OUR THINKING
CVS Quits for Good: Purpose or just PR?
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
There's been a lot of discussion lately about CVS Caremark's decision to stop selling cigarettes by October 1, 2014 in its stores.
Critics claim it's just a red herring gesture to outflank competitors for lucrative healthcare contracts.
Cheerios: a brand aligned or an empty campaign?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
The Big Game is over but the conversation about the commercials continues. This year, 3 commercials tied a brand to a cause. Though they all had an emotional tug, it made me wonder whether they were authentic to the core—or simply an empty campaign.
3 ways employees can add ZING to your ad campaign
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Focus groups are wrapped and results from the consumer panels are in. You're ready to launch a new ad campaign and WOW the world. Will you WOW your employees, too? Here are 3 reasons you should.
How good intentions can toll a brand's death knell
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
We've all witnessed it: the company retreat that gets people fired-up and ready to change the world. But soon, the insistent voices of daily work drown out the enthusiasm.
New year's revolutions for winning brands
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Have you made any business resolutions for the new year? Better yet: a business revolution. It's a new year, full of possibilities. Here are some ways to create far-reaching changes that make '14 your best year yet.
Is your brand shade-worthy?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Twentieth century philosophers Timbuk3 sang "the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades..." Their '80s era music video on MTV leaves a message for leaders of this century. You have a bright future ahead, too... if you broadcast your vision in ways that are just as engaging to internal audiences.
How one ceo, a big fat excuse and a million yards of bad karma burned a brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
"Frankly, some women's bodies just don't actually work [for Lululemon yoga pants]" famously said Chip Wilson, chairman of Lululemmon.
There's only been an "I'm sorry I'm not sorry" from Chip.
The Forrest Gump warning for brands everywhere
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Do you know people who poke a hole in the bottom of a chocolate to see whether or not it's the one they want? The culprits I know never throw away the damaged piece they've decided against. They just sneak it back into the box. (As if no one will notice!)
Proud to wear the mustache
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
We've all had one. At one time or another. You know what I'm talking about. A mustache. Maybe it's a milk mustache. A milk shake mustache. Or a pink Kool-Aid one. Then there's the one you get from an extra foamy cappuccino.
Don't be afraid to bite off more than you can chew
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
"Martha Ellen Bartlett, that's entirely too big a bite for a young lady."
I heard it more than once at the dinner table when I was growing up. I think it means that I enjoy food—and life—with passion. And as an adult, I still occasionally get a bit carried away.
How a humble PB&J can build a stickier brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
People in your rapidly growing company are working at a hectic pace. They love the brand and are proud to give it their all. But they'll run out of energy (and the company will flounder) if you don't keep feeding their passion and purpose.
Don't let them starve!
Why You Should Care What the Fox Says
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
The Fox by A. Victor GoodpastureDid I put that song in your head? You can thank me later. But first, why should you care what the fox says?
Kill the silos, not the messenger
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Does your organization make outbound calls to support your issue or invite people to an informational event? Here's a very, very wrong way to go about it...possibly the worst voice message ever.
But it's premature to shoot the messenger.
When the left brand doesn't know what the right brand is doing
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Please come to our fair city. Spend money at the shops—and some more with the cops.
A recent visit to downtown Grand Junction, Colorado felt like that. Mixed messages, brand dissonance...so, do they want me or not?
"Don't Buy This Jacket"
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
At a glance, this seems like a gimmicky marketing ploy. But is it?
Early last year Patagonia began a campaign that discouraged shoppers from spending on Cyber Monday and told them to "buy less."
I double dog dare you to call
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
I'm not sure if this is a series of coincidences or a disturbing trend. But this week, I've had two "asks" for sizable charitable donations via email or Facebook. And I've had at least five sales people try to pitch me with a cold call via email. Really?
The dating game: how does your brand stack up?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
When they're hiring, lots of companies spout "great benefits" and "positive work environment" to anyone who will listen. But they don't think about the type of person they want to attract. That's right. Attract. Shouldn't it be more like dating?
Do your ambassadors wear the colors?
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
Recently my children went back to school. A sheet came home asking parents to have their children wear specific colors for the first two weeks of class. The reason: our kindergarteners need help learning their colors. First it was Red Day. Then Brown Day.
