Gabriel Rossi understands branding. He shares articles, insights and encouragement about branding via twitter every day.  He consistently ads value, which is why I follow him. If you like what you hear, he’s @gabrielrossi. Introduce yourself and continue this conversation.

1. Please name a few companies who are effectively branding right now and why would you call their branding effective?

A. The Marketing Store: They are one of the world’s largest integrated marketing communications companies. Martins Vieira Jr (Their CEO in Brazil) is a dear friend of mine and someone who really believes in the importance of internal transparency and solid bonds with his team. What’s the result of emotional connections with your employees? The brand delivers on its promise with outstanding performance. The Marketing Store doesn’t put lipstick on a pig.  They fulfill high expectations. That’s why I like the brand.

B. McDonald’s: I must confess that my consumer side sometimes gets very critical about their customer service. It’s also true that McDonald’s needs to improve its online posture (more friendly and accessible feedback platforms, for example). However, the giant made a very smart move by coming back to the basics. Instead of blindly relying on growth, they focused on what made them so strong during all these years, better exploiting ‘the infant’ archetype as well as starting to pay more attention to things like quality, cleanliness etc..

C. Hyundai: The brand understands the vital importance of creativity when facing tough times. Hyundai’s recent Assurance program was very smart and a sign of truly consumer centric approach.

2. If a company wants to rebrand itself, what are a few things it should consider?

Rebranding is a bit more than changing the design of your logo. Rebranding is a long process (usually takes years) and always requires an inside-out response. You need to craft your brand again from the inside-out. It can be quite challenging, tricky and dangerous. Do it quietly and patiently… I advise companies to invest time in sorting internal issues out first of all. Ask your employees what the company represents to them. Do they understand its story and ambitions? What kind of dreams do they have for the future? Where does your organization want to go taking into consideration the current market place?

 3. Is the process individuals use for personal branding different from the one companies use?

The concept of ‘Personal Branding’ was introduced by Tom Peters over a decade ago.  It’s a pity that it’s so misused and banalized by self-aclaimed ‘leading experts’ and gurus.  Me me me me… Your brand is a lot more than what you want to generate by the color of your blackberry or the price of your suit… Your brand is about who you really are inside people’s minds and hearts. It’s not about me, it’s about THEM. A personal brand is what they are going to say about you when you turn your computer off…

On one hand, we are considering people’s gut feelings about an organization or its products or services. On the other, we are talking about people’s feelings about you as a human being.  Have you performed a self-assessment of your strengths, weaknesses and ambitions?  Are you an authentic and happy person? Have you let people down?

4. What is the compelling sales benefit for a branding investment in this economy?

I’m a marketer. I’m a huge believer in profit.  If a brand doesn’t serve the sales force, it’s like putting the cart before the horse.

“…. Profit is not the primary goal, but rather an essential condition for the company’s continued existence”  – Peter Drucker

5.  Who should participate in branding a company?

A Brand is a collaborative process. In other words, a Brand is generally made by strong relationships with all its stakeholders. It takes not only the marketing department, but also the internal force, communities, media, investors, in some cases Government or even the local Church.

6. How does a business owner know whether she has effectively branded her company?

I think quality Branding coupled with a solid and competitive business plan should define whether a company will survive or not in this ‘new digital era.’  We (consumers) need shortcuts that help us simplify our choices. Clutter gets worse every day and we lack time. Decreased price sensitivity, increase of profitability and market share are just some examples of the power of a strong brand.

7. Should companies think differently about branding when it comes to twitter?

The basic principles of branding in Social Media are very much the same. Lessons that guys like Drucker, Levitt and Al Ries taught us have shown to be immutable. For example, listening and talking to your consumers are still vital things to do before starting any Branding effort. Allen Adamson makes a really good point on his new book ‘Brand Digital’:

“… Given that the primary objective of any organization should be to get a better understanding of human thought and behavior in order to serve people’s unmet needs, the magnifying power of digital is a very good thing, if it is used in this manner. It is a good thing if an organization uses it as it should ne used to gain meaningful insights about its core audience and its primary competitors…”

I would go further and say that good Branding Professionals go outside their offices and come back with their hands full of dirt, brains fueled by consumer’s stories and their feet in need of recovery.  No brand has any value without market validation. Powerful Brands in the digital world don’t rise from mirrored offices. Go outside and remove the illusion of separation between you and your consumer. Digital Branding is not about us. It’s about THEM! It’s a symbiotic process that has only any value if it fulfills needs and expectations. Windows instead of mirrors always folks.

