So you want to be a brand manager?

So I have been working on some networking documentation... social networking that is. In some other blogs around the GG site I made mention that I would like to write up a post on how to use social networking in order to get your ideas around the industry... How ever I got side tracked with this other book I finished up. I had to turn in this report to a mentor, and now that I am done with it I thought the GG community could also benefit:

Here goes

Brand Warfare

Rule 1: Its the Brand Stupid


Brand Arrogance (what and how big business thought)
Remember that the brand is only big because the consumer allows it to be
You still have to cater to your consumer no matter how large you or your brand gets
Pushing a lesser quality product simply because the brand is large and the customer will buy
Double Jeopardy: Customers bought from the top brand and loyal customers bought more and more often from the top brand

The Consumer Revolution

Consumers Attitude Change
Several events from the 70s - 90s have change the way consumers look at corporate America. From things like Water Gate to Exxon Valdez have taught consumers that large corporations cant be trusted

Cost of Starting a business has decreased
Technology has made it much easier to start a business
Advertising mediums have increase and cost have decreased

Unlimited Access to Information
Companies are no longer able to use the Mushroom Theory ( feed them horse manure and keep them in the dark)
The old economy was a product push and now the consumer with all of its knowledge is now in control
Consumers can spend 30 minutes on the net and get any and all information on a brand and product so that anyone can be a walking consumer reports

When Consumer Rules, Arrogance Kills
Consumers are now unmanageable because they have so many choices
Strong Brands are more enjoyable to buy so they will buy the brand they enjoy the most


Rule 2: Codependency can be a beautiful thing: Consumers need good Brands as much as Good brands need them

Good Brands do 3 things for consumers
Save Time
There is no need to look through out the entire catalogue. Because they believe they know the best one already which is to them the best brand.

Project the right message
They project the right message to the person judging you. No one will get upset from you dealing with the best brand.

Provide an Identity
Give the buyer and identity and makes them feel secure. And they also feel apart of a community of like minded consumers.





Brand Tribes to Brand Cults
People in a community will band together into tribes associating with other like minded people and then once comfortable, the consumer will no longer accept anything other than that particular brand. Making them feel the only way to get that satisfaction is by that particular item from that particular brand.

Rule 3: A Great Brand Message is Like a Bucking Bronco - Once your on don't let go!

Establishing a New Brand in the Internet Age
In the new age of the second Internet boom is using old advertising methods as TV and Magazines. We can no longer use the word of mouth as much simply because the novelty has worn off the Internet. New companies require new methods with old media.

Brand builders of the late 90s and early 2000 used obscurity as there tool with TV. By hardly mentioning that item which they were selling. They mostly took a page out of the 1984 Apple Advertisement where the girl free the slaves by throwing the sledge hammer through the big screen. The ad was only run once and the product was never mention.

Engineers are running the companies now and they don't know how to move people in a passionate way.

Advertising agencies are spineless and will do anything for their clients as long as they get paid.

There was a certain legitimacy to the shyness of the product to help change with the current society.

Its not the Idea that rules its the Execution

Bad Execution
There was a company who had spent millions trying to enter a new market in Japan. If the company had of recheck their work they would have know before they started that when they translated there name Control Data it roughly meant "We give Gonorrhea."

Good Execution ( a brand message has to speak to its consumers)
Etrade uses a message that basically said if you use Etrade you can screw the old economy. They never really focused on their product features, instead they made light of the people who have tried to get rich. They ran ads showing people playing the lotto, catering to a elderly sugar momma and so forth and so on. Etrade was smart in that it positioned itself as a way to fight back against the old ways of making money. The overall brand message was to get revenge on every financial advisory that has done you wrong.




A strong brand message requires 2 kinds of knowledge and one kind of discipline

Self Knowledge
Self Awareness

Discipline - Find what you want to say and then stick to it.

Keeping the message relevant

Brands can't stand still. It has to retain what it has done through out its history and yet change with the times to stay in the minds of todays consumers.


Keep the message consistent

Boredom - When someone is bored with the brand and wants to make a finger print of his on, on the brand.

Desire for Growth - When the company wants to expand there brand they sometimes select a market that has nothing to do anything with the brand. Which in turn can damage the brand

Rule 4: If you want great advertising be prepared to fight for it.

