• The Elements of a Whole Brand

• The 95% Brand

• The Case For Considered Inquiry

• What I Learned From the Battle of The Band Brands

• Brands Are People

Good intent, sure; perhaps even of interest to someone besides me. Frankly, I couldn’t figure what was keeping me from publishing them.

It took sitting through a Chamber of Commerce breakfast for it to come clear to me. As I spoke about my focus on Brand, I discovered few fully understood what it means, or why it matters to a business – today. (COC meetings are great bullshit meters for testing positioning statements. If yours rises above it all, you’re onto something; if eyes glaze over it’s mush.)

‘Oh, so you do logos?’ Well sure, that’s part of what building a Brand is about. But a logo is really just a Brand’s identity. And yes, its mere repetition can have the effect of causing recall.

But contrary to the 2-dimensional argument that ‘repetition creates liking,’ a great logo design and hundreds of repetitions does not a great Brand make. And surely not in these days of customer and shopper access to every aspect of a business, and its people, products, and systems (read: online). It’s possible for one to love a logo design, and never consider buying the product it represents. Legacy Jaguar automobiles come to mind (though from what I now understand, that could change). 

So my resolve for the Whole Brand Blog: start at the beginning. A Brand is a noun. Branding is a verb. A Brand name (trade or service mark) is a singular adjective modifying a generic (e.g.: Velcro® fasteners). One can try to ‘brand’ with a logo, but the objective of Brand (my capitalization out of respect and affect) is more than mere recall.

The objective is to create value perceptions, which create aspiration to acquire a branded offering. Aspiration that can only be satisfied when they buy a specific Brand. It’s these perceptions that enable value premiums – better margins and profit. 

Today a successful Brand is a 3D ‘story.’ It has astounding dimension. It comes from logos and products, but also from stakeholders: its owners, the people on the production floor, on the phone banks, in the showroom, and driving the trucks. It comes from customers and critics, and from friends and foe.

And guess what? As much as you may think you know your Brand, your customers define it based upon information they have at hand. This requires they have the right information – a baseline from which to form an opinion. 

It's an ad. It's a tagline. And because it's authentic + creates aspiration, it's the Brand.

It’s a very different world than the days when Nike took the athletic shoe market by storm with its singularly-focused ‘swoosh’ logo, and iconic Just do it.™ tagline. At face value, who’s to disagree? And even if they did, it was 1980; how would they express it? Boycott them? (I know, Friendster!) 

What really made the Brand a sustained success is Nike had the products, people, and systems – and mission – to back their exuberance. A Brand has to be more than skin deep – nothing kills a business with bad products faster than great marketing. B-School case studies are replete with such stories.

In today’s marketplace, a logo may be visible to everyone, but a Brand is bigger than ever. It’s made up of every single touch point within a business, and with every user experience.

It’s a fact – it’s no longer enough to know just what a business or Brand does. Because unless a company is first to market, there’re competitors with their own products looking for the same hearts, minds, and pocketbooks.

We want to know why a business or Brand does what they do. And why we should care. Because ultimately, we want to ensure the Brands we adopt are worthy aspects of our own personal Brand. And unlike Nike’s early days, we’ve lots of ways to find this out – and faster than ever. We aren’t beholding to TV or radio, or even word of mouth. We go right to the touch points we have, online and offline. Again, what we find there, and how it applies to us defines the Brand.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy: “A Brand is a complex symbol. It is the intangible sum of a product’s attributes, its name, packaging and price; its history, its reputation; all that you associate with a company or product. A Brand is defined by consumers’ impressions of the people who use it, as well as their own experience.” (With a tip of the hat to friend and collaborator, Dan Brown.)

While the definition may be over 40 years old, its basic premise holds true. The real difference is in how we present a Brand today. And how it’s understood – in its entirety. Operative concept: making impressions that are fully understood. And complete.

As Branders, our first charge is to focus the Brand story based upon its owner’s clarity and vision, and our professional experience. The idea is to create well-formed perceptions – authentic ‘stories’ - that are simple and memorable. It’s not to ‘sell’ in the classic ‘push/interruption marketing’ sense of the words. It’s to engage with authenticity; creating familiarity and comfort that enables understanding. Only then can the ‘branding’ take hold beyond the superficial. People raise their hands to make a considered inquiry.

To brand, we must arm every single touch point – from Sales to Customer Service, from websites to merchandising – with a Brand’s truth. That is, we must focus and present its authenticity everywhere it comes into contact with anybody. Anything less (or worse, untrue) is very visible. No matter how cool your slogan.

