tomatolounge

There is a lesson to be learned from Google’s Internet war with China. The region has more than 250 million people surfing the web, and Internet censorship practices that prevent “subversive” material from influencing the masses. Google has recently challenged (and put pressure on) China to change its censorship practices. The brand is threatening to pull out of search and other potentially lucrative business dealings if the Chinese government continues to force the company to operate within censorship laws.

Let’s face it, Google is a veritable force and verb to be reckoned with. Imagine that — a country where people can no longer Google.

Some argue that Google is using its mighty business and brand (though it is less ubiquitous in China than in other parts of the world) to take a political stand. It will be interesting to see if after on-again-off-again political talks between the U.S. government and China, Google’s brand and business move will prevail. (The U.S. government, by the way, is staying out of Google’s negotiations with China.)

But, Google isn’t taking a stand against China. It’s simply defending its brand promise. The hacking attacks (traced to China) that targeted Google were evidence of a much larger threat against the brand. The company is, and has always been, in the business of liberating information for the masses to consume. Google responded to these attacks by defending its business and brand promise.

Even cynical customers are disappointed when brands break their promises. There’s an age-old lesson brands can all learn from Google’s war with China. Even when tested, a brand promise worth making is worth keeping.

Here is a quick snapshot of the material we conceived and produced for a Telecom Event in Hawaii this week. the entire theme revolved around defying gravity to illustrate the message. As part of this strategy different pieces were produced for the event; Cocktail hour, electronic banner, print ads, posters, on-site signages, invitations, note book, even music compilation,  all had variations of elements or situations that revolve around the theme.

I have to contribute to the new Accenture Ad campaign freshling unveiling in 100 and so airports today with my take on the animal based concept. It  was too tempting after noticing the forced ommission of the tiger in the animal-based line up. more seriously, I Would have given the agency an extra two weeks so they could come up with something more unique than the sure-fire animal theme for a global campaign. I am sure they had some great ideas that all probably went down in the month long focus group.

Accenture remixed by Laurent

Workplace squabbles over promotions or cubicle space are typically negotiated behind closed doors. But what happens when the employee is a brand? They may take their causes to the airwaves. Conan O’Brien did just that. After being screwed out of his Tonight Show time slot, he submitted his resignation letter… to the New York Times blog.

The power of Conan, the brand, is that he can rally viewers around a cause they can all relate to — the employee who worked late shifts all the way to the top only to be slighted in the end. (When I read Conan’s blog, I couldn’t help but think to myself: Go Conan, stick it to the man.)
Of course, Conan isn’t one of the masses. He’s paid a helluva lot more than the masses. But, he has a brand story that will resonate — he’s one of us.  If I was Conan’s boss, I’d be worried. When a brand has a good story to tell, it/she/he can move the market.

But, most employers aren’t NBC execs. They don’t have to worry about their employees becoming the brand. Or, do they? The fact of the matter is: employees are the nuts-and-bolts and spirit of the brand. The institution that is Nike began with a tight-knit group of diehard employees who allegedly had the swoosh tattooed on their bodies. They were the brand. The same was true for Ben & Jerry’s, Snapple and Whole Foods. The best companies to work for are often the best companies to buy from.
As employees become more powerful, through the same interactive tools that enable customers to drive and deride brands online, companies will need to shift their mind-set. First, companies need to view their employees as part of their brand, not HR, strategy.  Second, companies need to relinquish the idea that they can make brand-shattering decisions behind closed doors. After all, we all know how to google. The powers have shifted. The employee and customer are no longer people companies and marketers can “talk at.” They are empowered big mouths and want to be respected as stakeholders who invest time, talent and money into brands.

So what should the execs at NBC do? Duke out a supposed-HR matter through mass media? Yes. As a woman born and raised in a capitalist and democratic society, I say let the market and the people choose. And, by the way, the market is the people. Perhaps in an age of consumer- and data-driven marketing, we, the people, should vote online on who holds the much-contended and coveted 11:35 pm NBC time slot. We vote for our president. Why not vote for Conan?