Being in the branding business, we’ve seen a lot come and go. While some are expected – some still come as a shock. But we stand strong on the belief that you’ve got to give credit, where credit is due.

And this week’s branding credit goes to none other than Tan Sri Vincent Tan.

The Malaysian businessman, investor, former Chief Executive of Berjaya Corporation Berhad and first time football fanatic, has made the impossible happen by winning Cardiff City a place in the English Premier League; the first time this has ever happened in 51 years.

Three years ago, Tan admitted that he knew little about football – but today, virtually every football fan in Cardiff knows his name, as he held the Championship trophy in front of 27,000 ecstatic fans after purchasing the team.

Everybody laughed as Tan controversially announced the club’s rebrand from blue to red (changing a tradition of over 100 years!) and introduced a new club badge by turning the bird into a dragon. Although seen as a sacrilege to some Cardiff City enthusiasts, Tan had this to share about his decision:

“I still believe that red is a lucky colour for Cardiff and for Wales. After all, your national flag is a red dragon so we’re putting the red dragon back. The bluebird still remains.”

“I jokingly said previously the bluebird can fly, but it’s always been bullied by other symbols.”

“So now we have the bluebird protected by a strong dragon and the bluebird is teaching the dragon how to fly higher.”

That being a strong enough reason and rational basis to change a team’s heritage and art direction is still up for debate, but Tan Sri Vincent Tan is definitely doing something right.

Seriously, who thought that was going to work?

That is why I propose the same treatment to be done to the following (not so well-off) brands that we personally would love to see stay afloat.

With a touch of entrepreneurial thinking and a pint-full of absinth, we put the following brands under the microscope and ask ourselves: “What would Vince do?”

Disclaimer: The pictures proposed are nothing more than scribblings of a deluded blogger. Please consider with a pinch of salt.

Nokia
We all love and remember Nokia for 2 main reasons; their indestructible exoskeleton and Snake the game. That is why we thought we’d embrace those 2 factors with a dragon theme, for prosperity or whatever. Create a scale-like dragon skin leather hard case for all existing phones and just rename the famous game something along the lines of “Dragon Warrior”, with in-game fire-breathing capabilities and a medieval bonus level. DONE.

Internet Explorer
Packed with content and nostalgia, nobody wants to see them go under. That is why the blue will have to go. Firefox may claim the colour red, but there will soon be a new reason why its fox stays curled up in a ball, quivering for its life when we take it from him. Think added features like a loud, booming dragon’s roar each time the ‘Enter’ button is pushed and a search filter that only looks for dragon-related content on the Internet.

Firefly
Question 1: Why isn’t Firefly doing as well as other low-cost airlines like AirAsia? Because fireflies are weak animals! With a lifespan of about 2 months plus a diet consisting of only pollen and nectar, they are a joke in the animal kingdom and a travesty of a species as a whole.

Question 2: What is the most feared animal out there? You guessed it: dragons! That is why we should go all out on this one and hire a crack team of radical engineers to completely redesign the plane so it would resemble a giant winged reptile. Within it, the stewardesses should maintain the theme by wearing a full dragon suit (fangs and all), serving your in-flight drinks in spruced up chalices and a selection of raw meat as snacks.

But jokes aside, much effort has been put into Cardiff City than just a change in colour and a new logo. After all, there’s more to rebranding than just that.

You’ll have to begin from within – with a complete reassessment of the structure of your brand, reworked through and through.

Only then, may the resurrection begin.

Unless you’ve been completely disconnected from the social media world (or newspapers for that matter), you must know that late last week, billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson FINALLY made good on his promise to dress up as a cabin crew on AirAsia.

Yes – tight-fitting skirt, bold red lips, shaved legs and all.

The stunt raised over $300,000 for the Starlight Foundation and needless to say, immense viral and media publicity for both Air Asia and Virgin Group.

But do all publicity stunts soar to such great heights? And how far down can one crash and burn?

You’ll soon find out, for somewhere else in the world – this happened.

Serving as a cautionary tale for brands that are looking for a quick and buzz-worthy publicity stunt, Capital 8 theatre in Missouri came under fire after it hired a fake gunman for an “Iron Man 3” screening.

And it was far from well received.

The actor (dressed specifically as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative) walked into the movie house in full tactical gear and a fake rifle, frightening moviegoers who then proceeded to call 911, recalling the shooting at a Colorado theatre during the premier of “The Dark Knight Rises”. Its manager, Bob Wilkins, even defended the company’s choice to use a SWAT-like character – infuriating moviegoers even more.

However, Capital 8 has since then apologised for the surprise, assuring that it will never happen again.

The lesson learned?

Publicity stunts can be a great way for your brand to make an impression. There’s plenty of potential in it, especially if you are going all out ala Richard Branson.

But always think things through. Consult people, get feedback and make sure the idea is foolproof – or you run the risk of it reflecting otherwise on your brand!

This was a rough week for everybody, Malaysians and non-Malaysians alike. As the date we all marked in our calendars drew closer and closer, the nail-biting tension was almost too much to bear. With suspense at an all-time high and reaching its critical limits, it finally happened – Iron Man 3 was finally released.

I am not going to reveal any spoilers or any of the sort, but I’ll tell you this much; it was way better than what the trailers made it out to be. But then again, aren’t they usually?

The name ‘trailer’ dates back to 1912; when they actually did follow the feature. After a documentary called “Coming Attractions” was shown, the first trailer entitled “What Happened to Mary?” was released as a follow-up. After each instalment, a black card with white text would appear to inform the audience the next incident in the series. It was no Tarantino, but it did the trick back in 1912.

Fast-forward to 100 years in the future and you see a whole different ball game.

They have now grown into one of the most popular forms of advertising in the world. Some believe that they spoil the movies (famously Gene Siskel) – but for the rest of us, they’re a treasured part of the movie-going experience, acting as a delicious theatrical appetizer to prepare us for the main course.

But by taking a step back and excusing the pun, trailers seem to be trailing behind these days, lacking in creative flair and failing to really grab the attention of the audience. Maybe it’s our jaded nature, but it does seem like whether it is a historical romance, action flick or another fairly-tale remake with a dark Tim Burton-esque twist to it, they stick to the same equation when teasing our taste buds.

The use of fade-aways, epilepsy inducing flash imagery and dubstep has gotten so overly done, all trailers seem to gel into one, not being memorable or tantalising in the slightest.

I am writing this to fight and stand up for an endangered pastime and to bring back that feeling of urgency of reaching the theatre 15 minutes earlier, just to be wowed and bedazzled by what’s coming up onscreen.

Remember the trailer for Ridley Scott’s “Alien”? Where not a single word of dialogue was used, the high-pitched alarm that unnerved audiences throughout the rest of the clip, and the impact of that end copy that just read, “In space, no one can hear your scream”?

Or the trailer for “Cloverfield”, that expertly played up its film’s reality-caught-on-tape conceit, where the majority of it was a home movie footage of a Manhattan loft party that could just as easily be the set–up for an indie rom-com or serial killer thriller, but ended with a mysterious roar and explosion. The name of the movie was not even mentioned in the entire trailer, because the creators seemed perfectly confident that a release date was all that was necessary.

Just like trailers, there are many ways to measure an ad’s quality, from the persuasiveness of its salesmanship to the cleverness of its copywriting. What deemed most effective were ones that combined art and commerce, being able to sell and entertain with equal skill.

Never underestimate the people’s desire to be told a good story.

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*You are now reading Part #2 of our “Going Digital”: Misconception series. If you haven’t read Part 1, we suggest you do so.

We understand that due to a general lack of trust and familiarity with the medium, many brands work on a tight and limited digital budget – if any is given at all.

Worse yet, there are just so many digital mediums out there – from necessities such as websites and web banners, to social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. And now, mobile apps! It’s hard not to be confused by this ever-growing trend, harder still to resist the urge to be a part of everything it offers.

But here’s the truth. Money is always good to have, as with everything else in life – but it’s how you make use of your digital spending that matters the most.

“Going digital” is not about the amount (monetary or deliverable-wise), but what you spend it on. (Click to tweet)

One of the most common blunders many brands make is to tackle as many digital mediums as they can; stretching the budget by creating mediocre work that covers the whole nine yards.

In casting a wider net, the quality of work may be jeopardised. After all, what works on one medium may not be as good on another.

They are also likely to create digital campaigns on mediums that are “hot” but are not relevant to the audience they are trying to reach.

