Monday July 31, 2006

New Orleans -- Rising Beneath The Radar

New Orleans: sure, you've been hearing a lot about murders...still unidentified Katrina victims, and the National Guard. And all other sorts-a-things that methinks contribute unfairly to the perception that New Orleans is somehow disconnected from the rest of this country -- both culturally and economically.

And although I think New Orleans is a wholly unique place for a panopoly of reasons both good and bad, the "disconnected" perception, of course, is based on a very small sample. New Orleaneans still wake up each morning, turn on their tvs and radios to the same channels we do, still send their kids off to school, still work a job, still care about their neighborhoods, still bring new businesses to life and still keep the old ones churning along. It's challenging, but it's still life in America.

So today we look at three stories of the roll-up-your-sleeves variety that, although they've been published or broadcast in major media outlets, may have fallen off your media-diet's radar. Each contributes to a bigger picture of progress and hope than what I've become used to reading about in the last 10+ months since the hurricane hit.

From the New York Times: Despite a City’s Hopes, an Uneven Repopulation

"There may be no clearer indication that the people of this city have taken the recovery into their own hands than the homemade street signs in the Claiborne-University area. Along Nashville Avenue, the signs, made mostly from scraps of wood and debris, announce Rocheblave, Tonti, Galvez and Miro Streets with the decorative flair of flowers and stars. Such homemade signs can be found all around the city."

From NPR: Tasty Summertime Tradition in New Orleans

My wife and I were excited to hear college-friend Ashley Hansen on national radio last week. Her story: the family's decades-old Hansen's Sno-Bliz business [Flickr pics] suffered a major blow when the founders (Ashley's elderly grandparents) both passed in the hurricane aftermath last year. Now Ashley's re-opened, and it marks the continuance of a gastronomic staple in a city still known for its food. Interview includes audio.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Roadside Renaissance for Farm Stands

Can farmers be the new "rock stars of agriculture?" Richard McCarthy (another college compadre[!]) of Loyola's Economics Institute and the Crescent City Farmers Market thinks so. But that's just a catchy hook for me to lure you into reading about the model he's building for tweaking the all-too-familiar concepts of markets. His work is gaining significant traction in the South -- and it all started with a small stand on Magazine street in downtown New Orleans.

( Jul 31 2006, 11:41:35 AM PDT ) Permalink

Monday July 17, 2006

Whole Foods: The Upward Flow of Human Development

Wow. Three things I never expected to hear from the CEO of a leading, publicly traded grocery chain:

"Sprial dynamics is a bio-pshycho-social-spiritual framework..."

"The creation of animal 'factory farms' has greatly lowered the costs of all animal products, but it has come at a tremendous cost in animal welfare."

"We are all connected together in an upward spiral flow toward greater health, happiness, peace, love, and ecological sustainability."

...and yet it's so. Whole Foods's bloggin' CEO John Mackey goes deep. Warning text-scanners: print this out, as it'll probably be the most interesting thing you read this week.

( Jul 17 2006, 04:49:09 PM PDT ) Permalink

Friday July 14, 2006

What's your Brasil name?

Great fun for a Friday lunch break:

Get your own BrazilName here. There's a 95 percent chance your name won't be as...uh...dorky as mine.

( Jul 14 2006, 01:56:10 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [2]

Wednesday July 12, 2006

Audio branding quick hits, July 12

-- Go and play: Musiclens recommends music for you based on tempo, mood, color, etc. Very similar to ColorofMySound.com, but with a few more attributes for better and worse.

-- More playing: Paul and the cool gang at Rumblefish recently launched their Music Licensing Store, which provides pre-cleared music for immediate purchase and download. Normally, the process of using licensed music requires many calls to many agencies (or the help of a highly paid middleman named Muzak) to get what you need in a legal fashion. No more. It's about time someone relieved that nightmare of a digital divide.

-- Come and listen: I'll be speaking on audio branding at the Industrial Designers Society of America National Conference in Austin this September. Fritz Doddy from Elias Arts and I will provide an insider's peek into the Sun audio-identity creation process, and we'll also touch on some of the larger themes related to brand-boosting via product sonification. (Kudos, BTW, to Scott, Rayan, Fritz and Glenn for helping make our audio brand as powerful, innovative and mind-numbingly excellent as it is.) Join us, won't you?

