Go Logo! A Handbook to the Art of Global Branding

10-14998 Job:10-14996 Title:RP-Go Logo

#175 Dtp:221 Page:172

(RAY)

10-14998 Job:10-14996 Title:RP-Go Logo

#175 Dtp:221 Page:173

001-208_14996.indd 173 10/15/09 5:29:23 PM

Text

10

Determinant 10

Champion Mentality:

Winning, Even When You Lose

From Chambers Concise Dictionary:

Champion: someone who defends a cause; a person

who fights in single combat, sometimes for another;

a competitor who has excelled over all others; a hero

10-14998 Job:10-14996 Title:RP-Go Logo

#175 Dtp:221 Page:172

(RAY)

10-14998 Job:10-14996 Title:RP-Go Logo

#175 Dtp:221 Page:173

001-208_14996.indd 173 10/15/09 4:43:15 PM

10-14998 Job:10-14996 Title:RP-Go Logo

#175 Dtp:221 Page:174

(RAY)

001-208_14996.indd 174 10/15/09 5:29:24 PM

Text

Go Logo! A Handbook to the Art of Global Branding174

T

he words “champion” and “hero” are often inexorably intertwined in our imagina-

tions. And, for creative brand warriors, so they should be; virtually all consumers

have a default setting that positively links champion with hero on a subconscious

level. Rarely does one hear the noun champion used in a derogatory fashion.

Of course, occasionally the word is used sarcastically, as in the case of Donald

Trump, who is often referred to in the press as the “champion of expensive glitz.”

But, in the context of Go Logo! Trump is

an excellent example of a successful brand

warrior who has relentlessly used every

form of media to build the Trump brand.

“The Donald,” despite the outcries from his

numerous vocal critics in New York, has

accomplished precisely what he set out to

do—establish Trump as a synonym for a

bold, lavish, expansive (and even exclusive)

aura in the minds of a specific breed of po-

tential buyer. Of course, from the perspec-

tive of a great many Europeans, he also is

a good stand-in for a certain kind of brash,

crass American. But his brand, because of

its overstated persona, does an awful lot of

hard selling for his properties.

Champions have almost always been re-

vered, particularly in their ancient roles as

warriors. Not much has changed. Many of

our cultural heroes, and not just those in

sports, appreciate the comparison to heroic

warriors, as they strive to earn the right to

be known as “the champion” in their respec-

tive careers.

Bestowing the sobriquet “champion” to

a brand can be advantageous in both the

short and long term. The Wheaties ce-

real brand has used the slogan “Breakfast

of Champions” for more years than even

I can remember. And the winning Super

Bowl team members, as they try to get off

the field, are prompted to say, “I’m going

to Disney World!” This subtle brand con-

nection is valuable. Think of all the World

Cups and World Championships, in so many

global sports, not to mention the Olympics,

that link brands with winners. The sports

and media industries, especially, depend on

sponsorship or broadcasting rights.

And what about the cultural arts and popular

entertainment worlds? Don’t they have cham-

pions? Many would claim, justifiably, that an

even bigger mountain of money is spent in

pursuit of the entertainment and emotional

satisfaction derived from being transported

to another place via music, film, plays, and,

progressively, any number of electronic

means. Our admiration for the athlete and

10-14998 Job:10-14996 Title:RP-Go Logo

#175 Dtp:221 Page:174

(RAY)

001-208_14996.indd 174 10/15/09 4:43:15 PM