February 2004

The language of branding

I've been writing about the deadening effect of much of the language of branding.

"Folks talk about marketing as if it is this mass of matrices, "value propositions", and descriptions of "brand architecture". These things may be ways of describing brands but I don't think they capture at all authentically how real brands actually come into being, which is always a far more chaotic or complex process with false starts, blunders, arguments, misunderstandings etc. And the excessive use of such approaches blinds us to the REAL world we're actually dealing with."

It's little wonder that conventional branding frequently fails to engage either employees or customers.

It's theme well articulated by David Weinberger:

"The military mentality that pervades marketing and customer service is a result of business's ubiquitous fear. Just as studies show that people are more afraid of public speaking than of dying, organizations are more afraid of being exposed than of failing. They fear that the market will see that their business doesn't run like a clock designed by God; they're composed of fallible human beings. What a shock! "

You can read more of Weinberger here.

You can read more on this here, here and here

Speaking etc

I'll be taking part in Chautauqua from February 15th to 29th. This is an online debating forum which is featuring the book Beyond Branding this month. Join us for a lively conversation.

Later this month I'll be speaking on Trust and Brands at the Conference on Communication in the Age of Suspicion at Bournemouth University.

I hosted an evening meeting of people interested in the value of authenticity in organisations in January, which was very successful - we're meeting again in Islington in March - let me know if you'd like to come.

I'm also planning to start a drop-in group in London for people using Improv to change organisational culture - email me for more information.

Beyond Branding launches in Amsterdam and London

The book was launched in Amsterdam in January and we're repeating the event here in London on March 18th, in conjunction with Fast Company of Friends.

Facilitation

I've been doing more facilitation work recently, including the meeting of the Medinge Group in Amsterdam and a project with a leadership development organisation. In a couple of days I'm using Improv tools to support management development for an international hotel group.

If you're wondering how to create more engagement among people you work with, give me a call!