Strengthening Brand America: An Interview

Interview with Shelley Rosen - Global Branding Expert

1. Question: How would you articulate Brand America's promise?

I believe there are three key words that best describe America’s brand promise: ‘inclusively’, ‘better’ and ‘freedom’. Immigrants left their homelands with everything on their backs and did so for a better life. They sought a better life for generations to come in education, income and experiences. There was hope, a belief and a yearning to achieve that fueled our country. Many made it so.

Based upon the founding principles of our nation ---where ‘all men are created equal’ ---these people were given a chance to be included in the American Dream. They were offered a clean slate and fair chance to compete. Just the feeling of being included in a chance to achieve is the very foundation of achievement.

Finally, we offer freedom; freedom to think, to practice, to live and to be. Our democracy believes in her people. We can express ourselves, we can create and we can live a freely. Iconic brands like Chevrolet, Levi’s and the infamous Marlboro Man best depicted American dream of freedom.

The American Promise can be best expressed as a place where “all people belong” When immigrants arrived by boat and saw our stunning Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island they must have said, “I belong here.”

2. Question: What are the challenges that Brand America must address to consistently be seen as "walking the talk"?

The first thing we need to do is to put our egos in check and increase our humility factor. We do not have all of the answers. We can’t change and we can not win if we think we are already doing so. We are not first in technology. Markets like Israel lead the world in software development. Japan leads in electronics and France in food and wine. Our children are not leading in math and science. Leaders lead. We need to redefine the areas in which we seek to compete and the ones we want to lead. And as any good CEO would do, then must we need to put the best and brightest leaders and give them resources to get the job done. Hold them accountable to help reclaim that leadership position. One of the many smartest things President Obama has done was to put a new job function in the White House, a CTO (Chief Technology Officer). He will lead us through cyberspace, regulation and boundary setting. Innovation will come of this post.

3. Question: What are the traits of Brand America that people around the world are likely to find appealing?

Prosperity, quality of life, access and opportunity. We used to be optimistic. We need to gain that emotional attribute back. People want to believe again.

4. Question: What are the different ways Brand America can keep its promise?

For clarity, a brand is a promise. Every day leaders should wake up and do everything they can to make that promise come true. It’s about how we operate, it’s how we deliver our services and it’s what we believe in. The promise never changes, only the communication around the promise changes so we can stay relevant. The Walt Disney Company will always stand for ‘magic’. When Walt created his mission to “Make People Happy” he and his successors spent the next fifty years of their strategic efforts making that promise come alive through magic at every turn. It’s consistent, predictable and timeless. No one beats The Walt Disney promise. (Record profits this quarter, up 40%!!!)

Our founding fathers wrote the US Constitution providing the guiding principles of our nation. The Bill of Rights amended some of these ideals for clarity and frankly relevance to what going on in our country. I say we revisit the ideals written in this timeless document because things are out of whack. Our ethics have been tarnished; our leaders are letting us down. The notion that “all men are created equal’ is at risk. We seek ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. These are now being blocked by greed, hatred and selfishness. When leaders of world class companies lose their way, the successful ones go back to their roots, to their original brand promise as a beacon of focus. They revisit the values that founded the firm and find new meaning to stay relevant. Let’s s do the same with America.

5. Question: What is the importance of Brand America in the world?

For the most part, I have been traveling globally for 30 years. Working at McDonald’s, one of the most recognized brands in the world because of its community presence, was a privilege and a wake up call. In the early 8o’s when I met people from foreign lands, they were always so curious about America and Americans. I remember thinking how embarrassed I was that knew all about our President, politics and issues whilst I was unaware of their leaders, governmental politics and brand character. Carrying the US Passport was and still is a privilege. However, since so many people look to America for hope and leadership. When we were not performing as a nation I have evidence that you have felt it in the room. By far the worst sentiments from the global economy were under the leadership of George Bush. Anger and tension in business meetings from our international partners ensued because we, as Americans were letting people down. When our economy is bad, just imagine the global ripple effect.

I can’t help but think about the world as it watched and waiting to see who would be President in 2008. People were glued to the TV, cheering, crying, and singing around the world as they waited the outcome. They did so because they knew that if America could be better and rebuild, they would too. There was hope.

Finally, great brands earn and keep their reputation every day. They do not rest on historical performance. We need to pay more attention to what matters, learn from winning economies and apply best practices in health care, education and lifestyles.

