Hot Truth

What is "Brand Personality?"

2010-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Your company has as much depth of character and range of relationships as that of human beings.

Customer relationships are similar to friendships, in which promises are made, and agreements are kept. The way a company behaves – to the environment, to its employees, to the public – all factor into its reputation and standing in the marketplace.
Not all messages about a company are deliberate, or advertised. Companies get talked about. A person will tell stories about a customer service experience, or how long a product lasted – to many others, who may be your potential customers. The same ways friendships are forged and broken occur to increase or diminish your company's sales figures.
A friend who is dishonest, disloyal, unpredictable, or cruel, will get dumped – and the rules are no different for companies. Additionaly, with the advent of social networking and communication technology, word travels faster than ever. A company's reputation can be torn down quicker than an effective PR strategy can be mounted, or even before a company's executives become aware of developments. Thus, it is crucial that companies begin to cultivate a trustworthy and well-structured personality from within.
No longer can you expect hearts and minds to be won over by a smiling cartoon mascot – were they ever? More frequently, companies are making a shift from caricature to real character, with environmental and social involvement, employee buy-in, and putting customer connection before profit. The payoff is that by adding depth through responsive, generous and people-oriented policies, companies are seeing the people who were initially attracted to it sticking around, and encouraging their friends – i.e., more customers – to come.
Branding that only covers the initial moments of attraction and does nothing for customer retention or deepening relationships does not accomplish all that it is capable of. Marketing through hype may be briefly effective, and even profitable, but when the fantasy wears off, people turn away sharply, unless they can find something real and meaningful in your company's brand personality – something worth talking about, worth investing their selves more deeply.
A logo should be the least remarkable thing about a company. When done right, a brand becomes a world of its own, adding to the human experience, and chosen repeatedly and happily by its audience.

The Last Thing You Need Is a Logo

2010-06-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

Building an impressive brand from its foundation means ending with design. So where do you start?

First things first. Do you know what you want? Do you know the specific audience you're serving? Do you want a certain response, and are you prepared to handle it when it comes? Do you even know why you're in the business you're in?
It's funny to me that some owners of small businesses who ask me to create a logo or website, when I ask them what their business is, they struggle to define it. Many independent graphic designers struggle to pry clarity out of their small business customers. The lack of clarity on the business owner's part is going to show up in muddled design efforts and creative struggles on the designer's side. That's why it's so important to start on square footing before you approach design.
"Knowing" the answers to those questions above means you are able to do something that is crucial for all companies: you are able to define yourself. When you can stand in the center of a room with no materials whatsoever, and represent your company, speak of its value, and handle any question with ease and confidence, you have achieved that knowing. This is brand clarity. This is having a solid, internal brand structure.
Brand development is the process of knowing your audience, your capabilities, your unique value, what you do best, what you don't do, how much you charge, and how to communicate all that at the drop of a hat. All of this comes before you design a logo, before you have a website.
The physical form of your business comes from your imagination, whether it is an image, a slogan, a product, or simply a spoken message. So if you have not imagined your company to the extent of knowing these things and defining them for yourself, your designer is going to spend a lot of time getting you to be clear and less time making your ideas physical. And your designer will get it wrong somehow. They won't know what you want to bring about, in other words.
That's why it's important to do some brand planning. I work with small business owners to get that clarity and planning in place so that when they are ready to shop for good design, they are clear and prepared. It takes a bit of training, a bit of knowing what to watch out for, but the ease is worth the time and effort. Until you have clarity at the base of your business idea, your logo won't be the right one, your outward image will be confused. Plan first, design later!

Take Away Shows

2010-03-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

Hot Truth is sprayed all over Paris, New York, and other unsuspecting towns in these honest, brave videos, which feature recognized bands busking in streets, taxicabs, and private establishments. The growing list of "famous" artists appearing in these impromptu concerts include The Shins, REM, and Vampire Weekend. But what most I enjoy about this ongoing art project is the way I can return to it and see old videos of bands I didn't know about the last time but had since grown fond of. It is a great way to get acquainted with a band in a most intimate and unexpected way.

This last time, I ran into an unlabeled video of Axe Riverboy and Of Montreal singing David Bowie's Starman amongst a crowd in the street, a bottle of champagne serving as a percussion instrument.

