Branding Research ::: TELL ME IS IT ALL JUST SPIN?

There seems to be a sudden glut of branding specialists and businesses. It's not just for businesses and corporations anymore either, individuals are now being encouraged to be their own brand: Footballers, industry experts and employees!

Eight to ten years ago it was all about the personal or company Mission Statement. Now its about the Unique Positioning Statement attached to your personal or company brand. 

There are some beautiful brands and logos around - some lovely websites and marketing pitches being bandied around. I encourage all of that I in fact love that side of branding myself its an area I have specialised in and continue to thoroughly enjoy.

But with this proliferation of BRANDING and the recent focus on its perceived importance what I find myself asking is...

Does it work?

Who uses it?

Who benefits from its implementation?

What businesses if any thrive without ever truly have engaged it?

When does it work?

What is its value?

Now no one wants to do a survey.
Usually they are time consuming and a little irritating like a pap smear or prostate examination.

BUT!

What if the results are highly relevant to you? What if they clarify some underlying questions and business/branding queries you may have? In this instance I do hope its relevant and applicable information I can share with you the will be beneficial and at least interesting to examine.

WHO

The people I need to complete the survey will be from all walks of business and 'monetising' large and small, local and global. Please I implore you to pass this invitation on.

WHAT

What am I hoping to achieve? To gather the findings and deliver clear and distinct information that can help your bottom line.

WHERE

See the survey below and if you feel compelled subscribe as I will posting the results in a blog with anonymity assured.

WHEN

Now

HOW

By asking clear and basic questions then by compiling the results and deliver them back to you here free of charge.

All I need is a little of your time and help, I am not gathering a data base this is solely to satisfy my own queries and curiosity. All information will be strictly confidential and not used for profit on my behalf or any other party.

So get on board and lets find out what really happening.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

:::Mr Burns Mates with the 50 foot tall Woman!:::

Imagine a giant, glowing, lumbering presence walking across your city.

Think Attack of the 50 Foot Woman / Mr Burns when he was radio active repeating 'I love you'... over and over again.

Today that's effective marketing.

Its stunning, slightly absurd, large, enters on a large scale and you cant ignore it. The gigantic penetrative Marketing Campaign.

Today's marketing needs an edge. There is on on going cut and paste derivative trend;

Hokey folkey warmpth, soft edged marketing. Think Sportsgirl, Portmans, Cocolatte, even Johnston and Johnston are going that way, from pasta to car manufacturers spouting tales of generational allegiance to their brands including Barilla and Volvo.

Cocolatte - I don't think these girls were at Woodstock.

Then there is the twee self effacing campaign think iinet and Buzz Insurance.

Does mocking yourself/the company make the campaign more successful?

Pre on trend Viral marketing, online social networking positioning, Hipper than hip so now it hasn't happened yet and very individual...to see a hard copy version the free VICE magazine Melbourne it is a perfect example of this niche platform and can be found at indy haunts and cafes. For the informed its blatant and completely transparent - I am sure it works.

What is interesting is that it all still leans heavily on the visual. So the Artistic Director and Photographer are pivotal - so some things don't change.

There is the sound bite that can rocket an unknown artist to stardom - anything associated with an Apple product is testament to that big. Brand + tune  (hand in hand) = a vertical market. Sure the multi faceted campaigns have to hit the mark from every angle but god what a perfect trade it creates.

So lets face it we all have to be a bit of a 'Radioactive 50 foot tall Mr Burns hermaphrodite' in the ad sense these days. The world just keeps getting savvier and the white noise of commercial competition louder, deafening us now. So how does one stand out from the crowd?

I might take a swan dive off the perceived common reality board into an altogether unplumbed depth... called genuine sincerity.

Image from a very personal shoot I directed with Paul Louis Villani a brilliant photographer

Currently I am marketing myself as a brand here on my blog and what is my Unique Selling Proposition?

I rely on two plain and simple rules: 

• I mean what I say and say what I mean. 
• The content is genuine its my own perspective.

We all have a unique set of reference points that we filter everything through - as do businesses, companies, and or individual staff / departments that purvey the message.

Not quite 50 feet tall in a gown I have made.

We know and hear sincerity on a very base instinctual level - even if it is in the guise of super slick marketing, sometimes we get it - it gets us in reality and the bond is set.

Otherwise its just white noise.

Image reference for last two photographs here

STRONG MAN COMPETITIONS!

There are many things that are springing to mind lately that do not make sense. Things that were ok when I was young - they were apart of the everyday like bad teeth and hair. Of course I am referring to the 1970's yet again my grey matter can barely contemplate what went on back then and just this morning I thought of strongman competitions. Men using their mouths and bodies to create super human efforts.

This guy is clearly thin with but sports neck muscles and gums that are incredibly ripped.

I recall men pulling aeroplanes and trucks with this sort of apparatus...
and that was a good idea!

Sitting in front of the TV with my own bad teeth (before I wore braces) my gympie grin in front of my thugs of brothers belied my true confusion.

Whats going on here? My tiny brain would scream as I backed out of the room as the testosterone threatened to seep into my thin girly skin.

I knew there were men that did look like this but did I want to know one?

Was lifting a train axle that much of a good idea?

Who took the axle to that venue?

Train axle + strongman = event .... In whose brain?

I was so confused.

Many hours were spent trying to purge these images from my mind. I kept my small hands busy and hoped the memories would fade.

Today it all came back to me.

This guy Vasily Alekseyev a famous athlete the sport of weightlifting. From 1970 through 1977 he was undefeated in every major international competition and claimed 22 titles, including eight consecutive world championships and two Olympic gold medals. 

Umm okay. I still don't get it.

Now I can see how this kick might warrant some true talent and strength and am not sure If I myself copped a few in my time - little sisters don't always get off easily.

Now as far as strongman activities go I am not sure what it takes but surely the mind is saying "Look this is really not such a great idea - just stop it" Surely the brain is saying a lot of stuff like that or was it just mine?

This cant be fun...surely.
Like I understand how lifting this enormous dumbbell might theoretically look alright in a Popeye Comic sense but in real life?

And I don't want either of these guys knocking at my door (or on my TV these days).

Ok I actually am at a loss at what to say about the rock but you certainly would not want to drop it.


Its not very sophisticated is it? 

I know I may have totally missed the point and am sure it is a skill and a talent to manage these feats and not just achieve them but commit to them mentally and physically without doing any permanent damage to the body. I don't know how they do it.

You can't tell me this guys having a good time.

Well good luck to him. Meanwhile I just hope my sons never find footage of these events and if they do I will surely dissuade them from being amateur Strongmen, my only hope for them is that they become goodmen.