4 drink” (with gourmet snacks)
kind of place, though you can take your order on the go.
Both brands offer baked goods along with healthier meal
options, yet they remain quite distinct in their branding
tactics.
brand practice
33 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
Let us begin with their logos. Dunkin Donuts uses four
images in its design: A picture of America, a person run-
ning, the word “on” and the famous “DD” logo. Star-
bucks utilizes solely one image and recently removed the
words “Starbucks Coffee” from the logo, thereby creating
a fluid piece of art that resembles a mermaid. Dunkin
Donuts colors with bright pink and orange, while Star-
bucks sticks with an Earthy green.
You will encounter intriguing wall art at Starbucks,
while Dunkin Donuts typically displays promotional
posters starring egg sandwiches and its latest beverage
concoctions. Both sell coffee and other branded prod-
ucts, but neither can be deemed better than the other in
their branding. In fact, both are rather effective.
Missing a part of the brand matrix?A brand can still thrive.
While examining the previously-mentioned brands,
you might have noticed that Starbucks has neglected one
of the predominantly utilized branding components in
the brand matrix: The tagline. Starbucks does not have
a tagline.
Do they need it? I believe not. Starbucks has managed
to flourish as a brand even without having a tagline,
while other brands may not experience similar success
after skipping out on a slogan.
One branding tool that Starbucks deploys and Dunkin
Donuts does not is a loyalty program. Customers who
purchase Starbucks products incessantly can earn stars
via the My Starbucks Rewards™ program and then cash
in on perks such as free refills. Now, branding may be
largely about creating loyalty, but do not assume that
you need a loyalty program, per say, to do that.
We could focus on others brands and how they do and
do not incorporate brand matrix components; however,
highlighting these two brands leads to an effective depic-
tion of how brands can utilize different mixes of matrix
tools and still attain big time success.
So how does your brand measure up? What tools in the
brand matrix have you used and which do you plan to
deploy in the future? Are there any brand matrix compo-
nents that you feel you should avoid and, if so, then why?
brand practice
34 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
As distinctions between advertising, market-
ing, promotion and public relationscontinue
to blur while communications channels mul-
tiply, companies seeking public relations
representationneed to reconsider their role
in the client / PR agency relationship.
The best PR results are always the product of acol-
laborative agency / client relationship. And,while
the key question companies seeking coun-
sel ask of business associates is, ‘Do you know a good
agency?’onceas agency is retained, their next question
should be, “How can I be a good client?”
On their side, PR firms can help manage the selection
process by devoting adequateresources to researching
prospectsbefore deciding to pursue or accept the busi-
ness. The Agency should ask whether the work will be
conducive to the agency’s growth, is the proposed budget
realistic, will client senior executives be involved, and
does the company has a good track record working with
PR firms?
Prospective clients should not expect a ‘Hail Mary’ cre-
ative touchdown, especially in the proposal stage. Pros-
pects that ask PR firms to deliver ideas out of thin air
and give them away in the RFP do not understand that
creative PR is a process that arises from a partnership of
equals and a deep understanding of a client’s business.
Once retained, the client must embrace the agency as an
extension of its marketing team with collaboration and
teamwork of paramount importance. If a client thinks
they can outsource their PR and social media without of-
fering much input, you’re looking at an agency / client
relationship that is doomed from the outset.
The ‘good client’ understands howcollaborative mar-
keting works and willfollow these rules of the road.
Clearly Define PR’s Role
Be clear about the role your PR agency is to play. Will
they drive external communications strategy, focus on
tactical implementation of your plan or be a hired gun
handlingspecific projects like product launches, trade
shows orcase studies?
Be a Collaborative Partner
Too often, the client / agency relationship can become
strained, or even adversarial, regardless of the size of the
agency or of the account. Effectively partnering with your
agency is the best way to position your company against
your competition while driving the best possible results
from your PR program.
Share, Share, Share
Treat your agency as an extension of your team, not as
a mind reader. Alert them to changes in plans, policies
the good (PR) client
by Len Stein
brand practice
35 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
and market direction. Conduct regular Q&A sessions
with senior management to help your agency understand
the reasoning behind policy decisions. The better your
agency understands “why,” the more effectively they can
tell your company’s story to stakeholders.