Producer Vincent Moon, in recording the concerts as well as the preparations and afterwards to the unscripted events, and in typing the story of the time, depicts the raw truth of not only the band members but the audiences, who look on sometimes skeptically, sometimes fascinated, and sometimes inspired to join in.

The recorded music industry rarely allows such raw footage of their artists. Where have industry-approved venues of truth gone, like MTV's Unplugged, and even most live singing on television? I wonder: does censoring all the little blunders, miscues and missed notes help their cause? In a music world hooked on autotune and ever more entrenched in a polished vapidity, here one can find refreshingly real and celebratory moments that happened once and will never happen again.

If you need an example of Hot Truth, I can find none finer.

What is "Brand Personality?"

2010-02-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

Your company has as much depth of character and range of relationships as that of human beings.

Customer relationships are similar to friendships, in which promises are made, and agreements are kept. The way a company behaves – to the environment, to its employees, to the public – all factor into its reputation and standing in the marketplace.

Not all messages about a company are deliberate, or advertised. Companies get talked about. A person will tell stories about a customer service experience, or how long a product lasted – to many others, who may be your potential customers. The same ways friendships are forged and broken occur to increase or diminish your company's sales figures.

A friend who is dishonest, disloyal, unpredictable, or cruel, will get dumped – and the rules are no different for companies. Additionaly, with the advent of social networking and communication technology, word travels faster than ever. A company's reputation can be torn down quicker than an effective PR strategy can be mounted, or even before a company's executives become aware of developments. Thus, it is crucial that companies begin to cultivate a trustworthy and well-structured personality from within.

No longer can you expect hearts and minds to be won over by a smiling cartoon mascot – were they ever? More frequently, companies are making a shift from caricature to real character, with environmental and social involvement, employee buy-in, and putting customer connection before profit. The payoff is that by adding depth through responsive, generous and people-oriented policies, companies are seeing the people who were initially attracted to it sticking around, and encouraging their friends – i.e., more customers – to come.

Branding that only covers the initial moments of attraction and does nothing for customer retention or deepening relationships does not accomplish all that it is capable of. Marketing through hype may be briefly effective, and even profitable, but when the fantasy wears off, people turn away sharply, unless they can find something real and meaningful in your company's brand personality – something worth talking about, worth investing their selves more deeply.

A logo should be the least remarkable thing about a company. When done right, a brand becomes a world of its own, adding to the human experience, and chosen repeatedly and happily by its audience.

The Brand Paradox

2010-01-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Branding & marketing are extreme practices in identity and form – meaning, they are games in which a strong personality is fabricated, and knowable, definable positions are taken. A "strong brand" is equated with recognizable, attractive forms: a logo, a slogan, an attitude, a set of policies: in other words, branding is the act of creating structures. But that rigidity of structure is the very root a company's downfall when it too closely identifies with it. Here are some examples:

Exxon sees itself as a petroleum company, and thus loses out eventually in the inevitable switch to alternative energies
McDonald's sees itself as fast food, and thus lacks credibility and sincerity in its efforts with offering healthy foods
Orange farms feel compelled to offer the orangest oranges, and so color oranges orange so people will buy them, even though a more naturally colored and local orange can taste as good or better
Celebrities augment their natural beauty with surgery and photoshopping in an attempt to sell a fantasy body, and yet ultimately succeed only in making themselves and others feel more ashamed
GM goes for the quick and easy buck with SUV's and thus loses out when fuel efficiency dominates the public demand, and they have made no significant R&D investment.

Too close an identification with what you think people must see you as, and how you think you must see yourself, creates a Tower of Babel as brittle as it is rigid. When change enevitably comes about, these rigid structures don't survive. We are experiencing an exponential growth of changing paradigms in Western culture, all of which are wreaking havoc on corporate brand identities that have, over time, become too rigid to change. The solution is disidentification with the very forms that are necessary to survive – and therein lies the paradox.

Inwardy, the company, its executives, and marketing directors must keep from becoming too attached to ideas of brand identity, so that they may expand their notions of themselves, and creatively respond to the changing tides of the marketplace. Outwardly, they must be aware that they have no true control over what their customers want to see them as, and what they demand of them as companies. Paradoxically, a company must become the form that is demanded by their customers, as well as disengage from identifying with that form as much as possible so that they may change more easily when necessary.