6 ways to ensure reengineering success
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Team Tomato has 50 ideas. Team JuJube has 65. The competition is on overdrive and the company reengineering is well on its way... or is it?
A friend just gave me the lowdown on the year-old effort at her company. It's grinding to a halt.
Can upset employees sell Forever?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
"Dear (employee), We're cutting your hours and your benefits. If you have questions call nameless HR person. Oh, and by the way, please keep selling our great products with passion."
That's my take on a leaked employee letter from Forever 21 as reported by Jezebel.
How Borgification is fatal to brands
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Even a casual Star Trek viewer has heard of the legendary Borg. So united in purpose and mission, they were stronger than almost anyone else. The Borg were also scary, evil and incredibly nasty.
How ancient Chinese wisdom rallies internal brands
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
There are lots of reasons to read the Art of War. Though it's literally about military strategy, I'll argue that it's equally applicable to a company's success:
"He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks."
Does your brand's R-Value keep out the leaks?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
In the building trades, R-Value is a way to gauge how well-insulated a structure is. Low R-Value results in lost energy and wasted money.
Process (or lack of it) is an R-Value for brands that leads directly to ROI.
How to combat acid-flinging swans
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
The behind-the-scenes drama at the famed Russian Bolshoi Ballet has made worldwide headlines since the acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin in January. But the poisonous culture at the Bolshoi has long been reported prior to this.
How brands say what they don't mean—and how to fix it
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
The '50s song "Hold the Phone" is full of silly gibberish. At the time it was released, most people didn't have the technology to slow it down to decipher the actual words. Some of today's brands are unwittingly speaking gibbersh that audiences won't even try to decode.
You've gotta go with the co
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Collaborate… cooperate… cohabitate… The stongest brands are a co-mingling of attributes that are co-owned and co-created by the company, the customers and the employees.
A brand can't be all things to all people—nor should it be.
How to deliver one big parcel of brand happiness
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
I love my closet. My friends know it's merchandised. The hangers match. Items are organized left to right, short to long and light to dark.
My sister in law says it looks like a store.
More gold, less gravel: internal crowdsourcing
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Wikipedia calls crowdsourcing "distributed problem solving: assigning a problem to a large group of people to mine collective intelligence." Many companies use crowdsourcing for product development. Dorito's has famously used it for commercials in the Super Bowl. Is it for you?
Why brands need campfires, not water coolers
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Companies everywhere have a proverbial watercooler. It's the place to chat about sports, or a new Dilbert-esque project from above. Yawn. The special ones—high growth companies who rely on innovative employees—have a roaring campfire.
Sync or sink
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Rapidly growing companies are moving fast. Some are kicking furiously in the Shark Tank. Others are trying Lean Startup methods to evolve their brand or launch something new. They're pivoting, exploring and trying to propel ahead.
How past employees affect your future brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
What happens when an employee leaves? Beyond the exit interview, it's safe to assume that several people will post online reviews that are either wildly flattering—or excruciatingly unflattering. Are you paying attention? Ignorance is not bliss.
A culture of happiness = happy customers
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
HOGG Heating & Air Conditioning Company has a smart internal brand that infects its customers faster than a summer cold. They know they're more than just an HVAC company. They see themselves as the ones who come to the rescue.
4 ways silos destroy brands
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
A problem for many high growth companies is that their operations are changing at such a rapid rate that their culture and intentional strategies fall by the wayside. At the same time, they probably have a strong external marketing campaign adding fuel to the growth.
Are we there yet?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Someone just asked me when I knew MB Piland was "there," or that our company had made it. It surprised me. I believe a high-growth company is never "there." But without an intentional plan, it's easy to get trapped in a roundabout. Here are three things to help you keep driving your brand forward.
Bulletin board as canary in a coal mine?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Obligatory rules and regs and a so-called motivational poster in a company break area make me think of something Despair.Inc. lampoons. The other stuff that's posted (or not) can signal an alarm about the health of the internal brand.
How bow ties and pocket protectors build a genius internal brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
H&R Block has been under fire for its recent foul ups on electronic filings. But that aside, they make me feel like they're real people who love what they do—and they'll take care of me. I bet their employees feel the same way, too.
