The BrandForward Blog

You watch Ghost Whisperer, right? How could you not. It’s a great show. Jennifer Love Hewitt is adorable and entertaining to watch, and every episode is a new mystery that centers on communication with spirits in the afterlife. Well that and her cleavage. So yeah. Each week the show’s protagonist, Melinda Gordon, is faced with a supernatural challenge. Such as there’s a ghost randomly attacking people in the town square. A woman sees her deceased husband at the most inopportune times. People hear stuff. Things go missing.

Oh and there’s a roiling pit of hell directly underneath Melinda’s charming suburban antique shop.

Of course, all of these situations culminate in Melinda cheerfully solving a ghostly problem and helping a lost soul cross over into the light. In case it’s not obvious, Melinda has a special gift. She’s usually the only one who can actually see these ghosts and communicate with them. Without her clairvoyance, they’re destined to roam the Earth. Serving as imaginary friends and subject material for episodes of Ghost Hunters.

The whole reason I even bring up Ghost Whisperer is because of an impromptu conversation I had with a wise and intuitive family member while I was in Houston a few months ago. “Dee” was interested in hearing about my latest projects and clients, and the discussion evolved into my marketing philosophies and the branding process they eventually dovetailed into (with a huge thanks to @meredithroach a friend and former colleague who had formerly worked on the Southwest Airlines account at GSD&M, and gave me vital guidance and clarity at just the right time!).

Well thanks to my afternoon with Dee, my eyes were opened to a really interesting concept relating to the part of my work I’m most passionate about, brand positioning, and why I’ve always been drawn to “counseling” companies with unresolved issues.

I know, I know. Brand Positioning. It sounds so traditional, so corporate. But I don’t see it that way.

When approached in the right spirit (no pun, seriously!) brand positioning provides an opportunity to discern the soul and the essence of a brand or a company. It allows the facilitator to absorb a lot of information. To experience the company as an energy, as opposed to an inanimate construct. To really get down to the core, to “feel” who the company is, why it exists, and what’s truly driving its existence. Going through a brand positioning workshop is a little like Melinda listening to the concerns of the ghost, understanding the issues of the living friend or relative, and coming up with the reason the ghost hasn’t crossed over, and what they’ll have to do to reconcile and reach the pearly gates.

Dee wanted to call it “spiritual business.” And I kind of liked that. It had a nice ring.

But I watch a lot of Ghost Whisperer.

So one day while Melinda was rescuing a repenting politician and releasing his angry attachment, it came to me:

“Every company and every brand needs a Brand Whisperer!”

So many companies have issues that plague them. I’ve worked with clients with painful personnel problems, clients with conflicting management views and opposing goals, still others bound by politics that were strangling the life out of the organization. Looking back, I’m starting to have some empathy for Melinda when she was bombarded with entities!

As the Brand Whisperer you have to absorb all of the facts and energies, you have to see things from all angles. You have to breathe in and let the company speak to you. You have to be a conduit. You have to move beyond the questionnaires and the checklists and the assumptions to reach the core truth… the foundation of what the brand or company embodies.

And determine the actions it needs to take in order to move forward into renewed purpose, increased growth, and internal harmony.

Every organization and every brand has the answers deep within. The ones that aren’t at their optimal growth and energy have just lost their way, lost touch with the original vision and passion that inspired the organization’s birth to begin with. Or sometimes they opened a new company, started providing a service, and never defined their true offering… and then couldn’t understand why sales became flat or new customers weren’t knocking down the door.

To get on track, it’s just a matter of rediscovering the core, getting the entire company in alignment, and developing an action plan for growth that’s consistent with the company’s soul.

This sort of “spiritual branding” is a deeply moving experience for everyone involved. I always tell clients before beginning a session to bring the Kleenex and be prepared for catharsis. Owning or managing a company that’s having problems with stability, profitability, internal issues, or brand identity can be draining. Many times that’s the reason a client agrees to go through the process. They want to grow, they want to resolve their operational problems, they want to maximize the impact of a tight marketing budget, they want to know why things are happening and how the company can move beyond current obstacles.

They want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Discovering a company’s core value unlocks a Rosetta Stone that can be leveraged across the company to heal, define, and inspire. When everyone in the company finally understands what they’re working toward and why they wake up every morning, it’s a powerful motivator and one of the most holistic, organic ways to grow a business from the inside out. While also increasing everyone’s level of cooperation and personal satisfaction.

Yes, let’s not get distracted here. Everyone certainly does wake up and go to work primarily for company revenue and personal financial gain. But without the spiritual component, taking into account that staff and employees need a sense of deep value in their work and that consumers need to feel good about who they do business with, there’s going to be a lack of positive feelings to propel the company forward.