6. Question: Who benefits from a strengthened Brand America?

Everyone. From all those living in the United States through additional opportunities for growth and prosperity to the international community that can use our democratic ideals as a means of changing and bettering their own communities.

7. Question: Do you believe Brand America has a relevant, competitive and authentic promise?

I think we did. I think the leaders of Brand America, The President of America, needs to revisit the promise and do everything in his power to realign Americans to making it come true. A CEO would hold his direct reports accountable for delivering their stake in the turn around brand plan. The American people need to play their role in this as well.

Washington could do a better job of reminding the American people of the pillars of the brand turnaround plan through story. Update us on each aspect of the plan. Look at Detroit. Thanks to the bail out money, all the US auto makers have made a profit for the first time in decades. Yet, all we hear about are lost jobs in Detroit. Communicating what is working is step one of a recovery

The best evidence that this can work in Washington is Michelle Obama’s idea called “Let’s Move”. She branded this childhood obesity message “Let’ Move.” She explained her plan with clarity, she talked about how she was going to hold school lunch reform accountable and she created metrics. It is exactly what great brand leaders do. The media raved about this news. Let’s take a page out her winning brand promise approach for each of the various brands within the Administration: Health Care, Education, Tax Reform and more and this will help ladder up to reignite America’s Brand Promise. Make the message simple and hold people accountable in private and government sectors. It will happen.

In closing, Abraham Lincoln warned during the secession era, "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Change happens within. Let’s dust off America’s Brand Promise, a promise our Founding Father left us and lay claim to what it means to be truly American today….to live the American Dream.

Visit Strengthening Brand America http://Interview with Shelley Rosen - obal Branding Expert with Shelley Rosen - Global Branding Expert

What more can restaurants do to help address the ever growing obesity epidemic?

Consumers are looking for solutions.

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. Data from 2008 shows over 64% of the US states have a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 25%. Colorado continues to be the only state with the lowest levels of obesity. Today, over 32% of children and adolescents-- or 25 million kids--are obese or overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is calculated from a person's weight and height. This provides a reasonable indicator of body fatness and weight categories that may lead to health problems such as cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Today over $147 billion a year is spent in weight-related medical bills in the US alone.

Progress has been made:
• $28 billion worth of products have been reformulated with lower fat, salt, or sugar

• Ms. Michelle Obama started “Let’s Move” to create awareness on obesity and further promote school lunch reform and fitness in schools

• Restaurants offer heart healthy menu items. Portion size alternatives such as 100 calorie pack snacks and mini-foods are now in vogue.

• Television programming such as “The Biggest Loser” and Jamie Oliver’s Show, The Food Revolution raise attention to this matter.

Yet, the data on overweight and obesity continues to rise in the wrong direction.

What can a restaurant chain do to help consumers and to‘do their part’ on this ever growing topic?

Creativity is considered THE leadership skill of the future, but why isn’t it valued today?

Forbes along with IBM conducted a global study with over 1,600 CEO’s on the subject of managing complexity in today’s economy. Part of the causes of complexity are related to speed and changes in the digital world while other are related to the new, Gen Y collaborative work force and the changes in how they communicate.

The Forbes/IBM Study highlights three imperatives to future revenue growth:

1) Embody Creative Leadership
CEO's now realize that creativity trumps other leadership characteristics. They see that creative leaders are comfortable with change, ambiguity and experimentation. But how can we teach creativity?

2) Reinvent Customer Relationships.
Customers have never had so much information or so many options. CEO's are making "getting connected" to customers their highest priority to better predict and provide customers with what they really want.

3) Build Operational Dexterity.
CEO's are mastering complexity in countless ways. They are redesigning operating strategies for ultimate speed and flexibility. They embed complexity that creates value in elegantly simple products, services and customer interactions.

What should CEO’s do today to begin to first value and build a creative leadership capability in their organizations?

Subscribe to our blog and please comment.

Source: Forbes Visionary Leadership

How was your first quarter? Did you achieve your objectives? Why or Why not?

All we hear is that the economy is in park, that companies are bleeding and things are bad. But for leaders that know how to hold themselves accountable, things are so bad. What is business performance and why is it so important?

Business Performance is a set of management and analytic processes that enable the performance of an organization to be managed with a view to achieving one or more pre-selected goals. What do leaders need to do to achieve their business performance?