Consumers are almost immune to most advertising. Only the most distinctive ad gets through.

Beware of flatterers: Advertising agencies basically will tell you anything you want to hear as long as you keep paying them. Develop an open honest relationship with advertising agency/department.

Clients maybe doing sucking up of there own: Dock suck up to different people in the organization by catering to a VP wish as a advertising scheme.


The Client makes a big idea small: Let the creative people do their job. Don't allow lawyers and Vice Presidents butt in with how they would do it. As they are not the creative person. As a brand manager this is your job to protect these people.

Be memorable: Keep the advertising real so that consumers can relate with it.


Don't change advertising because you are board with it: Remember the previous rule where you don't allow others to put their mark on it. Don't change it until your audience tells you are you are no longer unique. Keeping a consumer engaged in your advertisement is the best to stick with.

Rule 5: When it comes to sponsorship there is a sucker born every 30 seconds.

Sponsoring: Sponsoring can help you get the halo effect. This is achieved by exchanging the emotion from the brand and the event or person you are sponsoring. Thus getting the same emotion from the consumer when they see your logo as they do when they see the event or person you are sponsoring. The other effect is the HORN effect. This comes up when person/event does something negative and then of course your consumers will look at you the same way... negative.

Clutter: There is a lot of sponsorship in every market. This can be a challenge to any business that is trying to come out and make a name for itself.

Get in for the right reason: Make sure your sponsor something for the right reasons. If your client wants you to try and help them sponsor something that is not going to help them let them know. Don't sponsor something for the wrong reason.

Understand the Players
Event Organizer: They are usually forced to need you. They just want the money and don't really want you to show up. Understanding this can help when negotiating how things are run upfront. You are the holder of the cash define what you want before you go in.

Television Network: Thanks to advent of so many channel the major networks market share is dwindling. The network need money even more and more. They will find many different categories of advertisements and sponsoring. And they will gladly offer a slot to your competitor.

Athlete/Star: They are very unpredictable. Tying yourself to one person is extremely risky and can go outstandingly well. They also as well can make things go very very bad. Even the athlete's entourage can cause you problems that they themselves may have caused.

You: As person who is trying buy his way in to sponsoring an event. Many people maybe out to take advantage of you. Many times the other three players will work together to get as much of your money as possible. Event Organizers often use the Athletes/stars like bargining chips. The networks will then milk you dry promising more exposure to the lens IF you do this or IF you do that. Make sure you get to know all the others as well as you can before getting in to swim.









Rule 6: Don't confuse sponsorship with a spectator sport

Choose your Sponsoring Opprotunity Carefuly
With major events having strikes and game cancelations you will need to do some heavy research in event.

It takes hardwork to win over a jaded audience
You will need to work hard to get associated with all the good things that the sport or event is known for. That way when they think of you they think of the sport and vice versa.

Make sure your sponsorship speaks to your brand
Wal-Mart sponsors bass fishing makes sense and speaks to each other due to the folksy nature of Wal-Mart customers and the rural locations. On the other hand when Time Warner thought of the Cartoon Network Sponsored Nascar was not a pair nor would they send the same kind of message. What is child going to do when they see there favorite driver of the Cartoon network with scooby doo and the powerpuff girls in a flaming wreck where he dies a violent death?

Be prepared to get the data that supports your efforts
There are some companies out there that have no way of measuring there succes in there advertisement or sponsorship. Make sure you have someway to measure as this will help you spend your money carefuly and correctly.


Rule 7: Don't allow scandal to destroy in 30 days what took 100 years to build

The two most certain things in business is competition and scandal
Be prepared to handle scandal before it happens. And when it does handle it with great effort and care to your customer.

Brand is Destiny
Having customer think well of your company before you ever NEED them to. This will help reduce damage to your brand image when you do need it in the middle of a big scandle.

Do not allow your enemies to define you.
You only have 3 ways you can define yourself. By being better, cheaper, or you can attack. Choosing one and sticking to it will help not allow your competitors to define you. If your competitors make negative claims against you, don't ignore it. When this happens they have the upper hand in define what kind of company you are.