How is this paradox accomplished? Every employee of a company, no matter what the company is , and no matter the position the employee holds, can operate successfully under this paradox by uttering and feeling the truth of both of the following sentences:

To others, I am this company.
This company is much more than what people see it as.

When these two ideas are embodied by a simple majority of employees, the company has both unshakable brand strength and adept fluidity with change. Try them on for yourself and feel the difference they make in your daily routine with your company.

Knowing Your Value

2009-12-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hot Truth is about knowing and embodying your value. And how do you know what is valuable about you? It becomes clear, when considering your worth, that it has everything to do with relationships.

What are you worth, and to whom? This is your relationship to your audience. Your company is worth many things to some, and worth nothing to others. For those people whom your company has no value, you give them none of your time and energy. Don't try to attract them, convince them, or please them. Focus on those for whom your company holds a significant value. This is your audience, and you can be sure it is not everyone.

When you can define the audience that considers you valuable, you can reliably identify points of value that you have for them. Keep a running list of points of value as you think of them. There are two sides of the coin to look at: one, the things your audience finds valuable, and secondly, the things your company possesses. where these two lists match is your hot truth – your undeniable value.

Secondly, to know your value, you must be capable of knowing yourself. If you are a single-person business, it is good to take some time to dissociate your personal identity from your business identity. Stephen Colbert has done a self-separation masterfully, to where his audience is more confused about his personality than he is. Can you say you've done the same?

Are you able to see yourself clearly? This is your relationship to yourself. If something destroys your business, will you be destroyed? If something destroys your identity, will your business suffer? Knowing how to separate yourself from all identity is not only crucial to seeing your value, it can't be done too much.

Once you separate your self identity from your business identity, you have created a space across which you can gaze with curiosity at your business. Until you can do this self-separation, you will be blinded from your value as much as your eyes are blinded from seeing the bottom of your nose. Disidentification acts as a powerful mirror, and you can begin to see your company from your audience's perspective.

Steven Colbert

2009-12-08T03:34:00.000-08:00

There is so much hot truthiness to this man, it is hard to quantify. What makes Stephen Colbert great?

In a way very few others have achieved, he has mastered the art of modern viral impact. Some of his feats of media ascension:

Getting the most votes for a segment of the International Space Station to be named "Colbert" (NASA settled on a treadmill)
Getting many celebrities and prominent figures to wear his "Wrist Strong" bracelets
Getting the most votes for a bridge in Hungary to be named after him
Raising the majority of sponsorship money for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Team
Having a Canadian Junior League Hockey Team mascot created in his likeness (Stephen Colbeagle the Eagle)
Having his own Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream flavor (Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream)
Getting a Virgin Airlines Jet named after him

And yet these egocentric achievements are done because he can pull them off, not for any personal glory. Colbert has managed to satirize everything he touches, including his own ego.

Stephen Colbert has balls. He got the most "balls-points" for eviscerating George W. Bush in a long roast at the height of a time when critics of the administration were being publicly humiliated and silenced. This act won the hearts of progressives, and made many people wonder if he wasn't actually conservative after all...

...Because Colbert confuses the humorless with an unrelenting form of satire. Of course he's not conservative, but only someone taking things a bit too seriously would ever think he was.

However, he is a brilliant performer. Only when he himself can't hold back laughter does he show any crack in his intense, ultra-conservative caricature. And only by taking sides with the most crackpot right-wing positions can the absurdity of its discourse be truly illuminated.

As a humorist, Stephen Colbert has made himself an important historical figure, for strange times in America.

Tim Lincecum

2009-12-07T21:11:00.001-08:00

The Giants ace Tim Lincecum is the only pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in each of his first two full seasons as a major league pitcher. This year's Cy Young came as somewhat a surprise to many – including Giants fans. But the genius of his pitching distinctly deserves the honor nonetheless.There is plenty of hot truth to talk about here.

For one, Tim Lincecum is 25 but looks about 17 years old. A small, meager frame, long hair, and rather geeky face, he still intimidates the best of beefy power hitters, because his stuff is so good. His nicknames are various: The Freak, Timmy, The Franchise... for many, Lincecum represents David vs. Goliath.

Lincecum's personality – how he commands himself on and off the field – adds immensely to his value. At age 25, he brings a competitive discipline to the mound without ego. His professionalism is matched by his humility. And yet he knows how good his pitching is.

