Rebranding – staying on track
I love rebranding companies. The process is an incredible balance of reflection, opportunity, objectivity, creativity, sensibility, and collaboration. So when given the occasion to lead Actors Unlimited Entertainment’s rebrand, I whole-heartedly embraced the challenge with a big smile and lots of energy.
old logo
Rebranding is not just about changing a logo and getting a new tag line. For AUE, it was about defining the company’s essence and communicating its evolution. After 20 years in the entertainment business, their products and services had matured. Their rebrand process needed to be the foundation for a bigger, overall brand strategy.
Here’s a snippet of the early process:
Ask probing questions (trust me, the actual document is pages of questions!) about your company such as:
- what works?
- what doesn’t work?
- what challenges do you face?
- what is your unique value in the market place?
- where do you want to be next year? 2 years? 5 years?
Get clients involved
To keep the process “honest”, I met with some of their top clients to get their input on the company’s products and services. Their feedback was enlightening and invaluable. I think having me as the neutral 3rd party consultant kept our conversation open and objective, and I would recommend this if you’re considering rebranding your company.
On track, off track, back on track
I then developed a brand blueprint to stay focused and keep the rebrand messaging consistent. Using the blueprint for direction and inspiration, the next step was a new logo design. We felt we were headed in the right direction. But the visual message just wasn’t communicating the true spirit of AUE. Frustrated, I decided to scrap the current design. I asked our graphic designer to give it a rest for a couple of days so we could step back and start again with a fresh perspective.
At this time, we had just engaged Ballistic Arts as our web designer. They provided us with a thoughtful design interview, and one of the questions was so simple it was genius:
“What emotions do you want your audience to feel when they see your branding?” My answer:
Connected. Alive. Energized. Transformed. Balanced.
new logo
And with those key words, we were back on track! Dark Horse Graphics designed an energetic logo that communicated the sense of connection and energy transformation we were looking for.
Does the new logo convey our intended message? You tell me. What do you feel when you see AUE’s new logo?
….stay tuned as I share more of AUE’s rebranding process in future blogs…
Peanut Butter & Jam in business
I woke up this morning with an unexplained craving for a peanut butter & jam sandwich.
Considering the near absence of bread in my diet and the fact I don’t eat peanut butter (almond butter is my choice), I had to ask myself “why?”
My craving stemmed from a conversation I had with a very creative client of mine, Roger at Actors Unlimited Entertainment. We’ve been working on introducing new services and products by strengthening our strategic alliances with some key event industry partners. Simply put, a great idea is even better when paired with a complimentary great idea. “Like peanut butter and jam” Roger blurted out! The sum total is an enhanced experience for the end user (or eater!)
Food just naturally has its own flavour companions.
As every good Italian gardener knows, tomato wants to be grown with basil. It’s the quintessential Italian pairing and is the base for the best tasting pasta sauces.
When I lived in Jamaica a trip to the market would often include scallion, which is always “married” with thyme. You don’t ask for “scallion & thyme”; fresh thyme sprigs are automatically wrapped around the scallions. Both ingredients are essential in Jamaican cuisine so of course market vendors would just provide these together.
Macaroni & cheese. Soy sauce & wasabi. Fish & chips. You get the idea!
So let’s take a lesson from the kitchen to our business. How many singular great ideas do we have that could be even greater by introducing a complimentary service or product? Who or what could we align with to elevate the brand experience for our clients and audiences?
Do Business Ethics Exist?
Is there really such a thing as “professional ethics”?
Ethical principles, whether personal or professional, are owned by an individual. If someone is honest, loyal, reliable and hardworking in their personal life, under what circumstances would that change in their professional life? Conversely if lying, cheating and laziness describe someone’s personal habits, would the same characteristics be present in the workplace?
A business is comprised of people, and people have morals, not the organization. For me, I wouldn’t describe someone as having desirable “professional ethics”. We conduct ourselves from a personal place of principles, evident in our words and deeds all the time. We’ve either got it, or we don’t.
