Okay so where am I?

I just opened the mail and declared that sometimes the USPS delivers some pretty things! In today’s mail was lovely letter from the 25th Annual Communicator Awards honoring excellence in Marketing and Communications. Whenever you get a letter from an awarding body that starts with “CONGRATULATIONS!” it’s got to be good. In this case it was better. My recent work earned their Award of Excellence (top award) in the Marketing Effectiveness category. Needless to say, I am thrilled beyond belief.

This got me thinking about personal branding and branding in general. You know who has great branding? The Royal Family of England, that’s who.

Did you know that the Royal Family has its own website? They do. The address is “royal.uk” (catchy, right?), and it’s not your typical government website. While “whitehouse.gov” has some character, in terms of charm and personality, it pales in comparison to our UK counterpart.

According to Business Inside the Royal Family was worth just under $90 billion—contributing roughly $2.4 billion to the UK economy each year—though after the birth of Prince Louis and after Prince Harry’s recent nuptials, the dynasty’s value has undoubtedly surged.

Even more staggering than the family’s monetary value is their soaring popularity. In an age when the word “monarchy” feels archaic and out-of-style, Elizabeth II and her heirs maintain a massive global audience, and that acclaimed Netflix series devoted to The Queen. You could say Nielsen data don’t lie: Meghan and Harry’s wedding was watched by more than 29 million viewers in the U.S. alone. The Super Bowl might have them beat (the most recent bowl amassed over 103 million), but most brands would kill for that many spectators spread across 15 separate networks.

Most of the fascination is due to the fairy tale nature of it all and the desperate need for escapist television in this highly political (see: contentious) era. But we can’t ignore the fact that the Royal Family has cultivated this business for decades, and their branding is intentional and strategic. So, while your company may not reap the benefits of being one of the most iconic families in modern day history, there are still some things to learn from the Royals.

The Media Guy might know a thing or two about the Royals.

Up Close and Personal —More than anything, the Royal Family website is unabashedly personal, rife with smiling close-ups of the principal cast of characters. The site depicts the Queen and the rest of the royal cast as outgoing, generally cheery people who happen to exist in this opulent setting. It reinforces the argument that businesses should not back away from personality; the more your customers learn about you and your team on a personal level, the more trust they’ll develop in your brand. Whether you write copy in the first person, offer up opinions in your tweets, or publish your personal excursions on Instagram, you’ll inadvertently give your brand some much-needed authenticity.

Media Matters —The Royal Family’s site is not elaborate by any means, but it is populated with rich, varied content. The photos are a blend of formal, casual and candid, while the videos depict major milestones, provide unique perspectives on televised events, and offer behind-the-scenes looks at the happenings around Buckingham and Windsor. Scrolling through, you’re reminded how much we rely on visuals to fully understand a brand.

Luxury Hasn’t Died, It Has Evolved —When the Luxury Marketing Council Worldwide gathered at Manhattan’s Pierre Hotel in 2018, the powers that be determined, not surprisingly, that modern luxury is all about “experience.” Scanning their well-curated Instagram page, it’s no doubt that the marketing masters behind the Royal Family are intent on delivering precisely that. From YouTube videos of Kate’s charitable acts to shots of Prince Harry high-fiving crowds of fans on the street… with each post, the Royal Family proves that luxury is about delivering riveting, relevant experiences and convincing your customers that they’re living each one firsthand.

Infusing your brand with personality can feel like a major risk. Your instinct might be that “personal” and “business” don’t mix…or that your daily life is not relevant to the products or services you’re offering. Trust the Media Guy, research shows that modern consumers want to know the names and faces behind their jeans, their socks, their music streaming services, and, if the Queen herself can pose for the occasional publicity photo and share her experiences with millions of viewers around the globe, then we can all do the same.