Trained by his father from a young age to both protect his arm and achieve maximum velocity, Lincecum's throwing style is very safe on the arm, but compensated by a very flexible back. The pitch is as deceptive as it is unconventional. He has the most strikeouts in a season for both the years he received the award.

And yet that was the only statistic this year that Lincecum topped. His ERA and win-loss record paled in comparison to his Cy Young competitors. Since his impact on baseball is unmistakable, however, the award is not that big a surprise. And now going into salary arbitration, he will finally command a well-deserved, star-pitcher salary from the Giants.

The Rockettes

2009-12-07T20:54:00.001-08:00

Radio City Music Hall's Rockettes dance squad has a brand integrity unlike most others – a strict height regulation, precision synchronicity, and the signature kickline have defined this team for over 75 years. That integrity sets a standard by which audiences know what to expect from them, and other dance squads must live up to. To be a Rockette is a pinnacle for a dancer. If the Rockettes had leeway on any one of the three above attributes, their reputation would slip, and to be a Rockette wouldn't mean much. This is the hot truth of The Rockettes. They deliver. Look to The Rockettes for how to develop and stick to an internal structure.

Starbucks Isn't About the Coffee

2009-12-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

There's plenty to not like about Starbucks – after all, it muscled its way into every corner of western civilization with an unquestionably aggressive saturation strategy; as the big box store of coffee shops, it put a lot of local places out of business. Its coffee is notorious for being "burnt" in flavor, and it has redefined "the price of a cup of coffee." But it wouldn't still be thriving after more than a decade of rapid expansion if it didn't provide lots of people with something they want... and it's not coffee.

Starbucks has one of the better brands of the past 20 years. You can tell by how generally happy and engaged its employees are, and how pleased its customers are to buy their daily espresso drinks and pastries. It helps to be the main cafe in town, and to provide something that people are addicted to. But any coffee shop does that... What is Starbucks' Hot Truth?

Starbucks listens. It's got a great system for customer feedback. Because employees (of which the lowest rank is "partner") are encouraged to engage with and listen to customers, and allowed to make suggestions creatively up the chain of command , the Starbucks entity is able to adapt to customers fluidly. Starbucks knows its customer well, because of how well it listens and changes. I am a fan, but I wouldn't be if Starbucks treated its growers and suppliers like it does its competition. If Starbucks didn't apply itself in as many ways that it does as a positive social force, I would choose some other cafe.

Starbucks doesn't kick me out for hanging out all day. It provides me with a comfortable and accessible place to work on my laptop, for as many hours as I choose. Other places are just not set up or willing to provide such ample customer care, missing the details or delibartely discouraging me to loiter.
Starbucks is happy to make me happy, and doesn't treat its coffee like a precious commodity. If anything is wrong with my drink, it gets replaced. This puts employees and customers at ease. And the payoff is that Starbucks can better hear what customers actually like and dislike.

There are books written about Starbucks as a brand, so I'll close by saying that Starbucks has found the emotional, visceral reality behind the cafe experience and amplified it. Because for Starbucks it's not all about making a quick buck, they make a ton from loyal customers.

LXD - Legion of Extraordinary Dancers

2009-12-07T01:53:00.000-08:00

This dance troupe appeared on So You Think You Can Dance in early December, 2009, with a moving and inspiring launch. Watch here. A lot goes right, and those who want to make a splash should pay attention to how LXD executes.

So You Think is the perfect stage to showcase a dance troupe for maximum exposure. This show has positioned itself as The Place to see dance in as many forms as it comes. And the form that LXD shows is of a style and that matches the minds and souls of the newest generation. As much as ballet is losing relevance, this type of dance is resonating. A mix of contemporary and hip hop, it can only come out of an environment of permission – wherein traditional minds allow themselves to be augmented by fresh ideas. This is no ordinary creativity, but that which is the most penetrating.

LXD embodies its hot truth... that this generation is meaningful, talented, and relevant... That there is something within – something emotionally charged – that demands expression... That hope and inspiration are alive... That not everything that can be done has been.

I would say the title of the troupe is the most uncreative part of it, and yet it is fitting, because I see no meaningful flaws in the execution. The dance tells a story beyond words, has movements that defy our notions of physics, and make us wonder what is possible for the human being when we consider ourselves to be extraordinary.