More on Brands

The Queer Ideas blog has put up something very interesting on brands.
It seems in trying to distinguish various development charities,

I think that to many people they will be much the same, and yet, they unlocked the hidden info on what makes a brand, with their Land Rover focus group.

Remember, your brand is what everyone else says you are....

As an aside, isn't it interesting that they used Land Rover?

Because when it comes to 4x4 branding, as we all know (fill in the blanks!)

the Toyota Hi-Lux is favoured by.....

and the Nissan Patrols by.....

Annual Update

An Annual blog is not really a blog, and I don't know how often I'll be updating this, but something has annoyed me, and this is the place to put it.

Intelligent Giving and I cross swords regularly. I remember when there was no IG, just the blog of how they were setting it up, and we crossed swords then too. Some things we agree on, but on many we don't.

Their latest grumble, is that Oxfam has confused them.

"Oxfam’s latest marketing push has left me feeling confused. Because the charity is making the rather startling claim that it has the answer to all the world’s problems."

Oxfam have been putting beer mats into pubs bearing the message "Utopia. Under construction.", followed by their web address.

This seems to be proof of their evil-ness, as it's 'overblown' and 'obviously untrue'.

Now Oxfam do some great work, they also have, like any charity, their own problems, but IG generally like them, giving them a high 89% rating.

Here's the thing, IG have their knickers in a twist over the campaign, blaming the marketing department AND PR department (although they're probably separate - I'm constantly surprised by the confusion many people have between marketing, advertising and PR) for not talking to the aid workers.

So what annoyed me so much about that? Apart from the immense negativity?
Well, at first, it seemed that this ad wasn't even devised by Oxfam's marketing department, in fact it appeared at first glance that this ad had been made by Paul Cook from Nottingham. An Oxfam supporter, and probably donor.

In fact, Sarah from Oxfam tells me that this in fact WAS done by their marketing department. Which initially took the wind out of my sails somewhat. If a supporter said that what Oxfam was doing was building Utopia, that would be a very powerful message indeed.

Sadly it's not. It is in fact devised by 'cunning marketeers', 'plying their evil trade'. So far... But these are examples, jumping off points for supporters to become swimmers in the sea of inspiration. Future ads WILL be the words of supporters, the words of donors. And that's crucially important.

We'll find out what Oxfam's SUPPORTERS believe that Oxfam are doing.

Yes, they're fighting a cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe, yes they're trying to get humanitarian aid into Israel, and yes they're fighting climate change, injustice and a whole heap of other things. But if they acheive this, will their supporters think we'll all be closer to Utopia?

Or will it turn out to be something completely different?

Another word that too many people misunderstand is 'brand'. You may think you know what your brand is, you may think your brand is your 'logo', 'corporate colours', 'font' and key messages'.

It's not.

In fact, your brand is not what you tell people you are, but what other people think you are. Brands that get it right, are the ones where the supporters, the followers, the consumers think the same thing about you that you do. I'd probably point to Apple here. Perhaps Aston Martin. Coca Cola maybe.

Ask a lot of charities what their brand is, and then ask their donors, and you'll get answers so far apart they'd make the most determined of marketing teams weep. Oxfam have taken the daring step to ask 'what do we stand for?'. And to ask the right people.

This is a beer mat in a pub, it's the kind of thing that might spark conversation, (depending on the pub), might catch attention, and might make Oxfam stick on someone's head long enough for them to make a donation. Who wouldn't want to be part of building Utopia?

> So, what you guys doing?
< Building Utopia, wanna help?
> Nah, I don't want anyone to live in Utopia.

It will spark debate (it already has), and it will hopefully engage their supporters, and get them to illustrate the real brand.

As for Utopia. Yes charities need to do good, and do good well, but should we criticise them for aiming high?

Finally, as a new President tells a watching world that we must together face the real serious challenges before us, I'll turn to an old president for words.

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.