We all can learn from Apple’s approach to combining practical product demonstrations with entertaining advertising. They create ads that effectively showcase their product’s features while engaging and entertaining the audience.
In this ad, Apple features unique and attention-grabbing elements to make the product stand out and create a memorable experience for the viewer.
What service or product feature can you showcase in your next advertising campaign?
How will you make it entertaining?
As a brand manager, there’s nothing you’d like more than to have an entire organization full of people who never once made a bad choice or stupid decision. That’s the way to avoid scandals from events that happened ten, twenty, thirty, or even more years ago disrupting your current operation.
But, people are human. Over the course of their lives, things happen that they wish wouldn’t. This makes these individuals vulnerable: if someone doesn’t like the way they act, the threat of having previous bad behavior exposed can be used against them.
That’s the situation USA FIFA World Cup Coach Gregg Berhalter faced. One of his players—the child of nearly lifelong family friends—was upset at not receiving as much play time as he thought he deserved. There were public conversations where this player was anonymously mentioned and, in retaliation, the player’s parents contacted US Soccer with information about a fight the coach had with his girlfriend over 30 years ago.
While there are no legal ramifications for Berhalter due to this disclosure—he has been married to the girlfriend in question for a long time now, with a happy family—his role as head coach is now no longer as assured as it once was. US Soccer has enough issues going on without additional bad publicity related to what one of its key employees did a long time ago.
Berhalter has chosen to address this issue in a fairly straightforward manner. He acknowledged the incident happened, discussed that the family had to do some work to overcome issues, and was now healthier and stronger than it was then. Then, he consistently tries to turn the conversation to other issues that are more relevant to the US Soccer team.
Will this be sufficient to secure his position? I honestly cannot tell you. It is, however, a smart strategy if Berhatler’s goal is to rebuild trust with his employer, his team, the fans, and the larger world of sport. A frank, contextualized description of events feeds people’s need to know and eliminates the sense that information is being held back. When the only event that people are disclosing happened thirty years ago, it stands to reason that there’s not much more meat on the bone scandal-wise. The nature of the complaint, in a strange way, provides proof of character. His own admission and statement that he had to work and grow to become a better person is a story many people can believe and relate to.
What do you think? If you were in the position to guide US Soccer communications, how would you counsel Berhalter to behave? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
There’s an exercise I use to help developing marketing teams build their skill set. It’s based on the experience so many of you have already gone through in real life: you carefully & thoughtfully create a campaign to achieve a number of specific brand goals, only to discover that one or more marketing channels can’t be used the way you’d planned.
What happens to these careful plans if you can’t use social media? If you no longer have the budget for television? Radio? Signage? Thinking through these type of scenarios helps teams learn to adjust their plans on the fly, using creative thinking and professional skills to get the job done even when circumstances change.
In December, the InBev team faced the Final Boss level of this challenge: what happens to your careful plan if you can’t sell your product?
Budweiser has been the Official Beer Sponsor of the World Cup for the past 36 years. The InBev team knew there would be challenges in presenting their product in Qatar, a Muslim country that strictly controls alcohol sales. Millions of dollars and years of work went into creating a campaign to enable Budweiser to deliver the in-stadium experience World Cup fans expect while honoring Qatari rules. At the very last minute—fans had already begun to arrive in country—Qatar changed its position: no Budweiser would be able to be sold at the World Cup.
With one remarkably understated tweet, the InBev team acknowledged the magnitude of these rule changes. And then, with skill and speed similar to what Messi displayed on the field, InBev’s Global CMO Marcel Marcondes’s team executed a beautiful pivot that helped Budweiser achieve many, if not all, of its marketing goals.
What happens if you can’t sell your product in one country? You can award your product as a prize to the winning country. They Budweiser team created the Bring Home the Bud campaign, a multi-day over-the-top campaign that tracked branded red shipping containers around the world to Argentina, with parties in several cities including Messi’s hometown, before culminating in a massive party in Rosario where fans danced and partied on a crate painted with #BringHomeTheBud.
