Posted by Rahna on July 27, 2009 under Branding, Consumer Engagement, Strategy | 
On Friday, I was interviewed as a “kid expert” by members of the marketing team for a major packaged goods brand, talking about trends in kid marketing, what is influencing kids (and moms) today and providing advice for what the marketing team should be thinking about in their marketing and innovation efforts.
One of the interesting questions was, “What is fun?” Having worked in the toy industry for over seven years now, I have a good sense of some of the major elements of fun, and it made me wonder how other brands (that are not outright toys) embody “fun.” Is your brand fun?
One of the points that I raised had to do with the concept of “hard fun.” Now, hard fun is a vital element of every video, every sport, every board game, every card game, and many toys (certainly it is a key aspect of LEGO toys).
Hard fun is the idea that challenge is good.
Everyone enjoys gaining a sense of mastery, a sense of a job well done, a game well-played, a challenge overcome, success achieved. Video games provide levels so that you can feel the thrill and the challenge of “getting to the next level.” That’s an integral part of the fun.
Would you want to play tennis with a two-year old? Probably not (unless it was your own child, a niece or nephew—and that’s a whole different aspect of fun)! You want to be well-matched on the court, to play with someone who will give you a run for your money. Even if you are just watching, you want it to be hard on both sides. The nail-biter, down-to-the-wire Superbowl games are much more fun to watch, even if you are a diehard fan! The triumph is that much sweeter if the challenge is strong.
Ever build a LEGO creation? It’s not easy. Taking a pile a bricks and turning it into a spaceship, or a fire truck or a skyscraper or an alien super-bug takes creativity, thought, and a sense of spatial relations. The pride and accomplishment are an integral part of the fun!
Of course, the trick is to develop something that is hard enough to be a challenge, yet not so hard as to shatter self-esteem. That pride, that sense of accomplishment must be there, whether using a Wii Remote, a deck of cards, or a ball of some sort.
What kind of “hard fun” have you built into your brand? Into your life? If you need more fun in your world, if you want your consumers to see your brand as fun, find a way to add more challenge. I guarantee it will be more fun!
If you’d like more advice on what you should be thinking about for your marketing efforts, give us a call. We promise, it won’t be too hard! J
Posted by Rahna on July 23, 2009 under Consumer Research, Strategy |
One of my business partners and I are in the midst of a very interesting research project to find out what moms are thinking and feeling today about a whole host of issues. As soon as the research is finalized, I will be sharing the results with you in detail. However, one of the interesting insights that we are seeing is the emotional impact this is having on higher-income indulgent mothers.
Certainly, this economy is producing every type of emotion imaginable—fear, sadness, panic, anger, regret, relief—but among certain types of moms, glaring guilt is what we see. Once you recognize it and name it, it makes logical sense, but it isn’t something that you might have named before.
There are lots of moms whose household finances have shifted dramatically, whose financial worlds have been completely rocked. We see small business owners who have prospered outrageously in previous years, whose cash flow has simply dried up. We see six-figure salaried individuals take over a year to find new work once they have been laid off.
Doubly Guilty
And the moms, who never had to worry about the bills getting paid, said “yes” to their children way more often than they ever said “no” (if at all). Now, the harsh reality of a new financial world order requires that they learn the art of the word “No.” They feel guilty that they cannot give their child everything (of course, this is also creating a mindset shift for the kids as well!).
But even as they think about it, they realize that they never said, “No.” They may even admit, grudgingly, that this new order is actually better in the long run for the child, as it teaches them balance and not always “getting their way.”
This realization leads to even more guilt as they realize (even if only in their own minds) that they have not exercised the best parenting possible in the past. Guilt for the past parenting and guilt for the present situation is sobering for these moms.
So the question becomes, what can you do about it? As a marketer, it is up to you to find a way to come to the rescue. Do you have a product that reinforces good parenting at the same time as it provides a little indulgence to the child?
An interesting question. As I said, when we have a more thorough report, we will share it with you. In the meantime, if you’d like to dig more deeply into your own consumer’s emotional mindset, let us know. We’d love to help.
Posted by Rahna on July 17, 2009 under Branding, Personal Branding |
“A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Dale Carnegie
I had an interesting discussion today with someone whose name can be shortened—you know, like Josh versus Joshua, or Kim versus Kimberly, or Kate, Katie, for Kathryn. I was asking her whether she preferred me to call her by her formal name or the more casual shortened name. She said (with a bit of trepidation) that she introduces herself by the formal name, but that either is fine. Yet I could tell that there was more emotion beneath the surface. I pressed the issue. As a matter of fact, when I asked her how she refers to herself when she calls her mom or her best friend, her answer was that she always says, “Hi, it’s me”, which is no name at all!
It finally came out that she prefers her formal name, though she was afraid to say that because so many people use the abbreviated version. As a result of asking this one simple question, we ended up having quite a discussion about being definitive, being unique, and having the confidence to stand up and be “someone.”
