Kate's 2013 Telluride Film Festival Reviews

(In a break from my normal Marketing-related posts, I thought I'd use this space to share my annual review.)
This year was something special.  It was the 40^th anniversary of the festival and to mark the occasion they added a day.  For Mom and me, it was our 22^nd consecutive year and we set a new personal best of 18 films/shows.  (Our previous record was 15 for those keeping track.)

What also made it special was the fact that we didn’t see a single bad movie.  There were better and less better movies, but to a one they were all quality films that I’m glad I got a chance to see.  AND this is true of the overall film going audience: no line buzz about bad movies.  But don’t fear, while all good films, I wouldn’t recommend them all to everybody so hopefully my reviews will still come in handy.

 Now, with 18 shows to tell you about, I’m going to forego the weather report and star sightings (Robert Redford and Brad Pitt) and jump right into the reviews.  As always, I present them in order of viewing since the senses can get dulled and the time of day can effect, so to be fair I present them as we saw them.  I hope this comes in helpful.  Now, on to it.

Tribute to Robert Redford

As someone that grew up wanting to steal my brother’s Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid poster so I could stare at Robert Redford, it was a thrill to start the festival with a tribute and Q&A with the actor.  What I didn’t realize until that moment was the true depth of his work and just how many amazing roles and characters he’s played throughout the years.  With clips from his earliest work on TV (1960’s The Iceman Cometh) to Butch Cassidy (1969) to All the President’s Men (1976), Out of Africa (1985) and A River Runs Through It (1992) he has been a part of movies since I can remember and an advocate and innovator in the film industry.  I know I’m going to be adding some Redford movies to my Netflix cue as a result of this tribute.
 

Inside Llewyn Davis

The latest movie from the Coen brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis is set in the early sixty’s in the New York folk music scene.  The main character, Llewyn Davis, is a talented and self-destructive folk musician who is part tortured artist and part jerk, using friends for places to crash and to borrow money.  The movie takes place over the course of a week where he confronts his career options, deals with the consequence of his actions and plays some amazing music.  And outstanding performance by Oscar Isaac in the lead role and supporting roles from Justin Timberlake and Carrie Mulligan and John Goodman the movie also has some good folk music done by T-bone Burnett. 

Overall, if you’re a Coen brothers fan you’ll probably like the film but it’s a bit darker in tone so if you’re expecting O Brother or Raising Arizona, then you’ll want to adjust your expectations or else you’ll be disappointed.

 Nebraska

The latest film from Alexander Payne (Descendants, Sideways) this is the story of a borderline senile old man named Woody (played by Bruce Dern) who is bound and determined to go and collect his prize after receiving a mail-order sweepstakes letter.  After multiple attempts to talk sense into him, his son David decides to take a road trip with his dad and off they go.  En route, they stop in Woody’s hometown to stay with his brother and the rumor of Woody’s amazing win spreads throughout the small town.  Through the reactions of the town David comes to see different sides of his dad and learn more of the family history.

Our favorite film of the festival and probably the consensus winner overall, this movie is both touching and funny and a features outstanding performances most notably from Bruce Dern (expect an Academy Award nod for best actor), Will Forte (a revelation to me and someone that SHOULD get a best supporting Oscar nomination) and June Squibb as Woody’s hilarious wife. 

Overall: Maybe not a great movie for kids or people that only like action flicks, but for all others who appreciate movies, this is one absolutely worth seeing.

 Tim’s Vermeer

In the art world there has long been speculation that the painter Vermeer used some sort of optical device in the painting of his pictures -- but to date there has been no proof or documentation of how he would have done it.  And then came Tim Jenison.  A successful inventor and decidedly non-painter, Tim became obsessed with solving the mystery after having an inspiration for how Vermeer might have achieved his results.

Unlike most documentaries that dissect a subject after the fact, one of the things that makes this so interesting is that it’s following him along the journey of discovery as he goes from the first articulation of his theory through to the completion of a test to see if he got it right.  Through interviews with experts to almost daily check-ins during the test, you experience along with Tim the thrill of discovery and the struggle of proof. The film was produced by Penn Gillette and directed by Teller, this film is a straight-forward look at an attempt to solve the mystery of Vermeer. 

