Burt Young

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For any of us who are playing with the notion of branding ourselves and our businesses, David Vinjamuri, a former brand manager a J&J, and Coke, now teacher of marketing at NYU and founder/president of Third Way Brand Trainers, has provided some interesting examples in his book, Accidental Branding, How Extraordinary People Build Extraordinary Brands (John Wiley & Sons).

Vinjamuri is a good companion, in a rather urbane, ah-shucks kind of way, who introduces us to the people (most with little to no marketing experience and started their businesses with only a few hundred dollars and maybe credit card) behind some of the most interesting brands in world, including Burts Bees, Clif Bars, & J. Peterman, among others. (*Find the full list below.)

While each story is unique, Vinjamuri highlights the qualities they all share, they took advantage of good timing & luck, a deep understanding of what their customers want and obsessiveness about the details of the entire interaction of their customer and their brands. A few rules, i.e. similarities amongst the brands that Vinjamuri highlights include:

1. Do sweat the small stuff. Myriam Zaoui and Eric Malka, founders of The Art of Shaving, are very aware of each detail of men's grooming processes, how to create products to enhance that process, and the final result in ways that appeals to men's self image. Every detail of the product line, marketing, store format, sales and barbering staff is aligned with that goal.
2. Pick a fight. Don't be shy about highlighting what the competition lacks & how your offering fits the bill. Gary Erickson of Clif Bar couldn't choke down one more, bad tasting nutrition bar while out on his training rides, and started experimenting with recipes for good tasting and effective nutrition bars. Needless to say, consumers of nutrition bars are reminded of that difference when they shop.
3. Do be your own customer. Everyone profiled began their brands by addressing a specific need they had but couldn't find a product/remedy in the marketplace. Julie Aigner-Clark, founder of Baby Einstein, couldn't find educational videos for her baby. So she made her own and discovered that other parents were looking for the same thing. Craig Newmark of Craigslist also fits this rule. He was looking for a simple, free or cheap place for he and his friends to post on line, things and services for sale in a local area. With its global reach, you can get almost anything almost everywhere in the world. Why would Newmark, or anyone of the rest of us, shop anywhere else.
4. Be unnaturally persistent. While all of these entrepreneurs have this quality, Roxanne Quimby of Burts Bees is my favorite. Being just shy of homeless up in Maine and being of a diy, hippie, artsy frame of mind, she went looking for things to make and sell. She runs into Burt Shavitz, a local bee keeper, selling honey from his truck to keep things simple. Quimby made candles from the bees wax and they started making a little money selling honey & candles at craft fairs. More experiments by Quimby making other natural products and greater selling opportunities, next they they know, they have a multi-million dollar business.
5. Build a myth. John Peterman is the master of this idea. Being the poet merchant he is, his marketing copy builds a myth around the J. Peterman brand that allows his customers to become part of the myth and the select, in-the-know club of compatriots.
6. Be faithful. OK, you've enjoyed some success and are ready to branch out. Don't forget to be faithful to those that supported you in the beginning. Even if you introduce new product lines, don't tamper too much with what your core customer base is interested in. Stay in touch with them to understand their needs & to reward their loyalty with your offerings while you expand to capture other markets. Gert Boyle, founder of Columbia Sportswear built a business on this notion. She and her family are very loyal to each other in the business and also to their customers. Boyle knows what she and her loyal customers are looking for in well made, reasonably priced outdoor wear and keeps everyone in the organization focused on delivering exactly that consistently.

As one person can only take a business so far on their own and if there is true interest in expanding, other will need to be hired. The trick is to surround yourself with people who agree with your views on most of the above.

You don't' necessarily need to do or be all of the above, but being as clear as possible on most of the above will help you define your personal brand to yourself sufficiently that you can successfully communicate that in ways that give your potential customers the confidence that you truly have their best interests at heart.

* Entrepreneurs and companies highlighted in Accidental Branding.

Roxanne Quimby

Burts Bees Craig Newmark

Craigslist Gary Erickson

Clif Bar John Peterman

John Peterman, The J. Peterman Company

Myriam Zaoui and Eric Malka, The Art of Shaving

Gert Boyle, Columbia Sportswear

Julie Aigner-Clark, Baby Einstein

Toni Taylor
http://ttaylorblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.integratedlifesuccess.com

Being passionate about the creative process and how it can be applied to all areas of life, business, and art, I'm committed to the creative success of everyone on my team. Marketing is the basis of my other businesses, which include holistic health counseling, web/graphic design, and a dance company.

Pride comes before Bankruptcy

Self-fulfilling Prophecies:

Clearly with businesses like MFI and Woolworths going to the wall, we should learn to dig deeper to understand why this is happening.   On the one hand it is because the banks / credit insurers cancelled agreements, but that on the other hand suppliers wouldn’t trust these major businesses to pay them after the run up to Christmas.  So greed and fear won the day, and yes, the suppliers haven’t been paid – they have now lost a lot of business!   Well I have no sympathy for the banks and suppliers who have forced these closures, a true Self Fulfilling Prophecy!!    Might it be their turn next?

Arrogance is for Aardvarks who are now extinct:

A friend told me, that the other day, as a Christmas present for his sons and grandsons,  he decided to buy 2 sets of those colourful men’s swimming trunks with matching ones for the two babies – adorable!   This was a purchase of some £350 – so no small present.  However, when he asked if there was a discount, the man in the Vilebrequin shop in the Fulham Road said: ‘Oh we never give a discount – we don’t need to!’    At which point my friend apparently said: ‘Ah, I see you are not given the authority to give a discount – how short sighted of your Senior Managers’.  Yes, my friend bought the swimming trunks, but he was disgusted by this attitude.   Two things come to mind, that this was a foolish and arrogant statement by that young man in the shop – and maybe Vilebrequin isn’t recession-proof:  which the management team and the young shop assistant will find out  - if he still has a job in a year’s time.