In short, the ‘trick’ is to branding is to focus and form a whole Brand that fully satisfies your customers. It’s finding the right balance of emotive and transactional, aligned to its values and mission. Do it right, and customers will tell two friends – because it’s in their best interests. It’s their Brand too. 

Stay tuned. There’s more of this story to tell.

Kind regards,

T-

PS: We have a new case study that illustrates how a strategically-framed ThomasBoston Whole Brand marketing program works as an ‘eco-system’ to create sustainable business momentum. Call me if you’d like a look. 508 497 8900.

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My first 'Brand Awe Moment' was inspired by my first computer - my Mactintosh llcx with its 40 mg hard drive. I was empowered like never before.

In 1989 I bought my first ever computer, a Macintosh llcx desktop, at the time near the top of the line with its whopping 40 mg hard drive. It was expensive, but I needed the help given I didn’t have secretaries anymore. And my creative folks had told me ‘it was easy’ to operate. The occasion was the founding of Thomas Marketing Services (now the corporate parent of ThomasBoston).

As I explored how to create a simple document in my new office in Marlborough, I couldn’t help but wonder how the machine in front of me seemed to understand my faltering moves. But it did. And I it. When Margaret Gerding, my art director who had an office down the hall confirmed I’d done the right thing to print the doc with a merge name field, I was pleased. And when it printed, I was simply elated.

At that moment of seeming minor success, I experienced what I’ve come to call a ‘Brand Awe Moment.’ I was empowered. And with it came an easy willingness to become an early adopter of computer technologies, which I am today with the Web and Social (well, certainly for my demo).

Roger Moore had his Volvo P-1800 in The Saint. Mine, 'La Bamba,' was red, a '64 with a wood bumper. When the '62 engine I changed out myself started up, it was a moment of joy.

As I look back, it was also when I started to formulate my thoughts about the Whole Brand. My goofy little Apple Macintosh computer had become a big part of my life. But it wasn’t just the computer that excited and intrigued me. I liked just loved the whole idea of what it let me do, and how it expanded my view – even before the advent of the Internet.

And as newer ones came out, I could do more. And so could my creatives, as they worked through the graphics arts software the ever more feature-filled Apple’s hardware that processed larger files, which was designed for designers – in my mind one of their first brilliant strategic Brand decisions.

Most amazing, I became a proficient troubleshooter of Apple products. Each intuitive success evoked a feeling not unlike the time in college when I decided to change out an engine in my ’64 Volvo P-1800 by myself – and after changing a spark plug wire it started up in its familiar gutsy voice. I drove that P-18, sans hood, for 2 joyous hours that day.

Today I’m as awed by my new MacBook Air as that first llcx. And for so many reasons (its instant booting is surely one). But bottom line, in fulfilling its function, that which was already beautiful on the surface has become exceedingly so within my general senses. It makes me happy. And I tell everybody as much.

As I ponder the life of Steve Jobs tonight, it surprises me how fully enmeshed my life has become with his Brand(s). Not just his technology, but his inherent belief in the goodness of people. His strong will to live a life that brought change, and inspired us to it. I think that’s what the Steve Jobs Brand was all about. His zen. And in my mind, his understanding and focus is at core of a great business Brand.

Today is a day I'll recall as I did with the death of John Lennon. 'Keep looking, and don't settle." Thank you Mr. Jobs

It’s an amazing jumping off point for a discussion about what it is that makes a Whole Brand. About what a Brand such as Apple does to make itself so desirable it becomes a point of pride for its fans, part of their own Brands.

Brand is not just ‘what’ it does, but why people care. And there’s no question people care about this man’s values, as is so evident in the outpouring of true love for Mr. Jobs tonight. And about the Brand into which he breathed life. And Apple is but one Whole Brand; we’ll look at many more.

And of course, time will tell if the seeds he planted will take full root in others at Apple. But you know, I think I’m going to buy some Apple stock. Because something deep inside me tells me they will. I don’t think I’m the only one.

Pax.

Tom Lanen, CEO, Founder + Brander, ThomasBoston

PS: Have a great Whole Brand you’d like to discuss, either yours or another’s? Please the form below or email me at: BrandToPeople@thomasboston.com. Or join me on Twitter @ThomasLanen And there’s always the phone: 508.497.8900

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Soundgarden broke through the din of the 90s with its take-no-prisoners 'Grunge on steroids'' branded sound that separated it from the Nirvana standard. A decade later it's the only one really still standing, with loyal fans who still pack their shows.