There was a part of me that was reluctant to see the film because I’m not a great art appreciator, however I was drawn into the story quickly because for as much as it’s about art, it’s also a mystery story that attempts to solve the questions about Vermeer’s paintings.  If you’re at all interested in real life mysteries, this film will most likely appeal to you.

A Tribute to the Coen brothers and T-Bone Burnett

The Coen brothers have made a lot of great films (Raising Arizona, Fargo and the Big Lebowski to name a few) and together with T Bone Burnett, they’ve made great films with great music.  This tribute showed us clips from The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Ladykillers and Inside Llewyn Davis demonstrating the effect of music and how it can transform scenes from fun or interesting into iconic. 

During the Q&A that went along with this tribute, it was clear that the brothers have a process that is unique to them and attempts to describe or dissect the process are near impossible.  Clearly T Bone has figured it out but it’s clear he may be the only one since even the brothers had a hard time answering those questions.

As with all Telluride tributes, I walked away realizing there are movies I’ve missed that I should pick up and my Netflix streaming list just got a little bit longer.

 

Labor Day

A young boy lives with his mother (Kate Winslet) who has become a near recluse after the breakup of her marriage.  When it becomes clear that the boy needs new clothes she reluctantly takes him to the store where they encounter a fleeing conflict who forces them, at gunpoint, to take him to their home and hide him from the police. And from there follows the story of the relationships that form between the captives and the captor, the close calls with neighbors and piecing together of the history of the crime Frank (Josh Brolin) is imprisoned for.

Directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) this is a quiet movie that explores how lives can be damaged and healed and changed in unexpected ways.  The performances were all very good and the story is maybe a bit more traditional than some of the art-house fair Telluride often gets, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy or entertaining.

Overall, I’d say this movie doesn’t just appeal to the art-house crowd, it would appeal to a wider audience as more of a “chick flick” type of movie.  And a quality one at that.

All is Lost

The movie starts with Robert Redford asleep on a boat, alone on the Indian Ocean 1700 miles off shore, with water splashing into the cabin.  From there, the story unfolds of one man’s struggle for survival from many man-made and nature created events.

It’s hard to say too much more than that because the movie is just Robert Redford on a boat confronting the challenges of being at sea.  There’s no dialog and while a comparison to Castaway could be made, Redford has no “Wilson” to interact with – it’s just him and the elements.

A strong and demanding performance by Robert Redford, the lack of dialog could easily drive away people who like more traditional movies.  However, if you like man against nature and action that isn’t gun-based, this movie might appeal to you.

Starred Up

This movie is set in a UK prison and starts when Eric, a young guy, is being processed into the prison.  Pretty quickly he sets out to be a bad-ass and try to prove himself with violent stunts and inmate run-ins.  It’s clear he’s familiar with the system but he’s in a new league and he gets a guardian angel (sort of) in the guise of his father – an inmate with clout within the prison population.

In addition to his father, he’s also introduced to a therapy group that tries to help him deal with his anger and the movie is a character study in the influences on Eric and what will win out.

Intense and gritty, there are some really strong performances and a good deal of violence.  Much more a guys film than most, the violence may (and should) keep some away but it’s a worth while film for people who can enjoy this type of movie.

The Past

A complicated family drama about a woman who’s seeking a divorce in order to marry her new fiancé.  The ex comes back to France to complete the process of the divorce and awkwardly stays with the new blended family where he becomes a bit of a peacemaker with the kids struggling with this new relationship.

The story slowly unfolds as we learn why the oldest daughter is so dead set against the pairing and unravel the misunderstandings and consequences of past actions.

 
Very well acted and nicely paced with subtle twists and turns, this film may not be for non-film buffs but it’s worth seeing for those that appreciate a story that takes the time to unfold.

The Lunchbox

A woman desperate to get the attention of her ambitious, over-working husband – Ila sets out to win his heart by making amazing lunches for him.  After he leaves in the morning, she begins to make amazing food and sends the lunches off via the delivery service.  (Apparently there’s a large business in delivering lunches in India.) 

