@mikeatherton

UX Bristol 2014

Brand-building basicsValues, vision, and voice

Mike Atherton

THE BRAND WORKSHOP

Let’s get started…

–Wally Olins

“A brand is an idea that you stand for, made real by what you do and

expressed through your personality.”

Wholesome, loveable, safe Dangerous, rude, dirty

–Bill Cosby

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to

please everybody.”

THE FIRST LAW OF BRANDING IS

AL RIES, THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF BRANDING

FOCUSOWNING A SINGLE DIFFERENTIATED IDEA IN THE CUSTOMER MIND

–Marty Neumeier

“The main purpose of branding is to get more people to buy more stuff for more years at a higher price.”

Constructing Brand DNA

Brand DNA

Product / benefit Core purpose

Desired positioning

Vision of the future

Personality Values

@mikeatherton

In this workshop• Vision

• Core purpose, future vision, and the Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal

• Values • How to uncover genuine core values within an organisation

• Voice • Finding your authentic personality traits and expressing true voice and tone

THE BRAND WORKSHOP

Vision

–Charles Revson

“In the factory we make cosmetics. In the drugstore, we sell hope.”

@mikeatherton

What’s our core purpose?• Our core purpose is our business’s most fundamental reason for being.

• It’s not the same thing as our current product offering; rather it’s an idealistic view of the reason we do what we do.

• Our core purpose is never about maximising revenue or shareholder value.

–Peter Drucker

“Create the customer and the money will follow.”

–3M

“To solve unsolved problems innovatively.”

–Nike

“To experience the emotion of competition, winning, and

crushing competitors.”

–Walt Disney

“To make people happy.”

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Why is that important?

It gives people new access to

the BBC’s natural history

archive

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Why is that important?

It gives people new access to

the BBC’s natural history

archive

Why is that important?

The natural history archive

has some of the best footage

anywhere in the world

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Why is that important?

It gives people new access to

the BBC’s natural history

archive

Why?

The BBC have invested heavily in natural history programming for

over 50 years

Why is that important?

The natural history archive

has some of the best footage

anywhere in the world

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Why is that important?

It gives people new access to

the BBC’s natural history

archive

Why?

The BBC have invested heavily in natural history programming for

over 50 years

Why?

The BBC want to make quality programmes

which stand the test of time.

Why is that important?

The natural history archive

has some of the best footage

anywhere in the world

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Why is that important?

It gives people new access to

the BBC’s natural history

archive

Why?

The BBC have invested heavily in natural history programming for

over 50 years

Why?

The BBC want to make quality programmes

which stand the test of time.

Why?

The BBC want to inform,

educate, and entertain the

British public.

Why is that important?

The natural history archive

has some of the best footage

anywhere in the world

Example: BBC Wildlife Finder site

We made an online guide to wildlife using BBC content

Why is that important?

It gives people new access to

the BBC’s natural history

archive

Why?

The BBC have invested heavily in natural history programming for

over 50 years

Why?

The BBC want to make quality programmes

which stand the test of time.

Why?

The BBC want to inform,

educate, and entertain the

British public.

Why is that important?

The natural history archive

has some of the best footage

anywhere in the world

Core purpose

–John F. Kennedy

“We choose to go to the moon and do the other things in this decade,

not because they are easy but because they are hard.”

@mikeatherton

The Big Hairy Audacious Goal• Engages people - grabs them in the gut!

• Is tangible, energising, highly-focused

• Needs little or no explanation

!

!

• The goal provides a unifying point of effort and creates tremendous team spirit.

A computer on every desk and in every home.

Every book ever printed in any

language, available in 60 seconds.

To democratise the automobile.

Ford, 1909 Microsoft, 1977 Amazon, 2008

@mikeatherton

BHAGs should be…• Aligned

• Helping to realise the core purpose and values

• Audacious • Seemingly impossible to demand special effort

• Articulate • A clearly-specified goal ideally with a measurable timeframe

• Arduous • Achievable only with hard-work and a dedicated approach

Guess who and when?

We will create products that become pervasive around the world. We will be the first Japanese company to go into the American market and distribute directly. We will succeed with innovations like the transistor radio that American companies have failed at. Fifty years from now, our brand-name will be as well known as any on Earth and will signify innovation and quality that rivals the most innovative companies anywhere. “Made in Japan” will mean something fine, not shoddy.

I will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces. When I'm through, everybody will be able to afford one, and everyone will have one. The horse will have disappeared from our highways, the automobile will be taken for granted and we will give a large number of men employment at good wages.

Guess who and when?

We will create products that become pervasive around the world. We will be the first Japanese company to go into the American market and distribute directly. We will succeed with innovations like the transistor radio that American companies have failed at. Fifty years from now, our brand-name will be as well known as any on Earth and will signify innovation and quality that rivals the most innovative companies anywhere. “Made in Japan” will mean something fine, not shoddy.