Choose your customers first
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Another thought-provoking read from Seth Godin's daily blog: Choose your customers first. In this post, Seth talks about how we often rush to the end: creating a product, and then trying to shoehorn in our brand and customers. This is especially dangerous for rapidly growing companies.
What the Marines and Argo teach us about powerful internal culture
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Separating the "real" from the "Hollywood" is always tough for a movie based on a true story. Wonder about details and characters in the film Argo? A recent interview on Huffington Post says one thing's certain: the famous, "Argo f*** yourself" was real.
Straight up: how Maker's Mark almost put its brand on the rocks
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
There's been a dizzying amount of talk about the Maker's Mark decision to cut the alcohol content in its bourbon—then reversing the decision because of the public outcry.
Hospitality: an inside-out brand builder
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Famed restauranteur Danny Meyer's book Setting the Table: The transforming power of hospitality in business should be on your nightstand if you want a powerful internal culture.
Turning intense leadership into a high powered internal brand
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
A good read from Art Petty's Leadership Caffeine: We've all worked for intense people. Maybe you're an intense person who's had to lead a team.
A crazy (branded) orientation that works!
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
A good read from Bloomberg Business Week: Welcome to Rackspace: A Frenetic Orientation
Venessa Wong reports on the crazy orientation program at Rackspace that puts new employess in some pretty crazy team building situations. (Photograph by Chris Godfrey for Rackspace)
Why high growth companies need internal champions
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
So, you get it. In order for your rapidly growing company to succeed, your internal brand needs to align with your external brand, and your employees are the most important customers.
How Sim City is like your internal brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
What can Sim City teach us about our internal brands? Investment in infrastructure is always a smart move. Cities know it. Civil engineers understand it. Without strong infrastructure, things start to crumble.
Why would I want to work for me?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
I stongly believe a company's brand is only as strong as its talent. That's why our Expert Source model is such an asset in our work.
But whether your structure is traditional or nontraditional, the truth remains: talent will make or break you.
Combine fun and function with a social media platform that builds your internal brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
It's smart to combine fun and function with internal social media. Internal Affairs: Social Media at the Office in today's Ad Age Digital is a good read.
It's smart to combine fun and function with internal social media.
Drinking the Republican and Democratic National Convention Kool-Aid
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- Written by: Alexandra Reilly
The Republican and Democratic conventions have provided plenty of fodder for political pundits and late night comedians alike. But for those of us focused on creating, sustaining and nurturing strong brands, there are valuable insights.
Attn C-Suite: It might not be for you
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Attention C-Suite: It might not be for you
Recently, we heard a C-someone say an internal communications effort was unnecessary. Our answer: maybe it's unneccessary for YOU.
Pretty much everyone in the C-suite knows what’s going on: where the company is headed, financial goals, benchmarks.
Do these pants make my brand look big?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Do these pants make my brand look big?
(Or, 3 things your brand and skinny jeans have in common.)
They are not for everyone.
Skinny jeans have a certain number of loud detractors. They probably have an equal number of people who are ambivalent. That’s OK.
Why Atomic Fireballs are like strong brands
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Just call us curiosity nerds. That’s fine. But this week, I was thinking about hot candy.
I got to wondering about the insides of Hot Tamales. So instead of just chomping down on a Hot Tamale like I normally do, I let it dissolve in my mouth.
3 ways to power up your internal brand
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Wearing Groovy Chick t-shirts at an ad trivia competition.Three ways to power up your internal brand
Every day, millions of companies are working on their communications to customers. They’re honing and refining—what to tweet, new services to offer, the next quarter’s sales promotion. At the same time, the majority are overlooking the need to devote well-focused attention to their inside audiences.
Do your employees know—really know—the brand "guts" of the organization they represent? And if they can articulate that certain something, have they also adopted it into their work-time way of life? If they have, then you’re going to outlast your competition. If they haven’t, then here are some steps you can take to help.
What if fast food workers lived the brand?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
What if fast food workers lived the brand?
I've been buying a lot of iced tea lately—stopping by some of the numerous fast food chains to satisfy my curiosity: is it really fast-fast-fast at Jimmy John's? Do they really want me to have a refreshing experience at Burger King?
Sometimes I went to drive-thrus and sometimes walked into the stores for service at the counter. For the most part, my experience was the same.