One day, the lunchbox made for her husband is mistakenly delivered to Saajan, an older and solitary man who is nearing retirement.  At first he doesn’t realize the mistake but through a series of tentative note writing Ila and Saajan connect and strike up a friendship.  The movie unfolds as this friendship progresses and impacts both their lives.

I heard someone say in line that this was a “typical” Telluride film and maybe so in that it was a subtle and sweet foreign film that is story and character driven, well acted and well liked. I think it’s a movie worth watching.

 Tracks

Based on the true story of Robyn Davidson who, in 1977 got three camels and her dog and crossed Australia, this movie begins after she’s made up her mind to make the crossing and is just starting to figure out how to bring her plan to life. We follow Robyn’s journey (as portrayed by Mia Wasikowska) from her attempts to secure camels, to her struggle with taking National Geographic sponsorship, and all along the long and often arduous slog across the vase expanse of the country.  Along the way she encounters many Aboriginals who assist her as well as enduring “fans” of the “camel lady” that come from her National Geographic coverage.

One of Mom and my favorites of the year, it’s an incredible journey that shows the struggles and triumphs and loneliness and love that happen along the way.  Mia Wasikowska is deserving of an Academy Award nomination for this – especially when you realize there’s no computer graphics or faking the animal interaction.  I highly recommend this film to a broader audience with the caveat that it’s a quieter, personal journey film that action-oriented audience would probably find difficult.

12 Years A Slave

Around 1850, a free and accomplished black man named Solomon Northrup was abducted from his home in the North and sold as a slave into the deep South.  The movie follows his 12 years in slavery and how a clearly articulate and talented man is treated by a succession of masters and situations. 

A strong and often difficult performance to watch from Chiwetel Ejiofor, we see Solomon confront moments of hope, fear, violence and despair while trying to endure, survive and ultimately regain his freedom. With more compassionate masters (Benedict Cumberbatch) and cruel (Michael Fassbender), he is forced to seek opportunities and take risks that could cost him his life.

This movie was well liked by the Telluride crowd with most taking about how hard it was to watch because it forces us to confront a brutal and unfair (too soft a word) history of our country.  But very strong performance (I see possible AA nomination for Ejiofor and definitely supporting for Michael Fassbender) it’s a movie that is worth seeing.

The Unknown Known

The latest documentary from Errol Morris (“The Fog of War,” “Thin Blue Line”) this is a portrait of Donald Rumsfeld and a dissection of his time as Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush.  Using clips from an extensive interview with Rumsfeld, Morris seeks to understand the man and his point of view on the actions he took in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as his attempt to revamp the military.  We see his time in government from his early years as a Congressman and Chief of Staff to Gerald Ford in an attempt to better understand what lead him to the mindset displayed in the Bush years.

I have to admit I came into the movie with the assumption this was going to be an indictment of Rumsfeld and make him look like an evil monster. What I walked away with was a sense that while I may not have agreed with the decisions he made, I better understand why he made them and how he saw the world that allowed him to take those actions.  It wasn’t a puff piece at all, but it was a more even-handed portrait than I’d expected which I think was good because it allowed the viewer to make up their own mind about the motivations and character of Rumsfeld.  I was surprised that Morris seemed to let Rumsfeld off the hook a couple of times, but I was equally shocked that Rumsfeld sat for the interview and actually answered, what appeared to be truthfully and introspectively, some difficult questions.

As a somewhat recovering political junkie, I thought this movie was good at helping to better understand one of the principals that lead us into the wars in the Middle East.  It might be frustrating for true believers on either side looking to prove a point, but as a complicated portrait it does a good job.

Gravity

Three astronauts are out in space doing repairs and tests in the atmosphere when word comes that there’s been an explosion of a Russian satellite and the impact from that explosion is hurtling space debris at them rapidly.  With that warning, the movie kicks into high gear and never slows down as crisis moves to crisis as they try to recover from the damage of the impacts.

Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, this was an unusual blockbuster-type movie for Telluride audience but I think they chose to show it there because the film makers wanted to show a (sometimes) snobby film audience that blockbusters can be quality films too.  And in this case I’d say it was.  In 3-D, this movie combined action with solid performances and a sense of suspense that lasted until the end.  I have to say that it was a fun ride and although I watched it as film number four of the day, film number 14 of the festival and at 9:30pm, I was riveted to the screen and pumped up at the end. So for once I can recommend a film to take your family to or go with your action-oriented friends.  This one is good for all.

Before the Winter Chill

A successful French doctor appears to have it all – a happy family, a solid practice and group of good friends around him.  Then one day a bouquet of roses arrives to his office, the assumption is they are from a grateful patient, probably the former patient he met tending bar at a local restaurant.  Then bouquets start arriving to his home and his wife is getting concerned and he’s getting annoyed.  While driving into work he sees the bartender and jumps out of his car to confront her, only to learn he’s falsely accused her leading him to feelings of guilt.  He decides to apologize and from there an odd friendship/relationship begins to form that begins to drive a wedge between his family and friends.

A movie of subtleties and relationships, the interplay of the various characters changes from what seemed obvious on the surface.  With strong performances by Daniel Auteuil as the doctor, Kristin Scott-Thomas as his wife and Leila Bekhti as the bartender, this might be a little slow for the average movie goer but it’s got layers and nuances that a film buff would probably like.

Invisible Woman

Charles Dickens was famous in his time not just as a writer but he also acted and was quite successful as a speaker/performer of his writing.  While putting on a play, he’s introduced to a young actress named Nelly and he’s quickly drawn to her and she to him.  Her family is worried because while he’s wealthy and accomplished, he’s also married and much older and it is Victorian England.  But despite the barriers and need for hiding, the two become involved and she serves as his muse during his later career.

Immediately after seeing this movie we were checking out Wikipedia to learn more and see how realistic this was only to learn that the movie was very true to the real life story of Dickens and Nelly’s relationship. 

The film was developed and directed by Ralph Finnes who also stars as Dickens and features a solid performance by Felicity Jones as Nelly.  Overall this was a well-made, entertaining movie but not one I’d say you have to run out and see.  Netflix for a rainy Sunday afternoon might be better.

 Salinger

To most of the general population (well, me and most of my friends) JD Salinger is the author of Catcher in the Rye and a known recluse.  Beyond that, I didn’t know much more.  This documentary told me there was a lot more to know and he was much more than the one-hit wonder I thought him to be.

An extensive array of interviews with people who knew him across all facets of his life, filmmaker Shane Salerno paints a portrait of a complicated, arrogant but talented man probably damaged from his service during WWII and wanting influence without the complications of interaction. 

A really well-done documentary, I found myself drawn in to Salinger’s story more so than I ever would have imagined.  The director managed to portray a complicated and flawed individual without making judgments either positive or negative.  And because of the vast array of interviewees from the expanse of his life, you get a full picture not just of the consequences but of the causes too.  I highly recommend this film to anyone that might be at all interested in Salinger. 

 Bethlehem

Set in Israel and Palestine, the movie revolves around a young Palestinian boy named Sanfur who wants to be grown up and taken seriously but is overshadowed by his omni-present brother who is a major rebel in the Palestinians movement.  Sanfur has been recruited by the Israeli secret service and his handler Razi is using Sanfur to try to capture his brother and avoid an imminent threat.  But while Razi is using Sanfur, he’s also grown attached to him and is trying to protect him -- causing both of them problems.
 
The movie is interesting because it gives you a glimpse of the world in that region and the tensions and secret operations who are trying to foment trouble and those trying to avoid it.  It’s clearly a complicated situation and this movie captures some of that world and the relationships that occur.
 
I enjoyed this movie and while it’s not one I’d say you have to run out and see, for people that enjoy the interplay of relationships and politics, especially in that region of the world, it’s a strong story that’s well acted and well done.

