BrandSimple Book Review
by John R. Sedivy
Do you think that branding is simply developing a cute logo, a professional website, and setting up a Facebook page?
If so, you are sadly mistaken.
BrandSimple by Allen P. Adamson blows that theory out of the water. In fact, the author provides everything that you ever want to know about the fundamentals of branding. He actually nails it to a science of sorts. I thought I had known nearly all there is to know about branding, this book has proven me wrong.
Branding – An Art And A Science
Are you interested in learning more of the technical details behind branding? Then you seriously need to read this book. This book is much more serious and technical in nature than most, so it will take some time to read. However, it is worthwhile, and when you do finish, you will walk away with a solid grasp of brands, branding, and how to build a solid brand from the ground up – all while keeping it simple.
The author is clear in distinguishing the commonly misused terms and focuses on the following ten ideas taken directly from BrandSimple:
1. Understand that brand and branding are different concepts.
2. Establish a differentiated meaning for your brand that the consumers you want to reach care about –find relevant–before you begin to try branding.
3. Know exactly who you want to talk to –that is, know your audience.
4. To find a different and relevant brand idea, look for the obvious.
5. Make sure your brand idea aligns with your business strategy.
6. Capture the essence of your brand idea in a brand driver–a simple statement of what your brand stands for.
7. Draw a map of the customer’s journey with your brand.
8. Pick your battles.
9. Remember, only the paranoid survive.
10. Remember that brand building is a marathon event.
The second point is something that I found really important – your brand, whether you are talking about yourself as an individual, a business, or just a message you are attempting to communicate – must be both different and relevant. This is critical, especially given the growing level of noise brought about by the growing popularity of the Internet.
So Simple, Yet So Difficult
Many of the key points appear simple in nature, however it’s worth noting that the most simple things are the most oft overlooked. The author has strong credibility for the subject matter having been employed by leading branding firms and worked many global accounts. He also appeared in leading television news shows and publications. This credibility shines through with the technical discussions.
Some great examples are also provided. Some have appeared in other marketing type books, however the author even treats these examples in a unique manner. Digital tools are not really addressed here – that is the subject of his follow on book titled BrandDigital, which I am currently reading.
Although the material can be dry at times, and may be difficult for the layman, I believe it provides some great food for thought. At a minimum it will make you consider your brand – either as a company or an individual. It will also make for a great desktop reference for some time to come. For more information related to BrandSimple, check out the blog of the same title by visiting the BrandSimple Blog. I have also added it to our blogroll.
The most successful brands are different yet relevant – while communicating a simple message!
-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding
Competence Vs. Greatness
by John R. Sedivy
Competence is a good thing. Or is it?
While reading Seth Godin’s Small Is The New Big I happened upon an interesting concept – competence may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
It appears that competence comes at the expense of greatness. Sure competence is predictable and predictability is safe. Competence is the safe bet for a safe job, in other words a commodity.
A competent person wakes up at the same time every morning, is at work the same time every day, and quits at the same time – without fail. There is generally a lot of rigidity and routine involved with competence. Nothing bad will happen with competence, however nothing beyond mediocrity will likely occur either. Performance is a straight line.
To many this may sound great – but competence comes at the expense of greatness.
Great individuals on the other hand are all over the place. They do things differently than the rest of the world. They are constantly changing and evolving. They have to change – they become smarter with each passing day and as a result change the way they do things.
Try to get a competent person to change the way they do things, it probably isn’t going to happen – at least not without a fight. Try forcing a great individual to be merely competent and you will likely have an equal fight on your hands.
I had experienced this firsthand when I started encountering more creative type individuals. They were unpredictable, lacked focus, had little regard for authority or structure. This was my initial impression.
Here is my revised impression after having befriended and worked with creative individuals – dynamic, possessed broad horizons, and independent. In other words these great individuals were exciting.
And guess what? At the end of the day the job still gets done. Even without the predictable schedule, routine, or competent individual. Amazing things tend to happen. Completely unexpected. Expectations are not merely met, but exceeded.
This is greatness, not mere competence.
When confronted with the choice which would you rather have – competence or greatness?
-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding
The Hidden Arrow
by John R. Sedivy
One of the most amazing things about life is how something can be hidden in plain site. I can walk a certain path through town, encountering people and businesses and take note of some aspects yet others remain hidden. Just when I think I know everything about a person, business, or subject, something surprises me!
This isn’t a sinister plot or a purposeful deception, it’s due to ignorance on my part. As I learn more through people, experience, and books I discover new things all the time. In many cases this new found knowledge sheds new light on something I have experienced many times over, and therefore allows me to experience it in a new way.
Take the FedEx logo as an example. Have you ever noticed the arrow embedded within the logo? First take a look at the logo in the upper left hand corner of this article. Next look at Figure 1 below which has the hidden arrow highlighted between the “E” and the “x”.
Figure 1. FedEx Hidden Arrow Exposed
I had learned about this while reading BrandSimple by Allen Adamson. According to the author the embedded image was purposeful in that it conveys “from here to there, the world on time, this confident arrow signals reliability.”
The arrow not only reinforces the brand but also makes the logo stand out from a distance further promoting the brand. Very clever.
That’s the beauty of education – the more I learn, the more I realize there is much that I truly don’t know.
What are you currently missing that is staring you right in the face?
-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding
