Increasing Brand America’s Value

Simon Anholt’s recent article “The $2 Trillion Man: How Obama saved Brand America” argues the value of the U.S. brand increased this year from $9.7 trillion to $11.8 trillion. This $2 trillion appreciation in value is based on the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index (NBI). Usefully, it reminds us that perceptions do matter: The kinds of increases in polls by organizations such as Pew showing across-the-board improvement in the way the world views the U.S. and U.S. leadership are extremely important.

At Core Strategy Group, we build brand value for a living—and work to increase the value of a company not just in terms of revenue, but also with respect to perceptions of what we call “relevant differentiation”….how a brand is different, special and better.

To be sure, the Anholt analysis should factor in revenue dynamics—and anyone watching an hour of TV news this year knows US debt, deficit and fiscal challenges do not call for popping champagne corks. This has been a rough patch for US “revenues.”

But Anholt is correct in pointing to the additional elements that make a brand valuable—helping guide and navigate people in terms of how they think, feel and act; helping define the context of foreign policy decisions. By these terms, Brand America under President Obama follows the Sinatra melody:

“It was a very good year….”

David Morey

America Must Again Fight Like An Underdog

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt spoke on December 9 at West Point and argued America must re-focus and re-energize its leadership and economic strategy. It is beyond true.

At Core Strategy Group, we work with companies in transforming them from the status of “incumbent”—over-confident, bureaucratic, afraid of change—to “insurgent”—hungry, agile and welcoming change. And it’s this kind of underdog-insurgent approach that American policy-making needs today: Returning to the grounding principles that created our greatness from the beginning and finding the courage to change that which we must.

This means, as Immelt implies, re-booting our nation’s leadership strategies—moving beyond the kind of incrementalism we see at work in the coming health care bill and shifting toward bold, audacious and strategically-focused programs for investment and reform. America was not built on small moves; it was forged on big ideas.

The 18^th Century philosopher Goethe wrote: “Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!” And today, in terms of re-focusing America’s economic, energy, educational and other reforms, it is a moment for boldness. There is genius, power and magic in that.

David Morey

Now What?!

In this challenging new reality there must be a fundamentally new approach to marketing.

That’s why we wrote the award-winning book, The Underdog Advantage, and developed insurgent marketing.

By this time you’ve undoubtedly made the obvious and even the painful cutbacks in costs. You’ve demanded more from your employees and suppliers. Now what?! You know you can’t cut your way to success. Now you must begin to create value. And you know you’ll have to do it in a different way. It’s not enough to be demanding a greater return from the same old strategies and tactics. And you know when things get back to normal, it won’t be normal at all.

It’s time for a change; for a new way.

An Approach Proved in Politics, Business and Warfare:

We have a developed a unique approach uniquely suited to these difficult times. It’s a strategic and tactical marketing and communications model based on lessons from the most successful revolutionaries and underdogs in politics, business and warfare. We call it insurgent marketing. Our goal is to use this new approach to revolutionize marketing and business.

Over the past few years far too much marketing has amounted to cautious incrementalism. And in this economic crunch, that’s gotten even worse. Imagination and invention have been missing – likewise missing have been aggressiveness and opportunism. Most of today’s marketing is based on a model made for the very different situation of past markets and mass marketing principles developed over five decades ago. As kids say, that is so over.

Start at Zero:

So we suggest beginning at the beginning – zero-base your marketing, from strategy to tactics, from top to bottom. We’ll help you redefine the job that marketing must do for your business and your brands in this new reality. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the way value is created; it’s only through developing relevant differentiation in your markets – benefits that are relevant to your target audiences, benefits that are clearly and compellingly differentiated from the competition.

If you accept the definition of marketing as a process to add value to transactions, then you must audit all operations and communications to see if they live up to that standard. If not, it’s time for a change.

Insurgent marketing strategy is based on the most results-oriented organizations – successful insurgent political campaigns, business campaigns and military doctrine. The stakes are clear; White House or out house. We bring this no-nonsense attitude to marketing and strategic communications. We’ll help you develop achievable goals that lead to real market momentum. We have created a radically different approach to market segmentation that drives profitable growth. And we will teach your organization to be more aggressive and opportunity-driven in today’s zero-sum markets with our Predator Marketing and Strategic Communications Programs.

It’s Time for a Change:

This crisis brings opportunity with it – the only organizations that will find that opportunity will have to be what the great Bear Bryant said he looked for in football recruits: “Mobile, agile and hostile.”

We preach and practice insurgent marketing strategy. We can create real change in your marketing and your marketing organization—in your own life plan, for that matter—and help generate more speed, focus and market impact. Now, more than ever before, is the time you need that; and now is the time to begin building it.

David

That's really me on Twitter. @playoffense

Find out my upcoming book and related ebooks.

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Learning from LexisNexis

LexisNexis is fighting like an insurgent underdog in the hard-to-make-money environment of the Web. Marketing on the Web takes the same strategic focus, discipline and customer-comes-first skills as selling fruit from a fruit stand. The basics still apply. And you've got to adapt and even transform your business model to the information age's new realities and, always, as an underdog, fight to control the dialogue, define yourself and your brand and play offense. This is the new way to win.

Read original article.

Who Says Innovation Belongs to the Small?

Steve Lohr's recent article, Who Says Innovation Belongs to the Small?, makes many great points: Especially that innovation is no longer the purview of only the small and "nimble." Lohr maintains correctly that innovation now means connecting to larger networks and finding scale. True as well. A few years ago, in my book, The Underdog Advantage, we argue the key is to "act small"...to act like an insurgent by playing offense, staying agile, focusing on your customers and their needs and constantly looking to change the status quo. Many of our clients today are big companies that do just this---that use their scale as an advantage with an underdog-insurgent attitude and strategy to innovate and change the status quo. Size matters....but the key is attitude. The key is for big companies to crash the stove-pipes, de-bureaucratize and act like an underdog-insurgent.

David E. Morey
Vice Chairman
Core Strategy Group
www.PlayOffense.com

In Times Like These...

Listen to a speech I recently gave to the Nebraska Ethanol Industry Forum.

David

Now What?!

In this challenging new reality there must be a fundamentally new approach to marketing.

That’s why we wrote the award-winning book, The Underdog Advantage, and developed insurgent marketing.

By this time you’ve undoubtedly made the obvious and even the painful cutbacks in costs. You’ve demanded more from your employees and suppliers. Now what?! You know you can’t cut your way to success. Now you must begin to create value. And you know you’ll have to do it in a different way. It’s not enough to be demanding a greater return from the same old strategies and tactics. And you know when things get back to normal, it won’t be normal at all.

It’s time for a change; for a new way.

An Approach Proved in Politics, Business and Warfare:

We have a developed a unique approach uniquely suited to these difficult times. It’s a strategic and tactical marketing and communications model based on lessons from the most successful revolutionaries and underdogs in politics, business and warfare. We call it insurgent marketing. Our goal is to use this new approach to revolutionize marketing and business.

Over the past few years far too much marketing has amounted to cautious incrementalism. And in this economic crunch, that’s gotten even worse. Imagination and invention have been missing – likewise missing have been aggressiveness and opportunism. Most of today’s marketing is based on a model made for the very different situation of past markets and mass marketing principles developed over five decades ago. As kids say, that is so over.

Start at Zero:

So we suggest beginning at the beginning – zero-base your marketing, from strategy to tactics, from top to bottom. We’ll help you redefine the job that marketing must do for your business and your brands in this new reality. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the way value is created; it’s only through developing relevant differentiation in your markets – benefits that are relevant to your target audiences, benefits that are clearly and compellingly differentiated from the competition.

If you accept the definition of marketing as a process to add value to transactions, then you must audit all operations and communications to see if they live up to that standard. If not, it’s time for a change.