( Jul 12 2006, 03:57:20 PM PDT ) Permalink

Tuesday June 27, 2006

How to win -- or at least not lose -- clients in the first 5 minutes

I spent a good chunk of time in the Midwest in the last couple weeks, working from Chicago and Milwaukee, remote style, while my wife and kids spent time with her family. Both of these visits were really enjoyable (especially in the early part of the summer), and my experiences in both places -- speaking at Neocon and later working amidst the core of Milwaukee's creative class in the Third Ward -- have spawned a number of conversations I'd like to share with you. So here we go.

Neocon, brand, vendors, and how to win -- or not lose -- a client in the first five minutes

We've spent a lot of time at Sun in the last few years evangelizing the notion of what brand is and what brand isn't. For a simple recap: brand is not a product, company, or logo. It's a reputation -- your perception -- of an organization. And it's communicated in a boatload of ways, from advertising and marketing to product performance and even service and support.

Now despite what a number of low-rent marketers might have you believe, brands cannot be built on promises alone. We all love (or don't) certain things not for what they promise, but for what they deliver. And companies that get that are rewarded financially...they've built their organization to deliver value across as many touchpoints as possible.

That's something that I don't think anyone gets quite right, but I'm certainly excited to say that Sun is working to make that happen. The good news: we'll get there. The bad news: everyone who has the opportunity to provide value to and for Sun -- all employees and vendors -- must also understand this.

The trouble with vendors

I should rephrase that...it's not necessarily "the bad news." It's the most challenging part. And I'm not referring to the employees; that's a heavy-lifting effort, but as an organization we can measure and reward people who contribute in a way that's reflective of our core values. It's hard, but it's doable.

Rather, I've found that it's gosh-dang hard to enlist a cadre of vendors who actually care about our business. Finding vendors who espouse the true principles of partnership -- who understand our business and have our best short- and long-term interests at heart -- can be difficult. I'm exposed on a regular basis, for example, to firms in the architecture or interior-environments world that seem to think that we're more interested in what nifty thing they can do with our logo on a wall, than with how they can assist in providing unforgettable experiences (unique to Sun) that blossom into long-term business relationships.

And if it's not about the logo, then it's a fascination with technology that a potential vendor wants to push. Or it's an obvious rote approach for design -- we'll give you the exact same wow-factor that we gave Company X (who all too often just happens to be a competitor, differentiation be damned.)

Separating the wheat from the chaff

So I was fortunate enough to present at Neocon (with David Meckley of Huntsman and Beth Davis of Spencer Stuart). My particular angle was on the value that designers (and more specifically, "design") bring to any business. And one of the questions that arose after the presentation was about knowing the difference between a "good vendor" and a "bad vendor" -- something that becomes rather clear to me, in my role at Sun, in the first five minutes of any presentation from an environments-design vendor.

In fact, it's something I've been asked about twice since then...attendee Donna Caldwell positions this as "how to win -- or at least not lose -- a client in the first 5 minutes." Works for me. So what the heck -- let's open this up. Here's my rapid-fire take on the difference between vendors I at Sun want to work with and those I don't...the difference between those who will boost our brand as a true partner, and those who simply want to do their thing, send a bill, and walk away...often despite intentions that state otherwise.

Ready, set, go:

-- Language: if the firm offers to design our brand story, they're in the door. If they simply "design interiors," that's less valuable to me.

-- Brand:: if their view of "branding" is about where they place the logo, or about which wall we paint Sun Blue, then that's a negative point.

-- Measurement:: if the firm can tell me how they'll connect guests or employees to the brand -- and how they'd measure that -- then I'm very interested.

-- Possibilities:: if they can map out for me how this may provide increased revenue or new sources of revenue, then I'm downright excited.

-- Prescriptive solutions:: if they're immediately diving into the latest technology or hippest designs, they're missing the point. (If it's something our competitors could easily do, then what's the point?)

-- Open approach:: if the firm has a multidisciplinary team (from artists to designers to writers to [yes] actors), they're more likely to see the world in new ways and provide a solution that's as unique as we think we are. And that's good. But if the firm has signature look that hints of a templated approach to design, that's not as desirable.

-- Research:: if the firm has done its homework and knows something about our history and brand values, I'm grateful. If they haven't prepared, it's usually clear. (Any firm that makes their first presentation to us in PowerPoint/Microsoft rather than StarOffice/Sun has a small mark against them, in my opinion. [Regardless of which tool may actually be better.] They clearly don't know our culture.)