 

 And that brings me to the end of my reviews.  Phew.  What a year.  Going back through all these movies for this review I’d say it was the year of the personal journey.  I suppose many/most movies are some sort of journey, but in the case of the films this year, from drama to documentary, it seemed more specifically pointed to the singular, personal journeys.  From Robert Redford on a boat in “All is Lost” to Robyn Davidson’s trek across Australia in “Tracks” to Tim’s quest to discover the truth about Vermeer’s paintings in “Tim’s Vermeer” to Shane Salerno’s portrait of JD Salinger in “Salinger,” these movies all focused on the person(s) and their evolution.  And fortunately, thankfully, they were all interesting and well made.

 At 18 films/shows, we saw almost everything we wanted to see with the reconsidered exception of Prisoners, the new Hugh Jackman/Jake Gyllenhaal movie that’s coming out right now.  We’d heard that it was good but very violent so we avoided it and in retrospect both Mom and I are thinking that we should have tried harder to see it. 

 The other big movies of the festival we didn’t see were Burning Bush, a three-part documentary done by HBO Europe about the Czech Republic and their quest for democracy in the late 1960’s.  Everyone really liked this documentary but at close to four hours we decided to forego it and hope that HBO US would show it here and we could pick it up in the future.  The other “big” movie was Palo Alto, a movie by Gia Coppola (niece of Sophia, grand daughter of Francis) based on short stories by James Franco.  That one didn’t fare so well – while I didn’t hear super negative things, I also didn’t hear a lot of positives with most people being kind of neutral about having seen it.

 
And one final note of pride as I move into my final wrap up – Mom won a trivia contest our last day and received from Turner Classic Movies a box set with five Academy Award winning films!  The question, the oldest person to win an Academy Award?  (I’m going to keep you in suspense and either make you look it up or shout out your answers via comments.

As I said in the beginning, year 40 for the festival and 22 for Mom and me was a great year for quality films and a good time in general.  I feel lucky to have had the opportunity once again and I hope this review helps you to figure out what to see in the year(s) ahead.  Enjoy!

 

Kate

 

 

 

 

Global branding: it isn’t as easy as it sounds

When you think about big international companies, it seems like they have global figured out.  For my job, I’ve had to travel the world and whether I’m in Peru or Russia or England, Coke looks like Coke, Subway like Subway and Channel like Channel.  Just get the logo right and colors right and your good, right?

If only it were that simple.  And in some ways it is.  One of the things that makes those brands so iconic is they have distinctive logos and color schemes.  And you know when you see a Coke product in a slightly off script that it’s a knock off just as you do the distinctive coupling of the Channel “c” if it’s real or not.  But branding is much deeper than that and while the logo may be a visual trigger, the communication as a whole has to be consistent to maintain your brand.

This is very challenging on a global scale because different cultures have different esthetics and you want to connect with your audience in a relevant way which, unfortunately, doesn’t always coincide with your brand.  Let me give you an example.  About two years ago we rolled out a global campaign.  Our brand goals were to start educating people on the company and create a positive association and we wanted to do it in a credible and authentic manner.  For us in the West, that meant real life, real situations and images that support everyday real experiences for our audience.  Soon after the campaign launched, our China office took the campaign and ran with it, but in an effort to localize it, they altered the imagery to include a faux blue sky with a generic grass field.  Pretty much the antithesis of authentic and real.  They sent it in to Brand Review and we were suddenly faced with the challenge of deciding is this actually on brand in their culture and are we okay with it as a global company.

The obvious answer (at least we thought) was no, it wasn’t okay, this didn’t convey the realism and authentic nature of the company that we wanted to establish.   But what they countered with was – in China, most of the major Fortune 500 countries were using this type of brand imagery, so if we wanted to convey global, trusted brand, then using this imagery helped our communication more than trying to look authentic and risking looking small and untrustworthy.  It forced us to have to face a tough question: what is more important, global visual consistency or global message consistency?

In the end we allowed them to use their imagery but it kick started a process and discussion that is crucial for all global brands: defining the essence of your brand.   Without that definition, and without that language, branding becomes a series of rules to follow verses messages to convey.  It puts the emphasis on the superficial (logo color and placement) and ignores the deeper relationship you want with your audience.  And on a global scale, it robs you of a platform that enables you to be consistent and still regionally and locally relevant.