3 things your employee manual probably leaves out
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Alex's Garden Gnome Green Thumb party.Nearly everyone has an employee manual. It dictates policies and procedures, vacations and jury duty. Great! So a new employee knows the basics and you've covered yourself on all the legal must-dos.
But wait! How does your brand relate to internal customers? What does it mean to be part of your company? How does it feel? Sound? What should an employee say when someone asks why he came on board?
That employee has hitched his star to your wagon. He's accepted your invitation because he thinks you have something he wants to be a part of. Don't let him down.
Birds and brands: both can be small and mighty
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Birds and brands: both can be small and mighty
The first thing I noticed as I looked out my kitchen window Wednesday morning was that my bird feeders were pretty much empty. A bit of guilt hit me as I thought about how I’d procrastinated for the last few days on making the stop at the hardware store for more birdseed.
But then I noticed something that made me smile. On the feeder closest to the window, I saw a very tiny, buff-colored bird sitting on the feeder and—what? Feasting. That bird was so small, she could fit more than half her body into the opening in the feeder. She was making a veritable feast of the seed that hadn’t spilled out. That's the seed that most other birds would never be able to reach because they’re just too big, or couldn’t see.
Is Penn State considering its internal brand?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
There’s a lot of talk about the crimes at Penn State. Experts are talking about how to correct some very deep problems and move ahead, how to deal with the loss of sponsorships—and how to salvage the brand.
All this focus on outward communications is justified. There’s much work to be done, decisions to make. They should be made quickly. And actions should be decisive so crimes such as these cannot be committed again. It would appear those efforts are well underway.
What's “inside” your brand?
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
What's "inside" your brand?
A good read! This book is available for the iPad and other e-readers, so you can have it right now. What's Your Strategic Heartbeat? is more like a long article than a book. But it has some solid tips and inspiring thoughts about cultivating new ideas and innovation out of one's true brand essence.
At MB Piland, we know that when communications and promotions are created as an outgrowth of your brand's "soul," they really click. That's because they're really authentic. We help clients figure that out all the time, because it can be hard to see inside yourself without some good diagnostics. Luther's book helps you see how he identified this soul—what he calls Strategic Heartbeat—and used it to take his companies to great new heights. This is good for self-examination.
Listening between the lines
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Listening between the lines
At MB Piland, we know that listening is a critical ingredient in great account leadership. We also know it's a skill that's intentionally developed. We ask lots of questions, listen between the lines, then ask again to be sure we've asked the right questions.
We also find that asking questions of all the right people is important. Clients, of course—but customers, referral sources, distributors, bloggers—and others will also tell us a lot if we just pay attention and listen.
We always place a lot of emphasis on internal audiences. They're highly important and often overlooked. Employees, strategic partners, volunteers and others on the inside know a lot, and are glad to share if we ask. Now we have a much more accurate view of what's really going on "out there."
It's the highest praise when a client says "How did you know that's exactly what I wanted? I didn't even know." That means we're doing our job. Today's Harvard Business Review features an article by John Baldoni on asking better questions. It's a worthwhile read.
JCP Magalog is worth a read
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
The new JC Penney is here. Its reinvented, reimagined jcp magalog hit mailboxes this week. It's bright, high-energy, cheerful and oh-so-much chic-er that I ever thought the retailer could be.
Part fashion, part beauty, part interior design—with some food/entertaining features, it definitely makes me want to shop. There's also a new brand promise: a square deal and no hoops. "We want to be your favorite store." Gee, after reading this, I want them to be my favorite store, too!
Four things we love about Angry Birds
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
Four things we love about Angry Birds
At MB Piland, we know that deep, strategic thinking is imperative to success—not just marketing success—but business success. And we know that thinking on its own isn’t enough. It also has to be paired with smart, targeted tactical executions by some extraordinarily creative people. When you put it all together, that’s the killer combination.
“The Dip” by Seth Godin
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- Written by: Martha Bartlett Piland
A book I pick up again and again. My friend Patti Bossert is a very successful businesswoman. She recommended this book to me and I confess I still have her copy. Subtitled "a little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick)" the dip offers insights into whether that setback is merely a temporary occurrance, or a Cul-de-Sac that you will never leave, no matter how hard you try.