An Even Keel :: A personal branding blog from Scott Kuehl

Warm, welcoming and well-built: The brand of Nor-Son

This is the company where I spend my days. Nor-Son is a construction services firm that specializes in creating warm, welcoming and well-built environments for the home, hospitality, healthcare and commercial sectors. Enjoy this brand anthem. It tells you a bit about the company and it's philosophy. Build well. Be well.

And keep it even,
Scott Kuehl

PS Check out the Nor-Son website at www.nor-son.com

The ultimate brand strategy: The Declaration of Independence

Yesterday I celebrated Independence Day with my brother and our families. We took a boat ride on the beautiful Gull Lake chain where we saw dozens and dozens of boats adorned in red, white and blue.

Flags. Streamers. Banners.
The American spirit was alive and in full force.

All that summer patriotism got me thinking about what a great little vacation we were having.
And that got me thinking about other little Americana vacations I've taken. One in particular...

Ever been to Boston?

The birthplace of our country. I was there several years ago, and took a walk on the Freedom Trail, saw the USS Constitution and the site of the Boston Tea Party. I also took a stroll past Paul Revere's house, Boston Common and many other historic locations you would recognize from your 10th grade history class, including Bunker Hill monument.

And, of course, I visited Cheers.  By the way, it's a little known fact that battle actually happened on Breed's Hill. But I digress, Normy.

I took away many memories from that Boston trip. And most of them had to do with the thought that America didn't always have the "brand strategy" it has now. "Freedom" wasn't always our "word." Freedom wasn't always our cause. The Kingdom of Great Britain had their own ideas on how to run the country -- and the people in it.

Until one day the ole Continental Congress drew the line in the sand.

Suffice it to say, it is no small feat to start a new country. If you think it's a risk starting a new business, try starting a new nation. In 1776, when Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers drafted the Declaration of Independence, surely they had plenty to lose by doing so. Not the least of which was their pulse.

We've all signed checks... or estimates... or mortgages... or performance reviews... or wedding licenses... but signing your name to a document that declares your independence AND at the same time, declares you are also committing treason? Never done that.

Next time you draft a strategy or make a declaration on behalf of your company or yourself, remember how this great country got started.

Now...Why not make it a little bolder?

Keep it even,
Scott Kuehl

Your favorite brand: What if it went away?

Play a game with me.

Think of a place you absolutely love to go.

Now think of a company -- or even a person -- you absolutely love to do business with on a daily basis.

Now think of a publication you absolutely love to read.

Okay, here's the question:
If you couldn't experience that particular brand anymore, would it matter to you?

Oh, what a wonderful question.

In his blog, Brand Autopsy,  blogger John Moore asks, "If [insert company brand here] went out of business, would any of us care?"

He asks the question of organizations such as the NHL, The Cheesecake Factory, Advertising Age, Subaru, Wells Fargo and others. He even asks the question of certain products like Polaroid instant film.

Makes you wonder.
If the brand you represent went away, would anyone miss it?

Keep it even,
Scott Kuehl

What's in a name?

Destiny Hope Cyrus officially changed hers to Miley Cyrus.

Mailboxes Etc is a forgotten memory, and goes by "The UPS Store."

AT&T is Cingular... is AT&T.

Yes, a name is a powerful thing.
Few things in the English language are sweeter than the sound of your own name. (When it's said correctly, that is. Last week, in follow-up email correspondence with a business colleague, I referred to his wife by the wrong name. I was mortified in my mistake. He was gracious in his correction.)

My wife chuckles when I correct people on how to say our last name. (It's pronounced KEEL, as in... wait for it... An Even Keel.) While you can't choose your last name, you can choose the name of your business. (And if the name's not working, you can change it.) Your name is the hook on which your brand will hang.

So how do you name your business?

This St. Patrick's Day, The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled Name That Firm. Journalist Suzanne Barlyn wrote the story and talked to several business owners around the nation. The story gives a broad cross section of entrepreneurs who own product and service companies. From catering to biosciences, they all had a decision to make: "What should I name my company?"

My brand consulting firm, BrandResolve, gets a mention. And yours truly is quoted.

What's the name of your business? 
(Or, if you started a business, what would you call it?)

Keep it even,
Scott Kuehl

Creating a high-performing culture? First, move beyond motivation.

We've all been to them.

Those rah-rah motivational workshops that get you and your teams all pumped up. People are fired up. Work is good. Heck, work is... GREAT! The teams leave engaged. Ready to set record sales, ready to provide unparalleled service, ready to change the world.

The workshop ends.

Two weeks later, the first big crisis pops up. And what happens?
The magic is gone. The collaborative spirit disintegrates. And the new playbook that felt so great in practice, gets thrown out the window at crunch time.

