Archive for March, 2008
A lot of people tell me how funny the word “mindshare” looks. It’s a made up word that, apparently, has a completely artificial definition. I like things that way. It appeals to my deep desire for ultimate control over things (insert ominous, evil cackle). Really now, “mindshare” is one of the most valuable concepts in marketing.
(This week’s bonus post also featured on IntegratedBrand.com)
I’m a big fan of YouTube. I’ve always been impressed by the deluge of quality content put out by amateur video producers. As fun as it is, though, I never really thought about the business applications of YouTube until recently.
The negative aspects of your brand are just as important as the positive ones. Marketing missteps and managerial mistakes in the past should be embraced as learning opportunities, not errors. No company can ever be perfect, and forcing a squeaky-clean image of perfection on your brand can actually kill it – no one is perfect and no one will trust anyone or anything pretending to be so.
This weekend I was tasked with explaining the difference between “branding” and “branding” to some old friends of mine. When most people hear the word “brand” they immediately think of logos; likewise, most “branding” agencies are really creative design or advertising firms that specializing in creating and promoting logos.
A friend of mine suggested I open an account with Twitter. It’s an interesting system that allows you to update your friends on your to-the-minute status while keeping up to date with them as well. It’s guaranteed up-to-date because all the communication can be mirrored to your cell phone via SMS messaging!
For the rest of March, I am going to try Twitter. I will keep as many people up-to-date as possible and, hopefully, find some added value in the system. I’ve never been a fan of being constantly connected to the online world, but this experiment could be fun.
If you want to track my updates, open a Twitter account of your own and follow me! We’ll see where this adventure takes us!