My Brand, My Way – Providing Personalized Health and Wellness Brand Experiences

Who'd have thought that Burger King could see into the future of brand marketing. Remember their "have it your way" campaign? Were they really ahead of the curve in customizing brands to meet our individual needs – to providing truly personalized experiences. From custom protein shakes, to skin care products, beverages and even senior-focused retailers such as HOJO in Lyon, France (http://www.hojo-generationseniors.fr/) – providing "just-for-me" experiences is the most effective way possible to ensure brand relevance and connection. One interesting impact of this, however, is how companies individualize the associated customer service experience to align with brand delivery.

Brand differentiation for health and healthy lifestyle brands

Differentiation is the ability of your healthcare or healthy lifestyle brand to stand apart from others in your market, in ways that are important to your audiences and supported by your organizational strengths. It reflects not only how you're going to play the game, but how you're going to play it differently by creating meaningful, genuine and lasting points of difference. 

But most brands are failing. A 2006 study by Copernicus Greenfield showed that brands in 48 out of 51 product/service categories were perceived to be undifferentiated by consumers. And 80%+ of products still continue to fail, according to Ernst & Young, because of lack of differentiation.

Yet the benefits of differentiation as shown below (in terms of profit margins, operating earnings, market cap growth) are tremendous, as demonstrated by Y&R's Brand Asset Valuator.



So why are most brands failing. Because differentiation actually requires you to think different and do different, starting with your strategy. Which requires original thinking - which is sorely lacking today. But there are some brands that are truly differentiated, and that transcend their categories.

These brands:

• are aligned - with the culture of the organization behind them (e.g. Nike, Southwest Airlines)
• are relevant and deliver on their promises - what people want and performing the way they want them to (e.g. Ikea, Nordstrom)
• are surprising - raising the bar relative to expectations (e.g. Virgin, Jones Soda, Cirque De Soleil)
• tap emotions - as product benefits have become table stakes (e.g. Harley-Davidson, Tiffany)
• execute brilliantly - through their actions and interactions (e.g. Ralph Lauren, Zappos)

The Power of Brand Story

Was at dinner with a client the other night, and we ventured into a conversation about our agency's ultimate value. We were considering that it might be our ability to craft and tell their brand stories – in authentic, simple and remarkable ways.

A well-crafted story

• raises awareness
• changes perceptions
• reinforces existing relationships
• creates new ones
• generates sales

…and (should) inspire and connect all employees whose consistent delivery of the story is critical to ultimate business success.

Marketing That Matters

There was a recent article in Ad Age about an agency committed to Marketing That Matters. Their point-of-view is that the new marketing demands more than telling and selling to consumers who are tired of being bombarded with one-way messages. Based on the changing priorities of the consumer, driven in part by events taking place around the globe – they believe that cause needs to be baked-in to all marketing programs.

I'd suggest that "marketing that matters" first begins with a more expansive brand framework and appreciation of your potential to engage, inspire and guide. That to unleash the full potential of your brand, you must have a wider view of your prospective place in your consumers world. Given the myriad ways that brands can touch consumers, and the myriad ways that consumers proactively interact and can steer the fate of brands, we must do more to ensure our brands' relevancy.

Beyond products and services, brands should impart knowledge and insight. That knowledge is out there anyway in the vastness of the web, but why not take the leadership role among your peers to organize and be the "beacon" that consumers turn to for their guidance. Consider what Dove has accomplished:

• As an adjunct to its selling efforts, the brand has become an authoritative expert on beauty - facilitated by a site that has become a destination for product and category information.

• It has become a brand that fulfills relationships; creating communities of "like" consumers who aspire to connect with others like them. Through Their Campaign For Real Beauty, it's united millions of women from around the globe.

Never has there been more opportunity for brands to step up, reach out and engage on all three levels. Particularly for health + healthy lifestyle brands whose very existence is inherently more important to consumers.

A Look Back: Ten brands to watch in 2001

Found a very old issue of Brand Marketing, and thought it would be fun to report on their "top ten brands to watch in 2001."

1. Amazon
2. America Online
3. AT&T
4. Hillary Clinton
5. Firestone
6. Napster
7. Nokia
8. Onstar
9. Revlon
10. xfl (upstart that challenged the NFL, with a bunch of players who almost made the NFL)

As the magazine reported, the list includes some that are in the ascendant, others that are definitely teetering and still others that will simply demand attention no matter which way they break.

The Brands Called Obama and Clinton

No doubt about it, we have two strong brands squaring off here. Both have strong points-of-view, personalities, agendas [at least we hope] and own strong associations. Both have strong voices. And they both have tremendous stamina.

But which one of these brands is more relevant given the state of the country and the world today – culturally, socially, politically, economically. Which one has the ability to serve as beacon to inspire and guide. Which one do you want to be part of your life for the next four years [at least].

More than any time in our recent history, probably due to the non-stop exposure and transparency that our media channels provide – there's just so much conversation everywhere about these two candidates. About these two brands. And oh yea, about McCain.

Are All Brands Created Equal?

I'm readying a speech for a client's national convention, and am thinking that an interesting topic might be are all brands created [born] equal? Do they have equal chance of growing up to be all that they can be? Of being nurtured to reach their full potential? To make the most of their talents and ambitions.

But nurture plays a huge role in helping a brand be all that it can be. Because implicit in nurture is being nurtured. Nourished with a compelling and differentiating big idea. Nourished with parents who watch over it to insure that it keeps its promises. Nourished to insure that it's not extended beyond its natural born talents. And that it's mature enough to participate in conversations with those who might invite it into their lives, as opposed to simply talking at them.