-- Charisma:: and finally, if the team lead can sell ideas, they're in. Organizational navigation is a given challenge in any big company, and a strong lead can make or break the implementation of a good idea at Sun. Some vendors have it, some don't. The best ones are those who can make my internal-selling job of that much easier.

Finally, I'd like to add one more. It's based on what Martin Lindstrom calls "smashing the brand," but it's an ages-old methodology for knowing how strong you communicate your brand. The litmus test is this: if you remove the logos in this physical space, would it still be clearly identifiable as a Sun space? If not, then we're all really just plopping in walls, furniture and fixtures, aren't we?

Walls, floors and fixtures are fine for meeting minimally-acceptable requirements. It's just that I don't believe Sun is interested in presenting itself as a minimally-acceptable company.

OK, enough grandstanding from my end. Dogmatic approaches, after all, will only get me so far. I'm curious to hear what works and what doesn't for you, whether you're on the vendor or client side. Let's talk.

( Jun 27 2006, 10:14:16 AM PDT ) Permalink

Monday June 12, 2006

Midwest Express

We're heading over to the shores of Lake Michigan for the next week-plus as I visit Neocon in Chicago and spend the rest of my time this week working from Milwaukee.

One subtle plus to Milwaukee: deep inhale -- yes, you can still sniff the hops and the mash wafting from Miller, Sprecher and Lakefront Brewery as you make your way around town. Most of Milwaukee's big brewing labels have left town, but you nose won't know, as craft breweries have popped up throughout the city...it'll feel just like home back in Portland, Oregon.

While I'm on the subject of smell, Chicago too has its own distinct odor, and it's not half-bad, either: chocolate. Stroll out of any building in the River North area and catch your free whiffs as a nearby chocolate factory (bonus points to anyone who can name the company) cranks out the sweet stuff.

It's funny how smells force certain memories upon us. Clearly Chicago and Miwaukee have left an impression on me. (I'll leave New Orleans out of the mix, with all due respect.) Smell is the strongest sense associated with memory, they say, and I'll go for that. And today's lesson, kids, is to capitalize on that if you're in the business of being in business. Here's a link to a Fast Company article on sensory branding to get your nose thinking...

Two more quick hits before I catch that plane east:

--- Honk if you can hear this: apparently students have found (and are using) ringtones that adults can't hear.

--- Design like you give a damn: The IDSA has kicked off its Business and Design Catalyst awards, which focuses on the impact of thoughtful design on the bottom line.

All for now. See you somewhere along the shores of Lake Michigan.

( Jun 12 2006, 09:18:43 AM PDT ) Permalink

Tuesday June 06, 2006

Back on the air

After a brief stint with a collaborative brand-based blog, a new baby in our lives, countless visitors and so many undocumented ideas that my brain's about to explode...I'm back. And for the forseeable future, this is where I'll be writing.

Glad to see you here. Looking forward to kickstarting the conversation on all things we advanced cave-people call "brand." Stay tuned.

( Jun 06 2006, 04:38:59 PM PDT ) Permalink

Wednesday February 08, 2006

"This is what a Honda sounds like."

Honda's done quite a bit of work in the strategic-audio sphere, most notably with the "voice of Honda" being that of Garrison Keillor for most their commercials.

Now, Honda UK's done something radically different with the ad launch for their Civic: they've created a Honda Choir -- a collection of professional singers who emulate the audio experience of driving/being a Honda Civic. The commercial is amazing, and the behind-the-scenes documentary is superlative.

Link: http://www.honda.co.uk/civic/?campaignid=CM038200W01D. (Click "Watch" from the main site categories.)

Thanks to Marney for the tip...

( Feb 08 2006, 12:40:25 PM PST ) Permalink

Friday February 03, 2006

More audio deliciousness: Super Mario Bros. interface sounds

Following up yesterday's note on well-intentioned but utterly misdirected corporate anthems, here's a link to fun and functional audio branding: it's the Super Mario Bros. audiosound super-sound synthesizer (Flash).

( Feb 03 2006, 11:40:57 AM PST ) Permalink

Thursday February 02, 2006

When good brands sound bad.

Parody comes to life. More specifically, to corporate life. Strap on your seatbelts for...

"Apple II Forever," from an Apple Developer Connection CD way back when (thanks Jaime!)