I will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces. When I'm through, everybody will be able to afford one, and everyone will have one. The horse will have disappeared from our highways, the automobile will be taken for granted and we will give a large number of men employment at good wages.

Sony - 1950s

Guess who and when?

We will create products that become pervasive around the world. We will be the first Japanese company to go into the American market and distribute directly. We will succeed with innovations like the transistor radio that American companies have failed at. Fifty years from now, our brand-name will be as well known as any on Earth and will signify innovation and quality that rivals the most innovative companies anywhere. “Made in Japan” will mean something fine, not shoddy.

I will build a motor car for the great multitude. It will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces. When I'm through, everybody will be able to afford one, and everyone will have one. The horse will have disappeared from our highways, the automobile will be taken for granted and we will give a large number of men employment at good wages.

Sony - 1950s Henry Ford - 1909

5 minutes: Work back from what your given organisation does to arrive at why they do it.

5 minutes: Determine a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal for your brand to achieve by 2030.

Exercise: Purpose and goal

Time’s Up!

THE BRAND WORKSHOP

Core values

–Groucho Marx

“Those are my principles and if you don't like them…

well, I have others.”

@mikeatherton

What are core values?• Values are the qualities and virtues we care most deeply about.

• Values come from within. They’re a slice of our company’s genetic code.

• Values stand the test of time, and we hold on to them through thick and thin.

• Values aren't what we want to be - they are what we actually are.

!

• To support our brand, values also need to be compelling to customers, relevant to the our product category, and be meaningfully distinctive.

@mikeatherton

Values must be…• Authentic

• An accurate representation of our organisational culture

• Shared

• Ready to be stated publicly

• Held

• Accountability, even when difficult

• Lived

• Used as a recruitment and performance measure

@mikeatherton

Nordstrom• Service to the customer above all else

• Hard work and individual productivity

• Never being satisfied

• Excellence in reputation; being part of something special

Welcome to Nordstrom!We're glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals

high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them. !

Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.!

!Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division

general manager any question at any time.

@mikeatherton

Zappos• Deliver WOW Through Service

• Embrace and Drive Change

• Create Fun and A Little Weirdness

• Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

• Pursue Growth and Learning

• Build Open and Honest Relationships

• Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

• Do More With Less

• Be Humble

@mikeatherton

Etsy• Mindful, transparent, humane business

• Plan and build for the long-term

• Craftsmanship

• Fun should be part of everything we do

• Keep it real, always

@mikeatherton

Verbalising values• Values are best expressed as verbs. Nouns can’t be actioned.

• One-word values need further explanation.

• Punchy phrases are easier to remember.

!

• ‘Go big or go home’ is better than ‘Ambition’

• ‘Talk to anyone, anytime’ is better than ‘Communication’

• ‘Always exceed expectation’ is better than ‘Customer-focus’

Astronaut name

Values they exhibit

Why they should go

Dan

Always invent Makes social importantAlways ask questions

Dan represents the youthful spirit of the company, always trying new things and pushing us to do better.

Astronaut name

Values they exhibit

Why they should go

Michelle

Loves customers Problem-solver Pride in teaching

Michelle loves customer relationships - she can’t do enough to help. Her passion for the product makes her a great enthusiastic explainer.

Astronaut name

Values they exhibit

Why they should go

Suzanne

Social conscience Gives us deeper meaning

Suzanne’s work on our community programme reminds us of the real good our product can do for people, which makes us want to make it better.

Astronaut name

Values they exhibit

Why they should go

Kunal

Takes UK to the world Hits all his targets Finds opportunities

Kunal has made sure the world knows our name without compromising our personality. He’s great at finding new markets we can sell to.

Astronaut name

Values they exhibit

Why they should go

Jami

Voice of the user Wants to beat competition

Jami knows what users want, goes to bat for customers, and makes sure we never knowingly lose a customer to the competition .

Core value candidates

Always be inventing

Never know everything

Stay young and foolish

Push for better

Make a customer’s day, every day

Share knowledge openly

Support our communities

Take the UK to the World

Explore strange new worlds

Go to bat for the customer

Never knowingly lose a customer to the competition !

Some value bear traps

“Honest” “Reliable”

“Easy-to-use” “Market-leading…” “Simply the best….”

@mikeatherton

Meaningful opposites• Customer-facing values must be true, interesting, relevant and distinctive.

• Avoid talking about values that are a ‘given’: Honesty, Reliability, Integrity, Respect…

!

• A distinctive value is like a fork in the road:

• Maximising service vs. minimising price

• Focused on tradition vs. Focused on the future

• Concerned with privacy vs. Promoting sharing

• Empowering the individual vs. Empowering communities

BRAND VALUES ARE THE SHARED VALUES OF

PEOPLEVALUES ARE UNCOVERED, NOT CREATED.

THE BRAND WORKSHOP

Voice

–Richard Branson

“I'm convinced that it is feelings, and feelings alone, that account for the success of the Virgin brand and

all its myriad forms.”