These days, with internet sales and social media platforms, even local brands have become global and the challenge of staying true and being relevant is harder.  But with some focused effort and creative minds, it can be done and the rewards are great.  And if you're lucky like I've been, you'll get a chance to experience first hand how your brand looks in countries as diverse as Bulgaria and Mexico. 

My top 5 favorite commercials or campaigns

The last few posts have been very heavy so I thought it time to lighten things up, have some fun and think about my favorite commercials.  I admit right now that these have nothing to do with the best brand campaigns, in fact, a few are very far from it, but these are one’s I’ve loved, hated or in one way or another found myself remembering with a chuckle.  So, in no particular order, here goes.

1. Oscar Meyer has a way with B-A-L-O-G-N-A.  Picture a little boy on a dock with his Fischer-Price fishing pole signing away and managing to get me to sign along no matter how hard I tried not to.  And, just as School House Rock taught me the constitution, this commercial taught me how to spell bologna. 
2. “Ode to a laxative.”  In my senior year of college, one of my roommates would stay up late watching reruns on local channels. One morning she tells me of the worst commercial she’s ever seen.  So bad, she thought it was a SNL skit but she was sure it couldn’t have been.  I did not believe her until a few weeks later when I sat watching with her and there it was, a cowboy singing “Doxadan oh Doxadan, does whatever a laxative can.”  Really, enough said. (Sorry, I couldn't find the link.)
3. Coke’s “I'd like to teach the world to sing.”  Watching this commercial when I was a kid made me feel good.  I somehow felt uplifted and happy and there just seemed like a freedom and good will toward man about this.  I don’t know that I ever stopped to think about this as an ad selling me soda, I just enjoyed it and drank it all in.  (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.)
4. “Thanks Easter Bunny – Bok Bok.” Oh M&M's, how could you take this off the air after probably 10-straight years of seeing a little boy in a chicken suit and another in an egg suit belting out that line.  I still feel like Easter isn’t Easter without it so I manage to work it into each holiday season – no matter that people look at me like I’m insane.
5. Norelco’s Santa riding on a razor down a snowy mountain.  Like the M&M's ad of #4, this ad always triggered the start of the Christmas shopping season.  When this ad was on during the Grinch it was a perfect storm of Christmas triggers designed to get me in the holiday mood.  To Norelco’s credit, they actually updated the commercial many years back but alas, it didn’t quite have the same charm of the original.  I’m not complaining, I like it, but that original commercial is indelibly linked to Christmas in my child’s mind. 

Going through the list I know I’m forgetting/leaving off many and especially the current ads (like, I love the new Jack in the Box commercials and actually roll back my DVR to watch them) but these ads were foundational for turning me into the marketer that I am today. 

Now, if you’re reading this post, PLEASE, tell me your favorites.  And don’t hold back, I included a laxative ad afterall. 

The hardest product to market: you

In the past several weeks the topic of personal branding has come up multiple times.  It’s been with different crowds of people for different reasons, but the same basic comment always gets made: I can market any product – just not myself.  I have to admit, I’ve said this many (many) times myself.  And this got me to think … why?

By all logic, the “product” we should be able to market best is ourselves – we know it inside and out.  Additionally, we have years of market research on what works and what doesn’t, what people respond to and what they don’t, and we’ve even (hopefully) modified the product to be more valuable to our prospective audiences.  So why then is it so difficult to craft a compelling message that is a benefit to the “user” and sets us apart?

After much soul searching and a bit of trial and error, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s we’re too close to the product.  It’s impossible to look at ourselves objectively and prioritize traits that we think we’re good at but not great at even if they’re the things that sell us best.  Most of us have a hard time shaking off the negative feedback we’ve had in our careers even if in the scheme of things they’d qualify in the plus/minus of research and are statistically insignificant.  And when it comes to praise, we’ve been socialized not to brag so we underplay/undersell our success. In essence, we are like so many a product manager – we want to say everything because we believe the package should sell itself.