1. Select the right goals. We call these ‘realistic stretch’ goals
2. Manage a consolidated scorecard of metrics against these goals
3. Have leaders coach, intervene and help the team improve future performance against these goals or take action

So who were some of the winners in the first quarter of 2010?

Apple
Amid an ongoing recession that has dimmed prospects for consumer companies, Apple said that it saw record revenue and profit during its fiscal first quarter for the first time in its history. Apple reporting sales of $10.17 billion in Q1, up 6% from the revenue of $9.6 billion Apple recorded during the year-ago quarter. For the quarter, Apple sold 22.7 million iPods, up three percent from year ago. Doesn’t everyone want a product from inventor Steven Jobs? Talk about innovation and relevance!

Coca-Cola
The big red is changing to meet the ever growing needs of their customers with nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages and here is the proof. CEO Muhktar Kent said, “Coca-Cola’s worldwide unit case volume growth of 3% in the first quarter, in line with their long-term volume target, and driven by international volume growth of 5%.”The continued power of the global "Open Happiness" campaign combined with the initial roll-out of our FIFA World Cup program and an increased focus on Coke with Meals drove growth in brand Coca-Cola, with unit case volume up 3% in the quarter. Leaders lead. Stay tuned for more innovation from Coca-Cola.

Intel
The company recorded net income of US $2.4 billion for the quarter, an increase of 288 percent compared to the first quarter a year ago. The net income beat estimates of $2.13 billion from analysts. "The investments we're making in leading edge technology are delivering the most compelling product line-up in our history," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO, in a statement. "We're optimistic about our business as Intel products are designed into a variety of new and exciting segments,"

Even the US government got things done in the first quarter with health care bills, nuclear arms treaties and aiding in the Gulf oil spill crisis. If they can do it, you can too.

How are you doing on your business performance? Contact Airlift to talk about how you can achieve your business performance and growth goals.

Please subscribe to our blog or contact Airlift at Shelley Rosen at srosen@airliftideas.com
(01) 312. 492.7772

What Returning E-mails and Calls have to do with your Corporate Reputation?

As the CEO of your business, you know how important reputation is to your current and future success. Some CEOs go so far as to claim that their brand is EVERYTHING and everything is the BRAND. They spend millions of dollars on advertising and create public relations campaigns to enhance corporate reputation and strengthen connections with customers.

And yet, the investment gets inadvertently undermined when your employees don’t promptly respond to calls or e-mails from customers, suppliers, shareholders and peers.

We all talk about how pervasive this bad behavior has become. As consumers, we question whether or not these organizations have cultures with a bias towards service versus a mentality of “customer as nuisance.” We believe every employee move is in essence a public relations move.

As leaders, there is no excuse for not leading by example and returning calls and replying to e-mails within 24 hours. We need to train and inspire employees to have positive and meaningful customer encounters. You want those calling your organization to tell everyone, “This is a great company that I enjoy doing business with now and in the future.”

Ask yourself a few simple questions to prevent complacency from creeping into your firm:

•When was the last time you called into your own number as a customer?

•How long are customers kept on hold? Do you know? Has it gotten longer or shorter, and why?

•What have you learned from the customer responses? Are you taking action on this?

•Have you reminded employees of company values and how they translate into prompt replies to customers and peers?

The answers to these questions can help your organization design a more user-friendly customer experience that will engender greater brand loyalty and translate into better sales.

At Airlift Ideas, we know how critical culture and service are to a positive customer relationship and strong bottom line. We help leaders remove barriers and implement processes to help employees create and sustain strong relationships with customers and other key stakeholders. We have experience, tools and methodology to enable your employees to become heroes, and profitably differentiate your brand from the competition. For more information on corporate reputation, contact Anna Rozenich, Leadership Communications at arozenich@airliftideas.com.

Why Change? Why Bother?

Let’s face it. Flat was the new growth in 2009. Leaders sought to hold the line on spending, innovation and growth in the most uncertain economy in our modern times. But it can’t last. Wall Street will demand returns and shareholders will want their value.

One of the greatest challenges of achieving growth is realizing you may need to change. Companies don’t change. People do. Employees know the leadership sets the tone for change. They can tell if you are serious about change or not. We believe articulating an inspiring vision is a key element of any successful culture. So is having a culture where trying to news ideas is accepted.

Is your company set up to allow employees to bring forward new ideas without fear? Probably not.