We Built This Starbucks on Heart and Soul (heard at the Starbucks Licensed Stores Awards ceremony, a celebratory/motivational leadership conference)

and finally...The KPMG Song.

Enjoy. ( Feb 02 2006, 06:05:08 PM PST ) Permalink

Tuesday January 17, 2006

Customers, printers, music and signs

Back in the saddle. Hit it:

- - - HBR has a blurb of anecdotes on why asking customers what they want isn't a good idea. As for knowing why they want what they want -- that's gold, baby.

- - - Should you pull the pitcher from the game? Your data has the answer. The only thing this nifty info-visualer tool doesn't account for is that queasy look on the nervous rookie's face...which is something you just can't quantify.

- - -"I've got an ongoing project, reprogramming the firmware in these 1985 Epson LQ-500 printers to turn them into musical instruments."

- - - Related oddball audio: Words That Sound Dirty But Aren't...with beats thrown in for good measure. (Direct MP3 link. Disclaimer: made by me, inspired by a list-loving brother-in-law.)

- - - Attention marketers: Oakland International Airport knows where the men are.

(Hunting down prospects doesn't get any easier than that, does it?)

- - - Core77 and a few other big brand brains are having a "Design 2.0" hootenanny on design strategy and innovation. Save the date: February 28 in NYC.

( Jan 17 2006, 12:18:00 PM PST ) Permalink

Friday December 23, 2005

Video goodies heading into a break

We're off for a while. Which means my head won't be anywhere near here for at least a week. Before I go, let me point you to two video goodies that'll warm up your video ipod like nobody's business:

My daughter Beatrix adds a little lagniappe (QT, 2.3 mb) to the traditional Twinkle Twinkle song. Much more than your typical cute-kid-singing video, as long as you watch the whole thing. Promise.

And then...WGN Chicago offers its Yule Log a-burnin' for your personal, on-demand viewing pleasure.

Gawlly, the Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, and Heaps of Consumer Debt seasons don't get any better than this. Season's Greetings!

( Dec 23 2005, 11:35:54 AM PST ) Permalink

Tuesday December 06, 2005

Pop-up Stores in NPR's "Morning Edition"

I wrote about Illy Coffee's pop-up store/noteworthy brand-building innovation a while back. For those of you who missed it, NPR ran a story on it today -- here's the article (includes audio).

Here's what I thought notable:

- - It's not about being a "coffee shop." Illy may be losing money as far as being an operational coffee shop goes, but that would be missing the point; as a brand-building experiment, this store has created a phoenomenal amount of free buzz. That's priceless.

- - Buzz is good, and experience is better. Those people who have actually visited the store have had a much more intimate conversation with the brand...one that most marketing managers would pay dearly for.

- - Ditch the focus groups. On top of all this, Illy uses the store as a research lab of sorts. They're watching people interact with the brand and developing deeper insights about what matters most to people when it comes to coffee. Why pay for a focus group, after all, when you already have "the field" right before your eyes?

Store closes December 15. After that, be prepared for Illy's next wave, which is likely to be a major retail push here in the states. Keep an eye out for whatever they're up to next.

( Dec 06 2005, 10:44:41 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Monday December 05, 2005

Humane architecture = better SATs?

Meanwhile, over at the Washington Post, they're profiling a new school in Manassas Park, Va., where "the design of this building does in fact have a measurable effect on student achievement and student behavior."

I see a town-hall fistfight in the near future if their school board is anything like corporate America. Nonetheless, you've gotta dig their enthusiasm. If seasonally-affective disorder is an honest-to-goodness example of what happens when your day's a little too grey, there's no reason why gloomy buildings and forgotten interiors can't have a similar downside.

"We have examples of kids whose schools were dark and dank and crumbly, and when their new school opened, morale increased, the community came together, teachers stayed longer. Even the football team got better," Judy Marks (associate director for the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities) said. "There are those anecdotal stories that can give you a glimpse, but trying to look for solid research on that is a little trickier."

( Dec 05 2005, 05:46:44 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Can you hear me now? No. Great!

Fascinating audio device described in the NYT:

"The device, called the Mosquito ("It's small and annoying," Mr. Stapleton said), emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that, he says, can be heard by most people younger than 20 and almost no one older than 30. The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several minutes, they cannot stand it and go away."

...'Course if you can't afford a Mosquito, there's always champagne music. ( Dec 05 2005, 05:34:10 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]