In the world of personal branding, your name is all-important. Celebrate who you are; celebrate your name. If you don’t like your name, come up with a nickname for yourself and begin introducing yourself that way. My sister’s name is Christina, but everyone calls her “Cricket” because she is much more of a “Cricket” than a Christina. She identifies herself that way and has made it her own.
Own your name and have the confidence and courage to stand up for yourself and your name. As you do this, you will begin to have a stronger feeling for who you are and what your personal brand is.
Posted by Rahna on July 13, 2009 under Branding, Personal Branding |
I have a gardening background, both from spending years as the Brand Manager for Miracle-Gro and from my master gardener mother, who continues to teach me all about how to coax loveliness from a bare patch of earth. She was talking about tomatoes, and it reminded me of a very important personal branding lesson.
You see, tomatoes get to a certain point in the ripening process called the “breaker stage,” when the fruit begins to turn pink. At this point, it can be taken from off the vine, as no nutrients or essentials are being transferred from the main plant to the fruit. As my mother has explained to me, “The flavor, quality, and nutrition are complete within the fruit.”
The same applies to people and to brands. You are complete and can ripen off the vine. Many of the executives I talk with struggle with self-confidence issues—even when they are in the midst of success! But here’s what I have seen. Everyone has what it takes to achieve their goals, if only they will set a plan in place to achieve them!
People ask me why the Signature for Success program is different from other programs. It’s different because it doesn’t just teach theory; it makes people write down a specific plan for how they will express themselves, how they will achieve their goals. Whatever it is that you need to achieve your goals is already within you—whether it is the humility to ask for help from someone who has already travelled down the road you would like to travel, or the patience and persistence to get a meeting with that new client you have been trying to connect with. “The flavor, quality, and nutrition” are already within you.
The same applies to brands. The best new product opportunities and growth development activities come from the foundation of the brand itself. If we could see the signs of where the brand should (and shouldn’t) grow, we would be able to easily expand the brand value by the millions. The seeds of greatness are already within the brand. It just needs proper management, strong marketing and courage to bring that expansion to fruition.
So where is your plan? How are you expressing your brand? What clues can you find in your current brand (whether it’s a personal brand or a product/service brand) about how the brand could best be expanded? “The flavor, quality and nutrition are complete within the fruit (brand).” It’s up to you to pluck the fruit and watch it ripen! If you’d like help developing your brand, give us a call. Happy harvesting!
Posted by Rahna on July 6, 2009 under Branding, Media, Personal Branding |
Are you looking for more ways to express your personal brand to a broader audience? Try media interviews. It’s a way to communicate your expertise and share your knowledge with others. I read an interesting article with some tips for getting the most out of your media interviews here: http://www.emsincorporated.com/8-%E2%80%9Cinsider-tips%E2%80%9D-to-build-your-business-thru-radio-and-tv-interviews/
Posted by Rahna on July 2, 2009 under Branding, Personal Branding |
Recently, during a corporate training session at LEGO, I asked a group of professionals to write down 20 qualities about themselves, 20 strengths of their personal brand. One woman looked completely dumbfounded. She stared down at the blank sheet of paper and finally said, “Rahna, that’s got to be the hardest thing you could’ve asked for!” She was stumped. She had no idea what to write and sadder still, she had no idea what she was good at! This is a woman in a very large, very well-known company that conducts annual formal performance reviews….and still she didn’t know. Can you imagine?
Unfortunately, I see this all too often. People have no idea what value they bring to their world, what strengths they have, what qualities they have to contribute.
This is a crime. This is why I do what I do. EVERYONE needs to know what they are good at, what they do well, and if everyone knew that, they would raise their self-esteem, seek out opportunities to maximize the use of those talents, and ROCK THEIR WORLD!
Please, I’m begging you. If you don’t know what your talents are, go find out!
Here’s how:
Go ask several of your business colleagues, your friends, and a few family members to tell you at least four things they appreciate about you. Ask for qualities they feel you express, and seek to understand why that adds value to their life. What is it about you that is so great? Why are you so important in their life? What value do you bring to them? Why do they seek you out?
Try to be as specific as possible. You want to understand the nuances of these qualities in order to understand what makes you unique. Bill Cosby, Jim Carey, and Chris Rock are all “funny” in COMPLETELY different ways. You want to understand the subtleties about your strengths and how you are different from everyone else.
When you’re in middle school, you just want to fit in. Standing out, being different, being unique is tantamount to social suicide….But for marketers, being unique is what it’s all about, because no one wants to buy what they perceive as “me-too” products. People seek out something special, something one-of-a-kind…and the same applies to people, too. Those who are different, unique, one-of-a-kind tend to stand out in a crowd and find it easier to “make a name for themselves.” Actors who can find their own style have more earning potential and end up with the “plum” roles. Think about Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Katherine Hepburn, Dustin Hoffman, or Tom Hanks.
So please, if you care about advancing your career in amazing ways, find out what you’re good at. It is a foundational piece of information for radical career growth both inside a corporate environment and on your own. Understanding your unique value helps you “sell” yourselves to others (and make no mistake about it: in your career, you are always selling yourself).