Leverage your Strategic B2B Relationships
Grow your business exponentially through strategic joint marketing and branded events with like-minded partners.
Listen to my interview with Kevin Kermes and learn how to maximize your efforts….with others!
How do you leverage the 80/20 rule?
Are you growing a small or medium sized business?
Ready to take the next step, but not sure how? Try leveraging the 80/20 rule to help build your company.
Listen to my interview with Kevin Kermes and learn how to leverage relationships with your best clients to move your business forward.
What else can help take your business to the next level?
Is a media crisis also an opportunity?
Welcome guest blogger Veronica Rivas! Public Relations specialist shares her perspective on opportunities.
Throughout the years I have seen my fair share of media crises, particularly in the tourism industry.
In 2009 I was in charge of Canadian media for the Mexico Tourism Board at Tianguis, an international tourist trade show in Acapulco. Mexico was already dealing with reports of violence, plus the tour operator Conquest had just ceased operations, stranding thousands of tourists in destination. Tianguis started on Sunday and then the unthinkable happened: an earthquake hit on Monday. The situation became the “perfect storm” of a media crisis on Tuesday when the H1N1 flu developed in Mexico City. I have never experienced another situation dealing with four different crises at once, and I hope I never will again. The experience taught me to put challenging situations in context and develop a calm mindset for those extremely stressful times.
Remarkably, a valuable opportunity presented itself to the Mexico Tourism Board. The massive hype provided direct access to international travel media on-site. The appropriate response would have been to deliver immediate, properly positioned messages through the appropriate spokesperson. Unfortunately, the opposite happened. No direct response from the tourism officials also created a lack of communication with key commercial partners directly affected, such as airlines and tour operators. A valuable opportunity was lost because of lack of damage control.
On a positive note, leadership was taken by Mexico’s federal government. Their response to the health crisis was fast, direct, and effective. The pandemic measures put in place were praised by the World Health Organization and set the bar for the rest of world when dealing with a health crisis.
A crisis comes in all shapes from a hurricane destroying a beach paradise, a tourist being harmed in destination, confidential memos leaked to the press, a virus outbreak at a meat packing facility, sex scandals, a damaging video going viral or international diplomatic issues.
Consider that not all crises, especially isolated incidents, have an immediate economical impact on your client’s business. A media crisis, just like hard times in our personal life, can certainly help build a company’s character. This might be an opportunity to strengthen crucial relationships.
Preparing a crisis management plan is as important as proactively pitching positive stories to the media. We all know that crises are inevitable. The best you can do is to be prepared.
A media crisis allows the well prepared professional to shine as a respected leader in their field:
- Stay in contact with key partners. Perhaps they are also affected by the same crisis.
- Deliver as much information as possible in a confidential manner. This demonstrates you care about their business.
- Take control of the situation. It’s always better to hear the facts straight from the horse’s mouth. Use this same approach for internal communications and be proactive with your team.
Yes, a crisis can also be an opportunity as long as you are willing to learn. Document, analyze and be better prepared for the next time. This is one of those “If not now, when?” moments.
About Veronica Rivas:
A well-respected communications and media relations specialist, Veronica gained international experience with renowned agencies Burson-Marsteller and Weber Shandwick. Her media and publishing positions include editor-in-chief and publishing coordinator of several publications including newspapers, magazines, and books.
A lover of all things social media, Veronica is an active member of the Canadian Public Relations Association.
Lesson #2: How do you solve a Rubik’s Cube?
No instructions. No playbooks. No models. I had what felt like a blank “Rubik’s Cube”. I’d spin it around and wonder what exactly my puzzle was, let alone how to solve it. To help define the game, I collaborated with dozens of colleagues and stakeholders. I painstakingly started to colour each of my cube’s individual squares. I’d then twist and turn the cube in every imaginable direction to understand the rules and the goals. Sometimes I’d sit quietly, hold the cube, and just let my mind wander. I’d need some new creative problem solving skills for this one.