On one end of the spectrum, leaders may be cautious optimists about growth--where slow and steady wins the day. This mindset can be good for a slow to no growth market segment. However, in market segments with mid to rapid growth, leaders must instill a culture of growth by instilling a culture that is willing to try new ideas.

Here is what can happen when leaders do not dedicate resources to exploring change. We all loved the United States Postal service. Our moms talked to the mail man as though he were our family members. We used to buy and collect stamps, write love letters, send greeting cards and pay our bills once or twice a month, almost in a ritualistic fashion. With the onset of email, on line bill pay, the cost and overhead of the postal worker and the speed of life, Americans have reduced spending on the US Postal Service $7B this year. The projections by year 2010 are to reach $238B. The mere fact the United States Postal Service was not looking at the changing consumer; their behavior and needs, was a sure fire was to become obsolete in 5 years.

Why change? Well, if we don’t we die.


The Core Opportunity: People
The most widespread problem in change management is winning hearts and minds throughout the organization on the importance of change. In a survey conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, they sited three top three barriers to change:

• Igniting the culture ranked (54% of respondents).
• Lack of buy-in from local management (31% of respondents)
• Active, visible sponsorship from the leadership ( 31% of respondents)

In other words, companies are struggling with a very basic people issues; motivating them to abandon old ways of working for something new. Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter states, “In a typical large change program, it is not a matter of sending out the new organization chart or the new budget or the new strategy with a few projects. It is about changing people’s behavior, often a lot of people, and this is not trivial.”

Look, even we are changing. In the years passed we may have mailed a brochure, taken an airplane to give speech or clipped an article from the newspaper on our clients .Today we are sending e-blasts, using web-ex to present documents to large groups of people and going to social media blogs to find out what consumers are really saying.

The world is changing. Are you ready?

We help create a winning culture of sustainable growth through strategic, inspiring stories. Let’s get growing.

Call Airlift at (01) 312.492.7772 to talk about your growth plans.

Why Change? Why Bother?

Let’s face it. Flat was the new growth in 2009. Leaders sought to hold the line on spending, innovation and growth in the most uncertain economy in our modern times. But it can’t last. Wall Street will demand returns and shareholders will want their value.

One of the greatest challenges of achieving growth is realizing you may need to change. Companies don’t change. People do. Employees know the leadership sets the tone for change. They can tell if you are serious about change or not. We believe articulating an inspiring vision is a key element of any successful culture. So is having a culture where trying to news ideas is accepted.

Is your company set up to allow employees to bring forward new ideas without fear? Probably not.

On one end of the spectrum, leaders may be cautious optimists about growth where slow and steady wins the day. This mindset can be good for a slow to no growth market segment. However, in market segments with mid to rapid growth, leaders must instill a culture of growth by instilling a culture that is willing to try new ideas.

Here is what happens can happen when leaders do not dedicate resources to exploring change. We all loved the United States Postal service. Our moms talked to the mail man as though he were our family members. We used to buy and collect stamps, write love letters, send greeting cards and pay our bills once or twice a month, almost in a ritualistic fashion. With the onset of email, on line bill pay, the cost and overhead of the postal worker and the speed of life, Americas have reduced spending on US Postal Service $7B this year. The projections by year 2010 are to reach $238B. The mere fact the United States Postal Service was not looking at the changing consumer; their behavior and needs, was a sure fire was to become obsolete in 5 years.

Why change? Well, if we don’t we die.


The Core Opportunity: People
The most widespread problem in change management is winning hearts and minds throughout the organization on the importance of change. In a survey conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, they sited three top three barriers to change:

• Igniting the culture ranked (54% of respondents).
• Lack of buy-in from local management (31% of respondents)
• Active, visible sponsorship from the leadership ( 31% of respondents)

In other words, companies are struggling with a very basic people issues; motivating them to abandon old ways of working for something new. Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter states, “In a typical large change program, it is not a matter of sending out the new organization chart or the new budget or the new strategy with a few projects. It is about changing people’s behavior, often a lot of people, and this is not trivial.”

Look, even we are changing. In the years passed we may have mailed a brochure, taken an airplane to give speech or clipped an article from the newspaper on our clients .Today we are sending e-blasts, using web-ex to present documents to large groups of people and going to social media blogs to find out what consumers are really saying.

The world is changing. Are you ready?

We help create a winning culture of sustainable growth through strategic, inspiring stories. Let’s get growing.

Call Airlift at (01) 312.492.7772 to talk about your growth plans.