King of the Mountain
When you are one of the biggest brands out there you will draw attention especially negative attention. Why, because its fun to whatch the giant fall. The popularaity that made you a big brand will act as a lighting rod for scandal.
Do not Stall Don't not allow the lawyers to stall
Just because the claim is crazy don't ignore it. It's craziness alone will make people believe. Jump on anything that can damage your brand as if you don't you will instantly be label the big bad corporate company that has done X. Even if it is not true customer wont know until you tell them. Your competitors will jump on your spot as soon as you fall.

Rule 8: Make your distributors slaves to your brand

The Internet and the liberated consumer
With everything on the internet a consumer can get anything they want and they can get it almost instantly. The customer no longer has to go to a store to get your goods. This has changed the face of market today understanding the internet market is paramount to any business.

Death of the salesman
Customers are now smart enough to research an item on the internet before they go to an actual store. Now that the customer can get the price at which the manufacture paid to create the product kills the ability of salesman to haggle the price. They can also find out all negative information on your product with your salesman there to deny or inform them.

Smart Brands do not frustrate their customers
Being available to your customers when they need you. In the beginning you may think a single chanel is the best way to get the product to your customer. Understanding your customers may make you choose to add additional channels so that you can be more available. Customers need to be able to get to you how ever THEY want to reach you.

Beat your distributors into submission by creating demand for your product
A strong brand is the only way to tip the scale back in your favor when dealing with distributors. Since the distributors will be move willing to carry your brand. Thus giving you the abillity to give less of a cut. Also having the stronger brand will make unwilling distributors now willing to take your products.

Branding campaings will work on your distributors in 2 ways
1.Customers will walk into a store and ask why don't you carry X this will send distributors into a panic to get your product.
2.A strong brand has the same exact effect on distributors as it does consumers








Rule 9: Use your brand to lead your people to the promised land

People want to work for a good brand
People will want to work for your brand if its a leader in a industry. When your company is on top people will look at your company want to be apart of your brand. Also they would like to have your brand on there resume.

A strong brand can make a decision easier
When you are dealing with new products or new challenges in your business you can ask yourself a simple questions. Will this benefit my brand? Will this new product fall in line with the current brand messaging? Does it build my brand in weaker areas? When you have a great brand you will do what you need in order to keep the brand alive. Even if you have an employee who has been with the company for many years starts acting inappropriatly which could effect the brand, you will quickly choose to get rid of him.

A strong brand will inspire the inside people
With a great brand you can convience your people that they can do things that they believe they can't. They will also believe in the impossible and do what you ask even if it is not possible. When you have people believing in the brand strongly they will live and breath that brand so much so that when a customer contacts any employee they will get the best server.. why because they are brand X. These types of exployees will be greatful that they even worked at that company.

Rule 10: The brand is the CEO responsibility as well as everyone else to!

CEO and the Brand
The CEO's main responsibility is the brand. When ever there is an issue with it the BUCK STOPS THERE! A lot of CEOs today don't focus on brand as much as they should. Even though the CEO is responsible for everything from financial to quality assurance they often neglect the brand.

Convence your employees to worry about the brand
If your employees are concern with the wellfare of the brand they will make the best choices for the company. Man scandals could have been stopped internally if a employee had of either raised a red flag or sent the information to the correct person to get the issue corrected.

Keep the brand front and center on everything you do
When you are face with wall street, the public, and private investors make sure you keep the brand up front when making choices. Also when you are expanding your business make sure that when you acquire other brands they to must agree with your current brand. Have the brand at the front of your choices will help you steer clear of bad choices that could damage. Be honest with yourself, if you merge with a better brand then take on the better brand's name.


Do not forget what the brand means
Never loose site of what the brand means to you and to the custumer. Don't move outside your brand. Do what your brand does best. If its building and selling computers then do that and everything in that industry. Don't try and move into Christmas tree sales as your company will be distracted by things are not helping the brand.

A healthy respect of the brand is contageous
When the CEO does keep the brand in mind and then involves the rest of the company is doing the same you will notice that everything that is discuss to this point will fall in place. The key here is to do this. Sale your brand to the internal customer as hard as your do to the external. Once the internal customer buys into what the brand is then what you will have on your hand is a company full of brand managers all looking to do the same thing. Build the brand stronger. This is a very formidable force that any competitor will fear.

Good beef vs Bad
Just remember when you put your brand stamp on something ask is if it is good or bad? Just ask yourself is this good for the brand or bad for it? Keep that one question in mind and you will be looking to protect your brand as much as possible.