The post Team with the Royals to Boost your Brand appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

The Super Bowl with its 100 million plus viewers is around the corner. The recent deflated football scandal from last week’s conference championship game brought to light that personal brand is the ultimate selling point. Sal Paolantonio, reporter for ESPN, aka the Worldwide Leader in Sports, theorized that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, aka the best looking guy in sport and hubby of mega model Gisele Bündchen held a press conference yesterday to protect his brand. He reported that Brady was motivated to speak out of a carefully plotted plan to get back to pitching girly UGG Boots.

“Women don’t like cheaters,” said Paolantonio. “What’s the number one demographic that Tom Brady tries to sell Ugg boots to? Women. Guys are not going into the mall [and being like] ‘Let me get a pair of Uggs.’ No, guys don’t go into the mall for a pair of Uggs. Women do. This was clearly motivated because Tom Brady knows that his brand is damaged by this — not only on the football field, but what he sells off the football field.”

Moral of the story. Keep your balls firm when you’re playing the branding game.

Speaking of brand, most celebrity endorsements seem rather obvious — or at least uninteresting and lacking inspiration. In the age of the second screen and on-demand information, when advertising is everywhere we look, it takes a lot more than Michael Jordan hawking his latest line of Nikes to get our attention. Advertising campaigns are at their most fun when we see something (or someone) out-of-the-box. When Wheaties recently put Madeleine Albright on the cover of their box, it prompted us to think of other unexpected brand representatives from recent (and not-so-recent) years.

Madeleine Albright
Wheaties

No, she was never an Olympic medalist or World Series winner, but former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is no less a champion — at least, according to Wheaties, who are attempting to redefine the term by awarding the diplomat the box-cover placement usually reserved for sports figures. And who are we to disagree? The former Representative to the United Nations has as many accomplishments in her field as star athletes have in theirs, making her as worthy of admiration as any Super Bowl MVP.

Joe Namath
Hanes Beautymist

Joe Namath was the ultimate counter-culture athlete at a time when America was questioning its identity. He grew his hair long, wore full-length fur coats on the sidelines, and famously backed up his guarantee of winning Super Bowl III. But he also had a charm and sense of humor that endeared him as a cultural icon, as he proved in this clever 1970s commercial for Hanes Beautymist pantyhose, which tricked many viewers into thinking they were admiring a woman’s legs. Sports have always been saturated with machismo, but only Broadway Joe was cool enough to pull off wearing women’s garments for millions to see.

Ron Burgundy
Dodge Durango

Okay, we’re cheating here, since Ron Burgundy is more of a fictional celebrity. But the real fun was how the Will Ferrell character touted the most basic features of the Dodge Durango, even going as far as appearing on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show to call it “a terrible car.” Proving that there’s no such thing as bad advertising, the ads helped push a 59% sales increase for the Durango. Perhaps more importantly, the 70 clips produced for this campaign provided enough content to tide Ferrell’s fans over until the next Anchorman sequel.

Terry Quattro (Jeff Goldblum)
General Electric

Jeff Goldblum is also merely playing a so-called “famous person” here, but it’s too inventive to overlook. Directed by Tim and Eric, Goldblum’s “Terry Quattro” is only interested in how lighting can serve his vanity. Weird enough to be memorable and funny enough to be quotable, it’s also clever enough to use all these devices to effectively explain the advantages of General Electric’s new technology.

Tom Brady
UGG for Men

Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, and is also lucky enough to have the All-American good looks many advertisers covet. But what makes him an interesting spokesman is how he compares to other athletes that are much more approachable, like fellow MVP quarterback Peyton Manning. While Manning uses his affable personality and charm to endorse everyday products aimed at more mainstream consumers, Brady has been speaking for brands like UGG and Movado. These ads aren’t clever or funny or even relatable — but they establish a vision of class and luxury befitting someone who has led his team to five Super Bowls and married a supermodel.

