If you know me at all, you know that I’m a sucker for strategic marketing. Because of this, I’m constantly thinking about what it takes to be a good, solid brand in this world. But recent work that we’ve done here has required us to not only work with brands, but to help them figure out who they are and who they want to be when they grow up.

Most of the time, we as marketers are faced with creating strategy around an already existent brand; one with a set of pre-conceived notions and ideas. We aren’t able to create something from nothing. But there are those rare opportunities where we have the chance to build brands from scratch and create the perfect storm for them to enter the product realm. These kinds of challenges are exciting, yet scary. If you have the chance to make something out of nothing, what kinds of risks would you take? How much research would you do? How would you launch the product? Who do you tell, and how do you get the word out there? There are endless opportunities awaiting a brand who has yet to see the light of day.

While it’s exciting, it’s a huge responsibility. We’ve all heard the cliche that first impressions are lasting, so think of the pressure you might be under if you’ve only got one shot, one chance, to hit consumers with who you are. After that first time, it’s all repetition. And it can be a difficult thing to figure out who you are as a brand at any point in time, let alone before you hit the marketplace. That’s like saying, “When I grow up, I want to be a marine biologist,” and then actually becoming a marine biologist. It’s easier said than done.

Long term vision is what it’s all about. Picture where you want your brand to be in 1 year. 5 years. 10 years. Think long term. Cut out anything that will hinder you from getting there. Keep your focus, and don’t get distracted by your short term vision. Because in this game, it’s all about endurance, not how quickly you can win the race.

See the book giveaway below!

Brand failures are happening constantly. Just look at how Netflix recently wanted to split its business into two divisions. Netflix (a company that in September made customers angry with a steep price raise) wanted to keep its movie streaming business and move its DVDs by mail business to a new company called Qwikster.

Surprisingly (NOT!) their customers were unhappy with the idea since it would complicate getting movies. They wouldn’t be able to decide if they wanted a movie to stream or have it mailed for later viewing from one account. Instead, they would need two accounts where one used to suffice. No company should ever make it more difficult for a customer to get their product. Netflix backpedaled, apologized and decided to keep their company’s offerings in one company. Only time will tell if customers decide to stay with them. Read more about it here.

The book Brand Failures by Matt Haig has 100 examples of big branding mistakes. It shows how brands are more likely to fail than succeed if they don’t keep the needs of their customers in mind. Each case study features lessons you can learn from the brand’s mistake. Some examples of brand failures covered in this book are McDonald’s failed product – the Arch Deluxe, Kodak’s failure to use the digital technology they had, and Planet Hollywood’s celebrity endorsed restaurants.

We’re giving away a copy of this book to one of our intelligent readers. Enter to win by following the instructions below. The giveaway starts today and ends next Wednesday.

“Good to the last drop.” We’ve all heard it, or read it, many times in our lives. But did you know that these five little words have been Maxwell House’s slogan for more than 90 years? Which begs the question, what’s required if you’re going to create a slogan that your audience will remember?

The basic rules of marketing tell us that a slogan is one of the most public pieces of a brand’s positioning. Because of this, a slogan needs to stand for something with a little higher purpose – For instance, Nike’s slogan “Just Do It” has spoken to athletes the world over for nearly 20 years. Why? Because, deep-down, it gives us all permission to go for it rather than think about it.

Unfortunately, the majority of slogans will not stand the test of time. For years, companies like McDonald’s, Allstate and FedEx have tinkered with their slogans over and over again as their audiences and industries changed. Ultimately, a brand’s slogan and subsequent positioning need to tap into the motivations and desires of the target audience and grow as they grow while not promising more than you’re able to deliver. Otherwise, you’re missing the point.

Once you’ve established a slogan though, it can be difficult to replace it even if circumstances change. In Maxwell House’s case, several attempts to update the slogan were unsuccessful and the company continued to go back to the original “Good to the last drop.” In the end, slogan-writing isn’t an exact science. The science of the slogan is more like trial and error with a little bit of strategy mixed in and once you find those golden words, don’t mess with perfection.

Early last year Tropicana unveiled their new brand identity. It was greeted with a fiery outburst that was something akin to how being caught in a solar flare would feel. People were furious for two reasons. First, Tropicana ditched the classic straw-stuck-in-the-orange icon (because getting rid of your most recognizable brand feature is always a good idea, right guys? Guys?). Second, the design Tropicana did go with looked like a generic store brand.

Within a month Tropicana’s market share had dropped 25% and they reverted back to their classic brand look. Well Tropicana is at it again and this time they took a different route. Instead of redoing their whole look (breathe easy, the straw skewered orange is still present), they decided to just rip off Simple Brand.

Classy right? Natural and fresh are the big buzzwords of the grocery world and Tropicana wants a piece of that taco. What better way to get there than try to look like the most recognizable orange juice brand that already has “natural” and “fresh” as part of its brand recognition. My favorite part: Tropicana has a whole section on their website assuring people that the new bottle is good and that the orange and straw aren’t going anywhere. It reads, in not so many words, “We get it, you like the straw, happy? HAPPY?! Please don’t freak out again…” For Tropicana’s sake, I hope the new bottle does well. Personally, I’m sticking with straight gin as my morning beverage.

You’ll probably recognize this commercial from the 2011 Super Bowl. It is Chrysler’s “Born On Fire” ad, you know, the one where Eminem doesn’t smile. I won’t get too deep into the merits of it as a commercial, but there is a good advertising lesson in it.

At it’s roots, this ad is a quintessential North American car maker commercial: it’s patriotic. American car makers have been appealing to our sense of patriotism and love for the mother land since, well, forever. Yet while Chrysler used this same tactic, they twisted and turned the method to work for their brand. Instead of the red, white, and blue fanfare of other car commercials, Chrysler pulled at its roots. “Imported from Detroit” is dirty and bruised; it draws out an emotion in all of us. You get that feel of an underdog story, you hear that redemption song, and as Americans, we love nothing more than the little guy stickin’ it to the man (I mean, they did make 6 Rocky films). With the hell and back story of Detroit, Chrysler nailed this commercial and gave goosebumps to the down-but-not-out fighter in all of us.

Chrysler shows us there is nothing wrong with using tried and true ideas. Finding a fresh angle or voice for that accepted idea can be huge for making your brand stand out. So what are you waiting for? Take those tactics in your tool belt and make ‘em new and exciting. Go on… add a bit of flair.