What if fast food workers lived the brand?
- 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
- 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
- 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?
- 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?
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