The Self-Congratulatory Brand Called CNN

Don't know about you, but I'm tired of being told every ten minutes by Wolf Blitzer (underscored by the CNN ticker) that here's the story by the best political team in the business. Can't think of any other brand that continually boasts to its consumers that we are the best in the business . We all grew up being taught that actions speak louder than words. Think it might have been in second grade. Guess the staff at CNN, or maybe just Wolff, skipped a grade.

Brand Appeal: Consumer Needs Versus Wants

Had a conversation with one of our clients the other day about needs vs. wants as a driver for product development. He's facing resistance from folks within the organization still focused on satisfying "functional" product/service needs. But fulfilling needs is not the end game.

"Needs" is a category-based concept. People need detergent, need new sneakers, need a new car. But they buy brands based on wants. Based on how these brands make them feel, and reflect positively upon them in your presence. It's why they choose Tide because they want to feel like they're doing the best for their kids, buy Nike because they want to be like Mike, buy a Mini because they want the status and prestige of affordable cool.

But to identity wants, you need to be rooted in your consumers world. To understand their motivations and desires. Beyond their stated needs, which won't move you beyond the status quo. And then you need to align this understanding with what makes your brand different and special.

Cater to needs, and you'll quickly be displaced. Appeal to wants and desires, and be the only one to be able to deliver your unique bundle of benefits, and you'll insure your relevance, differentiation and connection.

A great brand starts with passion

We had internal Discovery Sessions with a client this week – from senior leadership, to team leaders across Marketing, Sales, Finance, Product Development and IT, to employees who have worked in the organization for twenty years and those who've yet to celebrate their first anniversary. Across the board, they're passionate about what they do and the contributions they make to the world.

This organization, as successful as they already are (though still facing big challenges), will continue to be leaders in their space. Because they're relentless in their pursuit to be more than they are today – genuinely committed to raising their game. They also display other wonderful traits – they have open minds, they don't pretend to have all the answers, they are genuinely desiring of our insights and ideas, they want to be pushed. But no one will push them harder than they do themselves.

Think of your consumer as another healthcare channel

No longer do you sell your healthcare services through the traditional channels. Your consumers have not only begun to direct marketing messages, they are also delivering those messages. Which means they have become a part of the Channel. 

So healthcare marketers need to learn how to utilize this new channel opportunity. The tactics are going to be different than for traditional channels, but the potential benefits are tremendous in terms of:

• spreading the word 

• relevance of the messenger

• credibility of another consumer 

• believability

Getting a handle on a changing world

Like a 40 mile an hour wind at our backs, the world is constantly changing. How can you get a handle on all these changes, and how do you discern which ones are important and which are just passing fads. Consider an in-house futurist.

As the New York Times recently advertised on their website for a Futurist for its R&D group, the ideal candidate:

• is highly imaginative and well informed about the social and technology trends affecting creation, distribution and consumption of all forms of media now and in the future

• has an innate curiosity and a passion for ideas; with a facility for market research data and who can use it to vividly paint a picture of how the world around us is evolving

Every day, we get sucked into busy-ness - putting out fires, creating reports, attending meetings, answering emails. Which doesn't leave much time for thinking about what really matters - navigating the future. Someone needs to be able to look hard into the distance while others are watching for what's coming around the next corner.

Beyond the traits mentioned by the NY Times, your futurist:

• should voraciously read not just industry and trade pubs, but also general business news - because big insights and ideas typically come from outside your industry

• must listen for "the buzz", and keep abreast of influential thinkers, bloggers and publications

• must understand and empathize with end-users - their feelings, concerns, motivations and practices

• should be empowered to serve as company protagonist - challenging conventional wisdom and practices, pushing you to think beyond the usual to reach for the extraordinary. 

Last but not least, your futurist will help you provide a critical and differentiating "right-brain" perspective in a left-brain dominant world.

Health care marketers shouldn't bypass search

With all the focus on health care marketers crafting social media strategies, it's important not to forget about (the less topical but still effective) search ads. Because the search volume on leading engines Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask is still tremendous.

Some 66% of respondents to an iCrossing study in December 2007 said that they used one of those engines to find health info in the past year, compared to the 46% who navigated to health portals like WebMD.

Is your brand strong enough

Do you ever take time during the day to ask yourself a very simple question: is our brand strong enough to be the one that customers will want to do business with next year? Or 2-3 years down the road? 

Why do customers seek out your brand? What do they expect to see from you; to gain from you? And where do they think/do you think you really shine? There are many other questions like these, and they're important to answer. Because as easy or hard as it is for you to answer them, so too is it for your customers. 

Here are a few ideas for you to ponder as your brand grows and matures. 

• explore your strengths: what do you do best, what do you have the ability to do that you're currently not doing, what should you be doing to build your strengths for the future

• express your strengths: are they "brandable" as unique processes or services; which others can be used to build your image with current and prospective customers

• extend your strengths: how can you leverage your strengths in specific areas where you have little or no experience - through new products and services, with new partners, through new channels.

So, are you strong enough?

The proactive health and healthy lifestyles brand

Healthy brands are proactive. They are enablers. They allow us to be more and to achieve more, than would otherwise be the case. 

Here's a list of the differences between proactive and reactive (soon to become irrelevant) brands. Proactive brands:

- lead with actions versus words

- are coherent rather than consistent

- engage rather than lecture

- transform rather than preserve

- encourage relationships versus individuality   

- are bottom up versus top down

- let us inside versus hiding behind the curtain

- extend beyond their category

- liberate customers versus control them