Where Do You Stand?

Thomas Friedman writes today that the selection of Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee has given more of a bump to America’s overseas image than “the entire Bush public diplomacy effort for seven years.”

He talks about how Obama’s nomination demonstrates that people still hunger for “the idea of America,” which he defines as: this open, optimistic, and, indeed, revolutionary, place so radically different from their own societies.

I would argue that this “idea of America” equals the American brand. The War on Terrorism and other political activities have impacted America’s reputation, but the American brand still lives in the hearts and minds of people around the world. Friedman argues Obama’s nomination reminds people of the America they once respected, thus improving our country’s global reputation.

Companies facing reputational attacks can learn from this lesson. With a strong brand that captures the hearts and minds of stakeholders, reputational damage can be repaired. A brand is who you are, while your reputation is current opinion based on recent behavior. If your company is suffering from reputational damage, look to your brand – the core of your organization’s being – and with bold actions make a bold statement that will demonstrate you are better than recent behavior would indicate. As Friedman argues, America has done so with the nomination of an African-American man.

Michelle Golden has a great point on her Golden Practices blog. At Standing, when we begin branding conversations with clients we lead them through discussion about who they ARE; what promise they’ve made and kept to their communities. A different approach, and one that may be simpler for clients who are in disagreement about who they are and what they offer, is to encourage discussion about who and what they are NOT.

I’m looking forward to having some of these brand-defining conversations with new clients in weeks to come.

We had a problem at Standing. No one liked his or her headshot and we all pretty much hate getting our picture taken. Rather than using a photo, I’d been using an avatar that a friend of mine created for me to use on my personal blog. It became my brand, and I rather liked it. Other people did too, and before long, we hired my friend Shawn to create avatars for the entire Standing crew. We’ve been having fun using them on the blog, on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, in instant messaging and in comments we leave in online spaces.

We’re finally finished with the whole crew’s set, and will add new avatars as we hire new employees. You’ve already seen many of them on this blog, but here’s the slideshow of the whole set. Let us know what you think of our look!

In a world of TV shows, radio programs, the Internet, revolving billboards and restroom advertising, there’s no doubt that we’re overwhelmed with marketing messages (studies indicate numbers anywhere between 600 and 3,000 messages per day). So how does a company cut through all of that clutter? 

Let’s rewind to last week. My co-workers and I had the pleasure of participating in one of Chipotle’s marketing efforts. Zach, the regional marketing manager, brought in boxes and bags full of food, information and other goodies. As we set up the conference room, it occurred to me that Zach is more than just a regional marketing manager – he’s actually a brand ambassador.  

Some may argue that brand ambassadors must be celebrities. I would venture to say that a brand ambassador is anyone who represents your company and strives to create brand loyalty. They are charged with using every customer touch point to strengthen the brand and build relationships with current and potential customers.  

In this case, Chipotle used its employee as a brand ambassador. And there’s no doubt that they gained a few new friends last week.  

In fact, I think I just saw Beth walk in with a burrito…

So, maybe I’m a snob, but I truly dislike JCPenney. That is until now. Living in an exurb of St. Louis, JCPenney is the only department store within 15 minutes of my house, so I’ve been forced to go there a time or two. When trying to find a quick replacement to the dress my daughter has outgrown or the shoes that suddenly don’t fit my son, I have wandered through the women’s clothing section. The fact is I have left feeling totally left out.

They have plenty of merchandise for my mother-in-law’s generation and lots of items for the junior set but nothing for me. The good news is that it appears this may be changing. With the introduction of American Living by Ralph Lauren and the introduction of their Simply Green brand, I am eager to explore JCPenney again.

The image of American Living is comfortable, messy and beautiful just like the idealized life of middle America. The American Living launch gave me hope that Ralph Lauren could lead JCPenney through a reinvention that helps middle America redefine itself in a way that is deeper than the promise of Target and better defined than the promise of Kohl’s. If you haven’t seen this, take a look:

Then recently JCPenney announced their Simply Green line. It is an effort by the company to enhance their private label merchandise by adding the Simple Green ingredient brand to those items that meet predetermined green standards. The next time I’m at JCPenney – possibly out of desire rather than necessity – I will take a look at these items.

These new brands and the tagline, or “philosophy” as the company calls it, of “Every Day Matters” gives me reason to believe JCPenney may be at the beginning of a very interesting reinvention.