That was me; starting my brand new position as Manager of Artist Services for VANOC’S Cultural Olympiad. The 3 year cultural program cumulated with a 60 day festival incorporating Municipal Celebration Sites, Provincial Pavilions and numerous stakeholder partners. The festival represented not only the largest Cultural Olympiad ever produced, but also the largest performing art and popular music festival in Canada. The size and scope was enormous.
The Artist Services department’s role was to coordinate hospitality, air travel and ground transportation services for over 2,200 individual artists. Much like a start-up business, I needed to build the team and design the operational models, administration procedures, communication protocols, training materials, working budgets and financial tracking systems to make it all work.
That seems pretty straight forward, I thought. Soon I discovered that planning in and around the Olympics is an entirely different beast than my previous “orderly” world of event management. It’s a highly complex universe with so many intricate, related parts and unforeseen obstacles, all moving at the speed of light. The clock was ticking and I was still defining “what’s my puzzle?”
The parts of my cube were changing and multiplying rapidly. It seemed as quickly as we solved 1 algorithm, 5 more would surface. Ok, got it. We’re not just solving one puzzle. We’re combining lots of colourful Rubik’s cubes to build a table. Wait, now we’re building a house? Well, not quite. 
We need to redesign our house and retro-fit it for the massive “Lego” castle. Ahhhh, so that was the puzzle? If only I had known at the beginning that I was designing a “Lego” castle! I would have drawn the blueprints differently, designed the systems more succinctly, and communicated the rules of play much clearer.
My problem solving process relied heavily on identifying and forecasting potential disconnects and pitfalls. More times than not, I didn’t know what the next obstacle would be or how the next piece would fit, I just knew I needed to think ahead. A flexible, adaptable and collaborative approach was critical to react to a constantly changing puzzle. I also knew what my years of experience in event management were telling me. Trust my instincts, stay nimble, look for patterns and anticipate the impact of each moving part. And above all, keep moving forward.
What other skills have you found useful to solve abstract puzzles?
Lessons I learned
Welcome to the first in my retrospective series of lessons I learned at the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing lessons in leadership, collaboration, emotional intelligence, organizational structure, resource and change management, with an underlying theme of passion, determination and resiliency.
Lesson #1: If not now, when?
July 2, 2003. In a packed stadium, I held my breath along with thousands of fellow Vancouverites and millions of Canadians nationwide. YES! Vancouver was awarded the bid for the 2010 Winter Games. Just think – we will be welcoming the world to compete and celebrate in our own backyard. I thought about the amazing business opportunities the Games would create for us in the experiential event management and hospitality industries. Little did I know that I would actually be part of the management team delivering the Olympic and Paralympic experience to millions of participants and spectators.
June 15, 2009. My first day at VANOC. My orientation was an overdose of cultural branding and infectious spirit. Our workforce manifest “If not now, when?” meant very little to me at that time. But it soon became my mantra to encourage me through the most challenging career choice I had ever made.
There have been times in my life when I have been pushed beyond my professional limits to a place of utter discomfort. In the past, I was aware of the challenges and open to the changes that I would face. Decisions I made such as attending a French-speaking university with only a moderate working knowledge of the language, or accepting the position of Destination Representative in Jamaica. Of course those would be life altering experiences. I was, after all, transplanting myself into foreign languages and cultures. Who would have thought that working for an organization in my home town would be life altering?
Many a colleague, friend, family member and even strangers have asked me: “What was it like working on the Olympics?” I struggle with an answer that would honour the organization, the dedicated team and my professional growth. The size, scope and complexity are daunting. The learning curve is huge. The impact is undeniable. Being part of the single largest event in the world changed me. It raised my personal and professional bar and tested me to dig deeper and be better. It’s been said that working on an Olympic organizing committee is akin to dog years in the “real” world: one VANOC year equals seven business years. Based on my experiences, I agree. But what an amazing “seven” years. WOOF!
What are your “if not now, when?” moments?
Laura Tetzlaff