Never forget that a company consists of the combined energy of the people working in it and the customers who interact with it. Without positive vibrations from within the company and from the hearts of consumers, the magic of energetic momentum will not exist. If you’re wondering if that’s esoteric chatter or a real concept, talk to the masters of brand energy, Apple and Southwest Airlines. They haven’t done too shabby with it.

To think of it in Ghost Whisperer terms: To achieve healthy and holistic growth, companies need to make sure they’re on the right “spiritual” path, connected with their core “energy,” and in touch with their “divine” purpose.

Any more spiritual puns or references I missed? ;)

I have to thank Dee for giving me a gift that day while sitting on her couch: she helped me see that brand positioning isn’t some technical, robotic process that can be methodically performed. Someone can’t just assemble checklists and questionnaires and duplicate the experience. Just because someone knows what a core value is doesn’t mean they’ll uncover the right one. It’s a spiritual process, an enlightenment, that combines both business and spiritual aptitudes. A subtle communication between the Whisperer and the brand that leads to a deep understanding. And it can also be leveraged on an individual level by helping people find the core value of their own personal brands!

For companies, this understanding is the foundation for a marketing program that weaves the core value into every aspect of the operation. It answers questions, helps guide management into making values-based decisions, and serves as a guiding light for the entire organization. Releasing old ghosts and breathing new life.

Why does cores values branding or “spiritual branding” even matter?

Because consumers today are more educated, more savvy, have access to more options, AND THEY HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS.

If a company isn’t consistent, honest, connective, and emotionally relevant to the consumer, they’ll move on to do business with another company. Consumers are drawn to what’s real and genuine. If a company isn’t living its core value, if it doesn’t offer an experience that “feels right,” consumers smell a fraud or don’t make a connection. They may not detect the reason on a tangible level, but their subtle discomfort causes them to look for other options. That’s why uncovering a company’s core value and leveraging and living it consistently will draw consumers into the brand community. They subconsciously crave being a part of experiences (and brands) that are aligned, balanced, and represent something higher.

And most importantly, when you begin to subtly and consistently integrate the core value into your marketing and operations, the energy of the company begins to shine. Your customers have a renewed sense of why they do business with you, and new customers feel an energetic pull toward you.

Customers are always drawn into the light.

Can you tell when a company has had the benefit of a Brand Whisperer? Some of the greatest brands have evidence of a Brand Whisperer at work. Beyond Apple and Southwest, think about Nissan’s “Shift.” Or Nike’s Just “Do” It. How about when you’re at Target you can Expect “More.” And what about Visa’s “Go” or HP’s “Invent.” Each of these companies discovered who they are at the core, why they exist, what value they provide beyond the tangible. And they’re leveraging that truth to build powerful brands.

Can you see the work of a Brand Whisperer in your favorite brands? Which companies have an undefinable positive energy? Which ones speak to you?

And is your company ready for its own Brand Whisperer?

I recently ran across this gem on the tweet circuit. It’s been around for awhile. A little like the mythic chupacabra that disappears for awhile and then mysteriously resurfaces. If you haven’t watched it yet, pretty much stop everything and spend an eye-opening five minutes. The economic momentum of the last century has dissipated. We’re no longer cruising along on a strong dollar and untamed consumerism. What’s happening with the U.S. economy is a result of living in exponential times.

We are living in exponential times. It’s not a Great Depression. It’s a Great Balancing. Some might say Reckoning.

Betcha won’t hear Obama calling it that.

So, the video tells us what’s been happening, but not what it means. We all watched it and scratched our heads. We said “whoaaaa” and forwarded the clip to a handful of friends. Maybe added a link in Facebook. Tweeted it. Blogged it. And then we went back to our skinny lattes and bootcamps. We continued daydreaming about buying that new Prius or iPod or running down to Abercrombie, as if the world wasn’t in a tumultuous spin cycle right outside our window.

Our world is changing. Beyond the obvious. Beyond the Obama. Beyond the recession and drama in the Middle East. Beyond cars that look like insects and phones that measure contractions and 10 year-olds that that know brands better than college professors.

Things are really, truly different. Case in point? The push for national healthcare isn’t simply a humanitarian benevolence. We’re embarking on the end of American culture as we’ve known it. And government leaders are just trying to get the nation prepared for what comes next. A flat, globalized world. They’re looking ahead of the curve to a higher jobless rate and more Americans without private health insurance. They’re trying to find ways to legalize illegal immigration and open the borders to free trade because the dam is too weak to hold back the impending tidal wave. They’re trying to get a very independent nation prepared for interdependence. This is the unspoken message of the Did You Know video. This is what it means to live in exponential times.