Have Patience
Expecting instant gratification from your agency is a
setup for failure. Even experienced agencies need time to
learn your company, products and industry. It is crucial
to invest the time to help your agency understand your
company and your business.
Be Realistic
Not every announcement warrants a barrage of press
follow-ups. Be realistic about the value of company news
and expectations of media coverage. If the news is about
a new version of a legacy product or a partnership an-
nouncement, a full-court press is misguided. Set reason-
able expectations. Don’t tell your PR firm they must win
five industry awards and garner six glowing product re-
views this year. The only answer you should expect is,
“We’ll do our best.”
Make Timely Payments
When the invoice arrives, please pay it promptly. Obvi-
ously, like you, your agency is in business to make mon-
ey. Make your account profitable for the agency if you
expect excellent service.
Manage Management Expectations
As the client managing the PR firm, always merchan-
dise their successes to senior management. Senior man-
agement wants three basic things from their PR agency:
good advice, great results and great value.
Listen
It’s easy to gauge how smart someone is by the ques-
tions they ask. Your PR firm will likely approach things
differently than you but listen to what they have to say.
You may not always agree, but consider what they tell
you and thinkthrough the idea. After all, the flipside of
being a good communicator is being a good listener.
Say Thanks
Agencies love to hear “Thank you” for a job well done. It
brightens one’s day to receive an occasional client email
to an agency principal letting them know that a team
member really delivered. Certainly, one expects clients
to be demanding, but it’s important to be appreciative
too.
As the marketplace becomes ever more competitive
and cluttered with ‘me too’ offerings, the PR agency / cli-
ent relationship only grows in importance as a way of
differentiating and elevating one’s market position.
So let’s shake.
brand practice
36 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
looking ahead in the digiTal realM
On the whole, digital has come so far, hasn’t
it? We can book a flight from our smart-
phones, connect with brands while we browse
Facebook statuses, bring anything to life on
a screen, and we can stream—or beam—just
about anywhere. As the media world evolves,
how will digital marketing, advertising,
skills, and technologies develop?
Let’s take a look at some changes we can
expect to progress in the next year and on-
ward.
Deconstructing mobile users
it used to be that mobile users were lumped together in
one neat little customer niche, but marketers are seeing
that people use different devices for different purposes.
Specifically, they tend to use tablets for research and en-
tertainment, and use smartphones to accomplish tasks.
For example, a person may browse travel destinations on
their tablet but make a hotel reservation on their smart-
phone. (Still, some people have security concerns when
booking or making purchases via mobile devices, which
is another segment of consumers that marketers must
appeal to.)
This year, an increasing number of companies will le-
verage analytics to better understand their mobile cus-
tomers. Once companies can see exactly what consumers
are doing on mobile devices, they can get a better idea of
how to customize their digital marketing approach.
(Speaking of mobile, expect apps to advance—espe-
cially in the health and wellness industry—and more ap-
pscriptions to emerge.)
Users will share—and overshare—on their big screens
As more people use tablets and television at the same
time, technology will enable them to slide information
from the mobile device to their televisions for everyone
in the room to see. As such, marketers will have to find
ways to promote the ability to share content this way—
by Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa
brand practice
37 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
because yes, everyone is in the sharing mood.
Content–finally–will reign
Wasn’t 2012 supposed to be the year of content market-
ing? In many ways, it was; but now that users can share
content—and are doing so rampantly—it is even more
important to originate compelling material. The fact that
people share content lets brands reach a wider audience,
and companies will be depending on these users to pro-
mote their content.
Expect companies to invest even more in content pro-
duction, some of them even going as far to devote posi-
tions in the company solely to develop engaging content.
Additionally, brands are looking to target share-savvy
consumers, and they want to turn Web visitors into Web
customers by producing captivating content.