This strategy effectively extended the World Cup sponsorship by several days and definitely strengthened the bond between FIFA fans and Budweiser. A level of excitement was generated that probably would not have occurred if the original plan to sell beer in the stands had been permitted to go forward. It’s a masterful piece of work by the Budweiser marketing team, who pulled this all together in a very abbreviated timeframe.
It’s a good lesson for all of us. There’s no telling what the future will hold. And, any aspect of your campaign can fall apart with little to no notice. The brands that can pivot quickly are the ones that succeed in the long run.
So tell me: What would you have done if you’d been in charge of InBev at this time? What would your winning World Cup strategy have been? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Below are the 5 most popular blogs of the year.
They cover everything from social media to customer trust to the power of gratitude.
If you’re reading them for the first time, we hope you find new insights. If you’re reading them again, we hope you find a valuable reminder that you can put to action in the new year.
We wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and fantastic New Year.
The social media landscape changed a lot in 2022. But its core function hasn’t changed. In “Is Your Social Media Strategy Really A Social Media Strategy?” we look at the core function that many businesses miss.
A lot is written on customer loyalty. But most of it ignores the precursor to loyalty: trust. Without trust, you can’t get to loyalty.
In “Three Vitally Important Lessons I Learned About Trust While In a Filthy Gas Station Bathroom,” we look at how easy trust is to break and how competitors can use another company’s failure to gain trust to wow their own customers.
Another article on trust. We expect to see a lot more articles written next year on trust (and we plan to write a few ourselves).
In “Can Customers Trust Your Brand?” we look at how brands are outpacing governments in their ability to create trust.
Even big brands with a lot of customer data can make big mistakes (just look what happened to the ones featured in Good to Great).
In “Where Is the Love? Understanding What Went Wrong for Netflix,” we look at some of the missteps Netflix has made lately and how it could affect customer loyalty.
There’s plenty of research out there showing how adding daily practices of gratitude can improve your well being.
In this “Four Ways to Make Gratitude a Daily Practice,” we describe four ways to easily incorporate gratitude into your daily life.
“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”
– Walt Disney
Great brands must cultivate customer loyalty to stand out from the competition. One way to do this is by building trust and creating a sense of belonging, which can be achieved through a passionate commitment to the customer experience. This is what I call “Trustlove.”
I have always been fascinated by magic and its power to evoke people’s wonder and amazement. So, from a young age, I sought opportunities to bring magic into people’s lives and share my wonder with others. This passion led me to found the Cult Branding Company, where I help brands create magic and delight their customers.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to be mentored by exceptional people who have taught me the importance of dreaming big and taking action. I have also learned that great leaders are powered by emotional intelligence.
One of my most memorable experiences was working at SeaWorld, where I had the opportunity to learn magic from the late great James Sherril. His sets were pure magic, combining expert sleight of hand with perfect timing. James began his act by introducing himself and explaining the Three Shell game to the audience. He placed a small green ball under one of the three shells on the table before him and then shuffled the shells around, moving them back and forth. As he mixed the shells, James used misdirection and sleight of hand to secretly move the ball from one shell to another, all while engaging the audience with his charming personality. The crowd was mesmerized by his performance, and they watched in awe as James revealed the ball under the final shell, much to their surprise. The audience erupted into applause, and James took a deep bow, grateful for the opportunity to share his magic with them. As he left the stage, he knew that he had given his all and had truly captured the hearts and minds of the audience with his Three Shell game performance. I worked with James for three years and learned that people are always amazed by the magic and that wowing the customer is everyone’s top priority.
In 2013, I partnered with the Discovery Channel to create a show called “The Magic Maker,” featuring Master Magician Dan White (who’s now been on The Tonight Show a whopping 13 times). Over 9 million viewers tuned in to watch the magic we captured from around the world, including a levitating monk in the high mountains, the vanish of the moon, and card magic on a journey with locals through the night. This show brought magic to both in-person and at-home audiences.
I have also brought my love of magic back home to the Dominican Republic, where I collaborated with a group of highly skilled magicians on tour to spread joy, wonder, and love to the people of the Dominican Republic. Our group, called Curiosidades, had over 75 appearances on national television.