A couple months ago I ran into my wife’s cousin Stephen, a natural drummer who plays in wedding bands (a rock star hair stylist by day) at a family gathering + I happened to bring up the Commodore’s song, ‘Brick House.’ With an intensity that surprised me, Stephen rebuffed it; his body had a visceral knee-jerk.

It turns out not a wedding goes by without a request for it. So while 20 years of playing other people’s music had made him some cash, it had taken its toll on his satisfaction. On his soul + what he loves as a musician. (I was glad to hear him say he’d decided to find his muse on the Boston Country music scene.
I know.)

Of course while Stephen made $100s playing it, the Commodore’s made $millions. And Lionel Richie seems happy about it to me.

Funny how, knowing full well playing others’ music will never have a big payoff, we are still fearful of being original in our businesses + lives. So we build ‘cover brands’ with safe-as-milk marketing positions + become just part of the general din.

I know from whence I speak. My company has been one at times, especially during our ‘get-it-out-the-door’ production headset we were in during the 90s. Hey, we were making good money + deadline stress aside, it was pretty easy. And our enthusiasm was appreciated.

Of course, when somebody asked me what kind of ‘advertising’ we did, I’d ride my client’s coattails: ‘oh, we do all kinds of packages, brochures, ads + merchandising for Velcro’ was my answer. And you know, they were impressed. The ‘Velcro factor’ – a real Brand that trusted us – made our little 10 person shop real.

Until the day after 17 years + 4 management changes, when we could no longer say it.

It's a true story: the inventor of Velcro, Georges de Mestral discovered the natural 'hooks' of a cocklebur lodged in his dog's coat.

We became like everybody else. I couldn’t even claim ownership of the story of Swiss inventor Georges de Mestral’s walk the woods with his dog + how the dog picked up cockleburs in his coat, which when examined, revealed ‘nature’s hook’ – the basis for Velcro™ brand products. And I wrote it (of course, based on truth). But the Velcro brand owns it.

I tell you, this realization scared the shit out of me. And what did I do? I tried to repeat my earlier success. But too many others had caught up with our ‘fastest, lowest cost’ shtick.

Thomas Marketing (as then we were known) was more of the same music everyone else was playing. We were just more transactional noise without a story or real emotion.

About this time my dear friend, Tom Potterfield, whom I’d known since he was a mere marketing mortal (rising to president at Velcro before he moved on to become president of the ITP in Palo Alto), became very ill. As it turns out, I was too.

Tom was a Bodhisattva - a great being.

As he gallantly + gracefully battled his foe, he wrote in his blog about the truths he came to understand + inspired me to battle my foe head on as was he. And it was all about truth, of understanding our strengths. And love.

With the help of some amazing clinicians + prayers I pulled through my battle. I sorry to say my good friend Tom ‘went home’ as we say in my home in the Christian tradition.

That was a year ago. And some amazing things have happened since. I decided not to become part of another agency’s Brand. I met some amazing people – via Twitter + blogs of all things – such as Lisa Petrilli, a deeply caring Chicago leadership maven who wrote of tapping our ‘inner Isis’ + who validated my need to look deeper to find my groove, my core truth – as corny as it sounds.

We created our 'chop' - a short form logo + avatar we use in social media signatures

I re-branded to ThomasBoston, created a new logo to identify the Brand + an avatar for our newly-developed social media chops.

And I decided to take another look at just what we stand for. That is, what I stand for.

My strategy was to use a website development framework to more fully flush out our Brand, knowing it had done just that for our clients the past couple years. So my designer + friend John Gallagher + I sat down to map out the imaging. I found for me too, (re)doing a website is a great way to really see a business, its strength, product holes + opportunities.

The strategically-driven process we followed bought us some very deep satisfaction. We broke down each of the sometimes complex components of ThomasBoston – the what we believe + the way we do things - to their simplest elements. Then, we ‘expanded upon it,’ as perhaps one of my most brilliant ‘bosses’ Bob Corriveau, former GM at Ingall’s Advertising taught me. And always with ‘it’s all in how you present it’ in mind (another Bob C. mantra). 

The process molded some building blocks that helped define ‘what’ we do to add value. But importantly, it revealed insight on the ‘why’ I do it. And for whom.
These are not little questions.

Now I can tell you during the process we didn’t always know where we were going. But we always knew where we were. It wasn’t easy. And sometime we weren’t always even quite in the right direction. But we never gave up that sense of adventure + passion + kept moving forward. John is a real pro, innately a designer, intense, excitable + focused.