So armed with this insight I sat down determined to get it right.  I made a list of positive traits and I looked at the LinkedIn jobs that seemed like a good fit and wrote down their key words.  I then took my lists and matched them all up to create the most compelling positioning statement I could but what I came out with was … garbage.  Well, maybe not garbage but definitely not unique and not something to set me apart.  In frustration I gave up and called on my brother (a creative writer and business school grad) to help me but alas, he still needed that core element from me. 

It took about a week, and it had nothing to do with looking at lists or strategizing on about what sells, it was when I was trailing off on an impassioned plea to focus on the customer and understand that saying something great about ourselves isn’t inherently a benefit to the customer --  I realized what defines me. I’m sort of embarrassed to say it because it seems like what every marketer should say (the marketers equivalent to “world peace” in beauty pageants) – but what I firmly believe in and what fires me up is being the voice of the customer.  I feel like it’s my mission to make sure that their point of view is the point of view that we need to keep in mind when developing products and messages. 

I have no idea if this is a good personal brand or not, but for the first time in a long time I feel like I can put this on my resume and be proud that for better or worse I’m accurately representing the brand that is me.    And for all you out there struggling with this same challenge, I wish you luck and success and I’ll give you one word of advice – ask yourself what you want and would be proud to be known for and then put it out there.  The people that value that will value you and that will be the best place for you.

Good luck!  And I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, suggestions or your personal brand.

Marketers Need to Keep Learning

I could really stop there and my message would be clear but that would be a dull and lazy blog so I’ll work a little harder and see if I can persuade you.

In general, we marketers have interesting jobs.  It may not seem like it when we’re explaining the difference between a slogan and a tagline for the 700-th time or why “everyone” doesn’t count as a target audience – but when we’re working with creative teams or watching focus groups from behind the glass, it really is a fun and interesting profession.  But even fun and interesting can turn dull and routine if we forget (or get too busy) to get out, see the world and remind ourselves that there’s a weird and wacky world out there.

 

In March, I took the leap and signed up for a class at UCLA called Social Media Marketing.  I took the class to test myself and my social acumen (I’m pleased to say I wasn’t as out of date as I feared); to nudge me to get more active with social again and to just get out of the office at least one night a week.  What I’m getting out of it is so much more. 

Going back into the classroom is rejuvenating.  What I took for granted at 18 I am relishing at XX and I’m invigorated not just by the class content but my fellow students and the environment.  Walking through the Student Union to get to class, I’m seeing the fashions and technologies, the food and the games.  In class I’m hearing questions from different points of view and with different expectations of how to apply the information.  I even love looking at the message board outside our classroom advertising everything from study groups and term paper writing to cable service and health care.  My brain feels switched on again and while it’s not new information, I’m suddenly making connections and looking for opportunities I might have missed just a couple of months ago.

The fundamentals of marketing didn’t change when people moved from radio to television and they won’t change as we move from TV to portable screens in our pockets and whatever comes after that. But the world is changing and if we want to create compelling messages for our audiences, we must not just know about the technologies, we must use them.  We must get out and look around, participate and learn.  It doesn’t have to be a class at a college, it can be volunteering in a kindergarten classroom or picking up trash as part of Earth Day – so long as you’re opening your mind and taking in not just the task but experience. 

As I said at the start, marketers have interesting jobs.  We get to learn and test human attitudes and behavior and create products and messaging to move them.  Learning is really fundamental to our jobs and it’s one of the perks we can take for granted.  So today, I challenge us all to get out and learn something.  Not only will it make us better marketers, it just might make us better people.

Beware the bubble

The bubble is not a new concept.  As children most of us learned the story of the “The Emperor’s New Clothes” where a ruler gets talked into going naked in public because no one will tell him he’s wearing no clothes.  As adults, we hear it often associated with politics as when David Gregory on "Meet the Press" refers to “the Beltway bubble” and Bill Maher had a segment on his show during the recent elections called “Dispatches from the Bubble.”