As a member of the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, I had the opportunity to help create a magic set and postal stamp for the United States Postal Service. I was thrilled to collaborate with Master Magician Mac King, one of the best shows in Vegas. He has received 5-star Google reviews from thousands of people who love his show, which is full of wonder and magic.
The Secret to creating loyalty for your brand is Trustlove. Trustlove is the state of being both loved and trusted by customers. It is a combination of positive emotions and confidence that a company has earned through its actions and behaviors. When a company can achieve Trustlove, it means that its customers not only have a favorable opinion of the company and its products or services, but they also believe that the company is reliable, honest, and transparent in its dealings. Trustlove is an important goal for companies to strive for, as it can lead to long-term customer loyalty and satisfaction. Trustlove is a powerful tool for building loyalty in customers and standing out in a crowded marketplace. By building trust and creating a sense of belonging, brands can differentiate themselves from the competition and foster a passionate commitment in their customers.
I have been fortunate to experience the power of Trustlove firsthand through my work as a magician and my role as the founder of the Cult Branding Company. Whether creating magic and wonder for people at SeaWorld, producing a television show that explores magic around the world, or collaborating with Master Magicians, I have always been driven by my desire to bring joy and amazement to others. At the heart of all great brands is a dream, and it is that dream that inspires Trustlove and brings happiness to customers.
Most people can’t recall the strategy of the company they work for. Harvard Business Review was pulling no punches in its recent article explaining the necessity of having your entire team – from the leadership right down to the front line – aware of the company’s strategic priorities. Almost 3/4ths of research study participants admitted not knowing. This is understandable, HBR says, because most companies don’t have a strategy.
But let’s say you do. Let’s say you do have a strategy, and you’re feeling pretty good about how things will turn out if that strategy is implemented consistently. My question for you is how are you communicating this strategy to all of the people who work for your company.
Yes – all of the people. I’m talking about the customer service representatives, the truck drivers, the janitors and custodians, AR, HR, IT, and every other behind-the-scenes department: do they know where your company is going and the role they play in getting you there?
In some organizations, strategy is treated as a type of mystical secret. Only the very elect, who have earned their way into being able to access this information, can know what the big picture is. There are a number of reasons for this, including a fear of the strategy becoming known to the competition, or the fact the strategy is too complex to explain.
Let’s address the latter point first. The strategy that is too complex to explain is too complex to execute. I can respect not informing your team of a strategic direction that isn’t well-thought-through – why confuse the situation? But in that case, you know that clarifying the strategy into something that can be communicated effectively is a priority item on your 2023 to-do list.
For an example of a clear, quickly articulated strategy, look at Scheels. They’ve boiled their approach down into a single sentence: Our goal is to be the best retailer in the eyes of our customers, associates, and business partners. Every member of the team is aware of this strategy, and when they’re in a position to make a decision, it’s an easy litmus test: does this option make us the best retailer? If the answer is no, it’s not the right option.
The Scheels strategy isn’t hidden behind any walls. You don’t need to exert a ton of effort to find it. Scheels puts it, and a lot of the reasoning behind it, right on their website for the entire world to see. Check it out for yourself: scheels.com/about
But what about the fears of competitors benefitting by knowing your strategy? These are entirely misplaced. Knowing a strategy is not the same as committing to implementing it effectively, and frankly, any company that’s focused enough to mimic someone else’s operational choices to that degree will also possess enough resources to eventually realize each brand charts its own unique route to success.
I’d love to hear what you find most rewarding – or challenging – about sharing the company’s strategy with your team, associates, and customers. Have you made communicating your strategy internally a top priority? If not, are you planning to do so going forward?
Less secrets, more strategy – Goal #1 for 2023!
Anyone who is serious about brand building pays attention to what McDonald’s is doing. Over the years we’ve seen some really great ideas executed by skilled teams determined to keep on top of a very competitive industry. When I saw CMO Tariq Hassan comment in a recent CNBC story that he tells his team to be comfortable being boring, I had to laugh.
