Brilliant Marketing

they launched Winter Pimm’s. That’s like Speedo marketing

Arctic clothing.)

Brands like Peperami with that immortal line ‘it’s a bit of an

animal’. Suddenly there was a new snack hero on the block

idolised by the kids, and a Simpsons-type creation hit the air-

waves and word of mouth took over.

Brands like Amazon who, after years of building an unprofitable

database, now have a direct conduit from writer to reader that in

a few more years or so will be impossible to break; and they have

Kindle. Amazon has the buzz that success breathes – it knows

about me – what I read, what I seem interested in, so yes, it

cares, it really cares about me.

How to create a brand

For the purposes of the argument I am reflecting on a B2B start-

up company but it could be for anything because the principles

are the same. The components are these:

1 A name

Create a name. And yes it can be a bit silly but remember

you have to live with it. Great names have the following

components:

● Authenticity – Kettle Chips, Rachel’s Organic Dairy,

Fisher-Price, Brabantia, Penhaligon’s.

● Provenance – Ben & Jerry’s, Thursday Cottage,

Sheepdrove Organic Farm, Loseley, Pilsner Urquell

● Character – LeapFrog, Mother, Jaguar, Sweaty Betty,

Mandarina Duck, Big Bertha

You’ll create your name by thinking and thinking and one

morning you’ll wake up and know it. Do not spend money

on getting an expert to create the name unless you are a

very rich company.

48 bri lliant marketing

2 A logo

Nike for very little money got that ‘swoosh’. What you need

is maybe nothing or maybe a thing to aid memory – an

illustration of the idea your company stands for.

● An artefact – Sir Bibendum the Michelin man, HMV,

Johnny Walker

● Brilliant colours – Caran d’Ache, Google, Channel 4,

Orange

● A symbol – the Hadfield’s fox, the Bass Red Triangle

and the line ‘Reach For Greatness’, the [yellow tail]

wallaby

3 A design

Now it’s time for an expert to come in.You are already on

the road to creating an identity.You need someone to

extend, develop and refine that identity. But make sure you

brief them well.

4 An attitude

No one but you can create this. Decide exactly what it is

that makes you better, inspiring and different. Keep trying

to express it in fewer and fewer words. What is the essence

you are trying to own?

5 Various faces

Express your brand on business cards, letterheads,

envelopes, signs, posters, mugs, pencils and so on. As many

places that, with wit, you can make it live. Developing your

web site so it reflects your brand character is especially

critical. There are a lot of good designers around.

6 Interaction

See if you can get your customers to respond and even to

use your branded artefacts. If they like your branded mugs

they may use them.

On brands and brilliance 49

7 A developing personality

Every six months review where you are and see if you can

develop your brand.Your office decorations; staff T-shirts;

Christmas cards; golf balls, pads, pencils etc., etc.

Development never stops. Have a regular ‘brand and what

we can do to make it sing more compellingly’ meeting.

One brand that has been brilliantly developed over time is Nike.

When it had a bad year Phil Knight, founder and CEO, was not

reticent in blaming, apart from other things, boring advertising

and marketing.

50 bri lliant marketing

brilliant

tip

Don’t ever be boring. Learn from the maestro at Nike.

brilliant

example

Here’s a quick overview of the Nike story which describes brilliance in

action. It borrows from a brilliant book by Robert Goldman and Stephen

Papson called Nike Culture: The Sign of the Swoosh and from the

experience of FCO and the people there who launched Nike in the UK,

principally Richard French and Ian Potter.

Understanding your business is key

‘We got the sweaty side of health and fitness with the romance of it as

well.’

Phil Knight, CEO

In other words be authentic. And simple . . .

‘How do I improve my times?’

‘Run faster.’