Steve Yastrow

It’s the Brand Story, Stupid!

One week later, the Big Branding Story from the election is so obvious its not worth much more ink.  Even more than the branding disparity between Clinton and Bush in 1992 (”It’s the economy stupid” vs. a mish-mash of who-knows-what), McCain’s pathetic use of Brand Harmony gave the hyper-clear Obama story lots of room to take root.  (For more, see the New York Times Magazine story on October 26, “The Making (and Remaking) of McCain)

So, let’s not waste more time on the obvious.  Instead, let’s focus on what we can learn from it.  I see hundreds of executives every year in workshops, where I ask them to evaluate their brand stories.  I can’t tell you how underwhelmed I usually am. Is there a more important question for a business than, “What do you want your customers to believe about you?”  Well, my empirical evidence shows that most brand stories are as loose as that of 2008 McCain or 1992 G.H.W. Bush.

So, no matter who you voted for (i.e., does this situation make you gloat or vomit), I encourage you to see the power of a clear, compelling story, communicated with a fully-integrated sense of Brand Harmony. Your customers’ lives are so busy and crowded, and your customers are so savvy and discerning, that you can’t not create powerful relationships with them without a solid brand story.

To paraphrase the Clinton campaign in 1992: “It’s the story, stupid!”

So, what kind of shape is your brand story in?

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Unique is not enough

So what if you’re different? Does anyone care?

Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing one of his competitors. This company has a unique feature, and has built their entire brand story around that feature. The problem? The feature isn’t that important to many people. (My friend smiles at this competitor’s strategy)

There is a difference between being different and being differentiated. “Since 1984,” “The Largest” or “Unlike others, we use only the highest quality rivets” may all be true. But do they matter?

(Shortly after speaking with my friend, Stumble Upon brought me to this picture, at funnyharhar.com)

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Don’t make your brand consistent

Can you believe he wrote that? Don’t make a brand consistent? Huh?

Ok, here’s why I wrote that: Consistency is not enough.

In fact, consistency is often boring.

Don’t think consistent. Think complementary.

Take one of the world’s strongest brands - Apple. I don’t expect the different components of the Apple brand I come in contact with (computer, iPod, iPhone, apple.com, iTunes, iTunes store, Genius Bar, retail shopping experience, computer repair, etc.) to all say the same thing, with consistency. That would be weird. No, I expect them to be in complement, creating experiences that blend in harmony.

The oft-mentioned “McDonald’s is a great brand because I can get the same hamburger anywhere is the world” is not really what makes a great brand. It may make a predictable product, but it doesn’t make for an interesting brand. Experiences worth noticing and thinking about use contrast and tension to create interest. One of my favorite avocations is playing jazz. Beautiful jazz harmonies are filled with tension and dissonance; the contrast is what makes them beautiful. The same thing can happen with experiences your customers have with you.

Consistency is not enough. You can aim higher. Think “complement.”

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