Blackwell on Branding
It can be argued that the most important piece of knowledge Roger Blackwell had to share with us was what he had for breakfast this morning (this would be particularly helpful for those of us who took advantage of the open bars last night). For someone to display such energy and enthusiasm before noon is nothing short of exhausting to the rest of us. I suppose being a professor lends itself to certain presentation styles, though, and while he didn’t need jokes to keep our attention, they were a refreshing change of pace.
Dr. Blackwell’s presentation was an overview of his new book, liberally peppered with references to a few he’s written in years past. He defined a brand as “a product, store, or service with an identifiable set of benefits, wrapped in a recognizable personality.” A brand consists of both functional and emotional elements. The creation and sustenance of great brands relies on a few key findings that he managed to tie back to rock ‘n roll (his new book is called Brands that Rock):
- emotional connections create fans/brand champions/evangelists/what have you
- great brands continually evolve so they stay relevant
- it’s easier to grow an existing brand than to go out and create a new one
Another observation was that positive feelings toward a brand aren’t sufficient to ensure brand longevity. Positive emotion grounded in cognitive appraisals is a much more powerful combination, and companies need to keep their customers informed so they have that share of mind in addition to share of, um, heart. And finally, “muppies” are the new yuppies, having apparently matured (and, coincidentally, are also the secret password to tonight’s CEO dinner).