Google “McDonald’s Free Food for Life” to see how much editorial coverage the brand’s latest campaign has generated. Designed to increase the number of McDonald’s customers using the brand’s app, this campaign offers customers one entry per purchase into a chance to unlock free McDonald’s food for life – for them and for three of their friends. This type of global attention is not boring.
In fact, here are a couple of points McDonald’s is making that I think are well worth paying attention to.
It was interesting to see Hassan pointing out the value placed on app-using customers – he called them ‘more meaningful and profitable’ – and also talking about the efforts required to attract and retain those customers. A significant investment in marketing and paid media brings new users on board; after that, it’s all about the channel experience. There’s a similar significant investment at this point as well – app users have access to special online concerts, limited edition merch, and other pretty cool perks.
The key point is this: you have to focus on a channel if you want to see it flourish. Ask any gardener – if they have some area of the yard they want to fill with beautiful flowers and lush vegetables, that’s where they’ll concentrate all of their energy. The soil will get the best nutrition, there will be plenty of water and sunshine, all the weeds will be pulled away – basically, focus – and as a result, the garden will flourish.
Apps don’t attract customers simply by being there. You have to have a well-defined user acquisition and retention strategy. Have a compelling reason for customers to download the app and even more compelling reasons for them to keep using it.
Since the pandemic, McDonald’s has simplified its menu. Core classic items – cheeseburgers and fries, let’s say – remain, while trendy, underperforming items like salads and parfaits are gone. Hassan calls this strategic consistency, and it appears customers appreciate having a smaller, more affordable array of options.
What’s important to understand here is that the McDonald’s app experience is consistent with the rest of the brand narrative – you can get your Chicken Nuggets, you can get your Big Mac – while adding a layer of community and fun. Over the three weeks the “Win McDonald’s Food for Life” campaign runs, people will be discussing what it would be like to win that prize. They contemplate which three friends they’d share the experience with. What would it be like to share french fries with the same people for the next fifty years? Downloading an app is a small way to take part in the fun and be part of the conversation. Meanwhile, the savings incentives are focused on classic menu items, helping customers strengthen their connection to the brand’s chosen path forward. Smart.
Are you a McDonald’s app user? If you are, has the relationship you have with the brand changed over the time you’ve been using the app? Would you want to win free McDonald’s food for life? Inquiring minds want to know!
Billions of people around the world watch the World Cup – but all of those people aren’t necessarily noticing the same things. Some fans are really focused on the football while others are just waiting to hear Andrés Cantor yell “GOAL!” the way only he can. And in China, where the strictest COVID control measures have been in place for quite some time before censors could stop the images from getting through, World Cup viewers were exposed to the crowds of fans watching the game in person.
Fans who were not wearing masks. Fans who were not observing any social distancing guidelines whatsoever. Fans who were having a good time, celebrating in crowds, together.
This has been very eye-opening to Chinese people who have been living under severe restrictions. For example, in some areas, people have not been able to visit the grocery store without submitting negative PCR results. Personal movement is significantly controlled, and there has been much suffering. This has all been attributed to COVID prevention – but exposure to the World Cup fans has revealed to at least some Chinese people that the rest of the world is not living the way they’re living.
The Chinese authorities have heavily censored coverage of the World Cup fans because they know that when people are aware of alternatives to the way they are currently existing, it can often prompt the demand for change. Seeing throngs of people celebrating together, without masks, can easily inspire the question “Is the hardship we’re being forced to endure really necessary?” Mass protests against China’s zero COVID policy have swept across the country, and as of this writing, restrictions have been eased in two of the larger cities, Guangzhou and Chongqing – impacting more than 31 million people.
Now, how does this translate to your ongoing quest to keep your customers in love with your brand? Well, the first takeaway is that there’s really no such thing as a captive audience. Even in a very authoritarian state, the people want what the people want. And while getting change in that environment is difficult and requires a lot of personal self-sacrifice and courage, your customers here can change brand loyalty without consequence or obstacle.
