Time 22:32

True story, I get a pitch about a marketer who is getting ready to leave the hustle of the rat race to go on a Buddhist retreat next year. I’ve got to tell you that I was a bit skeptical, I think the two disciplines, marketing and Buddhism are about a contrary as you can get.

The marketer, James Connor is the author of the book the Perfection of Marketing. It’s a quick read and told though the eyes of Connor as he weaves a story around a typical discussion with a CEO about marketing. It certainly is a different narrative than most business books, and I recommend it to every marketer as a gift to a skeptical CEO.

So I write back that I’d like to interview James not just about the book but what I see as the contradictions in the idea of being a marketer and a Buddhist. This is part two of my conversation with James Connor. We focus on the spiritual aspect of his journey in life and business. Did he completely convince me that marketing and Buddhism are made for each other? No, but Connor opened my eyes to a different perspective, and for that I’m very grateful.

As a participant of social media, Connor’s spirituality is insightful and shows the beauty and peace of giving. These insights give him a unique perspective on human nature and that perspective is an asset as a marketer. A premise of Buddhism is the concept of giving, and taking care of others. The best way to succeed is to help others, and I believe that is a principle of social media. Those that understand this principle and live by it will get back more than than give.

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Leave a comment below or better yet, call the comment line 206-600-6887. Enter the contest to win the book The Perfection of Marketing by email marketingedge AT providentpartners.net put the word perfection in the subject line.

Time 21:52

I’ve always found it interesting that many company CEOs view marketing as an after thought. Their concept of brand begins with a logo rather than a culture. Some may believe that brand is only for large companies that have time and money for a brand strategy and its execution.

I take a different view. Brand is rooted in a company’s belief system and value proposition, so while you are thinking about why a company should exist, it is also thinking about its brand. So when you think of service in the hospitality industry Ritz Carlton comes to mind, and when it comes to automobile safety it’s no accident that you think of Volvo.

When a company views a brand as part of its core, part of its reason to exist and the major quality that motivates people to purchase their product or service, then it is much easier to execute the messages that will flow from their brand position.

Just as Stephen Covey refers to True North as the ethical and moral direction for personal growth, I think True North for a company is its core brand value.

James Connor, author of The Perfection of Marketing believes you can drive sales in three steps to brand building. We get into the details in this podcast the first of a two part conversation. Tomorrow we chat about Connor being a Buddhist and a marketer, a seeming contradiction for me.

Enter the contest to giveaway Connor’s book by emailing me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and in the subject line put the word Perfection.

Every entry, every comment on the blog or on the Marketing Edge comment line 206-600-6887, Provident Partners will give a food item to a St. Paul, Minnesota food shelter. The Marketing Edge podcast is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month, gives us a call and we’ll get you on the next show.

Also check out a new show I am hosting Social Media Throwdown First show is a discussion about the merits of personal branding with Hajj Flemings and Geoff Livingston

I copied these 5 Rules for Successful Brands from a wonderful post at Gigacom http://gigaom.com/2007/10/26/5-simple-rules-of-branding/ The writer is Carleen Hawn

The rules are from John Quelch. Mr. Quelch is a non-executive director of WPP Group plc, the world’s second largest marketing services company, and of Pepsi Bottling Group. He served previously as a director of Reebok International. He writes an excellent blog on branding for Harvard Business Publishing.

Hawn’s article was originally posted on October 26, 2007. Quelch poses a clean, concise list of 5 major rules for branding that I have chosen to apply to the 2008 presidential Democrat ticket, specifically with the idea as some are advocating that an Obama/Clinton ticket is a smart choice.

Senator Obama, here is a perspective of what Clinton does for your brand.

Quelch’s 5 Rules for Successful (global) Brands: Quelch’s rules are numbered, my Obama/Clinton commentary for each rule follow.

1. The same positioning worldwide. (For F|R: this means in every market.) This provides a combination of functional product quality and innovation with emotional appeal. Think Coca-Cola.

For Obama this means selecting Clinton after her harsh words and the guaranteed soundbites that will be used in ads during the general election campaign are likely to undermine your position.

2. A focus on a single product category. Think Nokia and Intel.

For Obama this means you lose your Obama product category and take on a second product line, not good and will lead to product confusion. No one ever voted for the bottom of the ticket and don’t let them convince you it is going to start now.

3. The company name is the brand name. All marketing dollars are concentrated on that one brand. Think GE and IBM. (F|R: Hewlett-Packard learned this the hard way!)

For Obama this means diluting his message and potentially having an under current of a Co-presidency. That’s not a good idea for a strong brand. Yup, it might not be diplomatic, but when it comes to Presidential candidates, it’s either my way or the highway.

4. Access to the (global) village. Consuming the brand equals membership in a global club. Think IBM’s “solutions for a small planet.” (F|R says: replace “global club” with social network.)

For Obama this means you get a warm and comfortable feeling in Denver. That’s nice, but it is a dream if you think it will last. This dream ticket does not live in a vacuum. You are not in high school and you can’t break up and still be friends. This is called leadership and with it, there are leaders and followers, period. Oh and speaking of a global village how does Clinton reconcile the whole lunch with Ahmadinejād thing. Nope, Obama it’s your world view, stick with it.

5. Social responsibility. Consumers expect global brands to lead on corporate social responsibility, leveraging their technology to solve the world’s problems. Think Nestle and clean water. (Or F|R might say: think Google.)

For Obama this means you should expect Clinton to step aside at this time, not concede for opportunistic reasons. Clinton must understand that it is in the Obama brand’s best interest for a clean break, not take the approach of, “I won’t make this messy if I get what I want? Brands are better when they are clearly defined, even with the potential rough edge he may create if Obama does not choose Clinton as VP. In fact, I’d argue that decisive an edge will serve the Obama brand better in the long run.

A personal note here, this blog discusses marketing, communications, and social media issues. I try very hard not to express political views here. I use politics as an illustration of social media, messaging, and brands. However, I do not want to give the impression that I support Barack Obama. I do admire how his campaign has defined him and seek only to comment about him from a communications perspective.

On the Republican side, I believe John McCain’s brand is rich in leadership. An example would be a candidate for the republican nomination that is not afraid to have Joe Lieberman, officially listed as an Independent Democrat, at his side during his primary campaign. This, however, is a story for another time.