Worse yet, everyone becomes resentful about why they can't replicate the esprit de corps of the workshop. Next thing you know, the entire organization feels like they're livin' in a van down by the river. (Apologies to the late, great Chris Farley.)

Executive leaders: Why does this happen? How do you keep the magic? How do you keep people engaged?

Erik Gabrielson, GABE Company, brought over a dozen C-level executives together last night in St. Paul, MN, to talk about this situation. He and Scott Coady, (Institute for Embodied Wisdom) teamed up to give a revitalizing lesson in learning and leadership within organizations.

It was an energizing take on how to achieve exceptional results from a culture of learning, trust and authenticity; versus one of bravado, fear, and, well... simply trying too hard and forcing progress.

The principles and philosophies of Gabrielson and Coady have no regard for size of organization. Start-up or global enterprise -- it doesn't matter. Because ultimately, as Coady says, "It's all about the people."

If you're a C-level exec that understands your organization will only thrive if your people are empowered to thrive within it, the philosophy is worth considering.

And from my own organizational philosophy, once your people are able to align their values, strengths and aspirations -- aka their own personal brand -- behind your organizational vision, you'll never again have to worry about "that motivation you paid for" wearing off. It's already within them.

Keep it even,
Scott Kuehl

Building a Brand: The Six Ps

We've all heard of the 4 Ps in Marketing. Product. Price. Place. Promotion.
But what about branding?

Yesterday, a long walk in some softly falling snow brought these new Ps to mind. I was thinking specifically about corporate and product branding when I created this list, but the principle could obviously extend to personal branding. The fact that the words are all P-words is a coinkydink. Anyway, I wanted to capture this little mini-manifesto before it melted away.

So without further ado, here are The Six Ps of Building a Brand. (Among this P soup, you'll notice a special guest appearance from one of the Marketing P words.)

1. Building Pride
First, our organization must build and communicate an understanding of WHY it does what it does. Everyone within our organization must understand why their role is worthwhile and why it matters for the greater good. From boardroom to mail room, each contributor must understand the big picture. Each person must grasp the real value of what they “do” as an individual, as well as what our company accomplishes as a group of individuals. Pride results in a better product and a genuine concern for how to continually make the brand experience better for customers. It also yields greater career satisfaction.

2. Building Process
Second, an organization must consider the process by which it creates its branded product. Is this process something that can distinguish our company from competitors? Aside from efficiencies, does it add real or perceived value to help improve the experience of the brand? The process may be internal; it may be external. (Picture the Krisy Kreme assembly line – the in-store manufacturing process. Can you see the river of hot, Krispy Kreme donuts floating along on a little cooling-off runway for all the in-store patrons to see? This process melds with points three, four and five. Read on.)

3. Building Product
Third, the product (or service) must be designed and built to be remarkable. We must create an offering that supports our remarkable brand. (And the brand, in turn, supports the offering.) If our product is created with a clear understanding of why it matters, it will be built, sold, serviced and supported with more quality, more TLC, more sincerity, more concern, more insight, etc.  These types of products and services will stand the test of time and are truly worthy of remark.

4. Building Presentation
Fourth, the branded product must be presented via a compelling experience. How do we wrap it up? How is it delivered or picked up? How is it received? How is it priced? (Even a price that’s “much too high” can be a remarkable presentation, because it can yield a fulfilling brand experience for those who enjoy the cachet of being able to afford exclusive luxury.) What are we saying, selling -- or even singing -- when we present our remarkable offering via a branded presentation? (At that same Krispy Kreme store, picture the “HOT Krispy Kreme donuts NOW!” neon sign that lets passers-by know a hot batch of mouth-watering glazed donuts is ready.)

5. Building Preference
Fifth, we must create a brand preference in our customer's mind. It is our responsibility to create a reputation for our process, our product and/or our presentation. We must create a preference for our way of delivering our product or experience that people come to expect, or better yet, demand. If we do this uniquely, successfully and repeatedly, it will lead us to the sixth and final P...

6. Building Profit
The sixth P is profit. If there is no profit, there is no progress. And if there is no progress, soon there will be no brand. The sixth P is necessary for a brand, a business, its shareholders, employees, vendors -- and oftentimes, its customers -- to thrive. Profit enables continuation of the first 5 Ps. 

Profit can provide reward for past performance as well as a nest egg for future downturns. It also enables preparation (R&D) for continued and improved future performance. Profit is necessary in order to perpetuate operations, equipment, marketing and people, as well as giving back to our community and our world's charitable causes.

Ultimately, profit should result in pride of accomplishment, and the 6 P cycle repeats itself.

Now... what did I do with that donut?

Keep it even,
Scott Kuehl