Each business leader and management team has to ensure their staff is fully briefed about the economic situation, so that they may each and individually use their best judgement to get the maximum out of each sales transaction.   This may include giving minor discounts – to those who ask, and why not??    Arrogance is for those Aardvarks who became extinct thousands of years ago because they could not mutate / develop to survive the world they found themselves in.  Nothing has changed in that respect.

There is no room for Parasites at this time of Change:

Change takes time to settle into our psyche, and some people are much more resistant to change than others – partly driven by their personality, partly by their conditioning or experiences but also by the information available to them.   Back in the summer of 2007, the housing market stated to wobble – exacerbated by the press and media who seemed to take delight in fuelling the disturbing news.  Now we are faced with some unpalatable truths, that businesses will only survive if they encourage the creative and imaginative staff – and those who can’t get on this wagon – will be out of the door.  

Earlier this week I was in Cardiff, running a seminar for the IIP Club (organisations who have either got the Standard, or are working towards it).   One Executive expressed his concerns that if he shared more information (including financial issues) with all the staff,  too many would panic and leave.  Apart from the fact that it is wonderful there are staff sufficiently confident they can walk out of one job and into another, there is also a very evident gap in their understanding of the current situation – and their current employer is probably well shot of these foolish people:  let them go!!!!!!  This is survival of the quickest, swiftest and – intelligent!  


Trade Unions:  facilitators – or dinosaurs??

More concerning still though are the grave concerns I have over the TUs contribution to support employers through this economic situation.   The attitude some employers described was that the TU Representatives were fighting against innovative solutions to save jobs by demanding more pay, benefits and rights.   (and in the deal described – the staff would have had a 14% pay increase – seems reasonable to me!)  This is unbelievable.  Is it remotely possible the Trade Union Congress Executive would support this out-dated, and recalcitrant step?    I have more faith in their eye for the future – but it really worries me that they too, have a huge education and communication exercise to undertake very quickly, to help their Reps be current and up-to-date before they put their members’ futures on the scrap heap. 

-    Have those TU Reps properly canvassed their members?   

-    Are the employers sending out their own detailed information to their staff to ensure their staff know the full and real financial situation?

-    Can any employer countenance this exposure to risk?

-    Isn’t this a matter of a few selfishly, greedy people fighting for themselves – with no consideration of colleagues, fellow workers, or their community?

Could your ignorance put jobs at risk?


Government, Employers, the TUs and Consultative groups must get together to work this through.  It is terrifying that ignorance could actually put 100s or 1000s of people’s lives at risk because:  ‘we’re doing you a favour, mate, by being prepared to work these hours / at this rate of pay / we want a cost of living increase / etc’.   I am not advocating employers abuse the minimum wage,  or the minimum statutory employment rights – but I do think we need to bring reason and logic into play.

Everything we ever knew about work should be seen to be ‘up for grabs’.  No one has the right to a job, nor an income, nor income support.    No one should believe that they can contribute nothing to their employer – and expect to get any benefits – and not be held accountable, somewhere or somehow.   We seem to have hit a seam of such Nanny-stating,  that there really are people in Britain who genuinely believe they are owed a living and need not take responsibility for their own lives.  We all have a responsibility to help any misguided people understand, that NO, that is not the case, but that we all have a responsibility to ourselves, our families and our communities to grasp the nettle, now,  and at least have a go at making a positive step towards a way out of this economic situation.

About the Author

Patricia Wheatley Burt is a business and HR consultant and expert in commercial and professional practice management. She works with a wide range of companies providing Consultancy, Training and Executive Coaching based on over 25 years’ experience.

Patricia established what is now Trafalgar – The People Business www.trafalgarpeople.com in 1990, which specialises in strategy, business development, achieving Peak Performance Management and, of course, developing pro£itability.

Clients find that those ‘tiresome management tasks’ become easier and more manageably effective, that staff become fired up with enthusiasm and the business does achieve its goals – and increases profitability!

As a keynote speaker and facilitator Patricia focuses on motivating her audiences to welcome change, to understand the personalities and motivations of others, to work together towards targets and goals which ultimately lead to success for all.

In her spare time Patricia is involved with several charities including Ataxia UK. She has had numerous articles published, has a series of Practice Management Pocketbooks and DVDs for professional people, has scripted and contributed to a number of LNTV videos, has appeared on BBC radio and is a member of the National Speakers Association and a Fellow of the Professional Speakers Association.

For more ideas and details of how to get started on this Revolution, please contact Patricia and her team on: +44 (0)20 7565 7547, or email her on: patricia@trafalgarpeople.com

How do I get a girlfriend?

I'm a freshman, I'm 14, about 5'7", medium size not huge but not skinny, and some people say i look like a younger burt reynolds. The problem is I am too nervous to ask out a girl or anything. What do I do?

lol, burt reynolds. you're ok height, i guess. who're you planning to ask anyways? there's really no point if you have no one to ask. do you mean like talking to girls? cuz first, no one likes a self centered person. and you wanna let us talk, cuz most girls talk a lot. complements are good, but not too many, all at once. it all really depends on the girl. she likes funny, be funny, and ya, yup.

For the week of Feb. 12, 2010
John Robert Noah, born on July 21, 1932 during the Great Depression in Huntington Beach—an oil town in those days—and passed away on Jan. 24, 2010. John was an industrious and active young boy. He obtained four paper routes at the age of 13 and continued them for several years.

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