8. Can you recommend a few articles that help a small to medium sized business understand branding?

Classics

‘Marketing Myopia‘ by Theodore Levitt

Recent

‘In Praise of Marketing‘ by John Quelch (one of the best articles about Modern Marketing I’ve read in ages)

Books

‘Building Strong Brands’ by David Aaker.
‘Corporate Religion’ Jesper Kunde and B.J. Cunningham
‘Brand Digital’ and ‘Brand Simple’ both by Allen Adamson
‘Brand Aid’ by Brad VanAuken
‘Authenticity’ by James Gilmore
‘Zag’, ‘The Brand Gap’ and ‘The Designful Company’ by Marty Neumeier
Positioning by Ries and Trout (One of the most important books in the history of Marketing & Branding)
‘The Practice of Management’ by Peter Drucker (Chapter 5 is responsible for what we call Modern Marketing today)
‘A Clear Eye’ by Tom Asacker
‘The Brand Bubble’ by John Gerzema and Ed Lebar
‘Taking Brand Initiative’ by Hatch and Schultz
‘Surviving is Not Enough’ by Seth Godin
‘The Open Brand’ by Kelly Mooney
‘Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000: Running a Business in Today’s Consumer-Driven World’ by Pete Blackshaw

(Image: shoes in NY by Tom Parrott on Flickr)

My experience of brands has been deeply informed by people.
I am going to list 5 brands.
Visualize a person you know that loves the brand.

Ready?

• Converse
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Banana Republic
• Trader Joe’s

When I buy products from these stores, I think of the people they remind me of.
What if different people introduced me to these brands?
My perception would have been different.

How does a brand break free from associations of people who introduce us to it?  And how does a brand leverage this?

Kristi Colvin is a user experience and usability expert and founder of FreshID. Her career includes many aspects of marketing communications including working with Whole Foods, software and new media companies; she’s now consulting VisualCV. I recently interviewed her about user experience. Her passion for the subject is apparent in her mission, “to bring user experience evangelism into an organization.”

1. What do you mean by “designing for the universal experience?”

People often think of brand identities, marketing collateral, user interface design for software applications, and web site or blog design as separate items. But all an existing or potential customer sees and feels is one experience: the experience of an individual or company.

2. What, if any, special factors do you consider when designing a site you know will be used by Twitter users: Do they behave differently than other users?

The average blog or web site with information they want others to share on Twitter could greatly benefit from:
– pre-shortened url’s for blog articles and web pages
– “twit this” programs added to the end of a blog article helps users share the information while it is top-of-mind
– sites that are not “blogs” would benefit from easy-to-tweet buttons for things like news articles, special promotions, recipes, landing pages, product datasheets, products for sale, ebay items, books, etc.
Also, I am creating a mini-site focused on people tweeting about cheese, and an actual alternate Twitter interface called Twitterface that will be released soon.

3. What are your favorite usability / user experience tools?

My basic tools are a computer and a user.  Aside from that, I utilize tools like Skitch and the Jing Project to communicate UE issues to developers & gather small bugs or anomalies from users.

4. What is the first thing you consider when evaluating the usability of a website?

Following a quick examination of the look and feel, I start looking deeper:  at forms, workflow, the existence (or usually, not) of guiding text, available help, the information architecture and the screen layouts.
The very first thing I assess is whether it is immediately obvious what I should do first after arriving at a home page, or next after arriving at a landing page.
There is an art to guiding users through a system.
When done well, it produces a magical effect we call “being in the zone.”

5. Can you recommend another great usability / user experience blog?

I cannot get enough of Logic + Emotion, because those two aspects are so critical to a great, lasting user experience. The author works for Critical Mass, a premiere interactive agency whose work I admire. Bokardo has a lot to offer people who are interested in designing blogs & sites for social media.
And Luke W. is someone who personally inspires me and my design, with his iconic, clean interfaces

If you enjoyed this interview, visit Kristi’s blog here.

I recently helped a new Twitter user write her bio.
It’s only a few words; however, the process gave rise to challenging questions.
For example, do people read a Twitter bio or do they just scan for keywords like: “mom,” “blogger,” “CEO,” “marketing,” “content,” etc.
If they read the bio, will the same process we use to write adwords copy apply, with the most important ideas first followed by a call to action?
And how do you teach style and attitude? Twitter bios can be short and punchy as well as polished and professional.
While it’s hard to make a generalization, I’m in favor of a keyword-rich, compelling bio with at least one useful link that reveals personality.

Here are 21 things to consider when enhancing your twitter bio.
If you’re happy with yours, this can serve as a checklist.