For instance, does a FMCG brand whose target market is made mostly of housewives from rural areas with no 3G service really need a mobile app? How about a Twitter account for a retirement home that is geared towards the elderly, even though most of them are digitally inept?

Have a clear digital strategy that is led by a very sound objective.

Decide on what it is that you want to communicate to your audience, and what it is that they need – then find the digital medium that delivers it best.

Take Old Spice for example, whose “Digital Response” campaign on YouTube attracted over 94 million views from all across the world – delivering a fresh new approach to digital brand engagement.

Or the Nike+ Running App – a mobile app that allows users to keep track of their runs without hassle. Not only is it practical, users can even share their results on social media right after!

So whatever digital medium it is that you are gunning for, remember that content is key. Make sure that it is of value to your consumers, with minimal disruption to their daily routine.

That way, you’re less likely to find your digital campaigns lying stagnant in the digital landfills, while others’ thrive. Good luck.

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Vikings wore horns on their helmets. Napoleon was a tiny man. Earthworms become two earthworms when you cut them in half. Do you know what links all these statements together? They are ALL common misconceptions. And I’ll tell you another great one; a logo makes a brand.

Yes, this may come across as heresy, but a logo is not a brand. A logo is designed for identification purposes – with its meaning usually derived from the product or service it symbolises. It should NOT explain or sell what you do.

Think of it as your company’s ‘avatar’ rather than the make or break point of your business. This should put those nerves to rest.

For example, a TV announcer once proclaimed, “Wal-Mart has changed their brand!” which in turn, left us all gasping in shock and suspense. The Wal-Mart brand of high value, accessibility, low prices and a welcoming consumer experience has changed? What good reason would they have for doing so?

Turns out they just updated their logo and their brand was the same as it ever was. The scariest part about this news report was that the majority of people could not tell the two apart.

Many organisations seek branding agencies in hopes for a ‘new brand’, which typically means a new name, logo and look and feel from their existing one. They believe a brand begins and ends there – once their name has a good old tampering with, they can stick it under email signatures, websites and business cards, and voila, a new brand is born.

But let’s face it; no amount of clever design is going to support your company if your products are faulty.

There isn’t a pretty package in the world that will soothe your client’s frustration if your customer service is unreliable and rude. A spanking new business card is not going to get you new clients if your existing clients aren’t going to rave about the experience your brand has to offer.

A brand is so much more than a logo. A brand is everything, and everything is a brand.

A brand is your strategy, calls to action, customer service, your voice, variety of communication, the people within, your facilities and a whole bunch more.

We get it – by having an awesome looking logo, this will make you feel more ‘official’ and will act as an inevitable and eventual step in developing a visual identity. But don’t put the cart before the horse – instead, dig deep and really find what your brand stands for. Once recognised, everything should just fall into place, logo and all.

Is a logo holding back your brand from moving forward?

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When’s advertising not advertising?

When it drives women to reassess the way they see themselves.

When it allows others to see through the eyes of the blind.

When it shows us the conscience of smokers.

When it gives you hope for humanity.

When it fills the world with positive colour.

Because advertising doesn’t always have to be about the sale and the deal, the dazzling cinematography and the memorable jingle, the product shot and the oft-repeated brand name; if it’s real, and it’s true, and if it reaches in and touches the very core of what makes us human, if it MAKES A DIFFERENCE, then advertising is no longer advertising, but a powerful tool for doing good and creating change.

So what’s YOUR advertising going to do today?

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*You are now reading Part #1 of our “Going Digital”: Misconception series

We understand that the digital revolution has not been easy on many brands. After all, it is tough to commit to something that is fairly new.

Misconceptions tend to happen and here is one we’d like to clarify today, for the sake of all brands:

You can’t just “go digital” by investing in media buy. (Click to tweet)

“Going digital” means more than slapping adaptations of your existing on-ground campaigns onto web banners and sending it out to cyberspace.

When you invest in media buy, you are basically purchasing space that comes with an expiration date. Sure, it’s targeted and it’s precise; but you’re only renting it for the time being. It’s not yours to keep.

If you want to get serious – you’d have to invest in something for the long term. You’ve got to OWN something on the digital platform.

A Facebook fan page or an official site is a good start (plus it automatically guarantees you occupancy in the world’s largest shopping mall – Google Search) but that’s not all.

You’ve got to invest in good content.