In a flat world, what will be will be. You can push back, but only for so long.

Think about it this way. Major companies increasingly can’t stay profitable if they don’t cut even more U.S. jobs and make a more drastic move to cheap (yet competent) labor in developing countries. A flat world enables this to happen. And we’re not just talking about jobs assembling packages of crayons. Think high-tech and skilled trades: According to the video, India alone has more honor graduates than the U.S. has graduates. And their standard of living is well below the U.S.

Got any idea what that means?

These are the exponential consequences of exponential times. Something the Did You Know video didn’t explain.

Okay so, we’re living in a world that’s equalizing. What are we supposed to do?

Thriving in a flat world is all about creating value on an individual basis, and expanding that value as far and wide as possible. In the past, the Renaissance Man was revered. In the Exponential Age, it will be the Exponential Man (or Woman) that has success. The Exponential Human. Someone creating value individually with a broad impact. Someone taking small actions with big results. Think of today’s independent iPhone developer. There’s the potential for exponential value. Because of technology, it no longer requires a corporation to launch great ideas or ubiquitous innovations. The same with journalists and inventors and educators. Silos and vertical structures are out.

All it takes is one human, thinking exponentially.

A life of value in the future will be defined differently and will require a new set of skills. It’s time to start thinking and acting exponentially. Forget the career paths and cafeteria plans and corporate training wheels. A flat world is a different playing field. And we all need to be different players.

Here’s a list of the 6 Essential Skills for Exponential Times. At first, it might look like the expectations for business leaders and entrepreneurs. Exactly. In an exponential world, being entrepreneurial will be a most basic skill, and pretty much a requirement for a meaningful existence.

Skill #1: Rule-Breaking
Rules are great. For dictators, production foremen, and lunch ladies. In a flat world, living outside convention will position you for seizing opportunities. Rule breakers will be ready to consider possibilities that others are told “don’t make sense” or “aren’t the way things are done around here.” Rule breakers will separate from the pack and be comfortable without the security of rules and boundaries. They’ll live on the edge, but they’ll be the ones getting recognized, getting the perks, and getting the life they choose. In exponential times, rule breakers will rule.

Skill #2: Entrepreneurial
Seeking out new opportunities and new ways of connecting and creating will be the calling card of the Exponential Human. This doesn’t necessarily mean creating new businesses, but it definitely means carving out personal opportunities. And finding them even when there isn’t an available mentor or an established path. In the Exponential Age, the entrepreneurial thinkers and relentless doers will get the cookies.

Skill #3: Self-Educating
During the 20th century, education was developed for the masses. Pink Floyd nailed it with “Another Brick in the Wall.” Innovation and free-thinking were not encouraged. Because it wasn’t convenient. Thinking outside the box was reserved for someone else. Not you. The reason? For most of the century coming out of World War II, the U.S. was in the midst of an Industrial Age. An industrial-focused nation thrives on production and consumption. And you sitting back doing what you’re told. No meat, no pudding.

But really think about it. According to the Did You Know video, the things that today’s student learns in their freshmen year of college will be obsolete by their third year. This means the next generation must be more proactive than ever in learning independently and not relying on structured programs. In a flat world, the people who will thrive and live personally exponential lives will be the ones who don’t sit back and wait to be taught. They’ll be the ones searching for information and charting their own educational course. They’ll follow the information. And create a curriculum that works for the emerging world. An individualized world. Self-learners will have an incredible advantage during exponential times.

Skill #4: Bonding
It’s not enough to network. It’s not enough to connect. In a flat world, strength and success will come to people and companies who bond with the people around them. Those bonds can be through adding value to people’s lives through technology, information, guidance, validation, or friendship. Social media is just the infant phase of what will come. Once everyone racks up 20,000 Facebook friends and a half million Twitter followers, there’ll be a backlash. Connections won’t have value, but bonding with them will. Think of it as a spider web. Do you want yours made out of silly string or super glue?

Watch over time as those with less influence and less interest in bonding grow their numbers, while the authentic exponential thinkers decrease their numbers. When anyone can have thousands of followers, a lower number of connections will become the new status symbol. In exponential times, expanding your reach widely does have value, but not if it’s half an inch deep. Bonding will be a matter of how much value you can provide to the people you’ve promised it to. And the exponential part comes when those you’ve bonded with spread your product, your message, your value. For companies, bonding will be key to branding. Which is why when social media is done right, it packs such a punch.