The break-through came though the night when John, as he describes it, thought “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore…so now all I can do is what comes to me.” He believed his instincts + what he knew. And did it.

When he showed me the image of the first panel of this site’s home page, I laughed the deep laugh of surprise my creatives have come to know as my heartfelt expression of joy. It was my Inner Woodstock, which I’d denied for so many years as much out of fear of not being ‘hip’ (‘cool’ for you youngsters). But there it was. Me. ThomasBoston 3.0. And his handwritten font design connected me, a huge type fan, because its design was proper - ‘on-font,’ as we call it. The process reminded me of Marian Bantjes’ TED talk: Intricate Beauty by Design. Instincts + core beliefs ruled. Though with a strategy to guide it through. 

As I marveled + became one with the image (having trained myself over the years to dispassionately analyze creative solutions), I asked myself: how did we get here? Which of course, prompted me to sing the Taking Heads anthem, ‘Once in a Lifetime.’ And I saw David Byrne, the lead singer, moving + singing as only he alone could do.

Now as a professional rock + roll show goer – I even worked on the VIP Services team for LiveNation at the Great Woods for a couple summers as a part-time gig – I’ve seen literally hundreds of acts. And there’re basically 4 things that separate the Bigs like Radiohead, Bowie + Phish from even A level band Brands, such as 311 + Paramore. (Both of whom I really like too.)

Nobody could move on-stage like db. And I just don't believe he's retired.

They are individually acquired tastes
They move unlike anyone else
They’re unafraid to follow their instincts
They are emotional

And they don’t expect everybody to get them. But when people do, they learn the words + sing along as loyal fans. Because no one else will do in the niche of understanding that Brand has created. And, it becomes part of the audience’s lives. (Yes, I own just about every tune produced by Bowie + Radiohead. And damned if Phish didn’t catch me at this summer’s Boston show.) 

Over the 22 years I’ve run ThomasBoston, I’ve run into lots of Cover Brands. Typically, they’re businesses that offer me-too goods + services at a low price. And they’re convinced that’s enough reason to buy, that price alone will build momentum.

While price can be a hook, there’s never any real interest, no emotional tie to their company + Brand once the fact has sunk in. And when others follow (especially with deep pockets promotional advertising), a cover Brand has no chords left to play + no hook. As my grandma Ida, a wise Finlander used to say with a smile, ‘never go fishing without a hook.’

Perhaps the greatest music Brand the world's ever seen.

I believe there’s no need whatsoever for any business to be a Cover Brand. Because every company has something special about it may not see; the spark in the eye its owner has (or had). Especially when they’re so close to it. But I tell you, when I speak with them, they always tell me what’s unique about their Brand in the first 5 minutes. And I’m always excited.

I’ve decided our days as a Cover Brand are done. There’s just no future in it, especially today, when there’s one on every corner of the Web looking for the same easy pickings business I might have wanted. And even that business came with its pound of flesh.

So today, as I write this post, I can say I’m doing what I love. It’s my tune. ThomasBoston 3.0. And I’m DJ’ing + producing the Brand ‘tunes’ of a few very special clients – at least figuratively.

Will it work? Will people sing along with me? Well, I have no designs on another Brick House (BTW, pronounced ‘Owse’ according to my brother, another wedding band vet now working on an original R + B musical that’s juicing him), but we spent most of the Spring working on re-staging a killer small business Brand that will launch this Fall (More to come on that.) And already there are a few people starting to understand the ThomasBoston 3.0 lyric + groove. And learning to dance (again) to their own music, as only they can.

I’ve found in my ‘inner Isis’ + core – the ‘what’ my company + personal Brand represents. But it took Tom Potterfield’s profound insight to see why it matters:

“It is really that simple; it all comes down to love- being with people, work, family from a place of love. That’s the secret.”

I know Tom wouldn’t mind me making this as a core value of my Brand. You see I know what his Brand stood for. It was never a secret. And through understanding of the highest order, he knew mine.   

Of course, I don’t know what the outcome will be. But for now, I know I want to be here.

You see, I’ve come to once again love my Brand + what it can mean to people. And as a band that helped shape my values once sang: ‘love is all you need.’ And I believe what I know.

Kindly,

Tom

PS: I’m taking on some new projects again, so if you know of anyone who’d like to fortify their Brand + website for greater profitability, just point them in my direction. I’ll send you our quietly stylish + comfortable ThomasBoston 22^nd Anniversary T-Shirt with our sincere thanks.

And I promise from hereon my blog posts will be shorter. Promise.

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