@mikeatherton

Personality traits• Your specific characteristics, or how others would describe you.

• Reflects how people feel about your brand, rather than what they think it is or does.

• The dimensions of brand personality extend the dimensions of human personality.

–Rohit Bhargava

Personality Not Included

“Brand voice must be unique, authentic and talkable.”

Brand personality scaleSincerity Excitement Competence Sophistication Ruggedness

Down-to-earth!-!

Daring Reliable Upper-class OutdoorsyFamily-oriented Trendy Hard-working Glamorous Masculine

Small-town Exciting Secure Good-looking Western

Honest Spirited Intelligent Charming ToughSincere Cool Technical Feminine Rugged

Real Young Corporate Smooth

Wholesome Imaginative SuccessfulOriginal Unique Leader

ConfidentCheerful Up-to-date

Sentimental IndependentFriendly Contemporary

Jennifer Aaker, Dimensions of Brand Personality (1997)

is ,

,

but never .

trendy

spirited

wholesome

is ,

,

but never .

hard-working

friendly

corporate

is ,

,

but never .

reliable

wholesome

exciting

is ,

,

but never .

daring

confident

charming

Our friends and neighbours

If our brand were a car… Our ideal spokesperson would be… Our kindred spirit brands are…

Tina Fey Modern woman, intelligent humour, touch of sarcasm.

Hugh Laurie British manner with global relevance, dry sarcasm.

New MINI British know-how, glamour, fun, well-built, informal, technology wrapped in timeless style.

David Tennant Charm, British but global, warmth, geek chic.

Moo Avoiding commoditisation by delivering delight in the details.

Dyson British boffin builds beautiful ball, beating big boys.

MailChimp Application meets character to build a pleasurable experience.

Zipcar Disrupting a complex incumbent with an easy, smart vision.

@mikeatherton

Goldilocks statements• Feminine but not girly

• Witty but not zany

• Irreverent but not random

• Informal but not cutesy

• Clever but not elitist

• Cheeky but not mean

• Geeky but not niche

• Irreverent but not vague

• Parental but not stern

• Stylish but not dated

• Trustworthy but not boring

• Surprising but not shocking

@mikeatherton

Voice vs. tone• Our voice is our attitude to our material. It stems from our personality, and governs

the linguistic patterns we use. Our voice should remain consistent throughout our messaging.

!

• Our tone adapts to circumstance or our customer’s emotional state. By varying tone within the same overall voice, our brand communications feel more lifelike.

@mikeatherton

Tone considerations• What situation is the reader in at the moment?

• How do they feel right now?

• How is this content going to affect the reader?

• How can I maintain the reader's state of mind or put her in a better one?

!

• Be extra careful around sensitive subjects like health, religion and financial transactions.

Tone examples: MailChimp

Good news: I’ve completed the main task I came here to accomplish.

Bad news: My account has been unexpectedly suspended.

“Welcome, Alastair Mitchell.”

“Yo Alastair! Ready to rock and roll?”

“Hello Alastair. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let's begin.”

“Operation failed. Please try again.”

“Uh-oh.The tubes got clogged. Let's have a do-over.”

“Your file didn't upload properly. Sorry about that. Try again?”

“No files or folders.”“Zip. Nada. Nothing to see here. Move along, already!”

“What a desolate place this is! Maybe add some documents?”

“ A secure online environment where

information can easily and securely be shared

externally within your business ecosystem.”

“A cool safe place for you to hang out at work and share your secret

files.”

“A place where you can share documents more easily and

securely with your co-workers.”

Too little Just right Too much

Voice is most powerfully expressed when its succinct and should sound like a real person communicating to an individual.

From the Aaker scale, pick 2 personality attributes which you think describe your brand’s personality, and one that is the opposite.

Rewrite the provided messages in an appropriate brand voice.

Exercise: Find your voice

Time’s Up!

Time to wrap up!

Constructing Brand DNA

Brand DNA

Product / benefit Core purpose

Desired positioning

Vision of the future

Personality Values

Complete vision framework

Core purpose!Core values

Audacious goals!Vivid descriptions

Core Values Vivid description

Excellence: Get the best, then make it better Our reason for being is to set minds on fire. Make every customer touch point a place where that's what we do every marketing piece, every phone call, every Web visit, every package and piece of mail. ... Our programs will be featured in Time or Newsweek as one of the primary contributors to the radical improvement in high-school performance in the United States... Hundreds of thousands of people who never finished high school will become devoted learners of great literature, philosophy, and science ... The best teachers in the world will reach 1,000 times the number of students they now reach.

Cultivate every resource; pull weeds immediately

Results-oriented work ethic

Fair and generous relationships with our people and customers; expect the same in return

Integrity. Period.

Core Purpose 25-year BHAG

To ignite in all people the passion for learning

Create and bring forth the best collegiate and high school programs that have ever been invented

–Frank N. Furter

“Don’t dream it. Be it.”

Further reading

Some ideas and exercises in this workshop are adapted from these sources.