Let’s face it, no one enjoys hearing bad news and so as human beings we often close ourselves away from it and put up protective walls.  Whether it’s our choice of friends or the news channels we watch, it’s reassuring to surround ourselves with people that think and see the world like us. 

But just as the Emperor suffered great embarrassment when his bubble was burst, so we run the risk of leaving ourselves/our companies/our brands open to criticism, embarrassment and brand erosion when we fail to open our eyes and ears to the negative perceptions around our products and brands.   And it doesn’t matter if what’s said is accurate or not, in the world today content is seen as truth whether it’s a well-researched piece of journalism or a random comment or blog post on the web.  All it takes is one negative comment or review that gets picked up and shared and suddenly millions of dollars and many years work building your brand can be brought down in days.

I’ll give you a personal example.  Back in September my company conducted some internal focus groups using employees as proxies for the general public.  We were asked questions about our general eating habits, our perceptions of healthy and the category of health, and we discussed products in general and our products and company specifically trying to get a better and broader sense of the challenges we face and opportunities we have.  In my group, I made it a point to answer honestly – taking off the hat of employee and executive, and answering both as myself and as the general public attitudes toward our company.   It was amazing to see how uncomfortable that made people.  I wasn’t saying horrible things, I was merely acknowledging that there are people that don’t think the best of us – but it was clearly bumping up against our corporate bubble. 

In December, our company was targeted by a hedge fund manager accusing us of all sorts of bad business practices and dishonest motives.  Much of what he said was flat out false, but the stock took a substantial hit and internally people were shocked that this could happen.  However, had anyone looked outside the bubble, his accusations wouldn’t have been so surprising and we might have been better prepared.

As brand managers and marketers, it is our job to craft messages that speak to people in ways that make them feel good about our products and brands.  But to do that and do it well, we must be prepared to take the bad with the good and listen to our detractors as much, if not more, than the people that love us.  Whether it’s traditional methods like focus groups or new means like monitoring social media, we are not doing our jobs if we are not listening, hearing and acknowledging all the opinions out there.  And yes, there are going to be people that say bad things just to say them, as social media specialist Beverly Macy says, “haters gonna hate.”  But if we shy away from listening than the haters have a much better chance of winning.

It’s not easy to hear negative and even harder to have to represent that point of view within the company but that is the job of a brand manager.  After all, if you build your brand out of a house made of bubbles, it may look shiny and bright for a time but they will inevitably burst leaving nothing but soapy mess to clean up.   

If your brand walked into a party ...

Sounds like the start of a joke but I also believe that it’s a valuable way look at your brand and how you connect and come across to your audience.

Parties are a place for people to mix and meet; where interactions are often introductory and topline but can also be the starting point for lifelong friendships and relationships.  They are places for old friends to get together and catch up, and people to relax and have fun for a couple of hours.  And personality types often are very apparent at parties:

·         SHY: they stand off to the sides and talk to the people they know and are comfortable with or look at the books on the shelves

·         LIFE OF THE PARTY: everyone is their friend and laughter and loud are the name of the game.  They can make the party fun, but they can also overwhelm the party and it’s guests depending on the crowd and the mood.

·         THE BORE: these are the people that talk about themselves.  It may be their kids, their jobs, their problems – and it may start off talking about you but they’ll find a way to shift the conversation back to them.

·         THE PERFECT GUEST: they are helpful to the host, gracious to the guests, interested in what people have to say but also contribute to the discussion. 

Now, think about your brand.  Which one are you?  Do you spend most of your time and effort talking to your current customers content with what you have? Do you throw your message out everywhere hoping someone will notice but overwhelm (and overspend) in the process? Is your messaging all about yourself and how wonderful you are?  Or do you listen to your audience, complement them and help them to make their experience as good as it can be?

As marketers, we often overcomplicate the concept of what a brand is and how it should behave.  When really, we need to bring it back to the basics and ask ourselves how we want our customers and future customers to see us and would we want to talk to our brand at a party?

The answer may differ based on what you’re trying to achieve, but get it right and you won’t just be a guest, you’ll be hosting your own party to celebrate.