Content gives you substance. Relevant content contributes and helps your brand gain a more prominent storefront in the Google “shopping mall”. It is what will set you apart from the millions of brands that occupy the digital market.

After all, what’s the point of owning a space if you haven’t got anything interesting or worthwhile to set up shop with? Why would anyone look you up?

Here are some prime examples of the brands that champion content and how they use it to their advantage.

American Express Open Forum
American Express sets the bar high with Open Forum, a real service that was created to court small business owners. It functions as an online resource and social networking hub for small business owners and entrepreneurs who are in search for practical information and tips for industry experts. They listen, engage and help as a friend rather than directly sell products – creating a strong brand affinity with its audience.

Red Bull’s Official Site
You’d be hard pressed to find a single product mention on the Red Bull website. From the latest news on surfing to live streams of the hottest motorsport events, the site is jam-packed with engaging content that showcases everything that the brand stands for. Remember Felix Baumgartner of Red Bull Stratos?

Similac Diaper Decoder
Diaper Decoder is an informative website that was created by infant formula brand, Similac. The site contains information on the many types of baby stools and what they could mean, helping new parents navigate through the many mysteries they might encounter when dealing with soiled diapers. The useful and highly practical content helped increase the top-of-mind recall for the brand in the diaper category.

So, how will your brand’s content look like?

“I got the cutest cat video to show you! Hold on, I’ll load it up. Okay, just after this 30-second YouTube ad. Man, why can’t I skip this? Crap! Wrong cat video! Oh, that’s the one! Click on that link! ARE YOU SERIOUS ANOTHER AD!? WHERE IS THE SKIP BUTTON? YOUTUBE, YOU’RE DESTROYING MY LIFE!”

That was a short monologue I wrote – appropriately named “Unskippable”, that I performed during my one-man act tour called ‘Modern Day Pains’ (not really). But it does ring familiar doesn’t it? Probably feel the angst growing slightly within you?

YouTube recently started airing ads before your desired FAIL videos, movie trailers and dubstep dance-offs that don’t usually last very long and even if they did, the audience always has the option to skip said ad. They are quite limited and very repetitive, but we learn to live and deal with it.

However, as of late, YouTube have decided to take it one step further in online advertising and in the art of annoying their users. Now, as an advertiser, you can pay a little bit more and have your commercial shown more frequently – and take away the option to disregard the ad! The outcome? A 30-second long ad for a 16-second baby laugh video that you can’t skip, which in turn caused a huge uproar in the social media scene as well as dedicated blogs:

‘It is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!! That I have to watch a 30 second advertisement before every video’

‘Someone needs to do something about this. It is completely ruining the YouTube experience.’

As much as this is a clear indication of our ever-decreasing attention span and patience as a consumer, this opens a bigger can of worms as a whole; you can’t force yourself on the consumer! Drawing parallels to how you can’t force people to ‘Like’ your brand on Facebook or re-Tweet a promotion you are having – as a brand you have to give your consumer a choice and free-will too.

Knowing that they had an option or say in wanting to see that funny ad of yours, or visit your store, is much more worthwhile than asserting your brand name after every turn. If views and likes is what you’re looking for, then create smarter, wittier, funnier, more emotional or harder-hitting ads that will wow the audience, drawing them back over and over again and not hitting them over the head with your mundanely scripted lines.

A gentler touch is needed and by speaking to your audience like a normal human being and not bombarding them with spam-like messages after every click, you will inadvertently create bonds that are deeper and more meaningful – and not get the impatient ‘sigh’ from potential consumers every time your name appears.

Is your brand being too forceful?

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Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (or away on an island paradise somewhere, lucky you), you’ve probably caught up on the whole Les Deux Garcons (herewith called LDG) B*tch Fiasco and the ensuing fallout. No? Get in on it here and here.

Now, while calling customers b*tches may sound like social media suicide, we believe there are things that LDG could have done (and maybe could STILL do, if they were, in fact, in their right mind) to mitigate the consequences of rather foolishly relating hapless, macaron-loving fans to female canines. We may be barking up the wrong tree here (sorry, couldn’t resist), but we think acknowledging the mistake and seriously just upping the absurdity of an already ridiculous situation could very well help the brand regain some equity, even as it earns some notoriety (the good kind, if there’s such a thing) for having the chutzpah to milk it for all it’s worth.

So, without further ado, here are our Top 5 Ways LDG Can Turn a B*tch of a Situation in Its Favour.

