Posts tagged ‘brand values’
Straight from the (horse editor’s) mouth
On my newish extra ‘day off’, among other things I’ve recently been working on a submission for a horsey magazine. I have to report that (based on this experience), magazine editors are much better than the average client at understanding and communicating their brand effectively.
This particular editor managed to condense her brand and its values into six words. I’m sure she has brand onions, pyramids and/or personalities knocking around her office somewhere too, but it’s a nice change from most clients I come across who cop out and send you a 10MB powerpoint presentation instead…
holding out for another one of us
I’m recruiting at the moment (if anyone knows any brilliant desk research/team support type people in the North of England, please point them in my direction). Its been really interesting discovering that the thing which is important above all else is that the candidates feel like ‘one of us’. Which is hardly the kind of criteria you can brief a recruiter on.
So we’re really back to talking about Living The Brand. I wonder how many job candidates take time to research a prospective employer’s brand and culture and try to embody those values at interview? AdGrads, take note.
Scratch Amazon
Amazon let me down this weekend. On Sunday night I was curled up on the sofa, ready to chill out with a DVD from Amazon Rentals and the blumin thing started to skip before giving up completely.
No problem, try the other DVD. No good, that’s so scratched that the DVD player just throws up a ‘can’t play this, its just too rubbish’ type message.
So now I’m left to chose between some kind of fruit cake baking competition on BBC1 or Corrie over on ITV. Neither of which have quite the same appeal as Dreamgirls.
Now I’m really cross and email Amazon to point out that perhaps their quality control systems have slipped somewhat. This morning I got an automated ‘we regret that on this occasion’ type response that has just made me even crosser. Grrrr.
I was going to rant here to the tune of how hard can it be?, but I’ve been wondering when the last time was that I made sure all my shiny new brand values had been implemented right through to Customer Service. Of course, this takes a client who recognises that the customer journey is just as important as external marketing activity in retaining customers (and attracting new ones), but its a nice idea.
Smiling Voices
Kathy Sierra has posted on Creating Passionate Users about little things that make her smile. On a GNER train down to London this week, the on-board announcement at 3pmish ran:
“we’re now serving lunch…or dinner if you want to call it that…anyway, if you want a lovely meal, please come and join us…”.
Natural, warm, honest and proud. Perhaps not entirely reflective of GNER’s brand values, but all the better for it.