Insurgent marketing strategy is based on the most results-oriented organizations – successful insurgent political campaigns, business campaigns and military doctrine. The stakes are clear; White House or out house. We bring this no-nonsense attitude to marketing and strategic communications. We’ll help you develop achievable goals that lead to real market momentum. We have created a radically different approach to market segmentation that drives profitable growth. And we will teach your organization to be more aggressive and opportunity-driven in today’s zero-sum markets with our Predator Marketing and Strategic Communications Programs.

It’s Time for a Change:

This crisis brings opportunity with it – the only organizations that will find that opportunity will have to be what the great Bear Bryant said he looked for in football recruits: “Mobile, agile and hostile.”

We preach and practice insurgent marketing strategy. We can create real change in your marketing and your marketing organization—in your own life plan, for that matter—and help generate more speed, focus and market impact. Now, more than ever before, is the time you need that; and now is the time to begin building it.

David

Feb. 27 - Wharton Club of DC

Underdog Strategic Lessons of The Obama Campaign:
Making Them Work in Your Company & Career


BUY TICKETS

Wharton Club members, guests, and others to be invited to presentation by leading strategist David Morey on how Obama used this approach, and how you can use it, too, to win when the odds are against you.

Event Date: Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 7:30am

Where: City Club of Washington
Columbia Square, 555 - 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 (near Metro Center).
Entrance to building is on 13th St., NW, between E & F Streets, NW, to left of Warner

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David Morey, Business Speaker

Turning Green into Black

EVERY COMPANY today is either “going green” or thinking of “going green;” trying to develop plans to contain the costs inherent in more sustainable operations, products and practices. In other words, people are treating the green movement as what someone once termed, “An insurmountable opportunity.”

In this economic crunch, though, we believe a defensive/reactive strategy or attitude is the wrong approach. “Going green” isn’t just about compliance with increasing political and public pressure. This is not just a shift in regulation, but a shift in attitudes—and it will result in a shift in buying behavior, competitive dynamics and value chains within your industry.

We believe you can turn your own move to greater environmental sustainability a move to greater revenue and profit for your core business and provide the opportunity to enter entirely new categories. Even in declining markets, we teach our clients to play offense, using insurgent strategies to gain an unfair share advantage in their markets. Enhancing your top and bottom lines—that’s what we mean by “Turning Green to Black”

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Learning from the Obama Brand

Winning Lessons Business Leaders Should Borrow From the Historical Obama Victory and Its Redefinition of Marketing and Communications

REGARDLESS OF ONE’S VOTER PREFERENCE, there are significant strategic lessons to be learned from the historic victory of Senator Barack Obama.

After all, this election witnessed the most engaged electorate in the history of this great nation—culminating in the largest voting population ever. And what is a vote but perhaps the most meaningful reflection of consumer engagement and behavior.

THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT.

It was an awe-inspiring branding campaign that should be studied by enlightened CEOs around the globe.

The Obama campaign was game changing. And the CEO who isn’t paying attention … well, isn’t paying attention.

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A Wake-Up Call

Everyone is re-thinking everything.
We’re re-thinking vacation plans, cutting back on any extravagance in spending, and planning on working more years before retiring.

GLOBAL BUSINESS HAS HEARD THE SAME CALL. Almost uniformly, companies of all shapes and sizes have announced cost-containment programs; job cuts and reductions of marketing spending.

We have been preparing for this crisis; for a wake-up call in business and marketing. Since it was founded in 1999, Zyman Group has been known for its hard-nosed business discipline for marketing strategy, the discipline of investing in marketing to generate sales and returns…not just spending on marketing activities. Over the past six months, we’ve infused new energy and focus into our approach using the principles of insurgent strategy, learned from the successes of revolutionaries in business, politics and warfare.

It’s not just incumbent market leaders or politicians who are under attack now: the incumbent thinking of business-and-marketing-as-usual have now been repudiated. And while most marketing services companies are still trying to defend strategies and tactics of the past, our job is to go on offense to fight for your future.

Here are four key measures we recommend for your business and marketing strategies and tactics; to drive success in this tough environment today and tomorrow:

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