Visuals matter more than ever
In today’s world of sparse attention spans, people may
not even make the time to read content—so visual appeal
matters. Make digital graphics alluring and you win; and
if they stink, a user will click away from your site faster
than you can list your favorite Pantone shades. Sure, we
all want to use digital tools that are functional and load
quickly, but we also want them to look good—in fact,
more people demand it.
“Mom marketing” will take off
When it comes to digital sales and advertising, market-
ers realize that women—specifically, moms—mean busi-
ness. Women drive more than 80% of all purchasing de-
cisions. Out of that segment, though, there are different
types of moms, and marketers are taking notice. Inter-
est in the “Boomer mom” is sure to increase because this
breed of consumer has the time, yearning and finances to
impact others and be choosey with her purchases. She’s
also caught on to technology and knows how to use it…no
grannies here. Marketers will need to tailor their digital
campaigns to this savvy, ready-to-spend-and-share mom.
Top talent will be a must
Exactly who are the people pushing all these digital ad-
vancements? Organizations are devoting some hefty re-
sources to digital professionals, and some say the battle
for this talent is an all-out war.
According to a Forrester report, 60% of marketers sur-
veyed had fewer than 10 people dedicated to digital at
the end of 2009, while only 17% had teams this small in
2012. A total of 20% of companies had more than 100
digital staffers, while 45% had more than 25. In short,
the need for digital professionals is growing.
Most companies now have roles created for digital,
and securing top digital talent can be difficult because
technology giants like Google have appealed to them so
well—and won.
The digital world is sure to evolve as our ideas advance
and technology emerges. Where do you think the digital
arena is headed?
brand practice
38 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
the GREEN branding
of the FUTURE
The world population has reached 7 billion
and is forecasted to reach about 9 billion by
20501. As the world’s population grows, its
need for water, food and energy will also in-
crease; this challenge will be difficult to over-
come and will demand a lot from all of us.
“The new retail mantra is green pays, green
brings in customers.”2 Interestingly, in re-
sponse to claims that retailers provide too
much wasteful packaging, the green compe-
tition, from being focused exclusively on the
industry, has rapidly moved to discourage
excessive product packaging policies and
promises to sanction suppliers who do not
reduce packaging. It is extremely important
to keep up with the competition in social re-
sponsibility initiatives, as it may be the min-
imum requirement for staying active in the
market; falling behind may make you, quite
simply, socially unacceptable. Companies
like Dell and Hewlett-Packard both actively
exploit the energy saving characteristics of
their new computers as part of their value
proposition3, while in Brazil, ethanol (a bio-
fuel) is made from renewable sugar cane.4
Corporate social responsibility becomes an
active part of the value proposition. A grow-
ing number of companies are thinking “be-
yond the green corporation” to a situation
where eco-friendly and socially responsible
practices drive business performance.
by Dr Vincent Wee (TaYlors unIversITY, malaYsIa)
& Thinavan Periyayya
(unIversITY Tunku abdul rahman, malasYsIa)
brand
39
practice
Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
electronic passport system based on a contactless chip
design.
Furthermore, contemporary organizations that do not
perform ethically or behave well are at a greater risk of
being exposed thanks to the Internet. Many organiza-
tions today are increasingly working with public inter-
est groups to avoid perceptions of “greenwashing”—in-
sincere, phony efforts made by businesses so that they
appear more environmentally sensitive than they really
are. In addition, alliances with environmentalists can
achieve more satisfying solutions that both address pub-
lic concerns and increase the firm’s image and profits.
Firms are fundamentally changing the way they conduct
business and sometimes even relocating in an effort to
do so.
Good habits can be cultivated and should be introduced
early, as they become increasingly difficult to develop as
one ages. Personally, I believe in starting people on the
green track as children since they often wield a special
form of persuasive power over their parents and elders.
There a many ways, such as setting the air-conditioner
at no lower than 26˚C or being attentive to the amount
of food one wastes, to cultivate these behaviors. This can
be done by planning portions before cooking or finish-
ing the food taken from a buffet. On the other hand, we
can encourage less meat consumption or the reduction
of disposables usage (by bringing personal utensils or
cutlery when eating out). In addition to this, turning off
electrical equipment when it is not in use or planting a
couple of trees is also an option.