Sometimes brands forget this. It’s common knowledge that some convenience retail chains got by for years and years offering a pretty substandard experience because they were the only option. Customers had no choice. In fact, customers got used to dirty bathrooms and food products of questionable provenance to such a degree that they didn’t realize things could be any other way.
This created an opportunity for a brand like Buc-ee’s to come in and disrupt the industry by offering a significantly different, significantly more enjoyable experience. When people see better, they want better – and they change their behaviors to get better.
The question for the brand manager is are you running the company that’s hoping your customers don’t see things could be better for them just a short distance down the road – or are you running the company that tells customers you don’t have to settle for the experience you’ve been having?
The choice is yours. I’d love to hear your thoughts, you can reply to this email, especially about those moments of discovery that changed the way you viewed or interacted with specific brands.
Having a recognizable brand that people associate favorably with your company is vital in helping customers learn about your company’s core beliefs, brand character, and overall purpose.
The following are some of the advantages you can enjoy if you’re successful in building a brand:
It’s also possible to reach out to the general public and win over potential clients. People who care about the same things you do will be drawn to your business and its offerings. In addition, it will aid in assembling a solid group of compatible individuals. A strong foundation for future growth can be laid with a team of employees that share the company’s core beliefs.
The most important thing about building a successful brand is that it helps spread the word, develop relationships with consumers, and earn their trust. Establishing a distinct brand identity helps you to attract more customers, retain the ones you already have, and boost your brand’s perceived value.
Watch as I, along with three well-known newspaper brands, demonstrate how to introduce branding into any type of company. We are proud to help companies harness the power of their brand. Let’s start a conversation around your brand today.
Watching Elon Musk take possession of Twitter is a lot like watching someone clean their room. At this point, it looks like chaos in every direction. But is there an underlying order that will emerge once all of the necessary changes have been made?
Your answer might depend a great deal on if you’re an Elon-lover or an Elon-hater. There’s no doubt that Musk is a highly polarizing figure. And he’s operating on a scale that seems larger than life – sending people to Mars, controlling a fleet of satellites, trying to steer the conversation on electric vehicles, and now, owner of one of the world’s largest social media platforms. Every move Elon makes sends ripples through several industries, and it is perhaps inevitable that he is taking on somewhat mythic proportions in the public imagination.
Being seen as larger than life the way Elon Musk is can be a mixed blessing at best. Yes, there’s tremendous opportunity in being able to leverage the sentiment of a large fan base – how many Teslas do you think would sell absent Elon’s leadership of the brand? – but one is also saddled with the public’s expectations of how someone in that position can and should act.
Case in point: the Twitter takeover. Elon is hardly new to the tech space. He knows that programmers, developers, and other essential personnel tend to be highly inefficient at best, and if they’re not on your side – look out. Cleaning house the way he did was hardly tactful – and the heavy-handedness of the process resulted in several avoidable points of self-inflicted damage – but at the end of the day, Elon is a shrewd businessman who wants the corporate culture with him, not against him.
Does this look nice? Does it make for warm and fuzzy coverage in the press? Absolutely not – but it’s important to observe what is actually happening, compared to the expectations we have relative to Elon’s performance. For example, we might have expectations related to the pivotal role Twitter has had in supporting democratic movements around the world – but if we observe Elon’s actions, such as the huge block of Twitter advertising just purchased by Space X – some connections and synergies begin to take on greater weight and relevance.
What looks like an entirely chaotic process may in fact just be a very complex way to introduce a greater level of coherence into Musk’s organizational structure. We know he likes to own every controllable aspect of his empire – that’s why you can only get Tesla parts and service from Tesla – and Twitter represents a giant, owned advertising platform with tremendous global reach.
I’m not saying everything is being handled brilliantly – Eli Lilly definitely would have words on this point, I’m sure – but there is a method to the madness. Birth is a messy process. For Twitter to reach a form that’s in alignment with Musk’s vision, this chaos is both inevitable and a positive sign of change.
Is it change for the better? Hard to say at this point, but I’m very curious to know your thoughts. Let me know what you’d say to Elon right now if you had the chance.