Brand(ing):Inside & Outside

Authentic From the Start-Up: 4 Tips from Cindy Gallop and IfWeRanTheWorld

October 21, 2010

If you were building an organization from the ground up, how would you “build authenticity in” from the very start? I had the chance to ask this question of Cindy Gallop, an entrepreneur and marketing/advertising/branding guru, who is the CEO of a start-up called IfWeRanTheWorld. IfWeRanTheWorld and Cindy have both been recommended to me by [...]

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Built to Deceive: When organizations intend to mislead us

October 14, 2010

What would you think about an organization that intentionally mislead its potential clients? – That advertised itself as providing a range of products or services, when in fact it only offered one? – That presented itself as being here to “help you”, when in reality its sole purpose is to fulfill its own mission, regardless [...]

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If Women Had Designed Facebook

September 30, 2010

If women had designed Facebook, maybe it wouldn’t feel … So cold. So rectangular. So static. So emotion-less. So linear. So blue. So hierarchical. So rigid. So ego-centric. So boring. If women had designed Facebook, maybe it would be: Warmer. More welcoming. Flexible. Expressive. Inclusive. Emotional. Aesthetically inviting. Personalizable. Collaborative. Dynamic. Intimate. Engaging. Flow-y. Maybe [...]

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MAC’s Apology for Juarez Makeup Line: Effective and Authentic

August 5, 2010

It’s not often that I get to follow up a post about an organization’s disappointing actions with a post celebrating that very organization’s next step. Given how easy it is to pay attention to and be outraged by the bad actions, it is all the more important to devote some energy to positive resolutions– so [...]

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Only A Cosmetic Apology? MAC’s Juarez Controversy & Fauxial Awareness

July 23, 2010

There are apologies that are superficial and apologies that reflect genuine remorse.  There are apologies that demonstrate regret and apologies that initiate restitution. And then, there is the apology that MAC Cosmetics has offered for its offensive Juarez Makeup Collection. [Note, added later: Be *sure* to read the followup post:  MAC’s Apology for Juarez Makeup [...]

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BP’s Bravest Brandividual: What could be motivating Darryl Willis?

June 22, 2010

If you’ve been paying attention to BP’s “Making it right” newspaper advertising, or if you’ve seen BP’s recent television advertising, you’ve seen BP’s new Brandividual Darryl Willis. Aside from Tony Hayward, BP’s walking PR disaster CEO, Darryl Willis is the only person with a name shown by BPs own advertisements as being in charge of [...]

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BP’s Beyond Petroleum: Hypocrisy, or caught in the act of learning?

June 17, 2010

Some people actually believe(d) that BP was making an authentic effort to move “Beyond Petroleum”. I was quite surprised to discover this early in June, in conversation with an organizational change consultant who specializes is sustainability change. This consultant explained that, in contrast to other energy companies that he had worked with, BP was making [...]

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Employee Branding at BP: Do snazzy uniforms protect the response teams?

June 16, 2010

Somebody at BP has been reading The Onion. BP has figured out that dressing their employees in groovy outfits can help build esprit, camaraderie and a even a sense of importance. Okay, I’m being snarky here… but I am wondering about the positive (and possibly negative) effects of the outfits these BP control center personnel [...]

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Authentic CSR: Should Dawn publicize its involvement in Oiled Bird Rescue?

June 10, 2010

Procter & Gamble and its Dawn Dishwashing Liquid are the targets of criticism and cynicism for their efforts to help the International Bird Rescue Research Center save birds who have been wounded by BP’s Oil Spill. While I’m quick to criticize any organization that promotes its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts when all they care [...]

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Rebranding Pompeii as a Living City

May 4, 2010

It seems that you can’t escape the demands of rebranding, even if you go back 2282 years. In one of the more intriguing examples of rebranding I’ve seen in a while, the world historical site of the City of Pompeii is currently engaged in its own rebranding campaign. The ‘old’ brand of Pompeii To appreciate [...]

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