1. Add a quote.
2. Add a question people should ask you.
3. Add something you are looking for.
4. Add something you can offer.
5. Add your mantra.
6. Add an article that rocks your world.
7. Add a sentence that describes who you are.
8. Add a sentence that describes what you want to do on Twitter.
9. Add descriptive tags, see StumbleUpon for ideas
10. Add a link to people’s replies to you. @Pistachio does this
11. Add your Linkedin account
12. Add your Delicious account
13. Add a link to FriendFeed
14. Add a link to your favorite Flickr photos
15. Add a link to your playlist (blip.fm, last.fm, etc.)
16. Add a link to a YouTube video of you, or that you enjoy watching
17. Add a link another blog, or website you are a part of
18. Cut your bio to 50% its current length
19. Put the most important terms first
20. Decide on your emphasis. If your bio was only one word (and not your name), which word would it be and why?
21.  If you’ve written in a complete sentence, try writing in short, punchy phrases. If you’ve written in short punchy phrases, try writing in complete sentences. Use what works.

BTW, here is my Twitter profile:

Name: Zach Braiker
Location: Cambridge, MA
Web: http://www.quiverandquill.com
Bio: “to understand one life you must swallow the world.” I run refine+focus: a marketing agency working w/ brands, media and VCs. http://tinyurl.com/63mrn

For related resources see:

Twitter Best Practices So Far, by David Lee King

How to Write a Short Bio on Yourself, by Pete Kistler

William K. Zinzser, author of On Writing Well, offers helpful advice: “My four principles are: Clarity, Simplicity, Brevity and Humanity. If you keep those four principles in mind, there’s almost nothing you can’t do.”

I am interested in great “About Us” pages. Every time we craft one for a client, we access so much about the company, both about how they perceive themselves and about how they want others to perceive them.

When I evaluate a company’s “About Us” page my two criteria are credibility and personality.

For credibility, I scan bios of their leadership team to see where they’ve worked, attended school and when they’ve spoken at conferences. What makes them uniquely qualified?

Evaluating personality, on the other hand, is more of an art than a science.
I start by seeing whether the company has a clear vision, expressed as a story, which I can easily follow.
Why was the company established and what is its mantra?
Then I look at how effectively their design brings that story to life.
I next scan for involvement, and this will vary depending on the industry. For instance, if I am on an agency’s website, I want to see what social networks their employees are on and how they are using them.
Finally, I look for the personal touch: Who are the principals as people? Do I want to work with them? Video interviews, quotes, funny and intriguing stats help here.

I have shared a few examples below that illustrate intriguing about us pages:

1. Meebo – Instant messaging site

A nice mix of credibility and personality with short, descriptive bios visible when you click the arrow.

2. Zappos – The customer service company that happens to sell shoes

A good example of the use of narrative and intertwining the company’s initiatives into the overall story

3. Design Continuum – A design & marketing company

A good example of personality. Reading these pages gives me a sense of who they are—as people.

4. Headwaters – A Merchant Bank

The “About Us” page is a clear cut example of credibility, and the site exemplifies personality. It’s a gem amongst financial services sites.

5. Elastic Lab – A marketing agency

Although their video bios aren’t complete at the time of this entry, I like how they have positioned them on the site. If I want to learn more, or see their people, I can do so with one click.

6. Forty Media – Another marketing agency

Their whole site lives on one page, and their credibility derives from their involvement. Click under any of their team’s photos to see where they are active online. I love it.

I asked friends on Twitter for their feedback on about us pages. Here’s what they said:

@central_nm  on about us page – what is look and feel? does it convey a sense of person/company/service in honest & authentic? current?

@solobasssteve context, background info, links, credentials, personal info, photos, interests, friendliness.

@nwjerseyliz If biz, a BRIEF statement about goals whether that is a mission statement or a promise to customers to provide good service

@kirbstr I look for the 5 w’s. Who are they? Where are they? (this sticks in my mind even as it seems less relevant) what, when, why

UPDATE: @solskinner Check out DanSko’s “About Us” page. http://tinyurl.com/6pghnk

I have an idea for an “About Us” page I am considering for my agency’s website. The page would have two buttons. The first would be called “Just the Facts,” and the second, “Our Story & More…”

This would give visitors the ability to select how much information they want to know.

Want to read more on the subject? Check out:

The Power of the About Us Page, ClickZ, by Bryan Eisenberg
Your About Page is a Robot, A List Apart, by Erin Kissane
Calling for a Ban on “About Us” Pages, AdAge, by B. L. Ochman

Do you have an “About Us” page you love? Please leave it as a link in the comments below.