Comments on: branding and the corporation: from tone-deaf to pitch-perfect http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:43:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Promotional Products http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html/comment-page-1#comment-653 Promotional Products Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:57:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=72#comment-653 Very interesting thoughts, I think the Big Brands can do this, but are apathetic to do so because it is just easier to spend money and buy up the niche brands then take the time to develop something themselves. I also believe that if they chose to get closer to the customers they would have to be more transparent and accessible to their client, which they are not willing to do. Very interesting thoughts, I think the Big Brands can do this, but are apathetic to do so because it is just easier to spend money and buy up the niche brands then take the time to develop something themselves. I also believe that if they chose to get closer to the customers they would have to be more transparent and accessible to their client, which they are not willing to do.

]]> By: Rob Kleine http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html/comment-page-1#comment-652 Rob Kleine Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:46:11 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=72#comment-652 Grant - When will the Kindle edition of the book be available? rob Grant – When will the Kindle edition of the book be available? rob

]]> By: Marc http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html/comment-page-1#comment-651 Marc Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:05:39 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=72#comment-651 It relies on the concept of "the corporation" as a monolith doesn't it? What if they've become more organic, spoke-and-hub or nodal... or could easily become that way. Big advertising agencies are a good example of this. In Singapore we have one of the big global players in the business district with a suitably impressive office. The same brand also has a funkier smaller unit up the road ("Lab"), an even edgier "intervention" business in a different part of town that does great online and social media work, a media buying company and several other units. The guys and girls in the small edgy units would be totally out of place in the big agency's office. They're tapped to a totally different market (and they do great work in it). The spoke-and-hub model doesn't seem much of a stretch to me... and how different do these nodes from niche brands? =) Marc It relies on the concept of “the corporation” as a monolith doesn’t it? What if they’ve become more organic, spoke-and-hub or nodal… or could easily become that way.

Big advertising agencies are a good example of this. In Singapore we have one of the big global players in the business district with a suitably impressive office. The same brand also has a funkier smaller unit up the road (“Lab”), an even edgier “intervention” business in a different part of town that does great online and social media work, a media buying company and several other units.

The guys and girls in the small edgy units would be totally out of place in the big agency’s office. They’re tapped to a totally different market (and they do great work in it).

The spoke-and-hub model doesn’t seem much of a stretch to me… and how different do these nodes from niche brands?

=) Marc

]]> By: Christopher http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html/comment-page-1#comment-650 Christopher Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:12:32 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=72#comment-650 I don't buy it. They may talk it. They may pretend they can do it. But my guess? They are still going to be prowling. Maybe a little bit closer to the consumer, but they are going to watch the innovators. And then take their ideas. Perhaps they'll do this like Forever 21, Zara or Pottery Barn does -- watching the cultural innovators in Europe and Asian and then copying or refining something. Years ago I interned at Paper Magazine, they had a slogan at their decade mark: "Who cut the edge?" Let me tell you, it's not going to be the big companies. They make get really close to the edge, but they will never be able to innovate like true avant garde. I don’t buy it. They may talk it. They may pretend they can do it. But my guess? They are still going to be prowling. Maybe a little bit closer to the consumer, but they are going to watch the innovators. And then take their ideas. Perhaps they’ll do this like Forever 21, Zara or Pottery Barn does — watching the cultural innovators in Europe and Asian and then copying or refining something. Years ago I interned at Paper Magazine, they had a slogan at their decade mark: “Who cut the edge?” Let me tell you, it’s not going to be the big companies. They make get really close to the edge, but they will never be able to innovate like true avant garde.

]]> By: srp http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html/comment-page-1#comment-649 srp Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:12:41 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=72#comment-649 Actually, nimbleness may not be required if large numbers of potential niche brands can be launched at low cost and only the winners harvested. Blind variation, selection, and retention can be performed by markets but also by large organizations that set up to do it. This is one of the advantages of scale--a large chain of restaurants can try a bunch of variations at specific units and gather reliable statistics on the results, ditto for retail chains, and ditto for a consumer packaged goods firm with lots of cash flow and strong distribution across multiple geographic markets. You need a Chief Experimental Office of sorts to run, interpret, and implement the results. Actually, nimbleness may not be required if large numbers of potential niche brands can be launched at low cost and only the winners harvested. Blind variation, selection, and retention can be performed by markets but also by large organizations that set up to do it. This is one of the advantages of scale–a large chain of restaurants can try a bunch of variations at specific units and gather reliable statistics on the results, ditto for retail chains, and ditto for a consumer packaged goods firm with lots of cash flow and strong distribution across multiple geographic markets. You need a Chief Experimental Office of sorts to run, interpret, and implement the results.

]]> By: Rick Liebling http://cultureby.com/2009/07/branding-and-the-corporation-from-tone-deaf-to-pitch-perfect.html/comment-page-1#comment-648 Rick Liebling Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:33:28 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=72#comment-648 Grant, I'm with you here. But really, big brands are not only going to have to walk the tightrope (innovation) they're going to have to do it while riding a unicycle (go in-house with a Chief Culture Officer). In the past not only would they have waited for the niche brand to do the innovating, they would have had an outside consultant tell them which innovator to gobble up. That's a lot of culture change. And as you stated, the lag time is now approximately as long as it takes to read this comment. If I were a CCO (my lips to God's ears), I'd spend as little time inside the corporate walls as would be allowed. Grant,

I’m with you here. But really, big brands are not only going to have to walk the tightrope (innovation) they’re going to have to do it while riding a unicycle (go in-house with a Chief Culture Officer). In the past not only would they have waited for the niche brand to do the innovating, they would have had an outside consultant tell them which innovator to gobble up.

That’s a lot of culture change. And as you stated, the lag time is now approximately as long as it takes to read this comment. If I were a CCO (my lips to God’s ears), I’d spend as little time inside the corporate walls as would be allowed.

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