2. WHAT I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
A view from 50,000 feet!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
3. WHAT I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
(I can actually talk about whatever you like so feel free to interrupt)
01 A BIT ABOUT ME
02 A BIT OF THEORY
03 BUTCHERING MY BRAND
03 A BIT OF ACTION
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
4. A BIT ABOUT ME
The The Music Madison Innovation Branding
Beach! Business! Ave.! Shop! Agency!
1997-1998
1999
2000-2005
2005-2008
2009
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
5. STUFF I DID ALONG THE WAY
CLIENTS AT MY STARTUP
CLIENTS FROM MY PAST LIFE
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
6. AN OBVIOUS DISCLAIMER
I’m not a naming and branding person.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
16. THE BEGINNING
I
have
tools.
I
need
tools.
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
17. THE DAWN OF CHOICE
I
have
tools
too.
$$
$$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
18. THE DAWN OF THE EMPOWERED CUSTOMER
I
have
tools
So?
too.
$$
$$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
19. THE DAWN OF COMPETITION
I
mean…
My
tools
are
be#er.
$$
$$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
20. THE DAWN OF CONSUMER APATHY
They
look
the
same
to
me
$$
$$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
21. THE DAWN OF COMMODITIZATION
Well
my
tools
are
cheaper
$$
$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
22. THE DAWN OF PRICE WARS
My
tools
are
even
cheaper
$
$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
23. THE DAWN OF PRICE WARS
My
tools
are
Deal.
even
cheaper
$
$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
24. THE DAWN OF THE BRAND
My
tools
are
for
people
who
know
how
to
use
tools.
$
$
$$$$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
25. THE DAWN OF THE BRAND
My
tools
are
for
Ooh.
I
want
to
people
who
know
how
to
be
one
of
those
use
tools.
people.
$$$$
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Image credit: tin7_creations
26. WHAT’S A BRAND?
There’s a lot of misperception out there by people who say…!
A logo!
A user interface!
An ad!
A tag line!
A color!
A name!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
…not really.
27. WHAT’S A BRAND?
There’s a lot of misperception out there by people who say…!
A logo!
A user interface!
An ad!
A tag line!
A color!
A name!
These are the ways brands both express and build
themselves.
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
…not really.
28. WHAT’S A BRAND?
Wise words from an ad guy…!
Those are just expressions of a brand
“A brand is the consumer’s idea of a
product”
- David Ogilvy
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Limited 2011
Copyright Propellerfish Private
29. WHAT’S A BRAND?
Wise words from the Economist…!
Those are just expressions of a brand
“(Brands) create the third, intangible
step in the adding of value. Take
water and sugar: they are
commodities. Process them into
Cola Drinks, and you have products.
Market and promote them into
Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola and you
have brands.”
- The Economist: The Year of the
Brand
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Limited 2011
Copyright Propellerfish Private
30. WHAT’S A BRAND?
Wise words from the guys who bring you Mickey…!
Those are just expressions of a brand
“A brand is a living entity, it is enriched or
undermined cumulatively over time, the
product of a thousand small gestures”
Michael Eisner (Disney CEO)
*This is my favorite definition!
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Limited 2011
Copyright Propellerfish Private
31. GREAT BRANDS HAVE A CENTRAL GUIDING IDEA
The glue that hold each of these “gestures” together!
Space
Users
Font
Product
Ads
User Interface
PR
Design
Brand Idea
Partners
Pricing
Logo
Name
Events
People
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Limited 2011
Copyright Propellerfish Private
32. THAT IDEA GOVERNS EACH GESTURE
In the simplest terms…!
Brand Idea:!
Tools for the
mind that advance
humankind
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
33. MEANWHILE, EACH GESTURE DEFINES THE BRAND
In the simplest terms…!
Brand Idea:
Tools for the
mind that advance
humankind
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Limited 2011
Copyright Propellerfish Private
34. SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND
Everything communicates.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
35. What does this font choice say about
Apple?
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
37. What does this style of photography say about Apple?
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
38. What What thisthe materials they usesay about Apple?
does do style of photography to
build their stores say about them?
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
39. What do the people who work there communicate about the brand?
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Photo credit: flickr.com/DaveMN
40. Why does my startup need a brand?!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
41. BECAUSE BRANDS CREATE ELASTICITY
People will part with more for a brand.!
Jeans are jeans?
Passenger quotes during The distance people are
the same snowstorm
willing to drive to a…
“I couldn’t get home to see
my family over the holidays,
but JetBlue’s a good airline.
They did what they could.”
-JetBlue Passenger
$135 USD
“I
couldn’t
get
home
for
the
holidays.
I
know
the
weather
was
bad,
but
Delta
are
bastards.
I
hate
them.”
$35 USD
-‐JetBlue
Passenger
Price elasticity! Good will elasticity! Distance elasticity!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
42. SOMETHING MANY BRANDING PEOPLE FORGET
Brands are business tools.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
43. So how do I build a great brand?!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
44. START BY ASKING YOURSELF THIS QUESTION
I’m a new player and I’m creating something
people might not trust entirely new and need people
me.! to understand what I do.!
What’s your business up against?!
What I do will change What we’re selling isn’t for
people’s lives but it’s everybody – we need to make
tough to understand at sure the people who try us
first.! first are the right people.!
There are other businesses out there
like us and we need people to know
that we’re different.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
45. THEN ASK YOURSELF THIS…
Where is a brand most likely to help?!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
46. LAY DOWN YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM
Startups are in a position to build
their brand from the inside out.!
Start with the people who are
founding the business, their vision
for how they plan to change the
world and what they’re most
passionate about.!
If you’re only in it to make money
you’re going to suck at this part.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
47. HOW WE DID AN OKAY(ISH) JOB OF IT AT PROPELLERFISH
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
48. LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
49. LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
50. LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
51. LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
52. THEN LAY DOWN YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM
Our belief system would look something like…!
1. We bring freshness of thought to organizations that feel stale!
2. We bring energy that helps accelerate thinking and ideas from
workshop to store shelf!
3. We bring a level of polish and precision that can only be delivered
by doing one project at a time.!
4. We bring a rigor that’s missing from most other agencies!
5. We operate on the belief that the best creativity is commercial
creativity.!
6. We believe in only working with clients who are comfortable
collaborating with us as partners.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
53. WHAT BUSINESS ARE YOU IN?
We’re technically in the innovation business but
we like to think of it as though… !
We are an opportunity development business.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
54. DEFINE YOUR MISSION
We are in the business of helping the world
unleash its potential.!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
55. SAY IT WITH MORE THAN WORDS
Credit: Maria Horn (www.mariahorn.com)
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
56. NOW YOU TRY…
Start by asking yourself these questions!
1. What are you setting out to build?
2. What’s your mission
3. Who are you targeting?
4. What’s their key painpoint?
5. How do you address it?
6. What do you stand for?
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
57. HOMEWORK
1. Create a brief for your business using the questions
on the previous page (this will help you describe
your brand to other people)!
2. Rewrite that brief without words using pictures,
fonts, sounds, materials, etc. (this will help you
brief designers)!
3. Generate a list of words that encapsulate that brief
in its entirety - at least 100. (this will be a helpful
start point for your naming process)!
Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011