Penelope Cruz
Nintendo

From Coca-Cola to L’Oreal, Penelope Cruz has done plenty of the kind of advertising you’d expect from a popular Oscar-winning actress — so it was a surprise to see her in ads for a product usually marketed to gamers and kids. Nintendo hired Cruz to appear in commercials for the Nintendo 3DS XL in 2012, in which she loses a bet to her sister over a game of the New Super Mario Bros. 2. Her debt? She had to dress up like the iconic plumber, complete with mustache. In doing so, Cruz delivered a performance that easily beats Bob Hoskins and Captain Lou Albano as the Best Super Mario tribute ever.

The post Soft Balls appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

“Can you whip out the logo for new client today?!”

Are you kidding me? “Whip out a logo?” It’s not as easy as it looks. Every person from the CEO to the janitor gets to weigh in on the new brand identity. It’s simple, right? Think again.

There’s more to whipping out a logo than playing in PhotoShop, slapping a name on a circle and calling it a day. Just because Nike swindled Carolyn Davidson out of her $35 was super efficient in the purchase of their Swoosh Logo in 1971 doesn’t mean they grow on trees (or in college computer labs)**.

Impact is job one of a logo. The subtleties come from special training and a sharp visual eye. Some of this you can learn and some of it, quite frankly, you have to be born with.

“Born with” you ask?

Take a look at some of these logos. They are instantly recognizable. But do you know the real stories behind them? Some of them might surprise you…

BASKIN ROBBINS
We all know and adore Baskin Robbins’ ice cream, founded in 1945 in California by Mr. Baskin and Mrs. Robbins. Their slogan has changed many times over the years, but it often mentions their famous 31 flavors: “31 Flavors of Fun,” “31 Flavors at Their Best,” “Trust 31” and “Celebrate 31,” just to name a few. In the logo, you can also see the number ’31’ in pink in the Baskin Robbins logo, just one of many stories behind famous logos.

APPLE
The Apple logo is well-known worldwide, but did you know that it was created because Steve Jobs had just come back from an apple farm after starting a fruitarian diet? The Apple logo was first rainbow-colored to show that Apple products could create color graphics. The bite was taken out of the apple because Steve Jobs was worried that people would think it was a cherry!

NIKE
The logo for Nike, otherwise known as the ‘swoosh,’ was created by a lady called **Carolyn Davidson in 1971, after she was chosen while working on a graphic design assignment at school. She wasn’t initially happy with the design, stating, “I don’t love it, but it will grow on me.” She was paid $35 for the design, which is crazy considering what it would be worth today!

STARBUCKS
If you look at the original design of the Starbucks logo, you might be shocked – it’s a shirtless mermaid with two tails sitting in a surprisingly sexual way! It is thought that the mermaid is one from Greek mythology. This mermaid design was often criticized due to its sexual nature, so it was adapted and changed to what it is today.

CHUPA CHUPS
The logo for the famous lollipop brand, Chupa Chups, was designed by the wacky painter known for his melting clocks, Salvador Dali, in 1969. The colous for the design were taken from the Spanish flag, because the name ‘Chupa Chups’ comes from the Spanish word chapur, meaning ‘to suck.’ The logo was designed in an hour while Dali sat in a cafe with a friend.

MERCEDES BENZ
Essentially, the Mercedes Benz logo was designed to tell everyone how wonderful they are! The three points on the logo are meant to represent three elements – water, air and earth – and Mercedes Benz’s dominance over all three (due to their boats, airplanes and cars). Modest!

It’s easy to see these logos every day of your life, but be so unaware of how they came to be! There are so many interesting stories behind all kinds of famous logos, it’s definitely worth checking them out. Did you know any of these? Which other logo origins do you know of?

PEPSI
The colors in the Pepsi logo are meant to represent the colors on the American flag, showing the company’s patriotism and pride. That’s not the end of it, however – apparently the Pepsi logo represents feng shui, the Pythagorean theorem, Einstein’s theories, the Earth’s magnetic field and so much more. How? Your guess is as good as mine.

The post Logos: Inside the Creative Lab appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

The allure is there. The commercialization of sports. The money grab. The spontaneous dismissal of
tradition.

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