Through the initiatives of several retailers, customers
are sometimes required to bring reusable bags for shop-
ping. One of the ugly sides of Malaysia is the litter, but
good habits—like picking up trash—can be cultivated.
The employment of a rinsing cup (rather than running
the tap), while brushing one’s teeth, is another great ex-
ample and should be encouraged.
green branding attracts mixed critiques.
Some argue that it is not the role of busi-
nesses to become involved in these social
issues because the goals of management revolve
around delivering value and bolstering earn-
ings. This line of thought suggests that if soci-
ety requires certain behaviors from businesses,
then it is up to lawmakers to produce the appro-
priate regulation necessary to enforce society’s
wishes—while society pays the bill through high
prices. Based on these facts, corporate philan-
thropy—voluntarily funded “good work” like
charities and the arts—is seen as a contribution
to a “good corporate citizen” reputation.
The contrasting view suggests that, since they are a
part of society, businesses have an obligation to pursue
social initiatives that benefit the communities they pop-
ulate. Eventually, this view developed into the concept
that social initiatives are not simply a way of correcting a
committed wrong, but rather promoters of the develop-
ment of new competitive strengths based on innovative
business models. Social responsibility can be considered
a key source of opportunity, innovation and competitive
advantage instead of an expense, constraint or charitable
deed. All in all, this refers to conducting business in a
way that benefits customers, business partners and—
most importantly—the global society.
It does not suffice to go around proclaiming that being
green is good for the environment and contributes to a
healthier lifestyle. Going green is not expensive; indeed,
environmental friendly products and services are cost ef-
ficient, meaning they can actually save you money. Green
technology will not put you in the red. Believe it or not,
according to The Star’s Nevash Nair, 1.5 million chickens
generate their own electricity at an innovative farm via
their droppings, allowing the company to reduce operat-
ing costs. This is green technology. As another example,
Malaysia is the world’s first nation to issue a biometric
brand practice
40 Branding Magazine issue 03 / June 2013
referenCeS
1_Population division of the united nations department of economic and social affairs of the united na-tions secretariat. (2010). World Pop-ulation Prospects, the 2010 revi-sion. available at http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm. [accessed 20 oct. 2012].
2_davey. Jenny and Ben laurance, “trading Bright green ideas”, sun-day times, January 21, 2007, p. 3-5.
3_anders, george, “dell and h-P Cast energy savings as an “eco-Push” that Pays its Way,” Wall street Journal, november 21, 2007.
4_Brazilian brew america opens up to Brazilian ethanol, the econ-omist, January 7, 2012. available at http://www.economist.com/node/21542431. [accessed 20 oct. 2012].
5_nair, n. riding the green move-ment. the star. 13 oct. 2012. avail-able at http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/10/11/metrobiz/12146730 [accessed 20 oct. 2012].
6_kotler, P. and lee n. Corporate social responsibility: doing the Most good for Your Company and Your Cause. (new York, John Wiley, 2005).
Campaigns, such as those for recycling, or other ma-
jor green endeavors, such as tackling river pollution and
countering deforestation, should be organized. Admit-
tedly, some causes are beyond the capabilities of small
groups as they require a huge amount of resources and
may already be championed by other established non-
governmental organizations (NGOs). For example, suc-
cessful introduction of recycling in schools would require
logistical support from the Ministry of Education, state
education departments and even district education of-
fices, as well as assistance from the private sector.
The future holds a wealth of opportunities for compa-
nies.6 Technological advances in solar energy, online
networks, cable and satellite TV, biotechnology, tele-
communication and even digital creative design prom-
ise to change the world as we know it. At the same time,
forces in the socioeconomic, cultural and natural envi-
ronments will impose new limits on organizational prac-
tices. Organizations are highly likely to succeed in their
architecture of new solutions and values within a socially
responsible environment.
Thus, a simple call to action would be
Go green and change the
world for the better.
Cover image:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minicooper93402/
other images:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbamouse/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pennuja/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kuroda/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cecilsanders/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/
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