Skill #5: Revolutionary
I love Intel’s Rock Star campaign. It really speaks to the idea of revolutionaries having personal power. The revolutionaries in exponential times will be the ones inventing and creating. Brains that thrive on change, innovation and invention, high information uptake, and leveraging technologies are geared for the future. Revolutionaries are at the forefront, creating the future. It might be in seemingly small ways like transforming the structure of a microchip or creating a Facebook or iPhone app. But the exponential thinker realizes that small ideas can create big revolutions.

Skill #6: Visionary
In exponential times, the most important thing to remember is that everything is changing faster than ever. And from even minor changes come a butterfly effect. Having the skill of vision allows you to imagine what’s possible, imagine what’s next, and predict the needs and values of tomorrow. Looking in all directions from the center of the pond. So you can be developing ideas and solutions, and preparing to meet future needs today. Because there will be a new need tomorrow. And visionary thinkers will be ready for that, too.

The best way to predict the future is to create it. In exponential times it’s even more important to be ahead of the curve if you want to have control of your life, your ideas, and your potential. When the future happened yesterday, having essential skills puts you in the middle of where the action will be tomorrow. And positions you for living, and thriving, in exponential times.

Can you think of additional skills for becoming an Exponential Human in the Exponential Age?

*This video was originally designed in 2006 as a Powerpoint for a faculty presentation at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado to emphasize the importance of education. In its various versions it’s now been seen by at least 15 million people. The video is credited to Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman.

Yelp’s had some publicity lately, and not a lot of it good.

Let’s forget the “holy crap” moment this week when a judge ruled that Yelpers can be sued for libel. And let’s move on to something a little less disturbing. If only slightly.

I just finished reading an article from NPR’s On the Media http://tr.im/otmy that was basically an interview with a San Francisco restauranteur who got upset about some bad Yelp reviews and “confronted” the issue by turning the offending Yelps into T-shirts. “This place sucks” and stuff like that.

Clever idea but it seems the opportunity to improve and connect with some very important customers was lost. By taking a complaint and essentially turning it into a joke, the restaurant owner made a statement. A big one. Basically that he doesn’t take his customers seriously. And if you’re particularly demanding (or just expect things to be right), instead of being respected as a paying customer you’re going to get called out and put in your place.

Business-to-consumer companies are admittedly having it a little rough right now. In the past, a company that didn’t make customer service a top priority or provided an inferior product or service had total impunity. The customer could walk away upset and the company didn’t have to care. Now with Yelp, companies are all of the sudden being forced by the customer to do the right thing. And a lot of companies aren’t exactly prepared for that.

To prevent bad reviews, companies now have to hire better people, have a more positive management style, and produce a better product. They also have to get serious about their total offering and be prepared to satisfy every customer. Like as in ALL of them.

So back to the whole Yelp factor. Yeah, I know there’s always going to be “that” customer who thinks it’s funny to give one star and say they saw a rat run across the table. But I went to the Yelp page for the restaurant in question http://tr.im/delfina and the bad reviews were pretty reasonable. They were completely believable, criticizing mostly product quality, atmosphere, and employee behavior. No vicious rats, no people lying in the streets convulsing from food poisoning, no swill dripping from the rafters. Everything was pretty straight-forward.

But instead of looking at these Yelps as an opportunity to see things from a different perspective, the owner of the restaurant looked at it as a way to show he’s more clever than his customers and that he doesn’t take negative reviews seriously. Even if he’s privately using Yelp to improve in small ways here and there, the T-shirts (while a successful media grab) are a total brand fail whale.

News Flash: Demanding customers are the ones that can be evangelized.

You think people don’t realize when they’re being demanding? You think they don’t know they expect a lot? They do. But that doesn’t soften the blow when they realize you don’t care to please them. They take it personally. They think you’re doing a bad job because you don’t care about them. They think you want to take the lazy way. Tip the scale in your favor at their expense. These customers don’t suffer the mediocre, and they’re not about to let you get away with giving them the bum’s rush. They want justice. And with Yelp they’re going to get it. Let’s count the number of times Best Buy has recently found itself on page one of Digg. Companies that fail to meet “demanding” customer expectations are in a bad place to be.

But the flip side is that if a company does meet their needs, they’re going to tell the world. Cue the fireworks. They appreciate when a company can meet their expectations because it doesn’t happen very often. This means they’re going to love you. A lot. These are the customers that will Yelp your establishment in rainbow colors, and confront other Yelpers if they criticize you unjustly.

Still annoyed by those demanding customers?

Yelp is a gift. For brands and companies that honestly want to do the right thing, and value customers as unique individuals who don’t want to be herded like King Ranch cattle to the cash register, Yelp is an amazing social media tool that can be leveraged to cultivate and celebrate brand evangelists.

For the companies that don’t want to bother, there’s always the T-shirt business.