1. Taste That, B*tch!
Come up with a range of FREE B*tch-Flavoured Macarons to be given away at special intervals throughout the day. Customers get these tauntingly tasty treats by walking up to any LDG employee and calling them, what else, a b*tch.

2. Shooting B*tches
Create a Facebook cover photo and album with various LDG employees looking sheepish and ashamed, with the heading THE REAL B*TCHES OF LDG. Extend this activity by giving out BIGGEST B*TCH OF THE MONTH awards (instead of the boring EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH stuff that usually happens) as voted by the public.

3. Now Hear This, B*tch
Take a cue from Harlem Shake; create a 30-second gangsta rap video called “Dance the Macarona, B*tch” using LDG management and staff (and hopefully some local hip-hop talent for musical integrity). Make sure the tune and lyrics are infectious, and it comes with some weird suggestive dance move that’s easily repeated and ridiculed, then post it on Youtube. Finally, take it on-ground by playing it at all LDG outlets and getting staff to sing it like an anthem at opening time, and every time a customer buys anything for birthdays.

4. You Call That B*tchy? You Don’t KNOW B*tchy!
Yeah, yeah, we know LDG said they ain’t got no time for b*tches, but what if they did? What if they just got people to moan and groan and complain and whine about the brand (and anything under the sun), then picked the b*tchiest customers and gave them a selection of the best-selling Macarons? INSTANT KARMIC REPAYMENT.

5. Meme Me, B*tch!
Finally, create a series of memes showing the most unlikely individuals – think Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein – saying “I have no time for b*tches”, paraphrasing the infamous offending remark. Pick the best ones and turn them into posters, postcards and other POS material to be used around the outlets for even better visibility.

We really hope LDG will pick up on these ideas, but they’ll probably try to distance themselves from the situation and attempt to put this sorry incident behind them instead. Hopefully, they’ll remember never to let their emotions get in the way of maintaining a proper, well-managed social media presence again, but the effects of this is likely to put a huge dent in their business and reputation in the short term. Now ain’t THAT a b*tch.

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Let’s face it. Brands out there all want to be the next big thing. We all want to be talked about and we all want the glory that comes with it. Usually, this is executed in a way that shocks the audience by pushing the envelope, resulting in provocative ads laced with sexual connotations.

But other brands with substance get relevant. They address current issues that are on the tip of everyone else’s tongues, even if it is outside of their brand’s scope of interest, and make it pertinent by going beyond their industry with social commentaries on current hot topics or cultural trends. This in turn will bridge that common ground between a brand and its audience, and act as a little inside joke that only a brand and its audience get to share.

And I’m not talking about starring PSY in your advert or using well-known meme lingo to boost your credibility (“WHY YOU NO SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG?”).

I’m talking about ads like these:

After the famous Sharifah Zohra video went viral, the brave few took the plunge and got on the “Listen” bandwagon while it was still hot and funny. The best part about it is that these courageous brands not only used something topical, but also put a twist to it and made it relevant to their product and brand.

Being relevant is the difference between being seen and being noticed. Whether its relevance is cultural, situational, emotional or practical, the message has to be in there in hopes of being remembered.

So if you want to be on the ball and beat the rest to the punch, here are some tips for staying relevant:

#1: Be aware of what’s going on around you
Keep your eyes peeled and ears to the ground at all times. The most influential trends are the ones that spring out of nowhere, having that shock/random factor to it. Make sure you keep social and identify emerging patterns, behaviours and opportunities when they arise.

#2: Recognise the point of entry and go for it
Rather than seizing the trend or meme just for the sake of getting there first, ask yourself how your brand can add value to it. By relating it to your brand you add another layer of satire to the whole situation, allowing the audience to give you that, ‘I see what you did there’ nod of approval; and instantly own the dialogue, making it your own.

#3: Wait for the right moment
Timing is crucial. If you act too soon you will not appeal to the people who have not caught on yet. Alternatively, if you’re too late you risk looking old and dated (like how you feel when you see Harlem Shake videos still being posted). Make sure to time it just right and not to milk it for too long.

At the end of the day it’s about homing in on your consumers’ point of passion and interests, and conveying your brand’s unique point of view to them. This will ultimately increase your chances of being remembered as the next big thing.

Would you say your brand is in the loop?